Review and gallery: JD Garrahy
It’s a balmy Friday night at Eatons Hill Hotel and the punk faithful have turned up en masse. For tonight, the circus is in town. Less Than Jake has brought the Circus Down Under tour, well, down under. With The Aquabats and The Suicide Machines joining them under the big top, we were not aware of just how good a time we were in for.
As the ballroom packs out, freshly acquired merch in hand, the stage is set for a band that i have been waiting so damn long to see, The Suicide Machines. My love of ska is, in my opinion, unmatched within my circle of friends and with not one of them in sight, it was time for the Detroit lads to blast my ears with their musical stylings that i fell in love with when i first heard New Girl on Tony Hawks Pro Skater all those years ago.
From there, they have been a steady inclusion to all my playlists. Kicking off their set with a triple whammy of Too Much, SOS and Always Awkward, the tone for the night has been well and truly set and it isn’t too long before the crowd is displaying their finest two-step to match the energy that Jay Navarro demonstrates with seasoned prowess.
The setlist for these guys is huge, Break The Glass, No Face and of course New Girl are all included with an epic call and response on High Anxiety giving the energy that a band of this calibre so rightly deserves. Before we know it, the set is over and the disappointment of knowing that this is the longest point in time before we will get to see them grace our shores once more sets in. So until then, it’s off to play as much THPS as possible.
The stage is set. The lights go out. It’s time to party! The greatest dry pool party is about to kick off and by the huddled masses, this is going to be one for the ages. As Cyclopsis takes the stage, The Aquabats assemble and launch full tilt into a double hit of Pool Party and Martian Girl. Ho…lee…shit! This is incredible!! MC Bat Commander is in fine form tonight, bringing not what we will call a “Dad Bod”, but more of a “Father Figure”.
This band is all about the fun, and the music that you just cannot help but move to. Now, if you have had kids in the last couple of decades, then chances are, they’ve been hooked on The Aquabats! Super Show! and rightly so, bringing their infectious brand of ska into the world of children’s television was truly a master stroke. Early in the set, we are treated to the theme tune from this iconic show, and the crowd just laps it up, singing along to every single word with zero fault.
There is so much to take in at a Bats show that when you see giant inflatable pizza slices being surfed upon, you KNOW the song is Pizza Party and you are also aware that this is commonplace here. Before the set is brought down, we get smashed with Red Sweater, Fashion Zombies, My Skateboard and Super Rad. Pure fun energy with no breaks to catch a breath. If you thought it was just giant pizza slices, you would be incorrect. As the start of Shark Fighter begins, a shiver of inflatable sharks is thrown into the crowd with one punter even successfully riding one atop the crowd. Outstanding!!
With one of the most high energy sets I’ve experienced at a close, MC Bat Commander and Gorney encourage the crowd to reach out to their local politician, or better yet, the Prime Minister, to get them back down soon. You hear that Albo? Do something right for the Aussie people and bring The Bats back next year!
Less Than Jake is a band that needs zero introduction. Whether you found them on a compilation CD (yes, im old), news about them in your favourite punk ‘zine, or even simply through word of mouth from that weird kid at school that loved ska music (me, i was that weird kid), then you know exactly why they have had the lengthy career they have. With vocal duties being passed back and forth more than weed at a Bennies gig, Chris and Roger have never sounded better.
Starting off with Liberty City and keeping the pace going all the way through to All My Best Friends Are Metalheads, you would think trombonist Buddy Schaub with be a crumpled mess on the floor with how much he darts around the stage whilst giving his all into one half of the brass section of LTJ. Couple this with JR just smashing it out on the saxophone, and you have some freak in the photo pit barely able to take photos with how much dancing they were doing (me, i am that freak).
As I am ejected from the photo pit, the energy does not stop, 1989, Science of Selling Out, Automatic, Boring Town. There are so many good songs in this setlist that myself, and every other punter in the place does not want this to end. Bringing attention to the unsung heroes of the live music scene is in the form of Chris bringing security guard Casey up onto the stage who informs them that she has no idea of who they are or their music. But, this is forgiven as the ska family is an all welcoming, all inclusive tribe of weirdos. As the dance moves that could’ve pipped Raygun at the Olympics are finalised, Casey returns to her post with a new story on her household. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous.
Music has the ability to heal, to unite and to inspire. Ska music does all this and more, and tonight’s trio of incredible musicians are a testament to how well one genre of music can pick your mood up from the gutter without even trying (except for that dude that stood cross-armed for the Bats set (i was NOT that dude this time)). As the close of the set draws near, one final hurrah of brilliance rings through the Eatons Hill ballroom in the form of Gainesville Rock City. What a belter of a tune to finish on.
The merch is nearly sold out, the floor a mess of plastic cups and discarded shirts and the memories of what went down tonight are plentiful. Thank your maker (or whatever you believe in) for music but thank them more for ska music as it has the power to unite people like no other genre can.
– GALLERY –
