Festival Feel in Margate As Bowling For Soup Take Over Dreamland

Word and Photos by Dave Martin/ Faversham Photography

There are several musical events that signal the start of the summer music season, the first of these for me is Download but the opening of the scenic stage at Margate’s Dreamland is definitely one that needs to be added. The venue that host bands of all levels across their 3 main stages is becoming one of my favourite venues to photograph.

The Scenic Stage in the summer has a real festival feel that sets it apart from other similar sized venues. The main stage surrounded by food vendor trucks in the glorious sunshine with the fairground rides as a backdrop set the scene for what was to be a fun evening of pop punk entertainment.

First to the stage were Boston based rock American Hifi. The band were really pleased to be back touring the UK and thanked Bowling for Soup and Frank Turner from bringing them along. It’s the first time that Bowling for Soup and American Hifi have toured together despite their long-term friendship.

In the hot sun it took a little while for the crowd to get going but when one the audience was seen by Singer Stacey Jones joining in and he said “Thanks for singing along out there “ while point at the person. From then on more and more joined in singing along while Jones was animated on stage. Before last song Jones thanks everyone for coming out and asks crowd to sing along if they know the last song. The band started to perform their most well know track “Flavor of the week” to which the crowd became more animated and were singing at full volume. Jones stopped singing himself periodically to the hear the crowd and they dutifully continued. This ending added the energy to the evening that would not subside until it’s conclusion.

Setlist:

Surround
Scar
The Break Up Song
Hi-Fi Killer
Another Perfect Day
The Geeks get the Girls
The Art of Losing
Flavor of The week

Second to the stage was Frank Turner and his Sleeping Souls band. From the crowd reaction, I think there were as many people at the gig to see Frank as there were to see Bowling For Soup.

The crowd were all swinging arms and singing along from the first song and Frank was actively encouraging them, prompting them what and when to sing. Turner said he was glad being back at Margate and it was time to get the party started. “I want to see a massive Margate circle pit” before tongue in cheek saying “That’s more like a Southampton pit.”

The audience continued to be lively and sing along as the set progressed. Frank introduced a song that he wrote for a friend who lost their life to cancer, recalling to the crowd how the song came to be written. “This is for Lexi. – long live the queen”. At one point the Sleepless Souls leave the stage and leave Frank, acoustic guitar in hand, for a couple of more emotional songs. After the ballads Frack exclaims “please welcome back to the stage the sleeping souls” and the crowd jumped up and down to “The next storm”.

Turner talks about mental health and anxiety. Frank explains he is terrified of playing of playing guitar solos in public, but he faced his fears doing 2 solos in one song. He looked so pleased with himself after completing first solo. Then there was a big cheer from crowd after second solo before the crowd start clapping along.

“Are you going to sing with us?”. The crowd follow their prompt, to which Frank responded “That was fucking shite Margate. They were louder than you in Australia, they were louder than you in USA. Sing it like you fucking mean it.”

“We have time for one more song. Let’s fucking go.” Turner then jumped into the crowd and crowd surfed before returning to the stage.

Set List:

I still Believe
Try This At Home
Back Problems
Photosynthesis
Girl From The Record
1933
No Thank You
Long Live The Queen
Way I Tend To Be
The Ballad
The Next Storm
I Am Disappeared
Recovery
Haven’t Been Doing So Well
Do One
Polaroid Picture
Get Better
4 Simple Words

Following the completion of the set Tenacious D’s Tribute played over the PA with the crowd singing every word. The comedy band setting the exact tone needed for the night’s headliners Bowling For Soup.

During second song “High School Never Ends” the band used the first of their stage props with sparks flying at the front of the stage.

For anyone who has never seen Bowling for Soup before their set is comedy gold. Jaret is extremely funny. At the start of set there were some technical issues with the vocals from the front speakers and Jaret used his wit to entertain until it was fixed which he then claimed to fix. “If you can hear me, put your hands in the air“. The band then did their usual intro to song “Ohio” introducing it as an ode to Texas.

Following “Ohio” the band played their intro for cartoon “Phineas and Ferb” and there are clearly lots of fans of the show (or parents) in the audience, with many singing along

During the fifth song “Getting Old Sucks”, beach balls were thrown out all over the crowd and these being batted about.

In middle of Punk Rock 101 the PA plays Proclaimers classic “I’m Gonna Be” and 3 band members pose for photos, moving around the stage for the snaps. The song also introduced the first pyro flames of the evening.

Up next was a cover of Fountains of Wayne hit “Stacey’s mom” which again was met with enthusiasm during the set.

During a Bowling for Soup gig they regularly have competitions. Last time I saw them it was to shave the head of Wheatus’ lead singer Bendan B. Brown. This time it was to claim a signed guitar. The winner of which was called Keeley. Chants of Keeley went through the crowd and as she claimeded her prize Jaret said “Do you want to play the next song. No? We don’t want you to play it either”.

During “Girls All The Bad Guys Want, large confetti canon covered the crowd so much that it looked like it was snowing. In places Jared stopped singing every other line so that crowd can sing with the song finishing with pyro jets.

Jaret addressed the crowd telling them that without the UK audience the band wouldn’t be here today. “When I say the UK saved our band. The album came out in America and no one bought it. You kept this song on music tv.” The group then proceeded with The Bitch Song.

At the completion of the song an unruly woman was escorted from the crowd and Jaret noticed and asked was she being a bitch during the bitch song. There was a big cheer for Tanya from security for having thrown the lady out.

The band then left the stage as the crowd chanted for one more song. The group obliged returning for a two-song encore finishing with 1985.

On the hot evening the punters were thoroughly entertained following a fantastic event at a fantastic venue.

Setlist