(Rock Ridge Music)

Ska clowns reveal their tragic side

Reel Big Fish are a band that have achieved their greatest commercial success writing songs about their disdain and derision for the music industry. After 15 years of being involved in the industry they seem so opposed to, the jovial self-loathing and self-depreciation has started to seem increasingly bitter over the last few years. Such is evidenced through Live! In Concert!, the band’s third live DVD. Capturing a sold out Californian show from their recent North American Fame, Fortune And Fornication Tour, Live! In Concert! is compelling viewing, if only because of the irony that is Reel Big Fish’s continued existence. Playing all their instantly recognisable hits (Sell Out, their cover of A-ha’s Take On Me, Beer) alongside their less radio-friendly newer material (Another F.U. Song), Live! In Concert! looks and sounds excellent. Shot with nearly ten cameras, the DVD looks great as it cuts between shots of front man Aaron Barrett’s mutton chops and the five other, somewhat peripheral, members of Reel Big Fish. Despite the fact some of the band’s trademark humour has worn a little thin, on stage Reel Big Fish are still masterful jesters. Whether it’s when Barrett introduces Beer, “this is a song about a beverage we all love, it’s called Tequila”, lines in Authority Song like “I fought the law and the law one” or the band not letting anyone say “master” without launching into a Master Of Puppets chorus, Live! In Concert! will have you laughing until the next time Reel Big Fish tour.

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TOM HERSEY

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