Reel Big Fish

The continued success of Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake’s co-headline world tour proves that ska music is alive and well in 2015. So dust off your Converse, pull on your best Hawaiian shirt, quiff your hair and, as front man Aaron Barrett says, “be prepared for a skankin’ good time!”
Both bands will touch down in Australia next week to play a huge five shows in five days along the east coast. They will fly directly from Tokyo, just in time to make the first of two shows in Melbourne (a second show was added after the first one sold out). “We have just enough time to do some laundry and pack up again,” Barrett says. “There’s no rest for the wicked – but we wouldn’t want it any other way.”
Although Barrett is the only founding member left, and with long time drummer Ryland “the Rabbit” Steen recently going on hiatus to play drums in legendary UK rock band America, he has never thought about packing it in. “We’ve been lucky we had a great community of musicians to call on and say, ‘Hey do you wanna come join the band?’ So for this tour we have Ed Larson from Suburban Legends on drums and he’s doing a great job.
“We aren’t one of those bands that are doing it for money,” Barrett continues. “A lot of bands just get up on stage and are like, ‘Ahh whatever, we’ll just get through it’, but we just love performing and playing music so much that we can’t help but find ways to put on a better show.
“After 25 years I’m a set list master, and I think that’s another reason why people love coming to see us play because we do play the favourites that everyone wants to hear. I’m just a people-pleaser, so it works out well,” he laughs.
Reel Big Fish have released eight studio albums, four Eps, four 7” vinyl records and appeared on numerous movie soundtracks (including Southpark creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s sports comedy BASEketball).
“We have so many albums and so many songs to choose from that we try to mix it up all the time. We have some unexpected songs on the set list too, so you get what you came for and then you get a little surprise too,” he says.
Reel Big Fish’s “Brothers In Ska” Less Than Jake, will be playing their latest album See the Light (2013) live for the first time in Australia at these upcoming shows. “We met those guys in 1995 and instantly they were one of my favourite bands – I loved them right away. They’re really nice guys – we played a few shows together in the late ’90s and then again in the mid-2000s and they went really well. We always got along well and it was obvious that the two bands playing together was really exciting for fans.”
In a stroke of genius, our very own psychedelic ska punk party band The Bennies have been picked to open the show, and Barrett can’t wait to meet them. “I don’t know them, but I’ve been hearing really good things and everybody’s really excited about having them on the tour, so I’m really looking forward to seeing them play.
“I love discovering new bands – music has helped me in so many ways through my life,” Barrett adds. “I love being up on stage – it’s where I’m the most comfortable and when everything feels right with the world. It never gets old.”
Written by Natalie Rogers
When & Where: Prince Bandroom, Melbourne – September 30 & October 1