Less Than Jake - Exeter University - 22/5/03
3/5
By: Thomas Hannan
After this evening, a decision has been reached. 'Grow up' is officially the worst piece of advice anyone could ever give you. Less Than Jake are an entire career's worth of evidence that childish behaviour, giggling and dancing are much more fun than prog-rock will ever be. So next time anyone tells you to act your age, explain how depressing that thought is, and go to a Less Than Jake gig. They're even serving cookies and fizzy drinks in the foyer... What are you waiting for?
LTJ recently released two albums, the somewhat iffy new LP 'Anthem', and a 10 year anniversary reissue of their punk classic debut, 'Pezcore'. Two things are shocking about this. One - yes, Less Than Jake have been around for more than an entire decade (makes you feel old, doesn't it?). Two - yes, they are doing essentially the same thing today as they were doing way back then. One main difference, and one of which the band are themselves blatantly aware, is that they're not doing it quite so well. You just need to look at the crowd to judge that. The reaction to the new songs, the likes of a mediocre 'Ghosts of Me & You' and a confusingly bad recent single 'She's Gonna Break Soon' is at best somewhat muted. But when they play 'the hits' (in so far as they've had any), the roof of the Great Hall threatens to fly away. Less Than Jake are experts at pleasing the crowd. So, only one more new track gets aired tonight (a ska-heavy 'Plastic Cup Politics' which saves things somewhat), but that aside, it's pure, healthy pop-punk goodness (should such a thing exist) from beginning to end.
And boy, when Less Than Jake get it right, do they get it right. If you know the band, then everything you could have wanted is here. We get 'Jen Doesn't Like Me Anymore', 'Automatic', a fantastic 'Nervous in the Alley' a jubilantly high-energy 'Help Save the Youth of America From Exploding', and they're all pretty wonderful. Even if you're a novice at this whole ska-punk thing, they can't fail to make you smile from time to time. They get someone's 'mom' onstage to dance around (she does that sheepish shrugging to a beat thing you do when someone's just told you to dance to a song you don't like). Their supremely talented saxophonist looks like Meat Loaf. Even the closest they get to hardcore (that'll be 'Just Like Frank') is full of catchy hooks and harmonised 'whoa-oh-oh's. But if you came here for deep musical insight, then, let's be honest, you were pretty stupid in the first place.
When Less Than Jake get it wrong, however... well, it's not that they ever get it wrong as such, with a fan base this devotional they really could release an album of burping and it would sell millions (you wouldn't even put that beyond them), it's just that to the impartial observer, there's only so much anyone can take before it needs a little variety. The genre, as it is, has gone as far as it can go. Less Than Jake have a right to keep on furrowing it as long as they can jump around themselves and make the kids down the front follow them, as long as their hair can be waxed and dyed into brave new shapes and colours mankind has not encountered before. This is mainly because, along with some select contemporaries, they've provided the movement with most of its defining moments. It's unsurprising that this is all in their past. But tonight was a great reminder of how entertaining (and little more than that) it has all been.
Artists in this article: Less Than Jake
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment