Reel Big Fish, Less than Jake - Academy Birmingham - Nov 11, 2018

Suburban Legends tongue-in-cheekily introduced themselves as "The Opening Band" but in reality it seems like a role they were built to play. And that's not a knock on them but an endorsement of the kind of energy and instant likeability that they exude, enough to win over new converts in the span of a set, or even a song. They played slick punk rock with a trumpeter and tromboner running around in synchronisation for much of the set, including a mock sword fight with their instruments. The entire band got in on some of the choreography which was so cheesy it was actually rather entertaining. The surprisingly mustachioed lead singer sang clearly and was confident yet humble in his banter. Doing exactly what they were meant to do they went from being "who's this?" as we walked in the door to "well those guys were fun! Who's next?" by the end of it.

Zebrahead were another of those bands that I surely saw by happenstance opening for someone like Goldfinger back in the day. Judging by the lack of familiarity with the set it must have just been in passing. With their duo of emo singer and kinda spit-rapper, they had a unique dynamic but didn't really impress me. No dance moves. They did have a couple guys dressed as beer bottles on stage just to drink and have drinking contests with crowd members but I wouldn't say it added anything to the set. I think I walked out of it at Slam Dunk in the summer but this time around that wasn't an option. It wasn't terrible it just didn't really speak to me.

Up next were Reel Big Fish, as I guess it's a co-headlining tour where they swap closing roles. Consummate professionals after all these years, (decades would be more appropriate) they played a fun, polished set of hits and cover-hits spanning their catalogue. From the most recent 2012 release we had Everyone Else is an Asshole and then they also dug back into classics like their famous Brown-Eyed Girl cover. Speaking of, of course they did their own tunes too like Sellout, after their now ritual round of playing choruses of other people's 90's hits first - this time Smashmouth's All Star and Semisonic's Closing Time. Later during their tune that tables similar topics of being dumb but not a dweeb, Beer, they also managed to integrate Offspring's Self Esteem seamlessly. Good fun was She Has a Girlfriend Now, although really just about everything they do is fun. And after all this time if you're not having fun then what's the point? After nearly selling out the Academy it proves that there's still an appetite for ska or at least having a laugh and a skank at a show. To be honest, it probably wasn't all that different from the half-set I saw at Slam Dunk this summer or the Fireball tour from last year but if it works then tinker but don't change it!

Again I expected to know more of the Less than Jake tunes than I ended up (almost none) but it didn't really matter because they are that good and know how to put on a show. Being the night-of-the-morning-after for me I wasn't keen to mosh around and so stayed to the outside, but just skiring the edge of the shenanigans. The frontman did a few stupid things, presumably to entertain himself as much as us at this point in his career, like turning up the house lights to call a female security guard from the upper deck down to the stage (she did not oblige), attempting to vape (although he called it something much more vulgar) from someone's pen in the crowd, and even calling out a massive dude from the crowd to come on stage and proceed to just kill it by being an amazing hypeman. A bit of showmanship, a bit of interaction, a lot of solid punk rock, all added up to a good time had by all.

Fireball Tour 2017 - Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag - Leicester Academy - Oct 13, 2017

Anti-Flag

Anti-flag where fucking great - they were so inclusive and lovely but still razor sharp and rockin'. Obviously they were political and played all my faves (except Red, White & Brainwashed, Rank 'n File, and drinkdrankpunk) but things like Turncoat, Fuck Police Brutality, 1 Trillion Dollars (can buy a lotta bling), and Die For Your Government were wicked. Lauren did me a solid and cabbed our bags over to the hotel and back cuz they wouldn't let us bring them in the front door, let alone check them (I guess cuz of all the terrorist shits) so I went wholeheartedly in the pit. They just had the positive outlook without being preachy. "We're Anti-Flag (anti as in ant-tie, not ant-tea as I always say it). Look at you - you're beautiful. You know why? Because you make the world around you. In this room, while you're with us there is no racism, no bigotry, no sexism, no hate. We are here to enjoy ourselves and for everyone around us to be able to enjoy themselves too! So slap hands with your neighbour, introduce yourselves - this life is about the relationships between people and not the divisions." They then ripped through they're take on Should I Stay or Should I Go? ("we wouldn't be here if it weren't for The Clash") and finished by moving the drumset to the pit and having the lead guitar stand on the kick drum and play the last song. Effin' brill.

Reel Big Fish
Reel Big Fish are jokers through and through. They did a decent set of a mix but appeased with a bunch of old tunes and their famous covers. Plus they did the two good songs (and only the two good songs) from their last album including Everyone Else is an Asshole. Maybe the best part was when they said "We're Reel Big Fish and we're nobody today but back in the 90's we were the bomb. This was our hit song" and then launched into Smells like Teen Spirit then stopped partway "sorry, that was a song by Metallica" then My Own Worst Enemy by Lit "sorry, that was Nickelback" then it was 500 Miles by The Proclaimers ("another from Metallica") then The Impression that I Get by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones "sorry, that' was actually a number one from Less than Jake" before finally playing Sellout! Beer was obviously great and as part of the encore they had to cover Take on Me while the confetti rained down. Brought me back to my teenage days.

Mad Caddies also played and I think I caught the very end of the set but due to early set times and having to travel up to Leicester on the day it was all a blur. Pretty sure I missed Sweet Little Machine altogether.