Live Review: Less Than Jake – UK Spring Tour 2022 – O2 Forum Kentish Town

Ska Punk giants Less Than Jake returned to the UK and took over the O2 Forum in Kentish Town with support from Skinny Lister, The Toasters and Millie Manders & The Shutup. The evening promised to be a blend of old school ska and new wave ska-punk with such a diverse lineup. Here’s what went down!

Opening up the night’s entertainment was Millie Manders & The Shutup and right off the bat, Millie had a fall which resulted in a possible broken finger. Despite that, she and her band held down the stage and put on an impactful set that I’m sure made quite the impression on the fans who had come down early to check them out. These guys were so full of charisma and genuinely looked really passionate about the music they were performing. Keep this band on your radar!

Bringing Two-Tone ska back to Camden was The Toasters with a set full of syncopated skanks and enthusiastic music. The upbeat nature of the music had the room moving to the infectious beats with fans particularly getting into the track ‘2Tone Army’. Everything from the brass section to the key sections was layered and balanced well to give off an authentic Two-Tone feel.

Up next was Skinny Lister, a unique band with a huge stage presence. The use of an accordion and a double bass is certainly something you will have to search hard for to find yet Skinny Lister utilizes their sound to put out bold and catchy music that becomes a bit of a spectacle live. Their music was full of energy and brought a real Celtic feel to the evening. Fans seemed to be really into both ‘Bold as Brass’ and ‘This Is War’. Safe to say these guys did an excellent job of warming up the London crowd.

The time had finally come and Less Than Jake took to the stage and unleashed ‘Last One Out Of Liberty City’ to an ovation from the crowd. It didn’t take long for the moshers to get going and the room was bouncing to the fast-paced beats the band was laying out. ‘National Anthem’ went down really well while ‘The High Cost Of Low Living’ upped the ante in the room. Showing off their more comical side, ‘Fat Mike’s On Drugs’ had the crowd clowning on NOFX’s lead singer in a light-hearted manner before ‘Motto’ and ‘History Of A Boring Town’ sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Continuing their upward momentum, ‘Johnny Quest Thinks We’re Sellouts’ sounded impeccable while ‘Lie To Me’ and ‘The Ghosts of Me and You’ closed out their set. No need to stress however as the encore somehow turned the energy in the room up to 11. ‘Nervous In The Alley’ kicked off the fans’ second wind before they could catch their breath during ‘My Very Own Flag’. Ending the night in chaotic fashion was ‘All My Best Friends Are Metalheads’. The entire room was off their feet for this one and it’s safe to say the fans went home happy.

As a whole, each band on the bill put on a great show. Less Than Jake in particular knew how to control a crowd and managed to put on a set that those in attendance won’t soon forget. I couldn’t think of a better place to put on a Ska show and the boys from Florida nailed it!