Wheatus/Thomas Ian Nicholas -
Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, Wednesday 10th December, 2025
One man and his guitar has always been a bane on mine. It's hard to make them look interesting when I take photos. They are all talented but sound pretty much the same as the last.
So I am faced with another one man and his Guitar, this time it's the turn of Thomas Ian Nicholas, yes him, Kevin Myers from 'American Pie' or the bar tender from Ice Nine Kills 'Work of Art' video!
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He is full of smiles and humour. He sings well known tunes but with his words, like 'Stacy's Mom' to the new and improved words 'Stifler's Mom' about, erm Stiflers Mom from American pie with '1999' telling us the American Pie story.
In-between these songs were humourous tales from the movies. He sang "My Generation". Which was featured in 'American Reunion'. All through this performance Thomas came across so nice, genuine and very talented. It truly was a pleasure to watch.
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His short interview with me is on Metalliville-zine and my YouTube channel.
Setlist: Mullet/A Little Respect (Erasure cover) (With 'My Girl' ending)/Leroy/Truffles/BMX Bandits/Whiskey River (Willie Nelson cover) (Snippet)/Sunshine/Chan's The Man/Basket Case (Green Day cover)/F.B.S.M./ Wannabe Gangstar/Christmas Dirtbag (Incomplete)/Lemonade/Love Is A Mutt From Hell/Fourteen/Hey, Mr. Brown/Hit Me With Your Best Shot (Eddie Schwartz cover)/American in Amsterdam/Hump'Em N' Dump'Em (With elements of 'Material Girl')/I'd Never Write A Song About You/Pretty Girl/Growing On Me (The Darkness cover)/Teenage Dirtbag/American in Amsterdam.
Wheatus are a large ensemble made up of Brendan B. Brown (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Philip A. Jimenez (Percussion/Banjo/Harmonica, Keyboards/Samples), Matthew Milligan (Bass), Brandon Ticer (Keyboards), Gabrielle Aimée Sterbenz (Backing Vocals), Joey Slater (Backing Vocals), Karlie Bruce (Backing Vocals), Dustyn Murphy (Drums) & Gui Fuentes (Percussion).
On the stage floor, there is set list with songs on called "this is not a set list". On my interview with Brendan B.Brown he said, "there is no set list, I prefer to perform with no order... just the Audience shouting out what they want me to perform" (not an exact quote but you can watch the full interview on Metalliville-zine and my YouTube channel).
The stage is full and chaotic. Three backing singers, two percussionists, one drummer, one angry looking bassist, a keyboard player and Brendan on guitar. Loud shouts were coming from the crowd of what to play.
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The band started with 'Mullet. I shouted for 'Zelda'. He sadly didn't sing that song, the other song I shouted was the Pat Benatar cover 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' which he did sing towards the end of the set.
Second song was the Erasure cover, 'A Little Respect' which worked the crowd into a dancing, singing frenzy. What a fabulous start. As the set went on so did the added chaos. The merch guy Jason Alexander Hayman came out and played the Saxophone.
Second song was the Erasure cover, 'A Little Respect' which worked the crowd into a dancing, singing frenzy. What a fabulous start. As the set went on so did the added chaos. The merch guy, Jason Alexander Hayman came out and played the Saxophone.
 Wheatus - Nottingham 10 12 25 - Photograph 13 |  Wheatus - Nottingham 10 12 25 - Photograph 24 |
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But the man who stole the show was Philip Jimenez. One of the original members who joins Brendan again on this tour. He is the one with the banana shaker in the videos. We met him at the start and gifted him an inflatable Banana that appeared on stage with him. We added a second inflatable Banana. Both Bananas had a little crowd surf towards the end before ending up back in Philips capable hands.
He was full of energy, dancing up front and moving around the stage like he was in his 20's again. He played everything from the kazoo, harmonica or banjo. He literally played something different in each song!
Fan favourites like 'Lemonade' and 'B.M.X Bandits' were sung with some other covers like 'Basket Case' from Green Day and 'Growing on Me' by The Darkness. The fun songs didn't end there! A 'Christmas Dirtbag' was added to the long set list which only wet the audience appetite for the main song.
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As we neared the end the final Chaos got more chaotic as it was time for that 2000 anthem! The anthem that is still a hit everywhere from Juke boxes, cover bands and my very own karaoke rendition "Teenage Dirtbag"! (Which is well worth the watch, honest).
Although we are no longer teenage dirtbags, the whole crowd danced and sang that song like it came out last week and we were all young again. What an atmosphere.
An absolutely fantastic gig from some really epic performers.
By Dale Holford