GalleryDitch This MagazineNovember 04, 2026gallery, live, melbourne, The Bennies, Ben Gunzburg, Less Than Jake

Less Than Jake + The Aquabats + The Suicide Machines @ The Forum 02-11-2026

GalleryDitch This MagazineNovember 04, 2026gallery, live, melbourne, The Bennies, Ben Gunzburg, Less Than Jake

photos: Ben Gunzburg @benshootspeople

It's a Monday evening in Melbourne and our spring weather is doing whatever the hell it likes, as per usual. But that's okay, because Less Than Jake, The Aquabats and The Suicide Machines are in town, ready to lay waste to the Forum!

The Suicide Machines enthusiastically open the night's proceedings, injecting a big ball of energy into the room from the get go. The pit is already packed, which is a great sign of things to come. Striking a balance of controlled chaos, the band keep us entertained while bouncing between fiery punk rock riffs and jolly ska beats, making us want to do some kick flips and then take a little break to pick-it-up-pick-it-up-pick-it-up.

Up next are The Aquabats, donning masks, spandex, and an aura that suggests shenanigans are about to be afoot. Well, that and a giant inflatable cyclops. Shenan they certainly did indeed! Keeping both pace and vibes at party level, woah-ohs and crowd participation aplenty, a healthy dose of witty banter thrown in for good measure, and inflatable beach balls and pizza slices (which quickly became rafts) continuously bounding between stage and pit, these superheroes of ska have us bopping and bouncing at every turn. 11/10!

It's now time for Less Than Jake to show us what they've got, and they never back down from that challenge. Kicking things off with Last One Out Of Liberty City, we're off to a hell of a start!

Aside from being a riff machine and bass groove guru, respectively, Chris DeMakes and Roger Lima make a formidable duo on lead vocals. Each having their individual moments to shine, trading back-and-forths, and then combining forces for extra punch, we're kept in a constant state of awe and joy.

This joy resonates throughout the whole band, as drummer Matt Yonker keeps everything flowing with finesse and power, while saxophonist Peter "JR" Wasilewski and tromboner (that's a real word, right? Teehee) Buddy Schaub bring their jazzy melodies into the mix with flair, add extra layers of backing vocals, and somehow also find the time and energy to bound all over the stage in between.

We get it all throughout their 75 minute set: Circle pits during Plastic Cup Politics, a sea of bodies crashing like waves during Johnny Quest Thinks We're Sellouts, reggae bops during The Science Of Selling Yourself Short, skanking during All My Best Friends Are Metalheads, and silliness galore.

Closing out the set with Gainesville Rock City is the cherry on top of an all round amazing night. These guys are always just so damn fun every time, and we can't wait for the next one!