Gig played on 22/08/05

Weezer clearly have a lot of making up to do. Releasing albums either one after another or with time periods so far apart that entire musical genres rise and fall, Weezer are now back in the capital a mere two months after their last visit. And as several thousand pairs of eyes gaze adoringly up at the balcony where Rivers Cuomo sits alone with an acoustic guitar strumming-out "Island In The Sun", it's obvious that, in a complete turnaround from the aloof performance delivered back in June, Cuomo is doing his best to connect with his constituency.

The Cuomo of yore was an awkward creature, one that seemed embarrassed at the mere thought of having to like, y'know, actually get up and play as he stared at the floor desperately wanting to be somewhere else. Tonight's new and improved model sees the once reluctant frontman standing at the lip of the stage, his arms outstretched and bathing in a much-deferred glory. And he's even left his trademark glasses at home.

However, despite Cuomo's new-found confidence, Weezer are still pretty much something of a mixed bag as they veer wildly from balls-out geek-rockers to turgid ballads with all the grace and dexterity of a drunk behind the wheel of a car. "My Name Is Jonas", from their eponymous debut results, in the kind of fevered and frantic scenes usually witnessed at disaster sites as bodies pile into each with scant regard for personal safety while "Hash Pipe" becomes a terrace-sized, air-punching anthem.

Sadly, the momentum drops with the newer material. "Peace" is akin to swimming through a vat of glue, its mid-paced tempo sharply at odds with Weezer's spikier and infinitely more preferable moments, and "Hold Me" is the kind of uber-ballad that seemingly contractually obliges the audience to hold aloft mobile phones, lighters and anything else that shines. The worst offender, though, is "Beverley Hills" as it shamelessly apes The Steve Miller Band with all the charm and charisma of inebriated frat boys attempting to light their own farts.

However, all is not lost. "Buddy Holly" still retains an infectious allure but it's apparent that Weezer have found themselves at a crossroads. A desire on their part to move on has resulted in a confused clutch of songs that neither takes the band forward or back. Still, knowing Weezer, they'll have worked it out in five years' time.

by James Marshall