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Anticipation in Central London was high. The venue: the sold-out London Astoria. The occasion: the return of Floridian ska-punk favourites Less Than Jake to the capital after a two year absence.

The night kicked off with early support from Rehasher, followed swiftly by Bullets to Broadway (formerly known as The Teen Idols). By this time the frenetic crowd had really got going thanks mostly to a storming set from the second support band, packed with energy and enthusiasm. The night unfortunately took a turn for the worse, however, with the introduction of Canadians, Boys Night Out. Their inclusion in this night must be questioned. Their set was a big disappointment, saved only by some awesome finger tapping guitar playing. Totally different from the night’s headliners, the enthusiasm levels from the crowd visibly and audibly dropped during their set.

All was saved upon the emergence of Less Than Jake. Kicking off with favourite ‘Gainesville Rock City,’ the devoted fans immediately went wild for their heroes. A fantastic set filled with all the classics including ‘All My Best Friends Are Metalheads,’ and ‘The Science of Selling Yourself Short,’ was mixed with a small taste of the new material to be released in May yet they were cautious not to overload the set with promotional work, giving the fans what they know and wanted to hear. Making the show interesting was their typical self-deprecating humour, including jokes about each others hair styles, in addition to a medley of old songs, incorporating ‘Automatic,’ ‘She’s Gonna Break Soon,’ and ‘Dopeman.’ Closing the show was their infectious favourite ‘Look What Happened.’

Famous for their high energy live shows, Less Than Jake proved that they still have much to offer with this outstanding night. It’s near enough impossible to leave one of their gigs without a smile on your face, and I certainly didn’t!