Live Review: OVO Arena Wembley, Saturday 13th December 2025
My first live review for RAMzine, and what a way to start. Bowling For Soup at OVO Arena Wembley, with Punk Rock Factory and Wheatus in support. I’d never been to the venue before. I knew it was huge, but knowing and seeing are different things. Walking in while DJ Jon Mahon got the crowd warmed up, I just kept looking around, trying to take it all in.
Punk Rock Factory
As Jon ended his first DJ session, he introduced the opening act: Punk Rock Factory. I love this band; they do amazing covers, so I was excited to see them live for the first time. I couldn’t stop dancing in my seat and sang along to almost every song. They’re a fun, entertaining band to watch, bouncing around the stage with infectious energy.
Their set included ‘Mamma Mia’, ‘Under the Sea’ from The Little Mermaid, and ‘Let It Go’ from Frozen. They played the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song and got everyone singing along, myself included. The Power Rangers theme had six people joining the stage dressed as the Rangers, three on each side of the band, making the experience even more fun and unique. They closed with a cover of The Pogues‘ ‘Fairytale of New York’, perfectly timed for the festive season.
Jon continued his DJing, playing some bangers. The crowd sang along to Avril Lavigne‘s ‘Complicated’, ‘Scotty Doesn’t Know’ from EuroTrip, AC/DC‘s ‘Highway to Hell’, and Tenacious D‘s ‘Tribute’. He even dedicated ABBA‘s ‘Dancing Queen’ to his mum, who was there with other members of his family watching him perform.
Wheatus
Next up: Wheatus. I didn’t realise I knew more of their songs than I thought. They’re another fun band to watch, but what really caught my attention was their unconventional setup. Three drummers, two of them standing and dancing, playing their kits almost like bongos. It was fascinating. Three women provided backing vocals, harmonising beautifully. The band were so loud that my seat vibrated.
I sang along to ‘Fourteen’ and ‘Wannabe Gangstar’. They closed with their most famous track, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, getting the crowd to sing entire sections on their own. An unforgettable moment.
Jon was back for his final DJ session, getting everyone clapping and stomping to Queen‘s ‘We Will Rock You’. He played Limp Bizkit‘s ‘Break Stuff’, Blink-182‘s ‘All the Small Things’, Linkin Park‘s ‘In the End’, and Bon Jovi‘s ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’. He even treated us to his own track, ‘You Got This’, the one with the lyrics “Don’t let the motherf*ckers bring you down”, getting the whole crowd to join in.
He also played Ozzy Osbourne‘s ‘Crazy Train’ in tribute to the legendary frontman, who passed away in July this year. A fitting moment of respect.
Bowling For Soup
Then came the men of the hour: Bowling For Soup. I have to say, they are one of the best bands I’ve seen live. So much banter and hilarious comments from Jaret Reddick throughout the whole set. Smoke and fire filled the stage, and confetti rained down on the crowd. The entire arena sang along to every track.
They played ‘Ohio (Come Back to Texas)’, ‘Almost’, ‘Punk Rock 101’, ‘Suckerpunch’, ‘High School Never Ends’, and ‘1985’. Mid-set, Jaret took a moment to talk about mental health and how important it is. Honestly, it made me cry! I struggle with mental health myself, as do many people, including Jaret. It was a powerful, genuine moment that showed why this band connects so deeply with their fans.
They brought Brendan from Wheatus back on stage to get his head shaved for Uprawr, a mental health charity. The band then treated us to ‘Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day’, the theme song from Phineas and Ferb, one of my absolute favourite shows growing up, and of course, I danced in my seat. They closed with ‘Girl All the Bad Guys Want’, the perfect ending to a perfect night.
This whole gig was so much fun. Entertaining, sick as f*ck, and honestly, I didn’t want to leave. It’s one of the best gigs I’ve been to, cementing its place in my top five. I would happily do this all over again and would see all the bands again in a heartbeat. Please check out all the bands and enjoy every second.
