Reel Big Fish (Glasgow Garage, 22.10.15)
We popped to Glasgow last night for a spot of ska punk, with Reel Big Fish and Surburban Legends at The Garage.
Surburban Legends have frequently toured as Reel Big Fish's support act and their band of bouncy ska punk is the perfect precursor to the latter's headline set. Songs like "Open Up Your Eyes" and "Forever In The Friendzone" possess irresistably catchy hooks and a flurry of horns, even if you question whether a 35 year old man should be signing about the concept of the "friend zone" (answer: no). When the boisterous Glasgow crowd spontaneously burst into a chant of "Here we fucking go", the band take the ball and run with it. It's all rather good fun, especially when the band cut loose with some Disney covers, "You've Got A Friend In Me" being a particular highlight.
Reel Big Fish are a consistently solid live act and last night's 75 minute set was no exception. The band haven't lost their sense of humour introducing "a song we wrote in the 90s" before launching into "Smells Like Teen Spirit" prior to their hit song from that decade "Sell Out" on the subject of being a corporate shill. It is in my view, the definitive RBF song. Surprisingly, it's despatched early on. Much of their new material is lyrically uninspired, but there are many reminders tonight of the band's ability to craft a tune like "Ban The Tube Top" and "Everything Sucks". An encore results unsurprisingly in another of the band's major hits, "Beer", a lamentation of a lost love enhanced superbly with a snippet of The Offspring's "Self Esteem".
Like Suburban Legends, a smattering of covers are added into the mix with nods to reggae and ska's heritage. This is most notable during their version of Toot and the Maytal's "Monkey Man"which sends the room into a frenzy. They also make Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly" their own before ending on their iconic rendition of "Take On Me", with horns replacing a-ha's keyboards. Great entertainment with a perfect set length after a day of heavy walking. Job done once again from the RBF.
Surburban Legends have frequently toured as Reel Big Fish's support act and their band of bouncy ska punk is the perfect precursor to the latter's headline set. Songs like "Open Up Your Eyes" and "Forever In The Friendzone" possess irresistably catchy hooks and a flurry of horns, even if you question whether a 35 year old man should be signing about the concept of the "friend zone" (answer: no). When the boisterous Glasgow crowd spontaneously burst into a chant of "Here we fucking go", the band take the ball and run with it. It's all rather good fun, especially when the band cut loose with some Disney covers, "You've Got A Friend In Me" being a particular highlight.
Reel Big Fish are a consistently solid live act and last night's 75 minute set was no exception. The band haven't lost their sense of humour introducing "a song we wrote in the 90s" before launching into "Smells Like Teen Spirit" prior to their hit song from that decade "Sell Out" on the subject of being a corporate shill. It is in my view, the definitive RBF song. Surprisingly, it's despatched early on. Much of their new material is lyrically uninspired, but there are many reminders tonight of the band's ability to craft a tune like "Ban The Tube Top" and "Everything Sucks". An encore results unsurprisingly in another of the band's major hits, "Beer", a lamentation of a lost love enhanced superbly with a snippet of The Offspring's "Self Esteem".
Like Suburban Legends, a smattering of covers are added into the mix with nods to reggae and ska's heritage. This is most notable during their version of Toot and the Maytal's "Monkey Man"which sends the room into a frenzy. They also make Lita Ford's "Kiss Me Deadly" their own before ending on their iconic rendition of "Take On Me", with horns replacing a-ha's keyboards. Great entertainment with a perfect set length after a day of heavy walking. Job done once again from the RBF.
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