LESS THAN JAKE REVIEW
Young Offenders, The Bennie and Less Than Jake played at the metro theatre last night in Sydney and they put on an epic show.
The Young Offenders kicked off the night and the band consists of Kyle Landman on Vocals and Guitar and Leigh Shags on Drums. As Young Offenders kicked off the set with "Anything Else, All Your Friends, Jamiet and Into Town" the catchy choruses, hard Drum beats and powerful guitar riffs ripped through the venue. As the Young Offenders continued "with a song by The Clash, Waiting For You and Sunday", the strong vocals and heavy guitar lines made it a great show and the crowd was belting out the lyrics with the band. As they closed their set with "Daddy", Nick Thunder, the bass player from The Bennies came and played with the Young Offenders and he kicked ass. We were sad to see them leave but we were ready for The Bennies.
The night continued with The Bennies rocking out and we got to watch Anty Horgan on lead vocals and synthesizer, Graham Leach on turntables, backing vocals and guitar, Ollie Roots on guitar and backing vocals, Nick Thunder on bass, backing and lead vocals and Josh Jansen on drums and they killed it at the Metro Theatre. As the Punk Rock band from Melbourne launched themselves into their opening tracks "Detroit Rock Ciggies, Heavy Disco and Let's Have A Party" the Pounding bass guitars and blistering guitars lit up the room and the fans caught the contagious energy from the band and rocked out. As they continued with "Legalise (But Don't Tax), Hounds, Pill to Swallow and Party Machine" the driving drum beats and Rocky vocals slid along with the chords and the band showcased their impeccable skills before we got to see the one and only Less Than Jake.
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida and consists of Chris DeMakes as frontman and guitarist, Roger Lima on bass and vocals, Buddy Schaub on trombone, Peter “JR” Wasilewski on saxophone and Matt Yonker on drums and we had the pleasure of watching them play at the Metro last night. As Less Than Jake opened their set with "Last One Out of Liberty City, Help Save the Youth of America from Exploding and All My Best Friends Are Metalheads", Chris killed it with his powerful and magnificent vocals and Roger Lima delivered a polished bass line to the set.
As Less Than Jake continued with "Five State Drive, Nervous in the Alley, Motto and History of a Boring Town", the emphasised guitar hooks, hard-hitting drum beats and pop sound brought punchy melodies to your ears and the metal horns rose in the air. The saxophone made us buzz on a high and brought a lively, projecting tone and the brassy blare of the trombone was brought to the audience. The fans joined in with Less Than Jake to sing Happy Birthday to Roger and then they continued with "Great American Sharpshooter".
Less Than Jake invited a Michael Starr look alike and a guy called Nigel on stage to have a beer with the band, this created a fun atmosphere and proved they were down to have fun with their fans. Then they continued the set with "Danny Says and Big Crush" and the melodies stuck in your head after a single note, they delivered some of the most kick-ass catchiest tunes and most relatable lyrics you’ll ever have the pleasure of hearing.
Less Than Jake was charismatic with the humour on stage, they told us they love how Australians love the word c*** and they love how you can be a s*** c*** or a good c***. They also asked if we would buy an album called We Love You c***, and they asked the crowd if they would buy it, which was replied with a yes. Then they played "Theme Song for H Street".
The vibe in the room was radical as they continued with "Richard Allen George... No, It's Just Cheez, Scott Farcas Takes It on the Chin and Al's War", the fast upstroke-driven verses and hard-hitting drums, distorted choruses, upbeat riffs and stripped-down instrumentation showed us what Less Than Jake are made of.
Less Than Jake walked off stage and the crowd cheered for more. As the band played their last songs "The Science of Selling Yourself Short, The High Cost of Low Living, Look What Happened, Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts, Broken Words and Gainesville Rock City" it put the icing on the cake and the marvel of inventions perked up your ears. The eclectic and catchy tunes were fun and the band showed us how they worked on overtime.
If You haven't seen Less Than Jake live you are in for a surprise, they will draw you in and keep you hooked for the whole set. Make sure you check out this funky upbeat band today.