Express & Star

Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake, O2 Academy, Birmingham - review with pictures

Last night hundreds of music fans made their way to Birmingham's O2 Academy despite the rainy weather for an energetic gig like no other.

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Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

Ska punk icons Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake are no strangers to touring together, both being bands that spearheaded the genre with more than 50 years of combined experience.

And last night they joined forces with California ska bands Suburban Legends and Zebrahead for an incredible night of entertainment.

Suburban Legends set the pace of the night expertly with a fast-paced performance that immediately had the crowd moving their feet.

Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn
Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

It may have been raining outside, but the quartet's sunny stage presence shone bright through hits such as Forever in the Friendzone, My Friend, and a cover of Elton John's I Just Can't Wait to Be King.

With the audience suitably warmed up, Zebrahead upped the ante with a raging set that could have left even the most physically fit crowd member breathless.

"Birmingham do you like to party?" vocalist Matty Lewis asked the crowd, and he was answered by deafening cheers that surely confirmed his question.

Despite being a Sunday night the venue was alive and jumping through hit songs such as Call Your Friends, Save Your Breath, Who Brings a Knife to a Gunfight? and Hello Tomorrow.

The band easily matched this energy, jumping and dancing across the stage at all times while flawlessly executing each hit musically.

Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

Ending on smash hit song Anthem, joined by the Reel Big Fish horns section, Zebrahead's set closed on a high that could be felt throughout the room.

No matter how many times I see Reel Big Fish, they never disappoint and consistently deliver a flawless live performance.

Last night they not only delivered, but they exceeded my already-high expectations.

Without any lengthy introductions the California sextet ran onto the stage and bowled straight into their cover of A-Ha's Take On Me.

From this moment on and throughout their entire hour-long set the crowd did not stop dancing, and neither did the band with their momentum never faltering for a second.

Their energetic actions never impacted the high quality of their musicianship however, with songs such as Your Guts (I Hate 'Em), In the Pit and She Has a Girlfriend Now sounding impeccable.

Reel Big Fish. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

The horn section - made up of trumpet player Johnny Christmas, trombonist Billy Kottage, and saxophonist Saxl Rose - repeatedly blew me away with the accuracy and sheer talent they demonstrated through each song.

Aaron Barrett's vocals remained strong throughout the show, and demonstrated an impressive range through songs such as Trendy, Where Have You Been, and a rousing rendition of Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl.

Despite sounding so polished and professional, the set wasn't without its gags as the band frequently engaged in banter with the entire crowd as well as between themselves.

"Now we'll play that one song we were famous for in the 90s," Aaron told the crowd, before launching into a comedic cover of Smash Mouth's All Star to deafening cheers and laughter.

Ending on their real smash hits, Sell Out and Beer, Reel Big Fish left the crowd loudly chanting their names and begging for more.

Which band could possibly match, or even top, the energy that had already been displayed on stage? Less Than Jake.

Running onto the stage with the force of a whirlwind, the quintet dived straight into hit song Gainesville Rock City.

Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

I didn't think the crowd would have any energy left after dancing their way through three rip-roaring sets, but the entire room came alive as soon as Less Than Jake took to the stage.

Vocalists Chris DeMakes and Roger Lima both showcased powerful and perfect vocals throughout the hour-long performance that worked effortlessly together through songs such as Look What Happened, The Science of Selling Yourself Short, She's Gonna Break Soon and History of a Boring Town.

Their vocals were carried by Buddy Schaub on trombone, Peter Wasilewki on tenor saxophone, and new drummer Matt Drastic. Despite all playing instruments that could individually steal the spotlight, each member had their moment of glory and the instrumentals weaved together perfectly to create one fantastic, fully-rounded spectacle.

When you go to see Less Than Jake, you know to expect the unexpected and prepare for a lot of chaos.

Chris treated fans to this disorder and disarray only moments into the set, when he dragged a fan onto the stage to dance alongside him.

Less Than Jake. Photo by: Aatish Ramchurn

At times their performance strayed into stand-up comedy territory, with Chris roasting members of the crowd and his fellow members, to the amusement of the room.

You can also rest-assured that when you watch Less Than Jake, you'll also end up covered in toilet paper. And when the toilet paper guns rained over the crowd, the energy was unmatched as crowd surfers eagerly travelled across the room to get a piece of the action.

Ending on hit song All My Best Friends Are Metalheads, Less Than Jake once again proved why they are still one of the best live acts around more than 20 years since their formation.

It wasn't the first time Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake have brought their joint-headline tour to Birmingham, and I certainly hope it won't be the last.