New York Loves Brandt Abner Ska/Reggae Benefit Show on 11/25/13 at B.B. King's in N.Y.C.

New York ska musician, vocalist, and songwriter Brandt Abner tragically passed away from thymic cancer on September 13, 2013 at age 43. In response (and in celebration of Brandt's life and music), the NYC ska scene is holding a massive benefit ska show with 100% of the proceeds going to support Brandt's family (his wife, whom he met while they were in high school, and his nine year-old daughter).  The show will feature reunions of key 80's and 90's NYC ska bands including Skinnerbox, Skadanks and Beat Brigade as well as performances by current NYC ska bands Mephiskapheles, Pilfers, Dub Is A Weapon, Bigger Thomas and The Rudie Crew.

Abner was a founding member of Skinnerbox and also worked with Jeff Baker/King Django for the Version City compilation and the Roots and Culture album, and played keys on some of the tracks for The Toasters' This Gun for Hire album. He was also the keyboardist for Japanese alt/rock band Cibo Matto who are performing.

Here is video of Abner performing "Promise" during the Subborn Records 20th Anniversary Party at the Knitting Factory Brooklyn in May 2012:



An established musician in his own right, here is Abner performing a beautiful version of his won song "Honestly."



The New York Loves Brandt! benefit show will take place at B.B. King's on 42nd Street in Manhattan tomorrow, Monday, November 25, 2013, starting at 5:30 pm and going all night long. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for kids 16 and under (advance adult tickets may be purchased here adn tickets are also available at the door).

This is going to be an extraordinary night of ska and reggae music--all of it in support of a worthy cause--so don't miss it if you are in the New York City area!

Set times for the show below:

5:45 PM
Cannabis Cup Band featuring Ras Droppa, Marcia Davis, Andrew McIntyre and friends and introducing -Sasha Abner- w/ special guest Jeremy Manasia

7:30 PM
Cibo Matto

7:50 PM
Dub Is A Weapon

8:10 PM
Beat Brigade

8:30 PM
Rudie Crew with special guest Rev Sinister (Inspecter 7) and Roger Apollon (Bigger Thomas)

8:55 PM
Bigger Thomas

9:20 PM
Skadanks featuring Rocker T, Jamalski, Yami Bolo and surprise guests!

9:50 PM
Skinnerbox

10:15 PM
Funkface

10:40 PM
Netherlands w Timo Ellis

11:00 PM
Abner's Oeuvre featuring Malcolm Gold, James Yarish, Jon McCain & Cavass

11:30 PM
Mephiskapheles

11:50 PM
Pilfers w/ Clark Gayton

The Beat vs Fun Boy Three!

I came across this fantastic photo of Dave Wakeling of The Beat and Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three battling for a loose soccer ball, while The Beat's guitarist Andy Cox looks on in front of what appears to be a large stadium crowd.  So just how did these 2-Tone alumni end up on a football pitch?

According to Wakeling, the photo was taken in 1982 at a charity five-a-side match held at West Bromich Albion's grounds The Hawthorne's near Birmingham, that featured popular bands from the Birmingham and Coventry area along with a few professional players. Wakeling added, "I just managed to pop the ball over Terry's desperate moccasin for one of my three stunning goals. The Beat are wearing West Brom away strip which includes a yellow and green striped shirt with green shorts." 

Hall is a well-known Manchester United fanatic (listen to the Fun Boy Three's "Were Having All The Fun" where Hall croons "I live in a flat, I like Manchester United..") while Wakeling is a noted Aston Villa supporter and Cox (who went on to form the Fine Young Cannibals) is a long-time West Bromwich Albion fan. Read an interview with Hall that appeared in the Manchester United fan magazine Red News and then read a story about how Hall nearly caused a riot in Leeds in 2009 when he taunted the crowd about his favorite team. Then check out Wakeling being interviewed about his favorite club:

UB40 Vocalist Astro Announces Split From Current Line-Up Ahead Of U.K. Tour

The trials and tribulations of UB40 continue.  Astro, the iconic frontman, toaster and sometime trumpet player released a statement today through a PR agency announcing his departure from the troubled band.

Astro (whose real name is Terence Wilson) broke the news to his bandmates earlier today, taking them by surprise. The group's best-known singer Ali Campbell left in 2008 along with keyboard player Mickey Virtue. Four of the remaining members including Astro were declared bankrupt two years ago. Astro alluded to the band's most recent album "Getting Over The Storm" as one of the deciding factors in his decision. The album which features reggae versions of well known country songs, has divided the band's fans. Listen to an interview Astro did with a local Birmingham radio station yesterday when he broke the news publicly. Apparently he let his bandmates know fifteen minutes before this interview:

listen to ‘ASTRO LEAVES UB40’ on Audioboo

Read the full statement below:

“After a well-documented turbulent few years I feel that it is time to draw a line in the sand and move on. Since Ali and Micky departed, the band has been like a rudderless ship with no clear direction, no action plan, we’ve merely muddled our way through on a wing and a prayer. There has been a serious lack of communication between the band and management.

“I want to play what our fans, who have been very vocal, want to hear, which is vibrant, fresh reggae music with passion. My heart just isn’t in the new album ‘Getting Over The Storm,’ where my contribution has been reduced to a backing vocalist which, as our fans know, is not my role in the group. I’m a front man, a lead vocalist.

“While it maybe true that there is a long relationship with reggae musicians and country music, that doesn’t mean that that’s what I want to play, far from it and it’s definitely not something I wish to be part of, subjecting our fans to what I consider to be substandard.

“I have been loyal to my brothers to the detriment of my own family. Now it is time for me to do the right thing by them and myself and bow out while I still have a chance to salvage something of my career.

“I may have lost all that I’ve worked for, for the past 30+ years but I cannot bear to see what we are offering to our loyal fans who have stood by us through thick and thin. I believe they deserve better than this and I am sorry but I cannot and will not lose my integrity as a respected reggae musician. Therefore I have no alternative but to part company with the band.

“I know it may seem sudden to all who know me but my mind is made up and will not change. I think it’s clear that I’ve had enough of being depressed, as I’m sure other members are, but the difference is I’m not prepared to continue to be miserable at home and work. So it’s with a heavy heart I say goodbye. It was (mostly) fun while it lasted.”

UB40 responded to the latest departure by saying Astro had let down fans by walking out on his upcoming touring commitments. In a statement the group said: "UB40 are shocked and saddened by not only Astro's decision to quit the band, but also his refusal to honour his touring commitments. We have several tours booked in the coming months, including our biggest UK tour for three years, and he has not only let us down but also our fans.  While we are naturally disappointed that Astro will not be with us at these shows, UB40 will continue and are looking forward to a positive 2014."

Rumors that Astro will be joining Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue in Ali's band have already started with Campbell stating "Interesting" on his Facebook page with regard to the announcement.

The band's drummer Jim Brown has responded to Astro's departure with a number of posts on the UB40 fan forum, stating:

"Astro tried to hold the band to ransom. He told us we had to pay him more, or he would walk. Just like Ali did. And the bands response was the same. We don't respond we'll to being blackmailed. It's a shame, but what can we do ? No band member is more important than another. Problem is, when going gets tough, you can't predict how people will react. Some get stronger, others fall apart. People show their true selves when they are under stress. I'm very proud that the band are strong enough to respond the way they did to astro's blackmail. Trying to hold us to ransom is a mistake, as Ali and astro have discovered. In UB40 everyone is equal. This talk of "management" is just a red herring. After Ali left we changed management, but the band still makes all the decisions. It has nothing to do with managers, or musical direction. It's all about money. Trying to blackmail the band in to paying him more than anyone else was a mistake on astro's part. We regret that this has happened, but nothing has really changed. We've toured without astro several times in the past and the shows were still great. Life goes on."

Here's a reminder of the good old days. This song changed my life and remains a personal favorite and features an extended toast from Astro. Long live UB40...

Jamaica World Music Festival in November 1982 features The Clash, The English Beat, Squeeze, Joe Jackson, Peter Tosh, B-52's, Black Uhuru and more!

Thirty plus years ago this month, the Jamaica World Music Festival kicked off what could arguably be called one of the most diverse and engaging line-up of ska, reggae, new wave and rock band and artists from the 70's and 80's to ever grace the stage together including The Clash, The English Beat, Joe Jackson, B-52's Squeeze, Jimmy Cliff, Peter Tosh, Black Uhuru, Toots & The Maytals along with the Grateful Dead, the Beach Boys, Rick James and many others.

Held at the Bob Marley Performing Center in Montego Bay (which according to those who attended was nothing more than an immense gravel parking lot with a stage at one end) over the Thanksgiving weekend of 1982, the festival was a commercial success that drew thousands of American reggae, rock and new wave fans, who travelled down to the tourist spot with peak audiences hitting nearly 50,000 for performances by Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight.

Despite the financial success, the festival never became the annual event it was hoped it would be, but luckily, most of the performances has become available online.  I've done my best to collect all of the ska, reggae and new wave performances, along with anecdotes on several of the performers. Hat tip to Dubwise Garage for posting all the sets.

The Clash were one of key festival draws and made a selection from their songs that contained their most specific Jamaican influences.  The band played on the second night of the festival and due to poor planning on the sets the bill ran into the wee hours of the night with the band hitting the stage around 4 am local time.  According to The Ballad of Joe Strummer by Chris Salewicz, the band's manager Bernie Rhodes said the band would pull out unless they were immediately given $200,000. The late start seemed to have muted the audience somewhat as Strummer implores the crowd to get with it on a number occasions with Strummer quipping "In these colder climes we have to play faster" and "If you don't like us I've got the Grateful Dead waiting in the wings and I'm going to bring them on. So you'd better shape up--now!"

Unfortunately, when Squeeze played the World Music Festival in Montego Bay on November 27, 1982,  the end was near for the band. Their album, Sweets From A Stanger, released earlier that year, was not well received and considered a disappointing follow up to 1981’s East Side Story. Even the popularity of the single Black Coffee in Bed couldn’t save the album or the group. The negative reaction to the record, coupled with the stress of touring and tensions between band members led to the breakup of the band in 1983, though Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford would continue to work together. Their performance at the festival is one of their last shows before the band came to an end, at least until they reformed in 1985!

The English Beat

Peter Tosh



Joe Jackson

B-52's

Toots & The Maytals

Yellowman

Black Uhuru

The Next Electric Avenue Show: Chris Murray, The Ladrones and Rude Boy George on Saturday, November 16, 2013

The next Electric Avenue show will kick off on Saturday, November 16, 2013 at Characters NYC in the heart of midtown Manhattan with a rare east-coast, headlining set by international ska troubadour Chris Murray, New York-based ska/punk/Latin upstarts The Ladrones and Rude Boy George, which is a new musical project that I am part featuring members of my band Bigger Thomas, The Toasters and Across The Aisle, that performs ska, reggae and rocksteady versions of 80's new wave songs. Doors are at 9 pm and the cover is a super low $10!

Chris Murray is a unique force in today's music scene. Born in Toronto, he earned a strong reputation as a dynamic performer and gifted songwriter as leader of influential Canadian ska group King Apparatus. Upon the band's breakup, he relocated to Los Angeles, emerging as a solo artist with The 4-Track Adventures Of Venice Shoreline Chris, recorded in various locations on a portable 4-track cassette recorder. Entering LA's ultra-purist rock steady scene armed only with an acoustic guitar, Chris has become a leading figure in the world's foremost authentic Jamaican music community. As host of Bluebeat Lounge (2003-2009), a popular weekly concert series focusing on reggae and ska, Chris promoted more than 350 shows over seven years at Hollywood's Knitting Factory.  His musical journeys have taken him throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, the UK, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia.

Check out videos of each band below including Chris Murray performing "Ex-Darling," The Ladrones performing "Nada Pasa" and Rude Boy George performing a soulful rocksteady version of "Tempted" by Squeeze.








Electric Avenue is a partnership between myself and my fellow New York City ska blogging pal Steve Shafer (Duff Guide To Ska who also happens to be a member of Rude Boy George). We have teamed up to present monthly ska and reggae shows at Characters NYC, a midtown Manhattan Irish pub (243 West 54th Street, between Broadway and 8th Avenue in Manhattan) with a big back room ideally suited for live music.

Since last fall, we've been undertaking this labor of love--doing it for free (the bands split 100% of the cover, nobody else takes a cut)--to support ska bands and their fans, and have some fun in the process. Electric Avenue shows already have featured some of the best acts on the Northeastern U.S. ska scene, including King Django (NJ), The Snails (Philadelphia), The Frightnrs (Brooklyn), Destroy Babylon (Massachusetts), Bigger Thomas (NY/NJ), Beat Brigade (NY), Doomsday! (NY), Los Skarronerros (Brooklyn), The Pandemics (Long Island), The Scofflaws (Long Island), The Bullbuckers (Wilmington, DE), The Reggay Lords (Brooklyn), The Copacetics (Providence, RI) and The Rudie Crew (NY) and The Royal Swindle (New Haven, CT). This summer we were blessed to have Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding of The Specials perform a solo show for us.

The Facebook Electric Avenue event page can be found here. And take a moment to "like" the Electric Avenue FB page, so you keep up on our shows.

MOTB Exclusive: Interview with Horace Panter of The Specials About His New Musical Project -- The Uptown Ska Collective

The Specials bassist Horace Panter has just announced plans to launch a brand new ska and reggae musical project he has christened The Uptown Ska Collective. According to Panter, “I have wanted to get a band like this together for years; the seductive quality of these rhythms is irresistible ... it is impossible to stay still while this music is playing.” Using the core of the additional musicians from The Specials (keyboards and horn section), he has put together the ultimate modern ska band.

The band will feature Panter on bass, with members of The Specials touring band -- Jon Read (trumpet), Tim Smart (trombone), Nikolaj Torp (keyboards), Drew Stansall (tenor saxophone) along with Dave Anderson of The Beautiful South (drums) and Tony Looby  (alto saxophone) and Stan Samuel (guitar) of The Pressure Tennants. According to Panter, most of the songs performed by the band will be ska/reggae instrumentals, though guest vocalists are expected to join.

“The guys I’m using are seasoned musicians; they all know one another so the musical rapport is amazing and, like me, they live and breathe this stuff,” said Panter. ‘This stuff’ is classic ska, based around the work of the legendary Skatalites out of Kingston Jamaica’s Alpha School. It also ventures into reggae, citing the majestic compositions of Rico Rodriguez, another Alpha alumni and original Specials stalwart. “I want to find a new audience for this music; to my mind it belongs on World Music stages on balmy sunny evenings. It’s the musical equivalent of sunshine, the sexiest music in the world!”

I recently connected with Panter who took time to answer a broad array of questions about his life in ska and the motivation behind his new band.

What are your earliest memories related to hearing 60’s ska and reggae music?
Being intimidated by hulking skinheads at local youth club discos when I was 16. They seemed to hate all the pop stuff, but danced very aggressively (I thought) when ‘The Liquidator’ or ‘Return of the Django’ was played!

Do you remember the first ska record you ever bought?
‘Intensified’ - a compilation LP purchased whilst in The Specials as an educational aid I suppose.

You write in your memoir "Ska'd For Life" that Lynval Golding gave you a reggae bass lesson when you first joined a nascent version of The Specials. What are your top 3 ska or reggae bass lines to perform?
‘I Shot the Sheriff’. That’s not a bass line, it’s a symphony! There was a track on one ‘I Roy’ album I used to play but I can’t for the life of me tell you what it’s called. Also, a lot of bass on Burning Spear’s ‘Marcus Garvey’ (Sly & Robbie plus the Barrett Brothers).

I've previously written about the story behind the recording of "Ghost Town." I'm particularly interested in the way the song was recorded in the studio with John Collins. Can you share a bit about the recording and production techniques that resulted in the very Sly and Robbie sound that you and John Bradbury were able to get?
‘Ghost Town’ was recorded in a tiny basement room on the studio drum kit on 8-track. The bass went into the board direct. I had an amp (my V4B and 8 x 10) in the room, but it was only used for monitoring. The ‘sound’ was achieved in the mixing process. John Collins reduced the whole thing to 2-tracks and mixed it in his living room in Tottenham, London, where he used to make his own dub material. I think a lot of ‘the sound’ came from that, rather than the recording process itself.



Can you tell me a bit about how you, John Bradbury and Nikolaj Torp connected with M.I.A. on a live performance of "It Takes A Muscle" on Later With Jools Holland a few years ago?
M.I.A. ... She was offered a Jools Holland spot and said she’d like to do it on the proviso that The Specials backed her. Lynval lives in Seattle, so he wasn’t available. It wasn’t a Roddy tune, so that left Brad and I. Initially, Brad was sceptical about doing it but I was very keen. I’d wanted Brand and I do do ‘rhythm section for hire’ for a while and this seemed a good way to start. Nikolaj was the obvious choice for keyboards and his talent for arranging was an asset to the session. It was a very ‘seat of your pants’ performance. Maya was very nervous; she doesn’t do ‘singing’ - she’s a rapper. I really enjoyed it.



What inspired you to found the Uptown Ska Collective? Between touring with The Specials and your work as an artist, how have you found the time for a new project?
I’ve always wanted to form a ‘traditional’ ska band. I had one in Coventry about ten years ago, while I was still teaching and we did a few gigs but it was difficult to get ten people to be in the same place at the same time, let alone do shows that paid anything like decent money. I originally asked Brad if he wanted to do it with me but he declined. Having played with Nikolaj, Tim (trombone), Jon (trumpet) and Drew (saxophone) for four years, we’d got to know one another pretty well and it was only a short step to getting the thing together. Strange, the older I get, the busier I seem to be!

Can you share a few songs from the band’s set list?
We’ll be doing mainly Skatalites stuff: ‘Confucius’, ‘Occupation’, ‘Storm Warning’; some keyboard stuff for Nikolaj to shine: Jackie Mittoo’s ‘Killer Diller’, plus some Rico tunes, for example ‘Africa’. We intend to have ‘guest vocalists’ as well. I’d like to do some tunes that haven’t had a ska treatment too. I’d like to find a new audience for this music. There are a lot of ‘world music’ stages at festivals in the UK and Europe. Since the tunnel under the English Channel has been built, it’s a lot easier to get to Europe!



Do you have any plans to tour beyond your debut show in London in November? If so, may I suggest a double bill featuring your band and Lee Thompson's Ska Orchestra!
The November show is basically to showcase the band and get a buzz going. We’ll then do a short tour of small UK venues in the Spring and a dozen or so festivals (The Specials notwithstanding) in the summer. The festival-goer is our target audience for this project. As far as Lee Thompson’s Ska Orchestra is concerned, fine! We’ll play with anyone - but they’d better watch out!

The Uptown Ska Collective will debut at the 229 Club in Great Portland Street, London, on November 29, 2013. This is a small venue so tickets will be limited. Thereafter, the band will announce tour dates.

Suggs Autobiography "That Close" Now Available!

Today marks the publication of the much anticipated autobiography of Madness front man Suggs. The 400 pager takes readers on a journey form Suggs's early life growing up on a North London council estate, through the early days of Punk and 2-Tone, to the eighties, when Madness became the biggest selling singles band of the decade. Along the way he shares what it's like to go globetrotting with your best friends, to sign away your entire song rights 'in perpetuity' and cause an earthquake in Finsbury Park.

Below is a clip from the audio book on Suggs’ school years.



"That Close" is available via Amazon (hardcover and Kindle versions) in the U.S. and the U.K.  Suggs will be doing a number of events to promote the book including in-store book signings in the U.K. His one one-man show comes to London in December:  More information available here.

Suggs' publisher has been kind enough to make extracts of the book available for perusing here.  Definitely a great teaser that will no doubt lure you into purchasing the tome!