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
Less Than Jake: MEGA support acts for UK November tour
Posted by jamie on Sep 8, 2010
As well as taking We Are the Union and Zebrahead on the UK shows in Novemeber, Less Than Jake have added “some of our favorite local bands” to the shows. Remember to breathe, because the list they’ve put together is absolutely killer.
That list includes the Skints, the Arteries, Mouthwash, This Contrast Kills, New Riot and Kids Can’t Fly.
Tickets are available now. Less Than Jake will take Sonic Boom Six from Manchester and Zebrahead on tour across mainland Europe.
We Are The Union w/ Kids Can’t Fly, Anti Vigilante and the JB Conspiracy
Posted by jamie on Feb 10, 2010
Kids Can’t Fly, Anti Vigilante,
The JB Conspiracy, We Are The Union
Friday 5th February, 2009
Underworld, Camden, London
Jamie
Friday night ended up being one of those: one of those evenings where everything went just about perfectly. One of those where you find yourself a little bit sad, even as it’s happening, because you just wish that every day could be like this. We played football over lunch, but I still managed to eat a big bowl of soup at my desk in the afternoon and, to top that, we were sent home an hour early: excellent. All the more perfect, too, because that meant I could grab my ticket from All Ages before the show and save myself 50p. It meant we’d be on time, too, which was priceless, because, despite being on first, Kids Can’t Fly were the one band I really wanted to see and they were due on stage at 18:30 which is pretty loopy when you think about it.
Chips and I celebrated with a giant falafel wrap and then went to hang about and annoy strangers by loitering for ages right in the middle of a very busy pavement. We’re both small, but got our fair share of tuts and sideways looks as we stood there trying to peek through the bars and spot when the doors opened. Needless to say, this meant we were first in: the floors still smelt of polish (I know, it surprised me too) and there were a lot more staff than there were of us. All very surreal.
Kids Can’t Fly, as stated, were on first, and started off playing The Vicious Circle.. to five people. It’s harsh on them, as an undoubtedly great band, to be put on so early, even on such an excellent bill. Little matter, though, as knees and then shoulders and feet start to jig about straight away. By the end of the first song the rest of our mates had shown up, and, all of a sudden, I’m not so shy. I know, I know, only hard when I’m with my mates, blah blah blah.
KCF’s gloriously epic take on pop-punk is at once deliciously retro, loaded with vintage pop hooks, and yet bigger and more melodic in a way that is so much cooler now. On record, the attention to arrangements and the sheer quality of their songs is uplifting, but tonight, in concert, even at 19:00 (or whatever it was when they went on) they are nothing short of formidable. These melodies are infectious, and their harmonies just soar. It’s also the loudest I’ve heard a “support” act play in the Underworld, and there’s still only about twenty people here. That’s a crying shame, because anyone who got let out late or only turns up to see American headlining bands missed out on a treat.
Ryan cheekily asked us for a “two man circle pit”, and duly got it. It was basically us sprinting around like loons, but, to these tunes, it almost felt like I was going to take off. No pun intended. It’s been a long week and, despite the falafel, I’m pretty knackered. Sometimes spinning even a little makes you feel like you’re about to fall over and it lasts for ages and ages. That’s what this was like. And the spinning thing did actually happen at one stage.
Tune In and She Called Shotgun from their newer EP Strength in Numbers are both in the set, alongside a few new songs that are just lush. There’s a cover of Less Than Jake’s A.S. A.O.K. as well, in case they could get any more perfect.
The room’s filled up a lot by the time Kids Can’t Fly finish off with She Called Shotgun, and us early birds are exhilarated, a little punch drunk from all the running, and, with lungs gasping for the musty warm air and eyes still looping the loop, it’s as much as we can do to stumble still and whoop a little bit in appreciation. It’s the least the guys deserve.
Bananatown did want to have a quick chat with Kids Can’t Fly after their set, but, having resolved some personal crises and watched the JB Conspiracy, we didn’t get a chance. Keep your peepers out for that interview soon..
Anti Vigilante are something of a contrast to Kids Can’t Fly, but seriously good fun nonetheless. Josh Waters-Rudge last week called Random Hand “the UK’s premier skacore act”, but Anti Vigilante are on the up and deserve to be.
Like Random Hand, (and Nofx, sometimes, and a bit like Beat the Red Light, among others, Anti Vigilante are a four-piece, with just the one brass instrument. Except in this case it’s a sax, so it’s woodwind, but you know what I mean, it’s a horn.
In places they’re peppy and skankable as well as snotty, and at times they’re dirty and full on and almost Oi, but really they’re a punk rock band at heart. For me at least.
It’s the first time I’ve seen them, but of course, I’d heard the hype. I do know Tabzy, after all. It’s well deserved: Anti Vigilante are a very good live band: they’re tight and have a good collection of songs that they enjoy playing, and they’re a pleasure to watch. Backing vocals are good, and nicely placed, riffs are just right, you can mosh and skank to them (but not at the same time) and they’ve got a sax. It’s top.
That clutch of bodies in the empty semi-circle at the front whirl around happily throughout, as Anti Vigilante rattle through a good length set list with minimal fuss. And then they’re gone. Quick as that.
It’s a while since I’ve seen The JB Conspiracy play live. I fell in love with them, at the Underworld, when they were Duff Muffin. It was right after the Solabeat Alliance split up, so I doubt I was the only one looking for a new favourite band. They seemed to sort of disappear, and came back as the JB Conspiracy. They still play Pipe Down, but sadly On the Beer doesn’t show up any more.
Instead, the new-look band are bigger and noisier, sharply dressed, and altogether a bit more “serious”. Pipe Down from the Eagle Eyes EP does get an outing tonight, but only as a sound check: van problems meant that the guys were late and had to soundcheck during the gig. That must be what kept Kids Can’t Fly waiting until 7 to go on. Good job, too. After that, the only other real oldie is The Patriot, also from Eagle Eyes.
“We haven’t played that for ages”, says Leek afterwards. “I hope it didn’t show”.
It didn’t show one bit: for a band with so many musicians and so much going on, the JB Conspiracy are ridiculously well-drilled, and super-tight at all times.
Tonight we’re treated to a few new songs amongst set made up mainly from the songs on This Machine, though This Machine itself is a notable omission. Rumour has it, by the way, that there’s a follow-up to This Machine on its way “soon”.
Tonight, though, it’s all fairly standard JB fare: horn driven, peppy, soulful ska punk with keyboards and that tasty old-school vibe that they’ve had nailed since pretty much forever.
The level they’ve practiced too means that live performances are often fairly similar to each other: the guys are a “serious” band these days, and focus on delivering a good, tight, super-danceable set. They do it very well, and there’s full on skanking pretty much start to finish. We are only a small crowd, but the extra space comes in handy, and we can make full use of it. Those of us in early are pretty tired, by the end of this, but it’s the happily worn-out sort of tired, like a well walked dog stretched out on a rug in front of an open fire dreaming of running after sticks.
That cosy dog, all belly-out and twitchy-paws, would probably enjoy the smell of crumpets and some gentle Bing Crosby, cold jazz, etc. We Are The Union would not hit the spot quite so much. “If you haven’t heard them”, Kids Can’t Fly had written to us, “think Less Than Jake meets Four Year Strong”. If that sounds ace, then WATU were not a disappointment.
Not much for the sleepy heads, though, and there are a few tired bodies around by this point. We Are The Union come out of the blocks fast: a bruising, straight-up take on the rock-with-horns thing more than a ska-punk band in my book. They’ve got a horn section, but they’re not ska. It’s more of an assault, much more in-your-face than a lot of the more melodic American stuff that’s around at the moment, but they’ve got the hooks, the songs and the level of ability that say that they could, and probably should, become as famous as major-label bands that sound similar, if not intense. I like Falloutboy, for example, but they could learn a few things from WATU.
Refreshingly, though, WATU come across as thoroughly genuine, down to earth guys who are delighted to be touring and playing their music. It’s the first time I’ve seen them, but they’ve brought a clutch of fans who clearly adore them and follow their every move. On this evidence, that clique should expand in to a decent-sized crowd very quickly, and, for all of the at-times-intimidating power behind their music that could almost scare a few away, their sound is just right for them to be packing out arenas, I reckon.
Tonight they’re on fire, moving the pit around at will and entertaining those of us too breathless, at the back, and more intent on skipping. As performers, We Are The Union dominate a stage and a room like bona fide rock stars: they’re totally in control, and yet as one with all of us, and take time to have a joke at the same time. And then they slay us all over again. I was pestering for a CD afterwards, put it like that. And I’ll be at another show. Phew.
