Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 9, 2002 at 4:58 PM (EDT)
My Score:

I saw this show in Orlando. I came just for Less than Jake. They are the best band ever. I even think they are better than Bad religion. HWM was pretty good. Less than Jake rocked the house down. So did Bad Religion.you suck.

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 5:01 AM (EDT)
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I apologize. I thought that "ul" stood for "underline".

Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, April 20, 2002 at 4:59 AM (EDT)
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It seems that one almost off-handed comment in the middle of a good review has set a group of fans into a whirlpool of rage. It's obvious that there is an abundance of people who believe that this article was written about Less Than Jake rather than Hot Water Music and Bad Religion. Clearly, this is not the case.

Firstly, to the infinitessimal minority who did not comment on Less Than Jake I say "Bravo!" for not being swept up in this lyniching.

Now, to those of you who took offense to the comments made within the review I say that you certainly have a right to be upset just as Rickets has a right to publish his opinions on Less Than Jake. That said I will proceed with a few points:

(1) To claim that he has no musical taste is simply taking out your aggression by making a subjective disagreement into an objective sickness. He obviously has quite a bit of musical taste otherwise he wouldn't be at the concert (he would be at home desperately trying to achieve absolute silence). What you mean is that you believe that his musical taste is lethally deficient in comparison to yours.

(2) Many of you seem to be coming into this argument with a lot of extra baggage. Rickets made no mention of Less Than Jake being "mainstream" or "corporate". He didn't even mention confetti cannons... Hell! He barely mentioned anything at all! I think that it is most likely that you are attempting to vent your thoughts on issues Rickets never even mentioned which is fine except that you really shouldn't use it as a basis for condemnation against him. These are issues which you should address in another forum.

(3) Whether you are claiming that Less Than Jake outdoes Bad Religion and Hot Water Music because you are simply trying to counter-attack Rickets or whether you are claiming it because you actually believe it to be so I think it is a sore point and one that should not come into play here.

(4) You "professional" web fish hacks are no better than fans who submit reviews for free. It doesn't matter whether you get the space for free or you work for an online magazine... everyone's opinion and way of expressing it is fair game because just as they have the right to express theirs you have the right to express yours. Period.

(5) Finally, death threats are foolish and have no place anywhere. They aren't even opinions. They are either empty talk or... nevermind, they're just empty talk.

I understand that it's painful to have someone trash on something you love (I know how it feels) and especially when it's music since music is such an integral part of life but it really doesn't matter what others think and even though it's the hardest thing in the world to accept that some people are indifferent to what you are so passionate about you can't go about with a chip on your shoulder because of it. If the music gives you a positive feeling inside then that is exactly what the artist is striving for. Any amount of negative energy cannot offset that. Pete Townshend of the Who made this comment about pop (as it was defined in the 1960's) but it speaks directly to the heart of the matter:

"Good pop is not so much temporal as eternal. Not so much shallow as deeply internal. A hit may appear to the uninitiated to evaporate into the ether, but someone somewhere will carry the song to death. Pop is thus most effective, most true, when it speaks in some indefinable way to and for the individual listener rather than the mass it appears to briefly massage."

I urge you all to remember this! Go to the concert and cheer your heart out even if no one else around you cares because at least the guys on stage do and it's them you're trying to communicate with not the cretins around you.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 16, 2002 at 7:05 AM (EDT)
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I think your right on with LTJ, what the hell is some lame ass ska band doing at a fucking punk show. They don't deserve to share the stage with Bad Religion. And Less Than Jake, what kind of dumbass name is that, their lucky Bad Religion was there.

OC

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 16, 2002 at 4:50 AM (EDT)
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why the hell is everyone havin a go at LTJ all of a sudden? that review sucked big time asshole.

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 15, 2002 at 4:12 PM (EDT)
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How can anybody say that Less Than Jake is "mainstream" in any form? Is it because they dropped the major record label only after they fought tooth and nail to keep their freedom and integrity? Is it because they refused to change lyrics of songs in order to be on MTV? Is it because they are on Fat Wreck Chords? What is the basis? I say let the kids and the punks have fun. Let a band put on a show with confetti, a dancer, costumes or whatever if they want to. It doesn't make you more punk to sit around with that sneer on your face or try to kick ass in the pit, leave that to the fucking jocks and meatheads.

Fatty

Posted by Anonymous on Monday, April 15, 2002 at 3:40 PM (EDT)
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Mr skull and firebreathing sounds aight, but confetti canons are weak. Maybe that is cool at a Britney or Backdoor Boyz concert, but I found it to be very disturbing. LTJ has a real "corporate" vibe to them, very planned feeling, and very offspring-ish. (in a bad kind of way)
I could care less about a bands image and how they dress or wear their hair and that alone is not a good way to evaluate a band.
I just think that LTJ should let their music speak for itself, and avoid the lures of the mainstream.

Posted by sickboi on 2002-04-11 12:34:29
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OK Jackass, if you don't like a band, how about saying why. You sound like some dumb-ass 8 year old saying stupid shit like "Less than Jake is stupid because they suck". I'm sorry, but this was one of the worst show reviews I've ever read.

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, April 11, 2002 at 3:04 AM (EDT)
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Saw the show in SF. HWM is an amazing band, but the crowd was apathetic and they seemed annoyed and didn't play in top form. I've seen them headline small clubs and sound amazing. That night they were just OK. The new songs sounded good, though. LTJ may have energy and everything, but their music is so juvenile and silly. They were incredibly obnoxious too. They acted like 15 year old brats. BR, however, tore the roof off the sucka. Seriously among the best live bands I have ever seen, and the only one (aside from Iron Maiden) that rocks as much in a large venue as in a small venue (and I have seen Bad Religion in a *tiny* venue). God-like.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 11:07 PM (EDT)
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What kind of a horrible review was that? Less Than Jake is one of the best bands to ever exist, and are my personal favorite, its fine to not like their music, but don't you dare ever insult Roger again or I'll hunt you down and string you up by your nuts. Amen.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 10:55 PM (EDT)
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Fuck that guy who wrote that lame ass article on less than jake. LTJ is a fucking amazing band! No offence to bad religion(even though they are ledgends), but LTJ definitely played a way cooler set. They rule.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 6:40 PM (EDT)
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less than jake stole this show, and had a better performance than bad religion.

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 10:05 AM (EDT)
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Aside from everything else everyone mentioned here I hope this tour was a bit an eye opener to those who sit back and wait for bands to get to a venue this big before they decide to go out and see them.

Hot Water Music is an excellent band, and it's sad to see how little respct they get when they are on a tour this large. I would urge all of you to make an effort to see a show they headline, it will blow your mind.

As far as "band bashing" goes, I irritates me. The way I see it if you think a band sux, there is a good chance they do to some group of people. But I guess giving them constant lip service (good or bad), is not going to get them off the bill either. In retrospect, I guess I'd rather see a band get "bashed" online than have to listen to the clown at the back of te venue scream "you suck" between every song.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 5:11 PM (EDT)
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I think you were too nice with your comment about Less Than Jake. Their brand of jackass carnival rock should go the way of the dinosaur.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 4:33 PM (EDT)
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You need to learn how to be professional with your reviews. I work for a webzine too, one smaller than this one I'll add and my editor wouldnt want me bashing some band like that. Your opinion is all fine and good but you need to at least say something about the set. Something about the performance. I'm sure punk news got you in for free, you should at least give some info on all bands, not just the ones you like. Your review is terrible.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 4:04 PM (EDT)
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word, it's obvious the original reviewer just dislikes ltj. so if you don't like them why bother dissing them in a review. i mean with your logic any person in a band w/ dreads are lame, so i guess strike anywhere is probably lame in your opinion. at least ltj albums dont sound exactly the same, something you can't say with bad religion. everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but to say something about a band members hair and that's it is pretty weak.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 3:31 PM (EDT)
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Rickets, you are a fucken chump. Less than Jake has an excellent show, all of the members are really energetic on stage and they always put a lot of effort into putting on a good show, ie: the confetti cannons, fire breathing, Mr. Skull, etc.... If you don't like their style of music, that's fine, but a band's stage presence is something completely different. Instead of just saying the bass player has lame dreads, how about some constructive critizism? Bashing someone about their appearance is not very intelligent, my friend.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 2:39 PM (EDT)
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Who ever wrote this review is an idiot. Lets see...They likes HWM, but disliked less than jake. They wouldnt know good rock if it punched them in the face if It saw him on the street

Posted by wyzo on 2002-04-09 14:33:16
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I think its funny some guy complained about Less than Jakes confetti cannons cause they aren't punk rock. Confetti is SO punk rock, especcially if its shot out of a cannon.

Get off your no confetti cannon high horse. I'm tired of you confettier than thou confetti nazis. Confetti cannon nazi punks fuck off!

Anyway, Less than jake was really danceable and great when I've seen them, so maybe the reviewer just doesnt like LTJ period, which would explain his less than neutral phrasing of they were not that good that night.

wyzo

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 12:05 PM (EDT)
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You're just jealous because Less Than Jake is better than you.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 11:23 AM (EDT)
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I saw this show in San Francisco. I agree that Less than Jake was weak. The songs sucked and so did the performance. Loose the confetti canons too, this is punk rock.
I guess that was ok, because I got my moneys worth from Bad Religion.....Amazing set!

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 9:48 AM (EDT)
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Oh he will......Excuse me my friend, but where do you live? And hypothetically, if one WERE to assassinate you, when would be the best time of day to do so? Thank you.

Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, April 9, 2002 at 7:12 AM (EDT)
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I wouldn't be surprised if you get flamed for that LTJ comment...