Less Than Jake: Manchester Academy
Posted by jamie on Nov 22, 2010
Less Than Jake / Zebrahead / We Are The Union
Academy, Manchester
16th November 2010
Jamie
It’s been very cold in London this week. Freezing, in fact. Imagine my dread, then, at facing what Manchester had to offer in November. The station at Stalybridge has perhaps the iciest of icy breezes and this could almost have ended up being one of those expeditions they take photos of for National Geographic, or something. At Oxford Road, though, the Rocky Horror show is right next door, so the whole arctic thing is neatly and abruptly put to bed by the fact that half of the North West seemed to be out to watch Ainsley Harriot doing the Time Warp (yes, really) while dressed as a transsexual. That’s them, not him: I don’t know what Ainsley was wearing because we didn’t go inside.
Walking down Oxford Road, it seems like nothing’s changed: the trannies are gone and it’s freezing again. Now Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, on Donner and Blitzen!
Any “Northern vs Southern” abuse is quickly put in its place when we get in to the venue itself, and, stepping easily all the way through to the front, find that enough Mancs still have their coats on. It is chilly, mind.
We Are The Union are on first, and quickly set about a sparse early crowd with an energetic romp through their epic, melodic take on ska/pop-punk crossover. They’re exciting to watch and clearly delighted to be on this bill, playing with an infectious enthusiasm and stopping a few times to thank everyone they’re playing with, to big up Less Than Jake and to tell their growing cluster of thawing punters how kind we are for starting to move around. They did ask for a circle pit which did appear but seemed a little half-hearted. Their giant inflatable banana, on the other hand, was very popular and they were generally very well received.
We Are The Union have some headline dates around the UK in December and are well worth seeing. Props to them also for giving their first album away for free at the merch stand. It’s sold out twice so you really can’t get it on CD any more. It’s also on iTunes mind, or come to one of the shows.
As Straight Lines couldn’t make it, Zebrahead play second. It’s totally different to watch them: these guys are old hands, and calmly assume control of proceedings with ease and confidence born out of so many shows’ worth of practice. Having seen this tour in London as well, it’s apparent immediately that the set and a lot of their links are the same and have been well rehearsed. They walk on and off stage to the theme from Team America (the “fuck yeah” bit). There’s some good fun in their games of meeting the person on your left and hugging them and pogoing from a sitting start: they actually have the whole of the Manchester Academy sitting right down on the floor before playing Jagoff. Everyone, that is, except three tall people who stay standing right in front of the Bananatown crew. Can’t win ‘em all, I guess.
Zebrahead are good, honest fun: it’s simple stuff, party-friendly rap/pop-punk like you used to get in 2000, or 2001: super-catchy and full of potty-mouth lyrics. Despite the fact that they’re dedicating circle-pits to their mothers, definitely do not take yours to watch them. As if to prove this, there’s a short interlude for a masturbating tiger. It’s not an actual tiger but a man in a tiger kigumi who pretends to finger himself. Zebrahead are really good and enjoyable: in a lot of ways they’re an ideal support band. It’s very easy to enjoy what they’re doing without being some sort of expert and their show is very entertaining. Dan from Death by Stereo was filling in for Greg on guitar.
Less Than Jake, after a two year wait, drag it out for a few extra minutes before taking the stage. If that was to build extra anticipation, I can assure you, lads, that it wasn’t necessary. I was skipping like a 10 year old girl at a Take That concert, and the air is heavy with anticipation.
Then, after everything, they’re here. A giant roar goes up and Less Than Jake, after two years too long, are back on stage in the UK. There’s not much talking early on, and they race straight through Plastic Cup Politics, Liquor Store and Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts before even saying hello. And I do mean race through: there’s so much urgency and energy in this performance that it’s an absolute joy to see first hand. They’ve clearly missed being over here, and, where Zebrahead’s line about the drummer’s injured arm being adapted to make both London and Manchester his favourite city, there’s a lot more sincerity when Chris stops, for example, to tell the Kentish Town Forum (we saw that show too) that he and Roger grew up loving Iron Maiden and so to play to packed houses here is the stuff of dreams. There’s also a poignant moment for a lot of us at the London show as they pay tribute to the Astoria, which of course is now long since gone. In Manchester those stories are replaced with an anecdote about watching Manchester United. They seem genuinely surprised that mentioning Man U in Manchester might get a mixed response from the crowd, but it certainly does and for a moment they’re confused, but continue unabashed. Great American Sharpshooter, which reappeared in their live set during the six albums, six shows gigs is still a treat, and the theme from Animaniacs inspires a growing, spreading pit to find extra speed and urgency. It’s actually really, really good in concert and gets gobbled up with glee. The existence of a new covers record is explained away almost apologetically, that we probably all wanted a full new Less Than Jake album but that they’ve been a band for a long time and wanted to play these songs to have fun. The covers don’t usually get played at shows, so it is a real treat.
Conviction Notice from GNV FLA sounds excellent in a set that’s based mainly on older material, but there’s more and more shouts for older material. Eventually Chris gets fed up and tells a sixteen year-old boy that it’s pretty daft for him of all people to be shouting for the old stuff. Last One Out of Liberty City is next, but would have been anyway. In both London and Manchester, two grown men are fetched up from the audience to dance on stage. In London it’s a man with a moustache or - dick broom (no, me neither) - but in Manchester this moment proves a point. My Manc mate has told me that any bloke with long hair and a beard gets called Jesus. On this evidence, it’s true, and “Jesus”, in this case an old man metaller, wins the sexy dance-off. Next to us, two security guys spot a puff of smoke from the pit and wade in to find a young boy with a joint. The boy gets kicked out, but pretty soon after something else is thrown on stage for the band.
It’s sweaty, frenetic, punk rock fun, and Less Than Jake are bang on form. Like so many in here, I’m deliriously happy. A quick glance back says that loads of others are stood stock still, rapt in wonderment, faithfully mouthing along, word perfect, in that trance that addicts like me get left in when Less Than Jake play.
They finish with The Ghosts of Me and You and encore with All My Best Friends are MetalHeads and Look What Happened before we’re finally done. Everyone in here recites the spoken word bit on ..Metalheads, saluting it with a devil-horn hand sign. We’ve literally been blown away: so much raw energy and emotion has gone in to that music and the effect was telling. A stunning show. It’s still freezing outside, and off down Oxford Road, now a trannie-free zone, and home. Ainsley Harriot’s not in evidence but we did spot Sexy Neil out of Sonic Boom Six. He’s flyering for their UK tour in December. Dates here. Phew. I’m exhausted by the end of all this.
Less Than Jake setlist:
Plastic Cup Politics
Liquor Store
Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts
Great American Sharpshooter
Automatic
Animaniacs (TV theme)
Never Going Back to New Jersey
Conviction Notice
Last One Out of Liberty City
Nervous in the Alley
History of a Boring Town
How’s My Driving Doug Hastings
Theme Song for H Street
The Ghosts of Me and You
==
City of Gainesville / State of Florida *these two songs only in the London show.
All My Best Friends are MetalHeads
Look What Happened
Gecko: Autumn tour diary
Posted by jamie on Nov 20, 2010
The nice lads at Gecko have sent us this diary they made of their last tour. It’s nice.
Rufio: 2011 UK show
Posted by jamie on Nov 12, 2010
Wow. US pop-punkers Rufio will be in the UK next year. They play Reading’s Sub89 with Allister in April. See it here.
Tuition Fees protest: latest from Last Hours
Posted by chips on Nov 10, 2010
The guys at Last Hours have been busy by the river all day. Keep up to speed on their twitter profile.
Here’s their word from this morning.
The unions involved in this protest have called for the Government to ‘Fund Our Future’. As anarchists we demand not only an end to the most recent assaults on everyone outside the elite class, especially poor and working class people, but also that we recognise that another world is possible. One in which Governments, Banks and Corporate leaders no longer determine our future. Communique from an Absent Future addresses this issue from the perspective of someone within the educational system.
They were also giving out free copies of Communique from an Absent Future all day. If you mised out, you can get it here.
Tuition Fee protest: Live Blog
Posted by jamie on Nov 10, 2010
52,000 normal people have gathered outside Tory HQ to tell them they’re wrong. It’s all kicking off right across the river from where I’m sitting. There are helicopters and everything. As soon as I can get my pictures down, I’ll post them.
Until then, see it all unfold here.
Four0: album art ready
Posted by jamie on Nov 9, 2010
Album art for Four0’s new album Tales of the Unexpected has now been released. The record is due any time now on Do the Dog, and we here literally cannot wait.
Have a look at this one.
Aquabats: new EP up
Posted by jamie on Nov 9, 2010
The Aquabats‘ new EP Radio Down is available now. Go here to have a look and get it.
Free CDs: New Riot
Posted by jamie on Nov 9, 2010
We spotted Tommy T from New Riot giving out promo CDs for their album Riot.Sleep.Repeat after the Less Than Jake show in Kentish Town last night. Keep your eyes peeled for a big mohawk and see if you can grab yourself a copy.
New Riot will join the tour as support for a few dates, and play their own headline tour afterwards. See the dates in full here.
Less Than Jake: Reading 2011 (rumour)
Posted by jamie on Nov 9, 2010
We’ve heard it that the Foo Fighters will headline one day of the expensive corporate rock weekend Reading and Leeds festival in August 2011. Limp Bizkit, who were funny for a bit ten years ago, and Less Than Jake will appear on that day if our sources have got it right.
Tour dates: NewRiot
Posted by jamie on Nov 4, 2010
New Riot have added a giant list of tour dates. See the whole lot here.
December 2010:
1st - Meze, Newport
3rd - Winchester Gate, Salisbury
4th - Chords, Poole
5th - Legion, Ramsgate
6th - Stereo, York
7th - Cockpit, Leeds
8th - Maze, Nottingham
9th - Asylum - Birmingham
