Photo + Words: Lizzie Anne
Rescue Rooms was already heaving long before Wheatus took the stage, the kind of wall-to-wall sold-out crowd that gives the venue its best atmosphere. You could feel the warmth in the room instantly — the sort of collective, good-spirited buzz that only happens when everyone knows they’re in for a special one.
TINband opened the night with a confident, hooky set that did exactly what a support slot should: pull people closer to the stage, lift the energy, and get the room properly switched on. By the time they wrapped up, the crowd was fully engaged and more than ready for chaos.
Rather than arriving with a fixed setlist, Wheatus built the entire show off audience requests. It made everything feel loose, funny, and genuinely alive. Brendan B. Brown bounced between shouted-out favourites and deep cuts with total ease, throwing in harmonica moments that somehow worked perfectly in the middle of the madness. The band seemed to be having as much fun as the crowd, which only fuelled the atmosphere.
The room stayed full and loud for the entire night — people singing, shouting requests, laughing between songs, and generally creating that very specific Rescue Rooms mix of sweat, nostalgia, and pure joy. It felt communal in a way you don’t always get at bigger gigs; everyone was part of the show.
The highlight, unsurprisingly, was ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, but in a very welcome seasonal twist, they played the Christmas version. The entire venue screamed it back with full festive commitment. It was silly, warm, and genuinely uplifting, the perfect way to close a December gig.
Wheatus didn’t just play a show; they built one in real time with the people in front of them. Between the request-driven chaos, the harmonica, the festive spin on a classic, and a crowd who were clearly having the time of their lives, it was an easy reminder of why they’re still such a beloved live act after all these years.
Taped Magazine 