Snuff / Less Than Jake. @ The Charlotte, Leics. 25/5/00.
I'd decided to go to this gig a few weeks before but couldn't be bothered to order any tickets. So I ambled up to the venue about half an hour before the first band were due to come on. There were about five or six people standing outside for no apparent reason. "How much is it?" I queried. "There's no tickets left" said the doorman. "What?" ska/punk gigs at Leicester are never advertised and there never more than 3/4's full. Just as I asked if they would be a chance of any tickets becoming available someone from inside the venue said to the doorman "There's two more tickets left" and with that I was in. Pretty lucky and by the end of the gig, boy I was lucky I didn't miss out.
At first I was disappointed when I got in as I thought King Prawn were going to open but apparently they were only on the first few gigs on the tour. So first band I think were Travis Cut playing hard rock / punk that did nothing more than pass the time before LTJ came on. There were a few people getting into scrapes down the front as they fought/moshed/skanked near the stage.
Less than Jake then came on and their gigs are not just 6 guys playing they are a show. There's Chris on vocals and guitar who performs the first few songs wearing a mask that makes him look like Al Yankovic in that film where he saves a local cable channel, UHF, I think! Chris also talks about plumbing between the first few numbers. There's also the grim reaper who dance alongside the band in full outfit no matter how hot it is inside the Charlotte. And tonight its pretty hot although the band point out its not as hot as Leeds but its still steaming.
The crowd was about 50/50 split between those there for LTJ and those
who'd come to see Snuff.
The Florida boys knocked out punk/ska classics at a fairly quick rate.
"All my best friends are metalheads", "Krazy glue", "History of a boring
town", Motto" and "Just like frank" were all good. Every now and again
the grim reaper would stop his dancing to fire water and ticker tape in
to the crowd. It was actually impossible to dance and almost impossible
to pogo as everyone was crushed together and just trying to stand up for
air and also
to watch out for the bombardment of crowd surfers that leaped of the
raised area on the right side of the venue. It was much safer on the left
side. Half way through the LTJ's set they had all stripped down to the
waist and Chris pointed out "There it is, there's the air conditioning"
pointing to a small vent in the ceiling.
The crowd bayed for "Cheez" and got it. "Johnny quest thinks were sellouts"
and "Jen doesn't love me anymore" were definitely the top moments on a
great show.
Snuff had to follow it and did fairly well, I'm not a great Snuff fan
and a lot of people think there past there best, but there punky tunes
with mixed calypso sounding keys and trombone did the tricks.
Kicking off with there punk version of "the theme from the likely lads"
it got everyone in the mood. The band were showcasing there new keyboard
player on the tour and he fitted in fairly well. "Nick Northern" was pretty
good and everybody got down for the punky calypso "Soul Limbo" It ain't
cricket!
Overall Less than Jake stole the show with a great performance but Snuff
did well too.