 |
| Gig
Review |
|
|
There’s nothing like a bit of ska to cheer
you up, and this evening was so packed with brass
sections and upstroke guitar chords that I’m
sure there wasn’t a straight face in the room.
I arrive in time to catch the second supports,
Suburban Legends. Very similar in style to the
headliners, and hailing from the same sunny climes
(California), they are the perfect warm up for
Reel Big Fish. They burst with energy and get
the whole crowd skanking along (or ‘doing
the ska dance’ as they put it). To finish
off they perform a ska version of ‘I Just
Can’t Wait To Be King’ from the Lion
King – an inspired cover, complete with
Zazu’s accompanying comments. If you haven’t
listened to these guys, they’re definitely
ones to watch. I would love to score them a perfect
5/5, but that accolade has to be reserved for
RBF, who are, quite frankly, in a league of their
own.
The last time I saw RBF, I was far too embroiled
in a circle pit (that I’d accidentally got
dragged into) to enjoy their set, but finally,
tonight, I was able to enjoy them in all their
glory.
They finally take to the stage and launch straight
into ‘Trendy’ and ‘Another FU
Song’. With a lot of their songs clocking
in at less than 3 minutes, it’s impossible
to get bored, and they keep this wild momentum
up for an impressively long set. They maintain
their full force, punchy ska for well over an
hour. Aaron on vocals and John Christianson (Little
Johnny Christmas) on trumpet are the most fun
to watch, but all the members of the band are
giving it their all. The star of the show, though,
is Scott Klopfenstein, constantly switching between
trumpet, guitar, keyboard, and vocals. These guys
really are the kings of Ska - they are the masters
of harmonies, brass sections, and soaring vocals.
The highlight of the evening for me is being surrounded
by hundreds of people dancing and skanking along,
singing every word of ‘Good Time’
at the top of their lungs. It just doesn’t
get any better.
Their songs are simple and fun, but RBF take
their music very seriously. Their musical talent
is astonishing to see - during the performance,
Aaron stands at the front of the stage playing
an incredible riff – behind his head. And
sometimes, when they’re not singing about
‘Beer’ or how ‘Everything Sucks’,
their lyrics speak of simple and poignant truths.
They finish off with their best know material;
‘Sell Out’ and A-Ha cover, ‘Take
On Me’. When they finally leave the stage,
everyone seems to stand stunned for a few seconds,
as if hoping that they might do a second encore,
but, unfortunately, that’s our lot. It’s
an absolute travesty that the venue wasn’t
sold out tonight.
Surburban Legends – 4/5
Reel Big Fish – 5/5
Review By Helen Williams |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reel
Big Fish |
|
|
| Surburban
Legends |
|
|
| Band
Related Links |
|
|
| Review
Score Code |
|
|
- Top Cheese
- Brilliant
- Pretty damn good
- Ok I guess
-
What Was That? |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
