Fun fuelled chaos dawned on Peterborough’s The Cresset last weekend when Reel Big Fish came out to play. It was the band’s third return to the city and it was by far the best show I have been to in a long long time.
Blending together a cocktail of reggae beats, funky punk vocals, hip hop and ska, Sonic Boom Six were first up to bombard the stage and they surely set the night off with a bang.
Laila K and the band knocked out some rather infectious tracks from their new album, Arcade Perfect including the energetic ‘Sound of a revolution.’ Minutes after appearing on stage, fans went absolutely crazy for them and began barging their way through the crowds, sparking off a wild mosh pit.
Next up were ska-punk sensations Streetlight Manifesto. The band is already vastly popular in the States and bearing in mind it was the band’s first appearance at the Peterborough venue, the night established that they are going to become a huge success in the UK.
The hype just did not die down at all – the kids kept on moshing! It was fantastic to see such dedication from Streetlight front man Thomas Kalnoky who proved to be a true entertainer.
If things weren’t stirred up enough, Reel Big Fish piled on to the stage and the energy of the crowd rocketed to an all time high.
Luckily for me, I was stuck to the barrier for the remainder of the night, but behind me there was a whole different affair going on. As the electricity pulsated through the heart of the mosh pit fans went wild as the opening track, Sell Out began to emit from the stage.
“I tell you what is b****in, this whole show is b****in!” yelled Reel Big Fish front man, Aaron Barrett.
The Californian ska outfit surely know how to “party hard” and had the entire audience hooked, reeling out a mix of old and new tracks. From the legendary ‘Beer’, to the pristine ‘New Version of you’ the band was then joined on stage by SB6’s Laila K, for an exhilarating performance of ‘She has a girlfriend now.’
Aaron, Scotty and Little Johnny Christmas brought humour to the stage with their usual mischievous antics and tied up the night with crowd favourites ‘Everything Sucks’ and a cover of ‘Take On Me.’
Reciting lyric for lyric and dancing in true ska style, the Peterborough fans could simply have gone on partying forever. I had the time of my life and even though I came out a bit battered and bruised – I’d definitely recommend you head along to their next show!
10 out of 10
by Nicola Fox