Reel Big Fish

Leeds Festival 2004 review

By Guy Powell | Published: Thu 2nd Sep 2004

Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August 2004
Bramham Park, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS23 6ND, England MAP
£105 for weekend (sold out), any day £45 (still available)
Daily capacity: 55,000
Last updated: Wed 4th Aug 2004

A band whose name conjures up bad memories of Billy Bass, the singing fish, are known to be some of the best performers in the wonderful world of ska. What will a day of excess at Reading leave for today’s Leeds crowd though?

Opening to the hit single ‘Sell Out’ on Just Hawkins’ (The Darkness) guitar, hundreds of people immediately run towards the main stage to see what Reel Big Fish have to offer on a sunny Saturday morning.

With a set that includes ‘Enter Sandman’ by Metallica and their now infamous version of ‘ Take on Me’ you can’t fault the band for coming off as if they have a good time on stage – it’s obvious that they love what they do, except that today they seem to be holding something back.

For a band that normally put out more energy than your average industrial generator, today Reel Big Fish just seem somewhat subdued even if they are having a good time. A lively, energetic and crowd-pleasing performance, but this band are capable of so much more.
review by: Guy Powell


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