– THE RITZ, MANCHESTER –
“A little faith goes a long way”
It only seems like 5 minutes since Reel Big Fish played Manchester. They are a band that tours and tours and tours yet still entertain, changing their set list to suit, yet still providing a night of smiles, skankin’ and high quality musical entertainment.
The Ritz is an ideal venue, the disco ball is still there from the years where the bouncy dance floor let the jumping feel like a gravity (and 10 bottles of Newky Brown) was our friend. For a band like Reel Big Fish this venue must seem like a high school hall filled with ska fans ready to celebrate the last night of their high school life, yet the venue is a mix of old and new fans, there are old fogies like me with their sons mixing with ska kids, Specials fans and so on.
The support act Surburban Legends get the party started with the obligatory hand waving, split crowd down the middle and sing a longs but it’s all about Reel Big Fish.
Entering the stage to the Superman Theme the show explodes with a torrent of ‘Everyone Else is an Asshole’, ‘Trendy’ and’ Everything Sucks’. Reel Big Fish certainly know how to mix the old songs with the newer ones, predominantly lifted from their latest album Candy Coated Fury. Aaron Barrett – lead vocals, guitar and Dan Regan – Trombone are the original members whose interaction is based on a long standing friendship and a knowhow of how a show should work. Basically work the crowd, make them dance and sing, spin a joke, hit the lead solos and play the music that the crowd are there to hear.
There are songs about ex girlfriends, apparently Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry!!! (She’s Famous Now, Your Girlfriend Sucks and I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend) mixed in with drinking songs (Another FU Song, Everybody’s drunk and of course the crowd favourite Beer).
These songs combined with favourites ‘Sell Out’, ‘Monkey Man’ and the set closer ‘Take On Me’ ensure that the crowd, myself included are yet again entertained by a band that produce the goods. They have been doing this for years and the fans show their loyalty as they turn up every time, that’s probably because they know the Reel Big Fish will not let them down.
Im a teacher by day and a music lover all the time. I have promoted over 500 shows as Interkonnect including Get Up Kids, Big Business, Hella, Jim Bob, Clorox Girls, New Amsterdams, Juffage, Vessels etc etc etc. Im the oldest emo in Bolton and love Dischord, Vagrant, Jade Tree, Deep Elm, In The Red, Touch and Go, Southern Lord type labels. High Fidelity top five - Jawbreaker, Get Up Kids, Man From Delmonte, Ween and Descendents ( thats this week!!! ) - Hope you enjoy Silent Radio and what i have to say, love ya'll Ivan
