Hanson @ Academy 1

Paul Cockerton

25/03/05

CHILD superstars are usually in rehab by the time their milk teeth have fallen out, but those Hanson brothers have broken the mould.

It’s eight years since Mmmbop zoomed to number one and Zac, Isaac and Taylor have ditched the high-octane teen pop, shaved their manes and gone serious.

They’ve set up their own record label, gone on acoustic tours, and on Good Friday filled the Academy showcasing new LP Underneath, the type of melodic drivetime rock Maroon 5 specialise in.

Recent top ten single Penny & Me encapsulated what’s it’s like growing up in the pop spotlight, but the Oklahoma brothers showed they are not just a grown-up McFly.

They opened with a cover of Radiohead’s Optimistic, while the fingerprints of Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith were all over the new material, but for much of the 100-minute set they tried too hard to prove their rock credentials.

Right on cue, though, team Hanson delivered perky pop gems Where’s The Love and Mmmbop with the boundless enthusiasm of Labrador pups.

There’s life in those young dogs yet.