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Reel Big Fish Live!
Keith Allen Caught up With the Band Before the Show
Can you say REEL BIG FISH! Some of the coolest guys I’ve interviewed in a while. Scene: we’re in the locker room at The ipayOne Center in San Diego. While preparing for the show, we shot the shitzu about all kinds of things. Specifically, we talked about their long and distinguished career as a band.
For those who don’t know the backdrop to this story, Reel Big Fish are a Ska-Punk band from Orange County, California who rode the commercial wave of the No Doubt/ Sublime explosion in the late nineties. They are to this scene what Temple of The Dog was to Grunge. More creatively, they are the “clam” to the chowder of “Third Wave” (a term used to describe the evolution of ska / reggae music).
Back to the locker room: Reel Big Fish has had numerous personal changes throughout the years. Their most significant change however, was being released from their deal with Universal, of which they were actually dying to get out. Keep in mind that the extension of their previous label signed the Back Street Boys and Britney Spears shortly after their own signing. Talk about feeling like the redheaded stepchild! Now, most musicians would be bummed about losing their label, and would resort to becoming travel agents, insurance salesmen or take some alternative direction. But not these guys. The members of Reel Big Fish are STOKED to explore the opportunities of truly being indie.
With this gift of freedom, they have released a new CD titled “Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album,” which features a waterfall of material that comes with a DVD of live show footage.
At times, they can be comical with rendition covers that range from Metallica to Sinatra and everything in between. This dichotomy is the live show clutch that changes gears every other song and keeps the audience involved and active all the way through.
Their high performance set is the foundation from which they have kept themselves and fans stoked throughout the years, and will certainly remain as such until the day they decide to stop. Hopefully that will be never. They can, and probably will become the Rolling Stones of Ska-punk bands touring the world with wheel chairs into their infinity.
Best of luck to them with their journey, and whether you’re a life-long fan, or just starting to discover the infectious vibe of Reel Big Fish, you should really invest in their new CD “Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album.” Have fun, and be sure to turn off the iron before you leave the house!
Read more about Reel Big Fish:
»» About the Band (pre-event feature)
»» www.reelbigfish.com
