Are you a fan of Weezer? Have we got news for you...
Ahead of their big old Weezer night (yes, you read that right), which will see Buenos Treehouse and George Gadd & The Aftermath take on some nineties classics, we sit down with the former's Will Bailey and the latter's George Gadd to hear all about one of Bodega's most exciting gigs yet...
Tell us a little about the event...
Will: It’s a night of Weezer hits at The Bodega. George Gadd & The Aftermath are playing the Blue Album from start to finish and my band, Buenos Treehouse, are then playing Pinkerton from start to finish. Saturday 26 November. Half the tickets have sold already (and there isn’t an England game that day, we checked!).
George: I have people who come up to me and ask, "So, just to be clear, you are covering the Blue Album by Weezer in full?" like it is an April Fools' joke - and I'd just like to use this space to clarify with a resounding "yes we are!". And, even more, we'll have Buenos Treehouse doing Pinkerton (which is my personal preference) after us. It's just a perfect night for me.
How did it all come about?
Will: Every year I put on a ‘Stars In Their Eyes’ gig, where bands cover another band in their own style, like ska Spice Girls, punk ABBA, that sort of thing. However, I’ve always loved the idea of doing a gig where we play an album from start to finish - but I didn’t want it to be silly covers, I want it to be a celebration of a band’s music. When I had the idea, I messaged George straight away asking if his band would also cover a full Weezer album. His actual response was, “Jesus fuck that's mega.”
George: It was all Will’s idea. I think the reason we got asked is because we both have a shared affinity for Weezer, and have shared many line-ups together - including one where we played five gigs in a day.
Why Weezer?
Will: I can remember exactly where I was when I first heard the Blue Album, it got me into listening to music. It was a perfect mix of bands like The Beach Boys and Silver Sun - also Buddy Holly was on the Windows 95 disk (I was nine and it was such a cool video!). When I heard Pinkerton, I absolutely loved it, but was fascinated with how an album like this could be so poorly received on release. I honestly think it’s a masterpiece. I wanted the opportunity to play an album I love from start to finish, and it had to be Pinkerton. Learning these songs has been incredible!
George: I feel like, growing up in the nineties, Weezer have always been a constant for me as I've gotten older. I remember seeing their videos all the time when I was a kid. I admire them because they are a band that doesn't conform to what fans want and they do go out of their comfort zone. Every song has at least one banger (apart from the Black Album, that one just sucks).
If you like Weezer, you are going to love this night. If you don't, chances are you'll still enjoy it
It feels like nineties music is back on the rise again in pop culture - we've recently seen a sample of Eiffel 65's A Decade in Blue top the charts, for example. Why do you think that is?
Will: Well, first of all, that song is horrible. One of my Mum’s fondest memories of me and my siblings is singing and dancing to Eiffel 65 when it came out. Nostalgia is definitely what is driving parts of the music industry - just because we’re into vinyl again, doesn’t mean we want these remix/reboots of classics!
George: I don't really listen to much chart music but I've just listened to the David Guetta x Bebe Rexha version and it is genius what they've done to make a cheesy song much more cringe. I think these things happen in cycles, like pop-punk coming back in the mainstream and the current Kate Bush hype.
Which tunes are you most excited to play on the night?
Will: Across the Sea, The Good Life, El Scorcho.
George: I think one thing to note with our set is that it isn't going to be a 100% pure lifting of Weezer's Blue Album - we have our own little twist on the songs. I really struggled to play the opening guitar line of My Name is Jonas so Ciaran programmed it into his synthesiser, and it now sounds like Super Mario. We ran through some of the songs with a set at 2000trees this year and Say It Ain't So went down well. We ran through Only in Dreams for the first time in practice the other day and it sounded perfect.
Is there anything else you'd like to tell LeftLion readers?
Will: If you like the first two Weezer albums, check out Maladroit and Everything Will Be Alright in the End. Maybe don’t listen to SZNZ…
George: If you like Weezer, you are going to love this night. If you don't, chances are you'll still enjoy it.
We are working on some new tunes and one of them weirdly sounds a lot like Weezer. Hope to get them out with you soon. We are still raising funds for the recording of the debut album, there's merch available with all profits going towards the costs.
Tickets to Say It Ain't So - A Weezer Night at The Bodega are available now
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