Manchester, England - Manchester Evening New Arena
January 19, 2001

It's hard to fathom how a group of 40-something males with guitars, ludicrous songs, and ¾ length trousers could stay ALIVE in Manchester, let alone remain popular enough to fill a 10,000+ stadium with teenage devotees. The Offspring challenge every theory about punk-rockers ever compiled, and remain as popular, in fact more so, in their middle age, as in the decadent youthful period of their debut, and multi-million selling independent album 'Smash'.

Tonight, 'Conspiracy of One' is on the agenda. The follow-up to the 1998 LP 'Americana' has been similarly stated by the 'Old Skool' for allowing The Offspring to slip deeper and deeper into the void of the mainstream. However, the band are looking to please everyone tonight, like the light, polite, and never uptight bloke that Dexter Holland is. Reputedly. Support comes from pop/punk crossover success 'A', whose U.S. top 10 hit 'Old Folks' has propelled them into the big league (not minimally due to a support slot with the Bloodhound Gang for the past few months). Tonight they are sprightly, anthemic, and very much enjoyable, the said hit being the highlight of the set (whilst the fans still pour in). Poor sound systems let them down however, and you can't help coming away feeling that you, and the band, have been slightly cheated.

On the other hand, there is A.F.I., who's opus 'The Art Of Drowning' is approaching sales of 75,000 world-wide. The sound system has been improved, and you get the feeling that the fact the band are singed to Holland's 'Nitro' label comes into play now… However, the band do not do their position justice. Lead man Davey Havok, clad in PVC, and helium inhalation, cavorts around stage like a man possessed, although their sounds is nothing to talk about, and Davey's tuneless screams are not even enough to keep me awake through the set, (the 10 minute sleep intermission was enjoyed by quite a few I should imagine). Unless A.F.I. conjure up some sort of melody from somewhere, they shall be practising 'The Art Of Drowning', in the well of bands long forgotten.

And so, the set is constructed, the lights are dimmed, and 12,000 people brace themselves for the inevitable. As a stunning light display begins, the four figures stride out onto the stage as calmly as you like (understandable considering their decade in the business), and strike the first chords of the night, from 'Bad Habit', track 3 from 'Smash'. A large section of the night is devtoted to the old classics, choice cuts being the storming 'All I Want', emotionally charged 'Gone Away', and one of the many 'sing-a-long-an-Offspring-song' moments of the night, the old-school anthem 'Self Esteem'.

The new(er) material from 'Americana' and 'Conspiracy' also takes centre stage however, as the wave of new fans that surround me can easily shout along with the dimmed vocals (the sound system still causing havoc) of Mr. Holland, and a random man who provides the spoken-word vocals on 'Pretty Fly (For a White Guy), and Come out and Play, both which rock, but gain more from this man's ridiculous dancing than his vocal talents. Loudest crowd chant of the night award goes to 'The Kids Aren't Alright', easily the best track from 'Americana', and showing the world that the Offspring have lost none of the raw talent that made them such a success in the early 90's.

Closing with new single 'I Want You Bad', a cheery, catchy little number which should see the band riding the waves of chart success once more, and after an 80 minute set, there is not a bad word to be said about the show, the atmosphere, or the band. Only the band could call intermission for 3 minutes, to play cha-cha-cha music, and employ an overweight, ageing man with spiked hair and a g-string to spur the crowd's hand movements. Even the commercial new material is justified in the live show, and suddenly the 'Old-School' is happy, and the 'New Crowd' are plunged more and more into fanatical love with a band that should be around for a couple of years yet. They've certainly got the support.

By Gemma Day, from Virtual Festivals