After five years, a new album drops tomorrow (Friday 23rd October) from southwest Welsh reggae outfit, Captain Accident & the Disasters, and itโs worth the waitโฆ.
Using the word โreggaeโ as a blanket term for pop music of Jamaican origin, rather than a particular subgenre of roots reggae commonly associated with Bob Marley at his peak, as it currently stands for Caucasians, there seems to be two distinct followings in the UK; that of the retrospective scooteristโs adoration of reggaeโs original template, ska, which inspired the Two-Tone movement, and the more progressive dub to dancehall counterculturists and punks favour.
I view it as unfortunate that the bridge between them is often overlooked, as it was the most creative period in Jamaican recording history. Yet Captain Accidentโs previous album Bad Press relished in the smooth rock steady style which took ska on its journey to reggae in the late nineteen sixties. A particularly hot summer of โ67 and the government curfew in Jamaica are held responsible for the shift, where it was the tempo mellowed and brass gave way to vocal harmonies.
The relics of rock steadyโs ballad concept remains in subgenres such as โloverโs rock,โ and thereโs as plenty of hints to this in Sayonara Paranoia as there was with Bad Press. But this time around the melting pot is far more welcoming to all of reggaeโs subgenres; Sayonara Paranoia not only draws from and encompasses them all, but seemingly creates some new ones on its magical journey. The press release suggests โSayonara Paranoia is an album of contrasts,โ and youโre in for a pleasant surprise from the off.
It opens with a lead single released last February, Slither on the Dashboard, recounting the day a family pet snake escaped into Captain Accidentโs car while he was driving it to a new home in the Welsh Valleys! If its subject perfectly illustrates frontman Adamโs pseudonym, a nickname earned through a lifetime of spectacular clumsiness rather than a carefully crafted stage persona, our surprise is the track is decidedly upbeat ska with nods to Two-Toneโs association with punk. If you must look towards Northern Soul for a tune about a snake, forget Al Wilson, because this one skanks almighty and breaks like a real slithering reptile!
So we establish, Captain Accidentโs namesake is a self-deprecating streak that occasionally finds its way into the music, but never at the expense of sincerity. Songs immediately following revert back to the uplifting chill of rock steady; wonderful vocal harmonising songs like Rise and Fall are signature Captain Accident, and Baby Slow Down comes in with that cool Jacob Miller feel.
Itโs a ten song long flow which you donโt want to stop, as influences into a collection of songs exploring resilience, love, heartbreak, anxiety and hope ripple through the eardrums blissfully. Yet, I have to take hold during the fourth song, because if this album stretches into ska, rock and punk territory while maintaining the Captainโs classic and loved fashion, where does To The Sun fit?! It has the kind of completely unique riff I cannot define; elements of dancehall blend into a punky reggae which reminds me of the sleng teng riddim of Prince Jammyโs electronic takeover of reggae, but still this song is refreshingly experimental, completely original, and that riff, oh that riff is so addictive it sticks!
From this point I accept Iโm in for an adventure, with the Captain leading the mission; where are we going Capt?! The gorgeousness of sunshine love songs follows for a further two tracks, and then he confirms the destination; weโre upbeat ska again with Mission to Mars.
But if instrumentation and vocals are only the physical aspects, the conscious theme of Me & My Friends proves a spiritual skill in songwriting, and could be compared with Marelyโs So Much Trouble in the World. โLife gives you plenty to write about if youโre paying attention,โ Captain Accident said of the album. โSometimes those stories are about love, heartbreak or the things that weigh on your mind, and every now and then something completely ridiculous happensโlike accidentally letting a snake loose in your car. Reggae will always be at the heart of what I do, but Iโve never wanted to put boundaries around the music. The rock and punk records I grew up with are just as important to me, and I think this album reflects that. I canโt wait to get back out on the road with the band and share these songs with everyone.โ
Sayonara Paranoia was written, recorded and produced entirely by Captain Accident, reflecting a deeply personal and independent approach to making music. Yet this song is followed again by Pick up the Slack, which, as it might sound, is full steam train chugging ska again to appease the boots and braces crews!
The moment Suggs of Madness joined the band on stage should be an indicator to, not only Captain Accident & The Disastersโ steadily built reputation as an energetic live act, but also the sense of spontaneity and musical community within the UK reggae and ska scenes. They appeared at Boomtown Fair, Isle of Wight Festival, Wilderness Festival, Bestival, Cornbury Festival, Mucky Weekender and Rototom Sunsplash, one of the worldโs largest reggae festivals. They shared stages with the likes of Aswad, Steel Pulse, The Abyssinians, Alborosie, The Selecter, Julian Marley, and The Beat.
Until we meet, the treasure of this new album is that no matter the diversity and experimentation, the Captain and his band invites the listener to his table and entertains them with the same divine quality no matter which direction their distinctive ship faces. And this is accomplished with a defining recognisable overall style whereby soaring twin-guitar harmonies warm the cockles, rather than the traditional horn section, the riffs drift across reggae like itโs given, and the vocalโs smooth like John Holt suddenly fell deeply in love.
If this is about as high an accolade as one could get within reggae circles, donโt assume I flatter; Captain Accident & The Disasters supported Toots and the Maytals at a gig in Wales, and the late Toots Hibbert took them on tour. They completed three full UK tours supporting the reggae pioneers; when you hear this album, you realise why that happened.
A UK tour follows the release of the album, details HERE. Socials below.
I can be sent an album, review it because I love it, and put the artists atop of my cognitive must-see list. Although the list will grow as time progresses, Iโm the elephant with a knotted trunk, awaiting some legendary local venue to announce, yeah, weโve got these guys comingโฆโฆ
In this case the legendary venue is the most apt for this act locally, it is the worshipped Barge on Honeystreet, and the band are the cider-infused Cornish scrumpy & western choir with a message to breakneck Balkan beats, 3 Daft Monkeys; Iโm jumping on this bed and if I hit my head Iโm waiting for no mama to call the doctorโฆ..
It seems the further west country you trek, across thar cider border, the crazier folk meshed danceable energy embellishes, with carefree counter-culture vibes. But, slightly eastwards to us thereโs the remaining outpost of sanity, rejecting todayโs mangled status quo and botched mainstream society. For those in agreement, The Barge is a temple, and a wharfside campsite, holding a spiritual synergy of its own making, and perhaps a few crop circles.
If Iโm going to see 3 Daft Monkeys on my doorstep, there isnโt a better place to do so. So, Saturday 26th September marks the occasion, owner Lenny No Strings supports. Lenny and his team have continued the authentic nonconformist vibe of the place, and transformed The Barge into the kind of place weโd have wanted it to be back in the nineties, with a homely festival vibe.
Itโs been two years since I fondly reviewedInformation Camouflage, 3 Daft Monkeyโs 2024 album, and Iโm delighted for the possibility of finally catching them live. At the time they described their latest release as โa rich, life-affirming tapestry that masterfully blends world folk inspirations with wild punk-infused energy and modern storytelling,โ and I could only agree. I said Information Camouflage called to me, as I โyearn for the alternative, the quirky and curious counterculture,โ and it bears such hallmarks. I made reference to its melting pot, citing punk, ska, gypsy folk and bonkers west country underground. I hailed its frenzied fiddles, frivolous beats, poignant messages and its dreamy psychedelic vaudeville.
I also said at the time; โall this album has done, other than entertain me highly, is confirm that, if they were playing a festival Iโm at, and my mates wanted to go do something different, Iโd be saying โsee you later,โ and making haste for the stage 3 Daft Monkeys are on!โ But unfortunately that didnโt happen, Iโm not getting any younger, so I hope to be there.
I mean, I could scribe a few words about this event, probably I will, because thatโs standard issue with me now, like a lost little diarist. But donโt leave me lonely there, waiting for me to tell you what you missed! Tickets are HERE.
Following a stand out long weekend of blues and americana at the Hillbilly Hootenanny, Victoria and I managed to squeeze most of the Saturday of Flocksteady Bleats into a busy weekend of grown-up stuff and birthday dinnersโฆ
Neither of us would declare an informed opinion on reggae, other than knowing we like some reggae, but not educated enough to know what sort of thing it was in a very wide genre (perils of genre pigeonholes shortly!)
So, we expected some familiar themes and sounds, we have classic reggae down with some Trojan records box sets Iโve had decades, most of Bobโs original albums, and a few more here but thatโs all- old school traditional reggae; mellow, principled, full of steady beats, and rhythm and love for music.
Before I waffle on a little about some wonderful bands, I want to touch on genres, brieflyโฆ
Obviously, reggae and ska have been infused in popular culture, as well as roots music for generations; original punks I know love reggae, and ska, and vice versa. Thatโs perhaps about identity, attitude, and lifestyle delivered from different angles.
It occurred to me immediately that the first band we caught, Technicolour Steam Train were reminiscent of The Beat (saw them a few times and love them) or The Selector.. they certainly had the brass and the skanking vibes down; yet they were rubbing shoulders with the lively presence of Da Fuchaman, perhaps a current take on a diverse scene maybe and more traditional laid back grooves of The MCAuff family and The Ligerians..
In all fairness the Baa team had been clever in all things marketing, the colours and some of the great names on the flyers gave a ready impression of reggae and beat-laden tunes to someone like myself ignorant to the detail or in fact to any of the bands other than sadly not being able to make the Friday for The Intercepteurs, who a good friend of mine was there to see, knowing them as she does very well and I was assured they played a blinder!
Other than some Google searching which had us tapping our toes, and feeling like this would be educational, we would unavoidably come away with slightly improved knowledge and likely new music to play at home!
The headline in all of this is to try something different. The line-ups here stretch across broader styles, I imagine deliberately so, and by doing so, broaden our horizons within a comfortable and fun environment. There are kids dancing, there are older couples relaxing in comfy chairs together, there are whatever we are variously dancing (especially Vickie!) or enjoying the spectacle with a cocktail! Itโs a wonderful way to experience music, perhaps the best way.
Try something different and surprise yourself, at the Baa, if one band is not your thing the next one will be different enoughโฆ perhaps they will be?
We found ourselves enjoying most of it; meeting many of the musicians, chatting about their sets, and buying CDโs, which I have been listening to all week. Certainly to someone like myself for whom the soundtrack to my life provides the much needed balance to remember all that is good about humans, that life is good, even if the world can be more immediately thought of as bad or difficult..this music has a relaxing and positive impact, which is well suited to our times.
By the way, we got exactly what we envisaged, armed with the knowledge from our first visit, a different crowd, largely, I think but the same relaxed, safe, fun atmosphere, and great music.
So, here are some thoughts on the most impactful of the dayโs bands for us:
Technicolour Steam Train-
A young looking band, a confident, bouncing, literally frontman delivering great songs, to long time fans of The Beat, like us, his getting the crowd skanking was great.. and they certainly did that!
Awesome musicians, hard-working brass musicians on one side were holding much of the core sound, something that is a delightful part of this kind of music for me.
Like my previous opinion stated, seeing live music is different gravy, their enjoyment, and instruments to the fore, which are not a part of, or at least so front and centre of the sound as they were here in many bands. Itโs great seeing how or what they play when you are appreciating the music.
At times a sort of more modern sounding rhyming, not necessarily so much our thing but impressive none the less, as itโs certainly an amazing skill when the lyrics are delivered with such haste!
Da Fuchaman & the Fire Blaze Band-
Lyrics exploring music as a conduit to leaving your troubles behind, and positive thinking can probably resonate and lift most people who experience the huge presence of this amazing collective.
The larger than life stage presence and energy of its Jamaican born front man and singer, the awesome way he brings his singing troupe to the fore, taking the lead, and ensuring they have a strong voice.. doing their own tracks in the set too.
Not sure what an expert would call the particular sound but we loved it, uplifting and certainly updated over our limited previous knowledge of reggae, with seriously good vibes.
Dancing about in the audience, getting them lifting, bouncing, getting us singing a few songs in his set you can only respect. We had the pleasure of a brief chat with him after, and there is another thing about this sweet spot in festival or venue size, you can experience a huge range of bands with different followings, and you can often say โHiโ, you can talk about the music, you can share appreciation if youโve had a great time, get your CD signed as a reminder of the first time you saw them.. none of that goodness is available outside the live experience.
The McAnuff family & the Ligerians โ
This was an astounding headline set from an incredibly accomplished band, The only UK date so it would appear on this tour.
An incredible ensemble of Jamaican singers, and a French band. Taking to the internet the following day we learned Winston McAnuff visited a session recording of his daughter, Nadia and the Ligerians, who she had been working with, from a spontaneous experience that day. A family tour was envisaged, bringing his son Kush alongside them all to form something truly special from some of the leading lights of Jamaican reggae.
The band are incredible, a tightness you can readily recognise in any good band who have toured together, the experience and confidence in musicianship was evident, we were completely blown away, danced through much of this set too, and bought CDโs which have barely been off the hi-fi this week!
Whilst we learn more about reggae, this will be a baseline experience.. this is the sort of reggae we could listen to all the time, itโs so relaxing, the positivity and calmness of the overall sound is amazing.
So, thereโs the verdict, music is good for you, live music is even better, live music in a field near home is a valuable and exciting addition to regular gigs in permanent venues, and get out there support the amazing humans and try new things, you will likely find if you trust your instinct you will open doors to new things and good people.
We spoke to and danced with people all over the place, with a common appreciation.
This week The Baa posted a general open statement inviting enquiries from bands, and who people who follow them and attend festivals want to see, inviting us to drop top picks to consider for next year.
They were inundated, many of us attendees were finding ourselves returning with more comments excited to see bands we love that would be a good fit for the venue considered; thatโs what a community building momentum looks like, isnโt it?! Itโs a big part of what makes the local scenes what they are, that respect, support, and adulation for the artists and the promoters who work so bloody hard to make our chances to make memories happen.
I covered my general favourable and appreciative thoughts on The Baa as a place and team well in my recent piece for the Hillbilly Hootenanny, but all the same I would like to say a huge thanks to all of them; you are all hard-working, but appeared very happy! You certainly know how to run a great event, we didnโt come last year, but it seems clear that the Baa has built a solid community, which is growing and we will be back next year.
When dates and details are available, we will be plotting to see some part of all three events with luck.
Apart from the one souvenir shot of the authors, all of the amazing pictures of this weekend are used with kind permission from Alice Rose Photography, check her out, the pics from all this yearโs events at the Baa are next level, and as they say โa picture paints a thousand words.โ
Thank you and โHappy Giggingโ from Ben & Victoria!
After five years, a new album drops tomorrow (Friday 23rd October) from southwest Welsh reggae outfit, Captain Accident & the Disasters, and itโs worth theโฆ
Well, what else is there to oyez about? Congratulations must go to our Devizes Town Crier, Charlotte Howard-Macdonald, again today, as Brian Mathew MP tabledโฆ
On the Festival of Discovery, other political discoveries, and is the Crammer full yet?! No to the latter, but local Facebook groups are full โฆ.ofโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Gill Morrell and Penny Clegg How all the other passions fleet to air,As doubtful thoughts and rash embraceddespair, And shuddโring fear, and green-eyed jealousy- Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 2, William Shakespeare O, beware, my lord, ofโฆ
At least I think it was the sixth Devizes Scooter Rally; after three weekends spent at a sunkissed Lower Park Farm I’m getting a smidgen hazy! Nevertheless, I acknowledge and appreciate folk have their own valid reasons to cite either of these three major and hugely successful Devizes events as their favourite, but, personally this weekend was mineโฆ..
It’s justifiable to suggest big sound and stages, renowned performers or a universal variety of tributes are elements as to why you might choose differently to me, and that’s all good. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed them all. Devizes Scooter Rally may not necessarily win these categories, it’s niche but knows what its punters want, and delivers it with passion, and utmost pride.ย
It also makes up for them all when the atmosphere is as electric as it was, the community feel extends to hoards of annually returning visitors from afar, the team’s dedication is second to none, and a campsite so jammed as to make Michael Eavis envious!
Not forgoing, for my personal taste, this one is a retrospective reflection on the music and fashions I grew up with and cherish to this day.
It might also be suggested, because of the success of Devizes Scooter Rally the others implemented similar; I’ve seen two Madness tributes prior to this weekend! But if tributes are essential elsewhere, while the rally had cover bands nodding to the era, and Madness will forever reserve a fair chunk of that respect, it had one tribute which must be as highly praised as those other acts, if not more.
Nestled between magical ska covers eight-piece Hampshire/Dorset collective, Skamageddon, and the sublime soul ensemble All That Soul, Bootleg Blondie rocked my world, and I’ve seen the real McCoy! If you think covering T-Rex’s Get it On in a Debbie Harry style for an encore at an event full of mods and skinheads is risquรฉ, with a certain ease it worked and alongside all their hits, Bootleg Blondie brought the house down with it.
Bootleg Blondie is a concentrated marvel replicating the whole band, not just the adored frontgirl, and they were tight. Yet the latter must be said of all on the lineup.
The returning Butterfly Collective kicked Saturday’s proceedings off with a glorious and vast selection of covers, enveloping every subgenre and youth culture represented in the crowd. From punk to ska to mod, and modernising with Britpop, whatever they followed each song with was as well-received as the previous. From Oasis to Sex Pistols, they knocked them all out of the tent.
Most interesting was a finale where Tom Petty’s Freefalling was meshed into the Jam’s Town Called Malice, and after a ska-fused Woolly Bully encore they finished with a northern soul fashioned cover of Erasure’s A Little Respect. The lively frontman proudly told that it was their fourth time playing Devizes Scooter Rally and hailed it as โthe best rally on the planet!โ A sentiment reflected by the audience, and me.
With Soul Pressure DJ Terry Hendrick filling gaps, it was onto Skamageddon, who, with matched excellence, gave us a superb repertoire of classic Two-Tone, blended with ska versions of novelty hits and exceptional stage banter. From The Specials to Bad Manners they hit the spot, and took to everything from Nellie the Elephant, the theme from the Fresh Prince of Bell Air, and even Mr Brightside over the rhythm of The Maytal’s 54-46. It was a brilliant set for Bootleg Blondie to follow.
With Park Farm full of food choices, stalls from crafts to scooter parts, and the busiest bar this side of Munich’s Theresienwiese, The Devizes Scooter Club has captured the energy of the already established larger rallies, yet retained the community spirit of the smaller ones. Now nestling in-between them, that is what the returning attendees love about it most. For if last year blossomed because of the arrival of Ranking Junior’s incarnation of The Beat, this year’s didn’t support such a renowned headliner, yet it equalled the size and ultimate atmosphere of last year.
This should be particularly credited to the headline, All That Soul, for I couldn’t think of another tried and tested act by the Scooter Club who deserved it more. This soul singing trio of gospel rooted sisters, backed by an accomplished band, began with Motown classics and moved to a second half of funk and disco floorfillers. In a word, All That Soul is sublime.
Who dares to cover Motown? Most who do disgrace it, it was the crรจme of sixties soul singers, but All That Soul can replicate it like no other I’ve bore witness to.
Moreover, credit and the highest of praises must go to everyone at the Devizes Scooter Club, and their volunteering family and friends, who labour on making this event as well organised, welcoming and absolutely brilliant as it is.ย
If combined, this summer of local events proves we’ve a wide diversity of music options and great scenes here in Devizes, the rally provides something it sorely misrepresented; retro soul, ska and reggae. I’ve eclectic tastes, but these are what I love most, therefore I’ve got to get it while I can, and Devizes Scooter Rally does, with big brass bells on. And brass is class!
We’ve been on about the other big Devizes events we’re looking forward to across July, but on the 24th to the 26th it’ll be time to get up on your feet, put your braces together and your boots on your feet, and give us some of that old moonstomping, at Devizes Scooter Rally. And it’s only three weeks away; time enough to wash that Fred Perryโฆ..
There’s no complicated reason for a way of putting this, I love Devizes Scooter Rally! With a few photos I’ll attempt to explain why.
Firstly though, note; I don’t got no hairdryer, no need for anything on two wheels, I’m dodgy enough on four! I go for the music, the drink and the great company; of which is plentiful.
Last year the site significantly expanded as The Beat headlined, at least Ranking Roger’s son Ranking Junior paid homage to his father and the original lineup. Needless to say it was well-received and off the scale; I called it the best one yet. But it’s only a fraction of why I love Devizes Scooter Rally!
I think it’s at the maximum scale the Scooter Club feels comfortable with. That’s understandable, any bigger could potentially lessen that community feel which has attracted the niche market of scooterists and retrospective youth cultures, and blessed this rally with a renowned reputation nationwide.
This year sees lesser-known names on the lineup but all tried, tested and loved by the Scooter Club. Bands this year include the Butterfly Collective returning for their second year, newcomers Skamageddon, Bootleg Blondie,Marquis Drive, The Decatonics and all-time club favourite All That Soul.
It is not about big names, rather throwing one heck of a great party, and that is what they do every year without fail. Kick it off, Colonel!
Here’s a snap of Goldsteppers, who played the 2024 Rally, and I reckon were my favourite band to ever play here. They had this total dedication to recreating an original Jamaican ska sound. Even if I grew up with the Two-Tone movement it only served to fuel my obsession with its roots. Through my eclectic tastes I need to do Devizine, I reserve my rights to declare officially, that original Jamaican ska and reggae are my desert island discs, my favourite style of music. And, we simply don’t get nearly enough of this around these backwaters. But this is only another fraction of why I love Devizes Scooter Rally!
Here’s a picture of All That Soul from a previous year. They’re coming again this year, and if you think perfectly mimicking those Motown classics is asking too much, All That Soul do, do sublimely and on a level I’ve only ever witnessed before when watching All That Soul! Awl, those Northern Soul boys are welcomed here too; throw down some talc and call me Andrea! But, that’s only a fraction of why I love Devizes Scooter Rally too.
It’s all weekend, it’s affordable, there’s free camping. On a local level I believe those with only a passing interest have cottoned onto its brilliance, and even the council have accepted it’s an important annual date on the town’s event calendar. Scooterists from all over the country fly back and forth down Caen Hill, spending money in town; an economic advantage but still, only a fraction of why I love Devizes Scooter Rally!
The biggest chunk on my pie chart of why I love Devizes Scooter Rally, can be best illustrated by these last two snaps. Co-founder of the Devizes Scooter Club Martin Gibbs has been busy painting barrels with the logos and colours associated with the variety of movements which combined make up the ethos of the rally. And there’s the thingโฆ.
Everyone at the Scooter Club muck in, use their relevant skills and work tirelessly to create this extravaganza. With their reflection on reggae, their combined efforts is rather akin to a Caribbean carnival, whereby participants will labour all year on their decoration, dress and floats. The Devizes Scooter Club built this bar themselves, they built this bangarang (but not necessarily on rock n roll!!) And you best believe it, this bar takes some heavyweight usage!
You’ve never seen such a busy bar, and members of the club and their families slave night and day, serving attendees with their booze quota until the point they drop from exhaustion! With a lost voice and physically drained from tending the busiest bar this side of Munich’s Theresienwiese during Oktoberfest, my wonderful sister-in-law still drives my sorry drunken ass home afterwards; I’m so grateful, it’s become our thing!!
That’s my major point, that’s why I love Devizes Scooter Rally most; the team behind it, giving 500%, mucking in, and creating this wonderful annual event. And this reflects into those attending, only expanding on this real community feel, done only so for the spirit of the day, and love of doing it!
That’s the magic of Devizes Scooter Rally, in a nutshell. In Jamaican patois you’d be a bubu, or here, a fool, to miss it!
If there’s been hearsay and ballyhoo about the date clash of two major but individually different events in Devizes this week, I hold my hand up for stirring the pot, yet try to attend both and find fair balance. But at the dawning of them, as magical as the FullTone Festival is, it cannot be argued, Devizes Scooter Rally was the success story this weekendโฆ..
My afternoon was spent, Muck & Dundar piรฑa colada in hand, in the magnificence of FullTone’s mighty stage, Vivaldiโs Four Seasons striking out with the acoustics of the gods, in awe at glitter-faced violinist Katy Smith and the orchestra behind.ย
It is unquestionably a fantastic event. Though Devizine isn’t my employment, neither a public service, it’s a hobby, its opinions driven by the personal preferences of the authors. As much as I pretend to be classically cultured, there’s another gig I’m impelled by preference to explore; Devizes Scooter Rally.ย
Handbags and gladrags for a cider guzzling retrospective camping adventure on the future site of FullTone, Park Farm. The scope for expansion for FullTone is available here, even if townsfolk accustomed to a freebie from their deckchair on the small green might whinge, at least the date will not clash and Devizions can enjoy both next year, if they so wished. Yet if the clash must remain, my devotion is towards the Rally, because it’s more my cuppa.
I’m standing upfield with the โColonelโ of Devizes Scooter Club Adam Ford and his partner Lauren Gibbs, watching the sun setting across the vast expanse of tents, campers and scooters; neither sure nor fussed over stats, but the site is at least 25% fuller than last year, which was recordbreaking too. They, club members, and volunteers have been here all week, setting up this magnificent spectacle, now feeling the fatigue but maintaining smiles, and the bar staff continue regardless of lost voices and aching feet. The club built the fantastic bar themselves, and once the rally is opened this testament to their conscientiousness never creates a dull moment.
The sound reputation the rally has built, both locally and nationwide has boosted attendance figures, the headlining of Ranking Jnrโs incarnation of The Beat assisted. A bold move to introduce a renowned name, but the Club needs to discuss just how willing they are to expand the rally, the issues it may raise, but in general the consensus seemed to be that in fear of losing the communal and hospitable atmosphere, this yearโs Rally might be as large as they are willing to take it. I like this, for the atmosphere is sublimely buzzing, yet it retains a friendly, family vibe.
The spirit of the attendees, or the overall โvibeโ is key to its success, and something no matter how much dosh you throw at the mechanics or promotion of an event, you canโt manufacture. It just happens, via the altruism and motivation of the organisers, presenting an affordable occasion welcoming all. The scooterists flock here from every corner of the country, the locals are now keen to come too, because thereโs no boundaries or prejudices dividing them. It is also, undoubtedly the nostalgia they all love, a merger of youth cultures of yore, and, for the younger attendees, its influence on today. This, and the certitude ska, reggae, and soul is irresistibly danceable, and for the locals, genres something rarely provided here.
Devizes Scooter Rally is top of its own class. Other largescale rallies have debatably lost their communal atmosphere through their expansion, and those at the lower end of the scale do not pack the same powerful punch. Five bands are booked, thereโs lengthy breaks between them filled with the renowned DJ Terry Hendrick, and no one batters an eyelid in botheration. This isnโt exactly a festival even though it might appear so, more a gathering of likeminded, out to party like thereโs no tomorrow! They gather to chat, drink and be merry; thatโs the motto reflected.
The Butterfly Collective, the penultimate Saturday night act seemed far more polished and diverse than last year, and took us on a grand historic musical journey of covers, relevant yet era-spanning and anthemic. What would finalise the live acts was bubbling the anticipation and excitement of the crowds jamming themselves into the marque.
Two-Tone pioneering bands striving towards chart success in the early eighties attempted it in different ways. The Specials upheld politically-motivated teenage anguish, The Bodysnatchers used their frontgirl for feminist awareness, Madness locked into a carefree fairground sound to appease the youngest, but The Beat achieved it by combining musical styles which would change the nature of pop. Punk, ska, soul and reggae, even Latino influences were not off the cards for The Beat. Though, as seemingly mandatory of the Two-Tone style, an Afro-Caribbean toaster was provided, and his unforgettable name was Ranking Roger.
2019 Ranking Roger sadly passed away aged just 56. We heard a heartwarming homage to him in both speech and song from his son Matthew Murphy, aka Ranking Junior, and though subtle not to sombre the mood, it was emotional. The remaining time was spent absolutely and categorically rocking the crowd with a combination of self-penned songs in the skanking fashion of The Beat yet updated with subtle dancehall and obviously classics from the original lineup when the concentration leaned on his father rather than Dave Wakeling. In so much we weren’t treated to tunes like Canโt Get Used to Losing You, but at the height of the party mood, Mirror in the Bathroom, Full Stop, Hands Off…She’s Mine and an updated Stand Down Margaret did more than suffice.
It was off the scale, a perfect balance of testament to his father and his own progression, akin to Ziggy Marley, a high but deserved accolade. Through his youthfulness was the drive in the show, the same zest and raw energy his father wouldโve delivered in his prime, and that was simply delicious, respectful and infectious.
Once the steam had lessened and the night bit in, Terry would supply the other end of the musical difference of contemporary scooterists, Northern Soul. So if the soul dancers were persuaded by genre to hover outside while Ranking Junior’s The Beat took on this timeless extravaganza, the dancefloor was now theirs to show off their fancy moves, and they did!
What a fantastic, peaking blinder on our doorstep, I only hope Iโve done it justice trying to express how bloody marvelous it was, especially the afternoon after the cider I consumed! Devizes Scooter Club, friends and family sure know to throw an unforgettable shindig, and maximum respect to them for the diligence and efforts they put into putting this rally firmly on the map, again. It just gets better each time!
Matthew Murphy, or Ranking Junior, son of the late Roger Charlery, aka Ranking Roger vocalist of eighties Two-Tone ska band, The Beat and new wave collective General Public has settled into the shoes of his father and now fronts a reformation of The Beat, which tours extensively. This includes our blossoming scooter rally in Devizes this coming summerโฆ.
If thereโs two types of scooter rally and scooterist festivals in the UK, the boss events like Skamouth and BSRA nationals, and those locally-based eensy events constituting little more than a beer garden with DJ, showy hairdryers and undercooked hotdogs, Devizes Scooter Clubโs annual rally has sat between the opposing levels, aspiring to better the value of municipal rallies. In its fifth year, Devizes Scooter Rally sets a president above them, striving to create the kind of environment more suitable for those mainstream โbossโ events, yet retains the communal atmosphere of smaller events; thatโs its magnitude; it is a blessing to our town to host it.
It does this by staging an impressive, tried and tested lineup in a hospitable and affordable atmosphere. Itโs the Mardi Gras of the club, and members work tirelessly to welcome guests and design the perfect setting. This is not me flattering them, last year I spoke to several guests at the rally, from all over the UK, who stated, (in their own subtle and slightly dribbling way) the reason they love this event is precisely this balance between the electric atmosphere of a local event yet packing the punch of an established larger oneโฆor words to that effect!
Whilst music at the rally has always been first-class, names might not be so recognisable to those outside the scooterist niche. This is set to change, as Birminghamโs The Beat were one of the key bands in the UK ska revival of the late โ70s and โ80s, and managed to crossover to the mainstream. Youโll all remember Mirror in the Bathroom, Hands off Sheโs Mine, and so many others, my personal favourite, Canโt Get Used to Losing You. Youโll all be up dancing, and making that essential Full Stop, Iโm sure.
Set for the weekend of 25th-27th July, the rally for 2025 also boasts The return of the Butterfly Collective, Small Faces tribute, Small Fakers, Wardour Street, Cardiffโs The Brew, and DJs of the Soul Pressure sound system, but, thing is, youโve only a couple of days to get your early bird wristband. Facebook message the Devizes Scooter Club, or call 078088 49965 now!
People power in Devizes! Due to pressure from Devizes retailers and councillors, Wiltshire Council today revised their plans for essential cable works in Devizes, originallyโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Jim McCauley The power of three. Three men. Three apartments. Three items of furniture. Three snacks bowls. Three types of drinkโฆ
There was an assassination in Pewsey last night โฆ a ska assassination; pick it up, pick it up, Pewsey!
Like buses, ska bands are around these backwaters, which put me in a dilemma. Safe in the knowledge those Killertones will skank up the Southgate in Devizes, I sought to head east to the vale of Pewsey where Eddie Prestidge’s Wiltshire Music Events hosted a new one on me, at the Bouverie Hall, south west’s own D’Ska Assassins.
Salisbury based Wiltshire Music Events have fast become renowned for putting on events of the highest quality, here they gave us CrownFest, a Devizes Corn Exchange sellout with The Marley Experience and countless pub gigs. In the spire city their Tunnel Rat studio is bringing the best out of upcoming artists, but they also love gigging out in the sticks!
The sum of these parts equates to a gig with my name all over it. You know, or should do by now, how much I love my ska. You’ve got to have eclectic tastes to do a thang like Devizine, but influenced by the pop of my childhood and discovering my dad’s old Bluebeat and Trojan records, my penchant for the offbeat remains paramount.
House-duo Illingworth kicked off the proceedings of this Motor Neurone Disease Association fundraiser, which though may sound unlikely, being mature skinheads mingled with Pewsey’s curious or retrospective aficionados, their unique brand of pop-rock classics mounted to a massive appreciation from the audience. End of the day, most skinheads are aware musical links between reggae and rock are close-knit, and hey, they just love music, period.
Therefore the warm up was complete and refined, John and Joylon did their thing exquisitely as ever, to encourage skinheads to dance to Dolly Parton is one thing, but they pulled great Bowie and Boomtown Rats covers out of their bag of tricks, and everyone loves a finale of Hey Jude no matter how much hair is on their heads.
It was a quick changeover for a seven-piece ska band, which backfired somewhat, as the engineering hadn’t the opportunity to soundcheck. I sighed as adjustments were quickly made, the enthusiasm of the band seemed to wane too, and on the grounds amateurish ska cover bands we get aplenty here, often murdering the sound I love, I feared this could go Pete Tong. They slammed straight into fifth gear with archetypal upbeat Bad Manners and Madness covers and the crowds were aptly enthused. But picky me felt it wasn’t the greatest of its kind I’ve bore witness to, fortunately I was proved wrong rather abruptly.
Seems the name DโSka Assassins doesn’t include the assassination of the sound at all, and it felt like the band were merely warming up. All my fears were quashed, three or four songs in, like someone stuck a rocket up their butts. D’Ska Assassins suddenly came alive. Rock steadying the pace a smidgen, here’s my surprise; for a ska cover band to come booming out to such an upbeat intro is unusual, normally they build up and Madness and Bad Manners classics are savoured for a finale. Now concerned they’d played their trump cards too soon, despite a renovated faith D’Ska Assassins had something special; they proved me wrong a second time!
There’s always plenty of upbeat classics in a repertoire of Two-Tone, and D’Ska Assassins, after slowing the pace in the middle of the set, laid down those Specials and The Beat covers thick, fast and accomplished; the latter D’Ska Assassins frontman expressed their joy at supporting at the Cheese and Grain. It was a fairytale ending, with moonstomping in boots and braces, as the crowd didn’t really stop dancing throughout the proceedings. Equating to a brilliant and memorable night. D’Ska Assassins came, saw, and shone like proper job Bobby Dazzlers.ย
All the typical elements of a decent ska cover band they pulled out of the hat, astutely handling stage banter, especially when the keyboardist nipped out for cigarette halfway through the set, else covered Ranking Roger’s vocal contribution to Stop! But the true magic was their ability to sustain the pace and enjoyment, slipping in a few original pieces, which is rare, and rarer still, sound at best with the slower reggae tunes. Other unusual elements to the D’Ska Assassins show compared to the archetypal Two-Tone cover bands was the strength of the brass with only one, rather sublime female trumpeter, and lead guitar solos akin to Junior Marvin accompanying Bob Marley and the Wailers.
They perfectly balanced all the elements they broke the moulds of, together with those you’d expect from a ska gig, covering those versed classics, encouraging audience participation and wearing Fred Perry shirts, and they produced a frenzied and highly entertaining trouble-free show at the rather welcoming community venue Bouverie Hall.
As for Wiltshire Music Events, you only need to stay tuned here as we’ll blow their trumpets for them, they’re going from strength to strength. Finalise carnival night in Devizes with a trip to the Corn Exchange where they’ll show off their link to Kinisha Morgan-Williams from Manchester, the finest Tina Turner tribute you’re ever likely to see.
Chedworth, Gloucestershire; proud village soloist, songwriter and model Flora Fiora is kicking the tyres and smashing windows in with a new single, and itโsโฆ
If it’s been a fantastic weekend on Devizes Green with the orchestral Full-Tone Festival, further out of town scooterists, mods, skins and anyone else with a penchant for the merger of such retrospective subcultures gathered for an equally thrilling event, Devizes Scooter Rally 2024, backed by the shack of a soul boss, most turnin’, stormin’, sound o’soulโฆ.
You’ll have to excuse parts omitted and see this as an overall piece, because in trying to juggle both events there were times I was going between them, times I stopped home for my chips, and times when I generally slouched on the sofa contemplating getting my arse in gear! But what I did catch at Devizes Scooter Club’s most prestigious annual do, was off the scale brilliant; I expected no less based on their past rallies.
It might also be a smidgen inequitable on Full-Tone that I spent more time at the Rally. It’s walking distance from home, not having a scooter myself, and such is my right to satisfy what’s more my cuppa; the dirty down jollity of working class revelry! Note, then, despite eclectic tastes required to do this blog, my first music love will forever be ska and consequently reggae; it’s the offbeat, see? It’s that little jump, mek ya wanna skank up da riddim, not forgoing the heavy basslines or class brass. Unfortunately, itโs something we’re rarely blessed with here, so when it is in my neighbourhood, anything and everything else must get put on the backburner.
And moreover, when we do get ska or reggae around these backwaters, it’s not usually of the quality we’ll see today at the Rally. And there lies my reason for savouring the opportunity against an orchestral happening elsewhere in town, fantastic as it was. The epiphany came with the finale of the Saturday, when London’s Goldsteppers stepped up to the challenge and truly blew me off my little dancing feet.
Band changeovers were quicker than the queue at the bar, which is no fault of the exceptionally hard-working bar staff, rather the given after navigating winding B-roads on a hairdryer on wheels, the punters camp up, and drink, they drink a lot!
After an electric set by Southampton’s Butterfly Collective, who had already raised the level with a varied melting pot of Kinks to Happy Mondays, and finishing on a reggae classic, I arrived back in the tent to be sublimely slotted into my comfort zone by these Gold-stepping Bobby Dazzlers. The beautiful sound of ska, seemingly attentive to original ska and rock steady, an often overlooked linkage between ska and reggae despite being the most creative period in Jamaican recording history, rather than the commonplace Two-Tone cover bands.
Alton Ellis, early Wailers songs and other cherry-picked rarities were given the Goldsteppers makeover, and it was something to behold. I could say this was the best ska band I’ve seen, but I’ve seen Desmond Dekker, Jimmy Cliff et al, so I think they’ll understand and be satisfied when I say this was the perfect and best homage to that golden era of reggae Iโve witnessed for many a year.
Staying true to the original compositions and delivered with an unmatched tightness, so accomplished were Goldsteppers, their own originals didn’t sound out of place, and were welcomed by the frenzied crowd. The archetypal Pressure Drop from The Maytals, the classics came brassy and bassy, with astute attention to detail, passion and pitched with perfect banter. And while we’re talking brass is class, it should be noted the enthusiastic frontman, who introduced himself to me as Sam, unless I misheard, also blew saxophone with incredible clout; legend! Dammit, if they even, for humorous effect, ska’d up a cover of Wham’s Edge of Heaven and made it sound like Justin Hinds & The Dominoes recorded it in 1964!
But what Goldsteppers did for reggae greats, headliners on the Friday, All That Soul, did for The Motown and Stax years. I’ve seen this show before, The Scooter Club booked them for a gig some years ago, this time only furthered my conviction that there’s no better homage to sixties classic soul in the UK, currently, than All That Soul. They were divine, on vocals, timing and showmanship, creating a sensation impossible not to savour in awe. Are we on Soul Train in 1969 right now?! No, still in a field near Devizes!
You could say this would suit a function, like a wedding, and many function bands attempt classic soul covers, varying in quality; it only depends on the level of your alcohol intoxication in how enjoyable they are! But not with All That Soul; you could go stone cold sober and come up dancing, because thereโs nothing commonplace about them, neither clichรฉ; it’s a billion levels up from the best function band you could possibly book with any amount of generosity from your bank manager!
I only caught the end of the Decatonicsโ set, but they sounded bloody awesome too, guess I was caught chatting to all those friendly faces on arrival. Because Devizes Scooter Rally is so communal, so hospitable it borders on one big happy family occasion.
Aside from bringing financial gain to Devizes as scooterists putt-putt off on ride-outs and to explore town, itโs an asset to our locality through being a well-organised and respected event. Our blossoming Scooter Rally is an attraction midway between your average scooter rally, which can often be no more than a local cover band and a bloke flogging hotdogs while enthusiasts chat shop, and an over commercialised large scale and renowned rally which borders festival proportions and consequently losses its edge and appeal.
So, while thereโs space to grow this event, itโs perfect the way it currently is, and damn, itโs one amazingly unforgettable weekend for locals with only a passing interest, as much as it is for all the national aficionados who gathered on the site with the winks of knowledge that theyโve discovered a secret rally on top of its prime right now.
Devizes Scooter Rally is set to rev into 2025 already, set on the 25th-27th July. Same time, same place next year then? You betcha life, from me, and you really need to experience it too, with me, on the dancefloor, with your boots and braces! We got three million miles to reach the moon, So let’s start getting happy now….
A ladies-only club, four gloriously eccentric rooms and a barista in a bowler hat: The Dressing House is anything but ordinary. Devizine contributor Charlotte Howardโฆ
Witnessed amazing fireworks for Confetti Battle in Devizes, and I hopped eastwards to that sacred hippy haven in the Pewsey Vale, The Barge at HoneyStreet;โฆ
As youโre probably aware, because thereโs been lots of people kicking up a scene, Wiltshire Councilโs recycling centre booking system being trialled at Devizes, Lowerโฆ
Immediately after the weekend which saw press photographers ejected, so they could savagely beat women at the Birmingham Reform conference, as if someone threw aโฆ
Tributes to Chippenham’sย community activist, poet, actor, and event compere Brian Reid poured onto social media today, as the sad news of his passing spreadsโฆโฆ
Iโve found myself sympathising about post-punk recently, how they scrambled around in the dark somewhat, taking pot shots at reggae, claiming a โnew wave,โ orโฆ
Singers and players of instruments of The Southwest assembled for an album celebrating the ninetieth anniversary since Emperor Haile Selassie I was exiled to England,โฆ
Devizes Scooter Club put their braces together and their boots on their feet, for a moonstomping win of the Best Turned-Out Club at the 25th Isle of Wight Lambretta Day. Congratulations also goes to member Gary Chivers for winning best Lambretta tooโฆ.
There’s colossal pride and respect in Devizes Scooter Club, which transforms into motivation in staging their events, and none more grand than the Devizes Scooter Rally, set for 26th-28th July this year at Lower Park Farm; backed by the shack of a soul boss, most turnin’, stormin’ sound o’soul!
To presume a scooter rally is akin to a caravan club, where enthusiasts saunter a field gawking at each other’s hairdryers all day, endlessly waffling about cylinder head nuts, is partially true; your atypical rally could be only this, sprinkled with warm lager and a DJ if you’re lucky. But in just its 4th year Devizes Scooter Rally is not this niche, it’s family-orientated fun for anyone with so much as a passing interest in scooters, enveloping retrospectiveย mod, soul and skinhead cultures.ย
This thing, I swear, borders festival proportions and ethos, with camping and showers, a busy bar, food, vintage clothes and parts side stalls, and boasts six tried and tested live music acts. And the music doesn’t stop while a band sets up; you’re treated to Terry Hendrick’s Soul Pressure sound system, undoubtedly the UKโs finest Northern soul, boss reggae and ska DJ. Terry showed me a picture once of him hanging out with the late Toots Hibbert, and it didn’t feel too much like gloating!!
We’re lucky to have this on our doorstep, last year I chatted with a young lone mod who rode up from Crediton, and traditionalย skinheads from Manchester. It’s all bringing money to our area, but more importantly it’s a brilliant weekend.
There’s a mixture on the lineup, All That Soul we’ve not seen since a Scooter Club gig of yore, the most entertaining homage to the Motown sound. Similarly with The Dectonics. The Butterfly Collective debuted the rally last year with an engaging set of mod classics and undetectable originals. There’s a wildcard Slade tribute, and Goldsteppers and Skamageddon are new to me, but the latter speaks for itself!
The vital element to this unique and soul-fuelled weekend of boss reggae vibes, talc on the dancefloor and scooter ride-outs is its affordable price tag:
A weekend wristband is ยฃ30.00 includingย camping. Friday and Saturday all-day passes are ยฃ15.00, to camp add ยฃ5. Saturday Day only (10am – 5pm ) is ยฃ5. Accompanied children under 18 go free.
Reason for mentioning it at all is, if you’re thinking, “hey, that might be something I’d enjoy but fear it might be a bit insular and I’d be going home early, crying into my Ed Sheeran CD,”, you won’t be if you give it a try! You’ll find those scooter lot are a frivolous and friendly bunch who not only know how to party, but will welcome you to join them!
So, work it up one time, work it two time, shack it, back it! Devizes Scooter Rally is on, baby love, my baby love! I need you, oh, how I need you, but all you do is treat me bad, break my heart and leave me sad! Don’t Throw your love away, get a wristband HERE.
by Ian Diddams images by Wharf Theatre An artist expresses their personal thoughts. The rich and powerful use their positions to shut that expression downโฆ
Our trustworthy Gazelle & Herod reported today that โdisgracefulโ behaviour in Devizes Market Place has elevated into a dental issueโฆ. Publishing an article which statesโฆ
In 2027, British Museum exhibition curator Michael Lewis and medieval historian Janina Ramirez will be appearing at Fromeโs Cheese & Grain for an exclusive talkโฆ
OCTOBER at The Wharf Theatre, Devizes arrives with a burst of creativity, variety and irresistible entertainment. This monthโs programme showcases everything that makes the Wharfโฆ
Images: Jess Worrow Ah, for the connotations of US drive-in movie theaters, now in decline over the pond, but embedded as characteristic romantic americana; theโฆ
With Ranking Junior now taking centre stage, Two-Tone ska icons The Beat will be coming to Fromeโs Cheese & Grain on 24th February as they look to energise audiences with some of the most famous ska and reggae tracksever written….
One of the key bands in the UK ska revival of the late โ70s and โ80s, The Beat still bring the near-perfect balance of pop melodies and taut rhythms that made them stars and won them worldwide acclaim.
Based in Birmingham, The Beat released their debut single โTears of a Clownโ through The Specialsโ 2-Tone label in 1979. The single went Top Ten in the UK and they soon struck a deal with Arista to distribute on their own Go Feet label.
Their debut studio album โJust Canโt Stopโ went Gold in England, and included the now-cult single โMirror In The Bathroomโ. The bandโs ferocious live performances and clever blend of personal and political lyrics continue to make them stars to this day, and theyโll be diving into their back catalogue at these new shows.
Have rally will travel; seemingly the scooterist’s motto, chatting to various friendly clubs nationwide, and individuals too, such as a dapper lone mod who rode up from Bridport on a three hour trek, while loitering with a pint of Thatchers in a field at Lower Farm on the Whistley Road. Overall, it’s more than fair to say, thanks to Devizes Scooter Club’s valiant and sedulous toil, Devizes is firmly on the map of must-do scooter ralliesโฆ.ย
It would, without this blossoming national appeal have been a massively lesser affair; scooter culture being niche and though a blanket term retrospectivelyย incorporating mod, skinhead and punk subcultures, isn’t, perhaps, appealing to enough locally to have successfully created something on this grand scale. Those local aficionados, or even with a passing interest in the scene therefore are truly treated, as Devizes Scooter Rally this weekend was spectacular.
There’s various reasons for saying this; a hospitable atmosphere throughout the event from attendees and organisers, a controlled and diligent attitude to structure, the underlying notion you’re not going to get ripped off at the bar or elsewhere, a donation to The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, a worthy charity indeed, a calculatedly perfect site design from bar, venue to campsite, a wide variety of side stalls, and an apt music programme of talented bands and DJs, but mostly, it was the combination of them all which made it as fantastic as it was.
41 Fords
I spent the finale late night moments with some of the club’s valid members, as they reviewed an overall of the weekend, discussing rights against possible improvements. And with expandable site potential, just how far the annual rally could blossom before it becomes less congenial. As such they’ve set the date for 2024, 26th-28th July; if you missed this weekend put it in your diary, if you went I’d imagine you already have!
Sharp Class
So, I rocked up to wet my whistle on Friday, eager to catch up with those Trowbridge rockabilly stalwarts, 41 Fords, and witness Brighton’s revitalised mod marvels Sharp Class. Being there was another day to come, and I wanted to see you there Saturday, I knocked up a quick review of it: HERE. Saturday though, I’m on Shanks’s pony and up for a party; which was delivered to me uncompromisingly.
Apologies, too late to catch The Butterfly Collective, but my arrival coincided with the Roughcut Rebels’ set. Haven’t seen them since Mark moved to pastures new, but Jimmy Moore makes for a great frontman stand-in for Finley, and it was business as usual for this locally renowned Britpop mod band who plucked covers, like Wonderwall, otherwise clichรฉ if not delivered by such an enthralling group from their extensive repertoire.ย
Roughcut Rebels, with added Jimmy Moore!
Next up a rare treat, Cath and Gouldy concentrating rather on wider variated Day Breakers outfit, and folk duo Sound Affects, but to have them back under The Killertones guise both more apt for the occasion and a delightful return to their new-wave-two-tone covers set. It was as whatever guise they operate on, perfected and bewitching, with vast improvements from already proficient young drummer, Katy York.
The Killertones
There was me figuring they’d peaked too soon, after ska classics like Pressure Drop, to speed into uptempo two-tone, like The Specials’ Little Bitch and Rancid’s Timebomb, but a sublime set slid nicely into new wave, particularly adroit being The Chords’ Maybe Tomorrow; dammit if Gouldy didn’t go all Morten Harket on us with an offbeat Take on Me, such a rework finale left the crowd spellbound and me realising how much I’d missed these guys!
With Terry Hendrick’s Soul Pressure on the wheels of steel while the headliners set up, a fashion to see the rally into the wee hours, betwixt it regulars at the rally, the south-coast’s longest established ska ensemble Orange Street ripped the roof off.
Terry Hendrick
I could’ve predicted it such, but it didn’t affect the show’s infectious appeal. At an eight-piece complete with brass section, Orange Street are a highly capable homage to Jamaica’s “first national sound,” which infatuated the youths of sixties Jamaica, and thereafter spread worldwide through era-spanning waves. The second wave most memorable to Britain through Windrush exports appealing to mods; the tsunami known as Two-Tone. And to which the band rightfully nodded to, but also provided original engaging material which fits like a glove into such a set.
Orange Street
The effect is akin to the attraction of the offbeat backwards shuffle, ska, which Prince Buster accidentally discovered during a recording session at Duke Reid’s studio Treasure Isle, not only reflects in the band name, the studio alongside Coxonne Doddโs Studio One, both located on this legendary Kingston street, the equivalent of Nashvilleโs Music Row for reggae, but also in their performance which kicked off with a interlude of Madness’s Buster tribute, The Prince. Though it wasn’t long before the opening medley flowed neatly into the Specials’ Dog the Dog, and thereafter the whole spectrum of ska UK chart hits from Bad Manners to The Beat.
While other similar bands attempt to fuse later reggae styles, punk, or general electronica, Orange Street remain faithful to the roots and are therefore a premium choice for an event like this, cradled by a culture nostalgically devoted to it too. And in such, the event is so encapsulating there’s a jollity in the air impossible to hide. Coupled with the wider appeal outside the atypical scooter rally, with this extended and blossoming setup which had taken the Scooter Club weeks to set up, this is rather of festival proportions and equally as brilliant.
It only leads be to heartfeltly thank and congratulate The Devizes Scooter Club for bringing us another astounding event which offers diversity to our local music circuit, a jolly good beano, and also attracts nationwide fans to our areaโฆeven if I’ve been hearing their hairdryers zipping back and forth the dual carriageway all weekend!!
Congratulations to Devizes Outdoor Celebratory Arts, who announced yesterday that they’ve been awarded a substantial National Lottery Project Grant from Arts Council Englandโฆ. This isโฆ
Looking at the evidence presented by the media on the Shayne Hambakachere case in Chippenham, unless there is something weโre not being told Iโm ofโฆ
With an AI-powered poster so excruciating I cannot bring myself to show it here, this yearโs Wiltshire Music Awards announce the lineup for their ceremony.โฆ
The Wharf Theatre production presents an electrifying confrontation between artistic truth and political authority, with a content warning! Howard Barkerโs Scenes from an Execution isโฆ
While The Hebrew Bible depicts women in composite roles, from submissive domestic positions in a patriarchal society to powerful figures of leadership excelling moral courage,โฆ
By Ben Romain. Images: ยฉAlice Rose Photography Following a stand out long weekend of blues and americana at the Hillbilly Hootenanny, Victoria and I managedโฆ
First day back from my holibobs and though duties are to unpack and cut the flying ant infested grass, twist my arm, I reckon I can squeeze in a trek down the Whistley Road. Usually just a rat trap you take at your own risk, this weekend is home to hundreds of camping scooteristsโฆ.
Devizes Scooter Club’s third Scooter Rally and things are looking exceptionally organised. Post-lockdown they set up here last year, relatively a slighter thing than this weekend, I understand. If you consider this a niche market, Devizes Scooter Rally has a festival feel, scooter enthusiasts have gathered from afar, but not to make it feel insular, Devizes Scooter Club invites locals too, and has laid on a shuttle bus from The Pelican; they certainly pull out the stocks.
There’s an extensive campsite, with showers, and stalls are plentiful from Jamaican food to clothes and scooter essentials. Fish n chips to brownies and parkas to engine oil surround a large marquee for a northern soul to ska disco, dispersed with some live acts.
From the music tent extends a plentiful seating area which flows nicely to the bar; the effect is functional and professionally designed; especially given this unpredictable British summer climate. It’s an impressive sight, dammit if they havenโt even got a pool table in there!
Day one done, this is going to go off tonight too. But for now we were treated to the wildcard, Trowbridge’s finest purveyors of feelgood rockabilly, 41 Fords. They never fail to enthuse the party, and if rockabilly isn’t usually on the agenda at a scooter rally, their infectious assortment of covers always raises a smile and taps a foot.
Headlining is Brighton-based Sharp Class, a young trio of highly accomplished Jam-like aficionados, and with fire in their hearts and an enthusiasm to mimic the mod culture they can effectively slip in a few akin originals between covers of The Jam and Clash, to Spencer Davis and The Kinks and make them not look misplaced. Sharp Class is a show of pure energy, verging on a tribute, though slyly original too, adroitly slipping between the two and hardly coming up for air.
Today’s (Saturday 29th July) lineup doubles the fun, The Butterfly Collective are on at 2pm, with our own The Roughcut Rebels at 6pm, Swindon favourites with added Sound Affects Cath & Gouldy,ย The Killertones from 7:45pm and the grand finale of one of the finest contemporary ska bands on the circuit, Orange Street. Then, naturally the Soul Pressure sound system, including legendary Northern soul DJ Terry Hendrick takes it to the wee hours, and Saturday all nighter tickets are a snip at ยฃ15, so polish your boots and give me some of that old moonstomping!
“What are you doing in my swamp?!โ Shrek asked a horde of fairytale creatures, exiled to his wood by Lord Farquaad in his namesake Dreamworks … Continue reading “Shrek at Mac’s Theatre School”
With the happenings at the Arts Festival taken care of, and twenty/thirty something’s pilgrimage to The Three Crowns for the delights of our most famed cover band, People Like Us, I’m in Devizes for the wildcard; Trowbridge trio of nutty rockabilly/skabilly 41 Fords are playing The Southgate; arm twisted for a cider or three.….
Currently camped at some festival or another as they accidentally double-booked, they hot-footed it from the site delighted to be here. Told me of their love for the Gate, not the only thing we have in common. Though they regularly play our hospitable and stalwart, offbeat live music pub, it was never intentional that I missed them, but going on the strength of their debut album, Not Dead Yet, which we fondly reviewed back in April, 41 Fords were understandably on my must-see list.
Job ticked off and far from disappointed, they shook the rafters with high-energy rockabilly adaptations of a wide selection of pop hits. A guitar, drums and double-bass trio, it’s a simple template to stamp their own style on everything and anything from Adam Ant’s Goody Two Shoes to Green Day, and The Primitives’ Crash to Hall & Oates, but dammit if it doesn’t work like a charm. Rousing the slight audience with lively upbeat versions, the fun simply doesn’t stop, other than for a twanged guitar string; they couldn’t even cover Ben E King’s Stax classic Stand By Me without a frenzied rise of tempo!
To be niggly, I looked forward to some originals from said album, but they felt it best to do covers, a trusted judgement paid off, and besides, Deborah had chalked them up as such on the board. If flat-caps worn with anything other than country-gent attire usually connotes the cheekiness of a cockney sparrow, and there were a lot of them floating about tonight, similarly does a double-bass without it being an orchestra. Given said instrument is adorned with second gen ska’s checkerboard black & white tiles and a slogan reading “get lucky” in friendly font, you get the general gist this is punk-fused rockabilly, yet without the grave characteristics associated with psychobilly. It is, simply, as much fun as you could possibly squeeze into a gig, the result was precisely that.
Unusual their trump card, as the drummer tended to vocal the cheesy eighties pop covers, aforementioned Adam Ant, but Tracey Ulman’s Breakaway being particularly amusing, whereas the guitarist vocalising on the earlier or more apt classics, from the Jam to Tears of a Clown bending on The Special’s version, and probably the golden nugget tonight, Dion’s Runaround Sue. The double-bass player simply displayed the cheeky grin of Jason Statham as Bacon in Lock Stock, but anyone spinning a double-bass wins, they don’t got to say anything!
By the time the second half of this frenzied show of confident and proficient uniqueness played out, it really didn’t matter what they covered, they could’ve done Save All Your Kisses for Me for all it mattered, though I don’t believe they did. Everything was fantastic, 41 Fords are undiluted footstompin’ goodness and bring the party with them as standard issue. What a lively fun-filled night at The Southgate, as ever!
Don’t forget, it’s the monthly Jon Amor at the Southgate today at 5pm, and you can find 41 Fords at Devizes Scooter Rally.
Long overdue is our annual poking our nose into Devizes Scooter Club, see what peaky blinders theyโre pulling off, including of course, the Devizes Scooter Rally 2023; because no matter what the people say, this sound leads the wayโฆ..
While Iโd half-heartedly shrug at critics giving it scooter rallies can be a niche market, retrospective lager-fuelled skinheads admiring each otherโs hairdryers in an overgrown field while some northern soul DJ spins his 7โ rare grooves, this is where Devizes Scooter Rally differs from the status quo. Of course, appeasing the diehards who will trek vast land to amass at such events is crucial, but on its third year, Devizes Scooter Rally never feels insular, rather itโs the genuine article, affordable fun and welcomes curious townsfolk and those who may only have a passing interest in the scene. That’s its beauty, and long shall it be so.
You only have to check the interest when the club ride the carnival parade looking dapper in suits and braces, to note this is more than a retrospective cult; the merger of youth cultures of yore, the mod, the soul boys and skinheads and all inbetween is something impossible for those caught up in to let go off, simply because itโs irresistibly beguiling, and fun. To relish in soul and reggae of yesteryear is valid, as all mainstream pop since relies so heavily on its influence.
So, weโre talking the weekend of 28th-30th of July, when the club invites all to gather at Lower Park Farm, just off the dual carriageway on Whistley Road, where scooters will be on show, and will ride out no doubt, but thatโs not all. Activities for the children will be added, with food stalls and of course, the bar! And all raising funds for such a wonderful organisation, The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, our most fantastic pre-school for children with disabilities and learning difficulties.
Expect legendary Northern Soul DJ Terry Hendrick of the Soul Pressure sound system to be spinning tunes between bands, and the bands are, a reunited, I believe, Killertones, the perfect ska outfit of Cath and Gouldy from Sound Affects and the Day Breakers, who are stalwarts on the local scooter scene. Those trusty Roughcut Rebels, who never fail to bring the party with them, as is their era-spanning repertoire of anything from swinging sixties to Britpop.
The other locally-based act is perhaps the wildcard; Trowbridgeโs 41 Fords play with all the vigour of ska, but are decidedly more rockabilly with a dash of scrumpy & western folk. We fondly reviewed their debut album Not Dead Yet, last month. Hereโs a shining example of what I mean about the congenial and welcoming mesh of subgenres youโll find at Devizes Scooter Rally, see, rude boy? There were no mockers in eras past, theyโd have been fighting each other! Thus the scenes merge and itโs a one love happy aura for everyone to enjoy as, which is ironically the entire ethos of reggae and soul in the first damn place!
And reggae Iโm certain youโll find there, of the boss variety of yore, predominantly, and of course itโs predecessor ska, which though saw a second generation influx through Two-Tone in the eighties, thrives today on the scene. Now, if you know me, youโll know Iโm something of an aficionado of this, and seen many a great ska band; Orange Street, named after the location of Duke Reidโs legendary Kingston studio, Studio One, are one of the tightest ska bands Iโve witnessed, blowing my socks off at the inaugural Devizes Scooter Rally in 2019; having them return is the icing on this cake.
Going in blind for the last two in the line-up, first, Sharp Class, with a corporate identity akin to The Jam causing me to ill-conceive it would be an old bunch of mods knocking out Jam and Merton Parkas covers. Rather this young, fresh-faced London-based trio have a sharp image, hence the name, and original songs grounded in realism and spattered with an English essence. Merging punk and soul into power-pop and Britpop, they claim. Theyโve recently released a debut album โTales of the Teenage Mind,โ and are set to tour Boston this month, but you can say you saw them in Devizes!
And the Butterfly Collective, Southampton based ska, soul and mod covers and originals five-piece, heavily influenced by The Who and the Mod/Rock fraternity including Oasis, Ocean Colour Scene, Kinks, Small Faces and The Hiwatts. They have become a renowned band within the Scooter and music scenes across the U.K. Being The Devizes Scooter Club tend to evaluate their lineup based on past experience touring other rallies, Iโm assured weโre in good hands, and this weekend will deliver a damn fine spectrum of entertainment to get you snapping your braces and skanking up the Whistley Road!
Now, if youโre thinking where the catch might be, itโs only your two-tone trouser suit, with a weekend wristband at just thirty notes and cheaper day options, youโve got to hand it to Devizes Scooter Club for maximum dedication to making this jumping jiving rally affordable and irresistible.
Prior to skanking up Whistley Road, the clubโs base at The Cavalier in Devizes sees Slade tribute Sladest on May 13th, and following the rally, Bristolโs big boss sound of Ya Freshness and the erm, aptly titled Big Boss Band will make their Devizes debut on Saturday September 9th. Self-styled rude boy Ya Freshness has worked with two-toneโs best, from the likes of Neville Staple, and made groundbreaking original work with Bristolโs retrospective reggae greats through his label Strictly Rockers. If you recall my radio show on Boot Boy Radio, those shout-outs were by this absolute legend.
Then, on 28th October itโs the mandatory skalloween night at the Cavy, with ska band Skamageddon, and the club see of 2023 with a NYE party. Though as I said, thereโs a welcoming atmosphere for those with a passing interest, local scooter enthusiasts should contact the club for ride-outs, social get-togethers and beanos to other rallies and clubs are organised. So get up on your feet, put your braces together and boots on your feet, and give me some of that old moonstomping!
Nearly September, time to sew those name tags onto school uniforms. Still, loads to entertain you throughout the month. Iโve exhausted our ever-updating event calendar,โฆ
Formed just two years ago at Bishop Wordsworth’s School in Salisbury, award-winning four-piece youth band, 5 Nights at Adyans, look set to release their highly-anticipatedโฆ
September is a week away; parents will be brushing off school uniforms, but Devizes blues fans wonโt be dusting their brooms, because Long Steet Bluesโฆ
Whoa! What happened last night at the trusty Three Crowns?! What happened last night at the Three Crowns has clearly happened before, and happens mostโฆ
Featured Image: Antony Barkworth-Knight Despite intentionally making his tricks go wrong, Tommy Cooper was actually a skilled magician and member of The Magic Circle. SpongeBobโฆ
Wiltshire singer-songwriter Ruby Darbyshire, youโre most likely familiar with, unless you joined Devizine family readerโs circle today, has a new song on YouTube, one sheโsโฆ
Damp morning, about 3:30am Iโm descending Pelch Lane in Seend, like a sack of potatoes dropping. If you donโt know the track itโs a steep one, with a bend which keeps on giving; not the ideal place to whip out your phone and change the tune when youโre pinning down a heavily-ladened milkfloat! So, first taster of the debut album from Trowbridgeโs 41 Fords, Not Dead Yet goes on loop, and I shrug, as itโs no hardship, โlet it roll for another round.โ
I wasnโt sure what to listen to next anyway, and to be honest, this took me by pleasant surprise. Sure, weโve registered their name on our gig list several occasions, regulars down the trusty Southgate (next date is Saturday 3rd June), but Iโve not had the opportunity to pay them a visit. I see now theyโre on the roster for Devizes Scooter Clubโs annual rally in July, which if I had of noticed before it mightโve given me a closer inkling what to assume.
coincidently, wristbands have just gone on sale for this!
But psychobilly was unexpected, neither is it a subgenre which usually floats my boat. Akin to heavy metal, the late-eighties fusion of rockabilly and punk is characterised with negative symbolism; itโs all ultraviolence, death, B-movie horror pastiches, and other delinquent and discouraging subject matters, and I like to think Iโm optimistic, least too old, to relish in morbidity.
But if I am to pigeonhole the 41 Fords, itโs unlike the wrecking of The Meteors, or the all-out hellish nature of Demented Are Go, and not as offbeat as the skabilly of Roddy Radiation; this is matured psychobilly with all the negativity stripped away. It retains the lively rockabilly stance, the foot-tapping upright double-bass, the nods to western swing, jump blues and boogie-woogie, and breathing fresh air into it with punkโs insolence, and gypsy folk goodness.
Yet their themes tend on maturing romantic affairs, often generation X mod-pop in nature. And for this blend, itโs truly unique, beguiling and for want of sitting down, youโll be incapable; my highest point-scoring goes on the sheer energy these guys never seem to let up on.
Recorded at Nine Volt Leap studio in Melksham, Not Dead Yet is out on 1st May, and you really need to look out for this, I bloody love it! To break down exactly why isnโt simple. The album kicks off mod, think hillbilly The Jam with double-bass, perhaps. A girl-infatuation themed Emily, opens, and from the off itโs got me hook, line and sinker. For itโs upbeat throughout, captivating, and optimistic; this is The Housemartins do psychobilly, and I mean this in the best possible taste, for you cannot prevent foot-tapping to Happy Hour, surely?!
The subject of reunion with a former partner is slam-dunked next, F. Scott Fitzgeraldโs Daisy Buchanan style, The Great Gatsby offers nothing more than Emily in topic, only the literatural reference. Yet while romance is a running-theme, ballad doesnโt appear in their vocabulary; 41 Fords do not come up for air. Marriage problems raises its ugly head, against a penchant for nightlife in the following track, and another girlโs name title, Tabitha continues this sunny side of the street mood. ย
If it goes on this leitmotif for a staggering twelve tunes, it all hinges on their magnum-opus for pop catchiness, the fifth tune, Peaky Blinders. Surely anthemic, it takes the humorous route of Del-boy lovable rouges; Chas & Dave does the Cockney Rejects!
Through this three-minute hero, you might wonder if cockney musical hall will continue being cited, but while Not Dead Yet maintains everything which has so far made this album sheer brilliance, 41 Fords swerve gradually into a more Anglo-Irish folk feel, like Shane MacGowan finished his pint and jammed with these Housemartins, doing psychobilly, with an overall Merton Parkas type fusion.
Ah, see now Iโm worried Iโve given the impression this is all sounds cluttered, like thereโs too much going on, but na, me old China plate, this is flows, smoothly operated with such individuality itโs a tricky one to pin down. If, like me, youโre willing to take onboard the Cramps, and be done with psychobilly, this offers a maturity in themes, wrapped in addictive danceable congeniality.
The Wonder of The Sky is perhaps the standout track towards the finale, for it encompasses everything great about the 41 Fords, who know precisely what buttons to press to write and deliver a pop song with retrospective wow, but refuses commercialisation. It doesnโt verve to create a Stairway to Heaven or a dub-lampoon either, each tune is kept at the three-minute proximity, and each one does what you expect it to do; charges 240 volts into your blue suede shoes!
A Christmas Song, titled thus, finishes, and yeah, it has a Fairy-tale of New York feel, really bringing out the folk oblique which I believe breathes something local into it too, like Somersetโs proclivity for Scrumpy & Western. In all, you could fit 41 Fords into a scooter rally bill, but equally into a Somerset cider brawl with the Boot Hills. And in that, if pigeonholing matters not when youโre in the moment and the music takes you on a dancing voyage, 41 Fords are seamless. This album truly is a must-have.
Bung them a like on Facebook, for updates, and Iโll thread this review with links when the album comes out in May; youโre in for a treat!
Pleasantly surprised in July when an awesome new single from Devizesโ rootsy Americana with a gothic twist collective, Burn the Midnight Oil revealed aโฆ
Surprised your mobile didn’t sound the apocalyptic alarm to notify you about Wessex Water’s hosepipe ban?! Then, you’re a gullible idiot! But being 22,239โฆ
Turned around in just a day, a team of guitar โheir huntersโ from Macclesfield called The Stray Chord have reunited Salisburyโs musician Jolyon Dixonโฆ
Congratulations are due to Wiltshire’s indie-pop sensation Talk in Code, for sealing a second sync representation agreement, this time with Play Equals Sync, aโฆ
Andy Burnham has urged shops to stop selling disposable barbecues amid the increase of wildfire risk. Meanwhile, Wiltshire Hunt Saboteurs uncover horrific scenes ofโฆ
Calling all dog-lovers, come and join the Paws Charity Dog Show! A fantastic day out for families and four-legged friends…. Paws Charity Dog Show isโฆ
See, Iโm not sure olโ Alfred the Great wouldโve approved of the whopping gurt folly erected in his name near Bruton. He was there to rally Saxon troops for the Battle of Edington, and if youโre planning to go kick some Viking butt you need to be inconspicuous, not have a hundred-and-sixty-foot redbrick tower sticking out like a sore thumb. He might well have liked this though, a new Wiltshire four-piece named after the tower; because good tunes can be a real morale boost when going into battleโฆโฆ
And good tunes they are, though the group cite from Chippenham on their Bandcamp page, substantial mileage from the Stourhead estate where Alfredโs Tower is situated. Perhaps itโs the connotations of Alfred being the founder of English liberty, as these four tracks they sent us have a Brit โmodโ tinge, and mods are patriotic at best. I didnโt like to ask, through fear of coming across all history teacher, and Iโm all out of leather elbow patches for my Tweed jacket. The important part is thereโs some beguiling original songs on offer here, uplifting in a manner Paul Weller, at his most optimistic.
Parachute Baby is a prime example, itโs sauntering along on the sunny side of the street of a crazy world, where only the attention of the object of his desires matters to this character, and itโs got that apt harmonica riff to lighten the darkest of moods. Though, if itโs got it, Roy Orbison style, switching to the next tune, Nothing Good and weโre foot-tapping on an offbeat, bouncy one-drop reggae melody, which counteracts the more dejected romantic theme; Iโm smitten.
Though weโre getting ahead of ourselves now, for these two tracks are forthcoming, the first one out around Christmas time and the latter in the new year, but their Bandcamp page has two other songs equally worthy of your attention. This World is their inaugural release, and while uplifting too, itโs tender and mellowed. With a soulful piano intro, itโs certainly anthemic, with an allowance to note the astute writing, and showy in Alfredโs Towerโs potential.
It is however in the amalgamation of all these tunes which displays their diversity, an EP is a necessity, I feel. The second released single, So Long, is soulful again, along similar lines to This World, but balancing a poignant electric blues element, akin to a meld of The Who at their smoothest and Pink Floyd does pop. And perhaps thereโs a clue to the chosen name in this; itโs a tower of variety, influences wise, reaching for the skies in uplifting narratives, strengthened by some skilfully executed original designs. Catchy within a rock classic formula, oh yeah, if this is foundational, the construction of Alfredโs Tower is one to watch. Like โem up on Facebook for updates on said progress. We NEED to see them live!
Isoceles Theatre Company Brings a Spine-Chillingย Dr Jekyll & Mr Hydeย to The Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Saturday 29th August….. Devizes, Wiltshire | Saturday 29 August 2026โฆ
Guest written by Half-a job-Bob Hey-ho, Half-a-job-Bob here! Yeah, I’m a real Highways operative, and not just a puerile attempt at humour by a Conservativeโฆ
by Claire Dunford, Co-Founder and Games Master at Chronicles and Companions Images by Simon Folkard Photography What do you think of when you hear Dungeonsโฆ
I would like to apologise to Devizes Town Councillor Iain Wallis for incorrect quotes in a spoof article concerning a BBC Wiltshire video we criticisedโฆ
You know, there’s umpteen articles, studies, and even a six and half minute YouTube video explaining that Steven Spielberg’s 1993 family sci-fi movie Jurassic Parkโฆ
Devizes Film Club is delighted to present the acclaimed coming-of-age dramaย DJ Ahmetย at the Wharf Theatre, Devizes, on Thursday 27 August 2026 at 7.30pm….. Fresh fromโฆ
New single from Swindonโs finest Americana singer-songwriter Jol Rose, the kind of artist whoโll finish a song and leave a jammed pub in such aweโฆ
Hereโs our weekly summary of things to do over the coming week. It saves you surfing every individual event calendar, and saves me waffling on about some unrelated rubbish, which I admit I have a tendency to do, but in the words of the great philosopher, KC, and, of course, his Sunshine Band; thatโs the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like itโฆ… oh, Iโm doing it again arenโt I?!
Onwards, not forgetting further details and links can be found on our event calendar, itโs too time consuming adding them a second time, and besides, there you can scroll away until your heartโs content, planning future weekends.
Best way to kick off live music early is Swindonโs experimental dub duo, Subject A, are at The Bell on Walcott Street, Bath, on Wednesday 19th; consider it highly recommended. Meanwhile, Beth Nielsen Chapman plays The Cheese & Grain, Frome.
Thursday 20th sees a Very Hungry Caterpillar, on show at Neeld Hall, Chippenham.
Mr Love & Justice are at The Beehive, Swindon, Hannah Sanders & Ben Savage at Chapel Arts, Bath. But the link to Faustus at Salisbury Arts Centre seems to be broken, unsure if thatโs still going ahead.
Friday 21st and Trowbridgeโs Pump is the place to be, Matt Owens of Noah & The Whale headlines, with the amazing Concrete Prairie in support.
The magical Lady Nade plays Pound Arts, Corsham, The Little Unsaid at Chapel Arts, Bath.
Hatepenny at The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon, The Reservoir Hogs at The Old Ham Tree, Holt. And in Marlborough youโll find @59 at The Wellington, and the incredibly good fun, Dr Zebos Wheezy Club at The Bear.
That just leaves me with the tributes, Queen tribute, Majesty at Melksham Assembly Hall, while Fleetwood Bac are at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.
Devizes, I have got nothing at all for this Friday, unless you know different? When near-on every known pub in town put live music on last Friday night, with a guaranteed crowd-puller from Longcroft at the Corn Exchange too! This town isnโt a competition, guys, please try to coordinate, through us, if you like, but it works better for you all if we do. Rant over!
Swiftly onto Saturday 22nd, itโs Trowbridge Carnival, plus Lego Club at Chippenham Museum, free and at 3-4pm every Saturday; everything is awesome!
Thereโs an evening of Irish classics with Asa Murphy and Shenanigans at the Devizes Corn Exchange, and the unmissable Eddie Martin Band is back for some blues at The Southgate.
Daz n Chave at Neeld Community & Arts Centre, Chippenham sounds a laugh, and thereโs a Melksham Rock n Roll Club dance this week, with Glenn Darren & The Krewkats.
Full-Tone Orchestra presents their Symphonie Fantastique at Marlborough College, and if you check the quote on the poster, yes, I said that! Itโs always nice to be quoted, on the rare occasion I say something nice, that is!
Sheer are down the Trowbridge Town Hall, putting on Lucky Number 7 and the Lindup Brothers, with promising local teen band Boston Green in support. Meanwhile The Forgetting Curve play The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. A tribute to Pearl Jam at The Vic, Swindon, Earl Ham, and Tundra plays The Woodlandโs Edge.
But if you want to boss the night away with some serious skanking, I cannot recommend Bristolโs legendary ska and reggae skinhead, Ya Freshness, of Strictly Rockers Records enough, who is with his Big Boss Band at Odd Down Football Club in Bath. Fiver a shot for a cracking knees up. In fact, what the heck, letโs make this one Editorโs Pick of The Week!
For a mellower experience in Bath, try The Tom Petty Legacy at Chapel Arts.
The Grief Opera, Love Goes On at St Andrewโs, Chippenham, Shift Social presents I Was Born in the Wrong Decade at Salisbury Arts Centre, and a Vintage Bazaar is followed by Moments of Pleasure, The Music of Kate Bush, at The Cheese & Grain, Frome.
Halloween Scavenger Hunt at Hillworth Park on Sunday 23rd October, PSG Choir hold an autumn concert at Devizes Town Hall, and the Chas Thorogood Trio play an afternoon session at the Southgate.
Kavus Torabi, Richard Wileman & Amy Fry at The Vic, Swindon, Richard and Amy appear on our Juliaโs House compilation album, show them your support if possible. Always in for a great night with the Joh Amor Band, who play The Three Horseshoes, Bradford-on-Avon. And oh, CSF wrestling at the Cheese & Grain finishes our weekend off.
Got nothing through the weekdays Iโm afraid, but lots of updating to the calendar still to do, so check in from time to time. That is, of course, until Wednesday, the 26th, when White Horse Opera presents Lโelisir Dโamore at Lavington School, which is running until 29th October, and also running on the same dates, Female Transport at the Rondo Theatre, Bath.
And thatโs your lot for this week, can I go now?!
May 1936, Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I stood with his exiled family on Paddington Station. Before being advised to flee Ethiopia, so he could addressโฆ
It was back in March last year when I last mentioned Devizes author Dave McKenna,ย reviewing his debut, The Killer & The Catalyst. He’s returned withโฆ
By Andy Fawthrop Folk Me! – Another Great Local Music Festival You donโt necessarily need a long pedigree to stage a successful music festival, butโฆ
In In 1981 John Sullivan created a deadpan simpleton character for his sitcom, Only Fools and Horses. Immortalised by the late Roger Lloyd-Pack, Trigger wouldโฆ
With Ranking Junior now taking centre stage, the mighty Beat will be heading on tour, taking Swindon, Bournemouth, Leeds, and Hull to get audiences dancing to some of the most famous ska and reggae tracks ever written.….
Ah yes, did a song called “Stand Down Margaret,” if memory serves me well; perhaps a change of name and a little history repeating, fingers crossed.
One of the key bands in the UK ska revival of the late โ70s and โ80s, The Beat still bring the near-perfect balance of pop melodies and taut rhythms that made them stars and won them worldwide acclaim.
Based in Birmingham, The Beat released their Smokey cover debut single โTears of a Clownโ through The Specialsโ 2-Tone label in 1979. The single went Top Ten in the UK and they soon struck a deal with Arista to distribute on their own Go Feet label.
Their debut studio album โJust Canโt Stopโ went Gold in England, and included the now-cult single โMirror In The Bathroomโ. The bandโs ferocious live performances and clever blend of personal and political lyrics continue to make them stars to this day, and theyโll be diving into their back catalogue at these new year shows.
And they’re skanking up Swindon on Saturday January 7th, at Meca, tickets are up for grabs now. Also at the Cheese & Grain Frome on March 4th, which is (hint) close to my birthday! Tickets here.
“What are you doing in my swamp?!โ Shrek asked a horde of fairytale creatures, exiled to his wood by Lord Farquaad in his namesake Dreamworks … Continue reading “Shrek at Mac’s Theatre School”
The Bakesys have a new album out this week, to get your flux capacitor firing on all cylinders…โฆ
Though Perry Como got the ball rolling for a possible “10 songs which stick in your head” nonsense article today, I’ve been pleasantly reminded of eighties German outfit, Trio. A kind of poor man’s Europop Ian Dury, their only UK hit ‘Da Da Da’ definitely fits the bill.
But in turn it reminded me I’ve an album review to prioritise, a track on which reeks of Trio, and not the popular chocolate biscuit of the era. With its upfront ZX Spectrum game backbeat ‘Six O’clock Already‘ is like techno never happened; you can virtually see Jet Set Willy entering the banyan tree.
If you need Google to comprehend that reference, Newbury’s The Bakesys’ ‘Thursday Night on my Television,‘ย might skyrocket over your head. Inspired by late eighties third wave ska bands, The Bakesys formed in 1990, and frontman Kevin Flowerdew is now editor of the superlative ska-zine ‘Do The Dog.’ I fondly reviewed their last outpouring, Sentences I’d Like To Hear The End Of, in which a variety of sixties news headlines are given a fourth gen ska makeover to poignant and danceable effect. This latest album is a different ballpark.
Through retrospective compilation, Thursday Night on my Television, relies entirely on that post-punk pop era, where no subgenre in the clutter of youth cultures could avoid the onslaught of electronica. It was a do-or-die age of experimentation, free of the trend of sampling. And unlike the previous Bakesys’ album, there are no samples, just rich of culture references harking of the kind of sounds dripping from that era, and deliberately clunky.
Fun Boy Three’s Our Lips are Sealed gets a counter-reaction, Molly Ringwald gets a mention, in a song akin to Kirsty McColl’s guy down the chip shop, and the best ballad themes around the subject of Bunking Off School, Jumping on Buses, leaving no doubts The Bakesys are either Dr Who, or lived this time, and are reminiscing on both reality-driven romance and fantasising, of John Hughes characters.
With shards of Two-Tone, new wave and post-punk, no pre-electronica subgenre is left behind, as it merges into this experimental period, this album will have you recollecting all from The Damned and The Beat, to Blancmange and Sparks, if you don’t remember ‘Beat the Clock,’ your memory will be jogged by this retrospective outpouring, and in the words of Kenny Everett, “all in the best possible taste!”
For it might take a couple of listens to be fully immersed, for what was avantgarde might now be clichรฉ, The Bakesys home in with such a degree you’re drawn into reliving rather than attributing, like your Harrington jacket, Doc Martins and Fred Perry polo shirt have been hanging in your wardrobe all this time, waiting for you to stop staring at that fading Kim Wilde poster on your wall, and nip to the arcade to play some Space Invaders until a fight breaks out….. which kinda makes it alright.
But, it took me by surprise, expecting ska, when even the most ska-ish track, Money all the Time, has the electronic plod of Depeche Mode. It’s a synth-pop marvel, with a notion to matured retrospection, rather than delinquent melancholy, and it works on a level above the archetypal 80s tribute, to the point I’ll be avoiding white dog shit on the street, and I can smell that bubble gum you used to get in trading cards!
By Charlotte Emily Devizes Town Crier There are some moments when history feels less like something written in books and more like something happeningโฆ
If both Claire and Chloe Grist jest their working and marital relationships are of โleftโ and โright tit,โ respectively, it might explain the reasonโฆ
January last year, The Southgate Inn Devizes announced Jamsters, a monthly Friday night platform for loose groupings and associations created at their regular jamโฆ
In a remarkable finale to the season for Long Street Blues Club, London-based The Errol Linton Band presented Devizes with a sublime lively blues blend of delta and RnB, incorporating jazz, funk, reggae and ska too. But if the bandโs proficiency in implementing this melting pot sounds erratic, the perfection was in the precision of switching through subgenres. The result was simply infectious.…..
Itโs rarely mused, given the contemporary influence of Jamaicaโs musical export, that prior to reggae its route lies with the removal of shortwave radio stations provided for American soldiers stationed on the island after WW2. As they disembarked Jamaica they left a blossoming sound system culture, the entrepreneurs of which set up recording studios as supply of US 45s declined.
They pulled from the influences they heard, jump blues particularly, and within these walls is the fabled Duke Reid session with Prince Buster, whereby copying the offbeat experiments of Fats Domino and Barbie Gaye, as was popular on the sound systems, and riding the shuffle beat style of T Bone Walker, a timeout was called and the guitarist ended by running the shuffle backwards, accidently creating โthe ska.โ
Even less widely known; initially Duke Reid wasnโt in favour of ska, but as the government promoted it for tourism as โJamaicaโs first national sound,โ obviously he felt heโd lose out if he didnโt follow the trend. So, pre-ska, and even during its explosion, the Jamaican studios continued to put out as wider variety of sounds as they heard on US Radio, from blues to doowop and even country. This is a necessary backstory to capture the ethos of Errol Linton and his band, as Errol and two-thirds of the band have Jamaican heritage, are keen to emphasis this, and however subtle, everything mentioned gets a nod in their performance.
Errol is also an accomplished artist, creating portraits of his influences gives clear indication of who he is citing, the blues legends, from Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Louis Armstrong and beyond. Yes, the band deviated from blues, to throw down a jazzy number, to increase levels of danceable funk, and with a narrative of Howlinโ Wolf visiting Jamaica, they covered Howlinโ For my Darling with a matchless ska offbeat. Particularly diverse was an original โCountry Girl,โ as while maintaining one-drop reggae, the chorus verged onto a dancehall riff. It was right up my street and knocking loudly on my door, but I paused to observe the more blues aficionado regulars enjoying it equally as much as I!
For all the diversity Iโve noted, and mentioned the pleasure was in how proficiently they switched, even mid-song, this tight arrangement was best at delivering blues, and did so second-to-none. Frontman Errol gliding between vocals and harmonica, cherry-capped pianist Petar Zivkovic lightening on the keys, Lance Rose in porkpie hat, chilled on the upright double bass, perfectionist timekeeper Gary Williams on drums, and guitarist Richey Green presented the funkiest dancing show during play, the combo was spellbinding.
But none of this happened before Devizes-own Adam Woodhouse delivered the textbook support slot. Confident, despite his first outing at this blues appreciation society in which regulars will aim all eyes on you, Adam kicked off with an Elvis rendition of Thatโs Alright Mama, and with top-notch finger picking, continued covers with a remarkable Johnny Cash. Adam, a regular soloist at The Southgate and attendee of their celebrated Wednesday jam session, had some originals of his own, which were executed with panache.
A most memorable evening was had, in which frontman Errol reigned the moment, showing this natural ability accomplished over thirty years, since a busker of Londonโs streets. This is British blues at its finest, individually stylised yet heavily drawing from his roots, a perfect blend to homage his heritage, entertain and packaged in such a non-pretentious manner, you couldnโt dislike it; impossible!
An absolutely blinding night for the Long Street Blues Club, organiser Ian Hopkinsโ smile said it all, as he clarified heโs been trying to book these guys for a while, and made a promise to the crowd theyโd return; you need to be there when it does. The next season starts on 20th August, with anticipated return of Skinny Molly. Worth mentioning though, being weโve discussed the early stages of Jamaican sound systems and Duke Reidโs Treasure Ilse, competitor Coxsone Dodd over at Studio One gave fame to a majority of reggae artists, yes, including Bob, and another crowned King of Rock Steady, Alton Ellis, that Altonโs son, Troy is on in Hillworth Park around about 3pm today. So, get your sandals on, unless you remain adamant nothing ever happens in Devizes!
Earthlings and all other organic lifeforms with a taste for the occult, fortean and generalย weirdness are heading to The Barge at HoneyStreet the firstโฆ
by Ian Diddams images by Michael Stevens โ Pharos Photography Shakespeare is credited as having introduced around 1,700 words into the English language, and severalโฆ
It looks like fowlers have finally caught them! I mean, wildly flying around, daytime clubbing, karaoke cavorting, supporting and promoting local live music, who doesโฆ
New single from our gothic duo Deadlight Dance, taken from Marchโs album Vox Populiโฆ. Second tune on the album, a ballad to the poisonous evergreenโฆ
For what it’s worth, I’m impartial to the prospect of McDonalds, Tesco too. I’ve got viewpoints to waffle endlessly with no real conclusion, if you’veโฆ
Our regular historian and Visiting Research Fellow of The Regional History Centre, UWE Bristol, Brian Edwards takes some time to sketch the FullTone Orchestra aheadโฆ
The larger than life superstars from CSF PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING return to Devizes, Wiltshire on July 11th for a very special edition of SATURDAY NIGHT SLAM,โฆ
Though I wish it would be dropped and faded into the archives, itโs got legs! Weโre still on about โpostcardgate,โ but the trivia sometimes becomesโฆ
At the beginning of the month Devizine covered Trowbridgeโs musical renaissance, highlighting The Village Pump and Town Hallโs dedication to introducing a variety of upcoming local bands and performers. Explaining Sheer Musicโs Kieran Moore had โbig shoes to fill,โ taking over as chief event coordinator for the Town Hall from Gavin Osborn. Well, the proof is in the pudding, and that dish has made it off the serving counter and onto our table.….
Not forgoing, the programme is already in full-swing, with Truckstop Honeymoon at the Pump on Friday, (18th) a cider swigginโ scrumpy and western hoedown with The Skimmity Hitchers and our great friends, and the Boot HillAll Stars supporting at the Town Hall on Saturday.
Boot Hill All Stars
Such is the fashion for live music in Trowbridge, Fridays at the Pump, Saturday at the Town Hall, aside some great happenings at Stallards and Emmanuelโs Yard, comedy and more commercial nights at the Civic. Gecko appears next Saturday at the Town Hall, and all-day Sunday thereโs fundraising session, Kalefest, a family-orientated mini-festival for some musical equipment for a teenager with a severe brain injury, in which Zone Club, Pete Lambโs Heart Beats and The Relayz play.
Marching on atop this free six-week interactive course of workshops for 16- to 18-year-olds, covering all aspects of the music industry, next month sees a continuation of great bookings, of which we highlighted in the aforementioned preview, here. What weโre here today for is to check in on Kieran, see if he indeed โfilledโ those shoes for the ongoing season.
So, just revealed, April and May listings at the Town Hall and Pump, which have equally exciting news, as, perhaps, Mr Moore asks the shopkeeper for a shoehorn. Isle of Manโs recent export to Wiltshire, Becky Lawrence, the musical theatre singer-songwriter who wasted no time fitting into the local circuit, joining established local bands, The Bourbons UK and Clyve and the Soul City Foundation, teams up Bristolian country singer-songwriter Zoe Newton to pinch-punch April at the Pump.
Zoe Newton at Bradford Roots Festival
Whereas, in the name of variety Iโm surprised to see The Town Hall hosting a โrum and reggae nightโ on Saturday April 2nd; itโs as if theyโre calling to me! Seriously though, Iโd wager youngsters reading this are asking Siri what the hell a shoehorn is.
But nice surprises flow, as Gavin Osborn himself plays The Pump, Friday 8th, with his band Comment Section. Regulars at Stallardโs, locally-based indie-rockers Riviera Arcade arrive at the Town Hall with Gloucestershireโs electric-punk favourites, Chasing Dolls on Saturday, with (udated) Devizes/Swindon NervEndings headling the show.
NervEndings
Alcopops Recordsโ Croydon duo, The Frauds play the Pump on the 15th, with Ipswichโs experimental indie-pop darlings, Lucky Number 7, while Henry Wacey and Dan OโFarrell are there on Saturday. Surreal stand-up, Welsh hard rockers The Vega Bodegas are at the Town Hall on the Saturday, with support from Wiltshire-based metal trio newcomers, Last Alvor and self-confessed โdegenerates,โ synth-punk noise-makers Benzo Queen.
If that weekend is atypical of what Iโd expect Mr Moore to assign, the following, Saturday 23rd is different. Kieran is no stranger to asking what acts local giggers would like to see via social media, as Brightonโs Chap-Hop legend Professor Elemental comes to the Town Hall, with support from my recommendation, Bristolโs fantastic veganomic ska-punk-folk crazies, Boom Boom Racoon, whoโve we fondly followed in the past on Devizine.
Boom Boom Racoon
If Iโm excited with boom boom coming soon, while โSunday leagueโ songwriter Tom Jenkins finishes off April on Saturday 30th, May is positively booming too. Local soul-hip hop DJ, Mac-Llyod gets the crowd prepped for another of my personal favourites, Bristolโs bouncy boom-bap virtuosos The Scribes, on Saturday 7th May. Aching to encourage these guys a gig more local than Salisburyโs Winchester Gate, Iโm delighted to see this on Trowbridge Town Hallโs listing; theyโre definitely calling to me now!
Pan-European ‘inventive and thrilling’ alt-folk duo, singer-songwriter Tobias Jacob and double-bass playing multi-instrumentalist Lukas Drinkwater play the Pump on Thursday 12th May, whereas Iโm notified Saturday 14thโs do at the Town Hall will be a โpipe and slippers rave,โ of which I had to inquire if, as it sounds, itโll be an old skool DJ rave type thing, and this it was confirmed, โthat’s exactly it.โ If theyโre calling me, now theyโre mocking; the feet in my slippers were stomping in mud when you were an itch, whippersnappers! โHoney, whereโs my whistle and white gloves?โ
Sheffieldโs award-winning finger-style guitarist, Martin Simpson breathes some folk to the Pump on Friday 20th May, while the Town Hall blow cobwebs off with Trowbridgeโs own hardcore metal quartet, Severed Illusions. With nine years under their belts, they opened for Hed PE at the now defaulted Beirkeller in Bristol, and played metal festivalsโ assemblage M2TM. Joined by doomcore fourpiece Eyesnomouth, and Salisburyโs screaming metalcore Next Stop Olympus; thatโs going to go off.
The Lost Trades
From here gigs are pencilled in, June sees Martin Carthy, Jon Amor with Kyla Brox, Hip Route and Billy & The Low Ground feature, but be certain the near-future looks bright and varied for Trowbridgeโs live music scene, particularly as the last gig of May is our beloved folk-harmony trio The Lost Trades on Saturday 28th. Bring in the summer with Graham Steelโs award-winning Phil, Jamie and Tamsin, what more could you ask for?
Midnight oil has been burning at Potterneโs Badger Set studio as Devizesโ most impressive and talked about upcoming band, Burn The Midnight Oil takesโฆ
by Ian Diddamsimages by Ian Diddams, Shakespeare Live โHamletโ is arguably Shakespeareโs most widely known play, with an estimated tens of thousands of performancesโฆ
Mantonfest, the longstanding gem on Marlborough’s event calendar, finalised for another fantastic year last night, with metal-driven mayhem, as the sounds of AC/DC rippedโฆ
Part environmental lecture, part live performance, and part immersive sonic journey, The Grass & Time Soundscape Lecture offers a unique way to celebrate Nationalโฆ
Featured Image: Helen Polarpix As if itโs not hot enough, Aveburyโs finest musical export George Wilding is bounding back with another new single, Feedโฆ
As promised/threatened (delete as appropriate) I’m continuing on with the pledge to relaunch the Song of the Day feature, and today proves ska is universal.
From Yekaterinburg in Russia, Lollipop Lorry have worked their way to the top of the international ska scene over a twelve year period, getting kudos through a tour of Mexico this year, where the scene is at its apex.
It’s refreshingly fun and carefree sunshine music, as ska should be, and this tune is out today. If anyone could translate I might know the subject, but the amusing speed dating video suggests a frustrating man-hunt! You just have to pick one, Svetlana, we really are all that rubbish, (excluding myself obviously!)
They first caught my attention and affection three years ago when covering the Gaylettes’ rock steady classic, Silent River (Runs Deep) in which one third of Bob Marley’s backing singer trio, The I-Threes, Judy Mowatt takes the lead vocal. Judy’s range is such that this was no easy feat, which front lady Svetlana made a cracking job of, in a sultry and distinctly Russian tinge; I’m smitten, don’t tell the trouble and strife… long distance relationships never work out!
Top marks and a gold star for this album, released tomorrow, Friday 20th August; Bad Press, of which youโll hear no such thing as bad press from me, and Iโd be interested in how anyone could find an angle to do such. Yet if the title is subtle irony, more so is the band name, Captain Accident & The Disasters.
From the band name alone itโs understandable for one to perceive their output as comical or zany, but far from it. Here is some sublime, concentrated reggae and rock steady, bouncy and carefree, yes, but astutely written, covering some acute themes as well as the general tenet of rock steady; forlorn or unabridged romance. Neither am I willing to accept the talent here is any way an accident, and the band is anything but a disaster!
Twenty seconds into Bad Press is all you need to realise why David Rodigan speaks so highly of Cardiffโs Captain Accident & The Disasters, and they were invited back to tour with legends Toots & the Maytals after their 2016 UK tour, as the official full-tour support in 2017 and again in 2018. Which they did, and Captain Accident was asked to join the band onstage to perform Monkey Man on guitar. If it wasnโt for lockdown and the tragic passing of Toots Hibbert last year, they would have been on the European tour that year also.
Other than the wonderful sunshine reggae vibe, thereโs not a great deal else going on in Bad Press, yet thereโs no need to be. The band stick to the tried and tested formula, the mellow plod of traditional one-drop reggae, occasionally more steppers upbeat with only subtle ska or dub elements coming through. Note importantly, they do this with bells on. It doesnโt attempt to swerve off with experimentation. All tracks flow with precision and a highly polished sound produced with traditional instruments. At no time will Bad Press replicate a previous tune through dubplate principles, neither will a dancehall DJ toast over it, or a drum n bass riff be thrust unexpectedly at you; good, honest and exceptionally beautiful roots, rock reggae is what you get.
If themes reflect lovers rock or rock steady on occasion, itโs nicely done, and in others, where more sombre subject matter arises thereโs no militancy, rather the longstanding carefree reggae ethos of not worrying, dancing reservations away, as every little thing will be alright. Neither does Rasta etiquettes or such biblical or cultural references come into play, making this reggae for the masses as well as aficionados. Itโs just, ah, tingly, and apt for all!
Despite the bandโs output, three previous albums being self-produced, their beguiling festival friendly sound has rocketed their success with a national fan-base growing by the day. I fully believe Bad Press will seal the deal.
Ten songs strong, I couldnโt pick a favourite. As I believe I said, it flows, blessing your ears with inspirational sound. In Redemption Song familiarities the content of the opening tune casts an eye on Armageddon, but pessimism doesnโt deject or depress you, and the title, โNot the End of the World,โ says it all. The aforementioned carefree attitude carries over with the catchy โBest Shoes,โ the upbeat melody cutting to plod as Captain Accident aptly quotes Marley, โwhen the music hits you, you feel no pain.โ
And such is unswaying general premise throughout, returning to one-drop for the beautiful โPlaying Field,โ which truly showcases the writing skill on righteousness and equality. Swapping back to the common hopeless romantic theme, โWings,โ will melt you, like the referenced wings of Icarus. Followed by the most ska-ish, the buoyant โMiami Incorporating.โ
There is nothing here to rightfully label this with bad press, perhaps the blithest tune being the โDark n Stormy,โ with a rum subject, thereโs a real Caribbean feel, yet the most interestingly intertwined is the rock-inspired guitar previous song, โPuttinโ Up a Fight,โ because it clarifies this โreggae for all,โ notion Iโve attempted to convey. I hope this comes across, especially in these local parts where the genre is often misunderstood and misrepresented. If your knowledge of reggae doesnโt extend much past Bob Marley & The Wailers in their international prime, you will love this. Yet, for bods like me, a humongous enthusiast, it fills me with a glorious passion that the traditional aspects of reggae will never be lost in a sea of dancehall, reggaeton and dubstep.
Ah, they’re all worthy, to me, but aside, reggae got soul, and you NEED this album in your life!
Featured Image: Gail Foster. Features extracts from reviews by Andy Fawthrop, Ian Diddams and Madelaine Blake. Does it ever stop?! The weekend is upon usโฆ
โMr Phil Beer needs no introduction to anyone,โ says a spokesperson for The Pump in Trowbridge, our grassroots venue kicking up turf on Rolling Stoneโฆ
Get ready for an unforgettable family day out as Circus Cortex BizZzar brings its award-winning Big Top spectacular to Devizes from 9โ12 July 2026….. Performingโฆ
CrownFest at The Crown in Bishops Cannings is making a fantastic comeback this July with a stellar lineup, particularly supporting local acts, begging the question,โฆ
This is isnโt the favoured way to start a review, but this is idiot music for stupid people, if you think this is stupid then youโre a fucking idiot, and thatโs a quote, from the opening title tack, which ends on, โoh, there it is, up my bum; can I eat it now?โ
If Goldie Looking Chain is all too millennial, but hip hop, for you, should be served with massive chunks of deadpan sauce, west country tongue-in-cheek sarcasm and general silliness, Monkey Bizzleโs debut album, Idiot Music might just be the thing to pick off the menu.ย ย ย
Through the Pythonesque nature of Idiot Music though, wailing guitars, proficient drumming (from Cerys of the Boot Hill All Stars), and substantial dope beats means this is far from amateurish, and will rock the festival circuit. In fact, the Somerset five-piece sold out the album launch party at The Barge on Honeystreet a fortnight ago; I see why. This drips with Scrumpy & Western charm, like Gloucestershireโs Corky, Wurzels meets the Streets, the elements of โagriculturalโ hip hop make this apt for our local crusty scene. Yet with wider appeal, it is, simply, parental advisory fun.
Primates tend to be a running theme, a particularly danceable funky signature tune named Monkey Funk, a King Kong themed rap, another including David Attenborough samples. There are also drug references aplenty, the reggae-inspired Heavy, or Doves (Methylenedioxymethamphetamine) needs no explaining, but in it, it mocks the chav culture in such a way you mayโve thought only Goldie Looking Chain could. Something itโll inevitably be compared to, but more so than the humour drafting this side of the Seven, what makes this so appealing is its nod of respect to hip hop rather than mocking it, is greater than that of Goldie Looking Chain, in a similar way thereโs was with Beastie Boy satirists Morris Minor and the Majors, if you get as old skool as I!
One thingโs for sure, Monkey Bizzle isnโt to be taken seriously, but for the most part itโs listenable to as a hip hop album rather than pure novelty too, unique rappers Skoob and James make this so, especially as the album trickles on, both CU Next Tuesday and Ha Ha Ha being particularly entertaining, Oi Mate ripples with The Streets’, Give Me My Lighter Back but under a ska riff.
Nothing here is going to become next summerโs banging anthem on Radio Oneโs Big Weekender, an honour theyโre clearly not bothered by or striding towards. To face facts, what you get is a full album of highly entertaining flip-flop and amusing lyrics of daring themes, wrapped by gifted musicians only playing the fools. And for which, Idiot Music has got my name all over it!
Rude girls grito! Far from home perhaps, but so, so worth mentioning for tropical vibes of rock steady and ska in a fashion proportionately youโll find hard to come by around these parts, itโs my beloved all-girl-bar-one Mexican ska band, Girls Go Ska with a bran-new album Frente al Mar. Girls and ska, whatโs not to like?!
From the off, the title track simply melts, mellowly, and builds in tempo, but is never overdramatic; โcoolโ is the operative word; fresco! If Iโve put them on a pedestal before, theyโve now put another couple of pedestals atop it. Often steady paced for the genre, it proves ska, while upbeat doesnโt have to be full of macho-bravura skinheads, or a frenzied rancour attack against dogmatic tyranny itโs often misperceived here through the eightiesโ second-generation Two-Tone scene, and within the dominate contemporary ska-punk internationally. Iโve made this point in the past when penning a more general piece about ska and reggae in South America, in which Girls Go Ska were featured.
Girls go Ska
Frente al Mar is breezy, bright and fun, light-hearted and beguiling. It roots the genre to its original Jamaican ethos, as a carefree dance music. Though, thereโs a large chunk of assumption with those observations, as my Spanish isnโt up to scratch, so my presumption rests on the design, the album name, which translates to the seaside, basically, and mood of the vocals; if theyโre singing about anything other than romantic themes and enjoying oneself dancing on a tropical beach, like making political statement, it certainly doesnโt sound that way! You just have to enjoy the professionality and untroubled vibe this album breezes in your direction, itโs gorgeous, and it absolutely skanks!
Packaged femininely in loud pink and decorated with cute shลjo manga, rather than our typecast black and white chequered trade identity with Walt Jabsco splashed all over, Frente al Mar provides an alternative to norm, but is no way attributes the โfairer sex,โ rather riot grrrl kick-ass in tenet, gender-neutral in sound. Not that punk comes into play; throughout itโs steadfast traditional ska sound, one should credit Studio One rather than Two-Tone, or even Reel Big Fish for, thereโs also sprinklings of Latino sound traditional to Mexico, of ranchera, norteรฑo and their contemporary offshoots, but are subtle and likely naturally occurring.
Imagine, if your English mind will adapt, Gloria Estefan performing ska, and youโre nearer to the mark than The Specials. But no, eight sublimely flowing tunes is what you get, a sun-kissed blessing on the ear, in the style of brass-based rock steady and good olโ ska. While pukka boys, Death of Guitar Pop are currently returning the welcomed Nutty-Boys-esque frivolous and fairground ska home for lads, further afield, here comes the girls.
Meanwhile here in my hometown of Devizes, the newly opened rum bar, The Muck & Dundar has been a roaring success, proving a taste of the tropical is welcomed, ergo, taken out of its context and origins, Frente al Mar would make the perfect soundtrack to it. Me? I’m smitten, with a little crush!
Summer Solstice in Wiltshire; it’s a crowd-puller, but even forty years after the Battle of the Beanfield and decades of attempted commercialisation, it remains aโฆ
All Images: ยฉGail Foster If last Saturday’s Celtic punk band quipped if the Devizes Corn Exchange was a bingo hall, and Milton Jones jested โit’sโฆ
Mock the Weekโs recurring panellist and Radio 4 comedian Milton Jones stood on the stage of Devizes Corn Exchange on Friday, with the setter, โitโsโฆ
A Little Bit Of French Polish Andy Fawthrop As the Devizes Arts Festival rolls majestically towards its final weekend, thereโs no chance that the busโฆ
Join the Wiltshire & Barh Air Ambulance team on one of their behind-the-scenes tours of the Charity’s airbase at Semington on Thursday the 9th Julyโฆ.โฆ
by Mick Brian images by Nic Proud and Wharf Theatre Giovanni Boccaccio in the 1330s wrote a poem, โTeseidaโ, principally about two knights, Arcite andโฆ
Holidaymakers from across Swindon & Wiltshire are being invited to attend one of the region’s newest travel events this summer as Swindon Travel Hub hostsโฆ
As a nipper Iโd spend days, entire school holidays, making mixtapes as if I worked for Now, Thatโs What I Call Music! In the era before hi-fi, Iโd sit holding a microphone to the radioโs speaker, adventurously attempting to anticipate when Tony Blackburn was going to talk over the tune, and just when In the Air Tonight peaked with Philโs crashing drums, my dad would shout up the stairs that my tea was ready; eternally caught on tape, at least until my Walkman screwed up the cassette.
Crude to look back, even when I advanced to tape-to-tape, I discovered if I pressed the pause button very slowly on the recording cassette deck, it would slide into the next song, and with a second of grinding squeal Howard Jones glided into Yazoo!! Always the DJ, just never with the tech! Rest assured; this doesnโt happen on this, our Various Artists compilation album, 4 Juliaโs House. And oh, have I got some news about that?!
Huh? Yes, I have, and here it isโฆ. ย
We did it! Thanks once again to all our fabulous contributing artists, our third instalment of detailed sleeve notes will follow shortly, but for now, I couldnโt wait another day, therefore, Iโve released it half a day early, this afternoon!
Now all that needs to happen is to get promoting it, and you can help by sharing news of this on your social media pages, thank you. Bloggers and media please get in touch, and help me raise some funds for Juliaโs House.
Iโve embedded a player, in which you should be able to get a full try before you buy, I believe you get three listens before itโll default and tell you to buy it. I hope you enjoy, it has been a mission and half, but one Iโd gladly do again.
Please note: there are many artists giving it, โoh no, I was going to send you a track!โ Fear not, there is still time, as Iโll causally start collecting tunes for a volume 2, and when the time is ready and we have enough songs, we will do it. It might be for another charity, Iโd personally like to do another raising funds for The Devizes & District Opportunity Centre, but thatโs unconfirmed as of yet.
You know, sometimes I think I could raise more money with less effort by trekking down through the Market Place in a bath of cold baked beans, but I wanted to bring you a treasured item comprising of so many great artists weโve featured, or will be featuring in the near future on Devizine. Never before has all these artists been on one huge album like this, and look, even if you donโt care for a particular tune, thereโs 46 of them, check my maths as I pride myself on being exceptionally rubbish at it, but I make that 22p a track, and all for such a worthy cause!
โWe are so grateful to Devizine and all of the local artists who are taking part in the charity album to raise funds for Juliaโs House. We donโt receive any government funding for the care we give to families in Wiltshire, so the support we receive from our local community is so important.โ
Claudia Hickin, Community Fundraiser at Juliaโs House
Blagging biros and stationery from banks and post offices, we’ve all been there, but few driven to pen a song about it. It’s one valid reason to love the righteous but riotous simplicity of Bristol-based anarchistic vegan folky-ska-punk misfits, Boom Boom Racoon.
Those aware, who thought 2018’s album by the trio, Now That’s What I Call Boom Boom Racoon vol1 was off the head, newly released Songs From The Before Times & Some More takes it to a whole other level. Lockdown raw, rougher and more in your arrogant, fat consumerist face than ever before; put that sausage roll down and prepare to be barked at with a charming slice of satire and counterculture commentary.
Now reading that paragraph back makes it all seem so terrible, but under a blanket punk term, which only goes some way to pigeonhole the unpigeonholeable, irony is abound and Boom Boom Racoon are quite the opposite. This is nine three-minute plus enthrallingly exciting rides, and is undoubtedly entertaining to say the least.
Mixing rum and coffee, ie. turbo mocha time, Covid19-related Public Service Announcement 2020, are the lighter, comical subjects.
Whereas tightening border control in States and Nations, laboratory animal testing in Cages, human unecological practices compared to dinosaur extinction, and another anti-capitalist rant on how difficult it is to be sustainable in the modern era, are the more sombre and acute subjects, setting the world to rights.
And the way they work it, the words they’ve planned go against the homemade rawness of the sound. This isn’t off-the-cuff, there’s ingenious wordplay and poignant messages hidden beneath the fun attitude. The abolition, against the psychological effect of imprisonment and a need to sustain numbers by reforming laws to create criminals, for example, Boom Boom Racoon touch on radical notions or campaigns, and are fearless to state their core values.
Anthropocene it, Say it, Sorted probably carries the most poignant message, and is also the only track which has an amusing sample, unlike the previous aforementioned more polished album which has more, from The Simpsons to Harry Potter. And it comes in the shape of a rather stumblingly polite call from Kent Police regarding an animal rights protest, which is highly amusing.
The album ends hilariously on the most brilliant retort from taunts by your average knuckle-dragging homophobic bigot, I’m certain you know the sort, completing the overall contemporary leftism and reformist ethos which, if you tag the piffle term “snowflake” onto, beware, the unity here is compounded into a masterfully literate snowball, and it’s a brown one, and it’s aiming at your face!
Myself, I’d love for these raccoon pests to come trash the bins of our narrowminded community and welcome the opportunity of our more daring venues to book them for a live performance on the theory, well, on the theory, they’d steal the show.
by Ian Diddamsimage by JP Oldfield Rising Devizes star and promoter at โThe Foldโ, JP Oldfield last Friday revealed the information he is to releaseโฆ
by Ian Diddams images courtesy of Devizes Arts Festival, Ian Diddams and Graham Lloyd When one considers cricketing controversies, one maybe thinks of World Seriesโฆ
My Show Of The Festival Andy Fawthrop Another headliner from the Devizes Arts Festival hit town last night…. Robert Vincent came to the Corn Exchange,โฆ
No matter the subject, a lesson is only as interesting as the teacher teaching it. Johnny Ball did the impossible, he made maths fun! Likewise, but more modern, Terry Dearyโs books and subsequent CBBC show, Horrible Histories made whatโs often perceived as a dull subject by pupils, somehow entertaining, amusing even. If Deary was my history teacher, rather than a thick-rimmed speccy, bearded beatnik with leather elbow patches on his tweed jacket, well, I might just have taken heed of their wisdoms.
Equally, if you want to teach history to a bunch of scooterist skinheads, consider employing The Bakesys, for they are a skanking Horrible Histories, at least for this new album, released last Thursday called Sentences Iโd Like to Hear the End of.
Stu, Kevin & Bakesy onstage at Newbury College in December 1990!
Something of an elusive band despite twenty years presence on the UK ska scene, the early stages of The Bakesys reflected heavily on punk inspirations, such as the Buzzcocks, crossed with later developments of a definite Two-Tone influence. Sentences Iโd Like to Hear the End of takes it to whole other level. Akin to what On-U Sound did for dub in the nineties, sprinkling in a counter culture punk ethos, The Bakesys do for ska. Itโs more upbeat than the usual plod of dub, but strewn with samples, heavy basslines, and drum machine loops, it has its elements.
From another angle though, as Dreadzone meld such influences into the electronic dance scene, thereโs a contemporary sound, a mesh of offbeat influences with the Bakesys, more in line with the current ska scene. The flood of brass and chugging rhythms confirms its allegiance to authentic 1960โs Jamaican ska. What comes out the end is unique beguiling buoyancy, and itโs absolutely addictive.
Yet weโre only scraping the surface of why, the theme of the album is the kingpin here. Reflecting the era of its influences, subjects are historic affairs based in the sixties. The opening title track raps of Christine Keeler and the Profumo Affair. Get Your Moonboots on is on Apollo 11โs moon landing, and the third, most haunting tune, You are Leaving the American Sector takes newsreels of the Berlin Wall. One Iโve been playing endlessly the single of on my Friday night Boot Boy radio show.
Atomic Invasion explores the Cold War, yet, as with Keeler, this sublime set of songs often concentrates more on the personalities than facts of the events. The Space Race is up next, with a nod to Yuri Gagarinโs luminary. Then itโs the Cuban Missile Crisis with the numerous failed attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro, Cassius Clayโs rise to heavyweight champion of the world, and Robert F. Kennedyโs assignation.
Despite these often-dark subjects, itโs surprisingly upbeat, as if, like I said, The Bakeseys are the funky relief history teacher, and your class is about get moon stomping! The last three tracks offers dub versions of the most poignant tunes on offer here, yet the album as a complete concept is nothing short of brilliant.
The third CD album released on Bandcamp, and quite the best place to start if youโre unaware of them. Keyboardist Kevin Flowerdew, has self-published the ska sceneโs definitive zine, Do The Dog Skazine for many decades, which has released this under its label namesake, Do the Dog Music, so he certainly knows what makes a great sound; which this does with bells on.
Mark, Stu & Bakesy backstage at the Epplehaus, Tubingen during The Bakesysโ June 1992 German tour.
One surprise track contributed for our forthcoming compilation album for Juliaโs House, (yes, itโs going sluggish but well, thanks for asking!) comes from Chippenhamโs part-Blondie-tribute-part-ska-covers duo, Blondie & Ska. Itโs a solid, rock steady original, with the added bonus it sounds as if it couldโve been an album track from Parallel Lines, Plastic Letters or another Blondie album at the peak of their game.
Itโs given me the opportunity to have a chat with Dave Lewis, one half of the duo, on how they started doing what they do, pondering if you just wake up one morning and think, I know, Iโm going to be tribute act. If Blondie & Ska actually see themselves wholly as a Blondie tribute act at all, given they not only record original songs, but in a unique slant, perform classic Two-Tone songs from the same period. But most importantly, answering some conundrums Iโve had since hearing a tune with a similar concept by UB40 tribute Johnny2Bad, about tribute acts going the extra mile and recording tracks in the fashion of their inspiration. I mean, is it deliberate that it sounds akin, or simply natural method given the music is based around imitating the act?
Certainly, Blondie & Ska wasnโt formed on a whim. For a decade prior to forming the duo, Lorraine and Dave were both co-members of various bands on the same circuit. The idea, Dave explained, โoccurred over a number of phases,โ and expressed, as a mod, his love for The Beat. Anxious not to live up to expectations of his idols, Dave continued, โplaying ska, was one of those things, because you love it so much, you donโt want to go that direction,but when we kind of got dragged into it, there was no stopping us, because the more we did it, the more we loved doing it, and there was no reason to be nervous!โ
In the band as well, was Steve Edge, who co-wrote our song. โSteve and I used to write back in the nineties,โ Dave explained, chuffed to be reunited to write this track specifically for us. โAnd we performed as an originals band,โ he enthusiastically continued.
After the originals band, Dave joined his drummer and played in a local blues band called No Ties, which Lorraine also started in, while Dave concentrated on a secondary band aptly named Band Two, which Lorraine would later join. It was there where Dave suggested the concept of Blondie & Ska to Lorraine, in 2013. โShe replied, hum, I fancy having a go at that,โ Dave revealed. โIt took about six months to get rehearsed. We did our first gig, and thought, why didnโt we do this before?โ Theyโve been performing weekly as a duo act from Landโs End to Barnsley since, clocking up hundreds or appearances together.
I moved onto the question, given recording originals and this mixture of lateral ska tunes added to the Blondie tribute, if they even classed themselves at โtribute actโ in the same light as the run-of-the-mill ones. โItโs weird one,โ he admitted, โI kind of call it that Blondie and ska sound. Whatever we tend to do, people say I didnโt expect it to be like that, but thatโs way things are. If Iโm going to do something, we want to do it in a different way.โ Itโs also practical, using pre-recorded sections such as drums and horns, Blondie & Ska can accommodate the smallest of venues, unlike a large ska band with a horn section. โThe other thing which is difficult, with signature bands, is itโs hard work keeping the bands together,โ Dave observed, a notorious hindrance with ska bands in particular.
Dubious it would work at first, during lockdowns alternate Saturdays have seen regular blossoming live streams from Blondie & Ska. โWe had over 10 thousand viewers on one,โ Dave delighted, โwhich is bonkers! I think it was just a sign of the time, everyone was just at their computer!โ For your attention, next one is tonight at 8pm (Saturday 22nd May) on Facebook, HERE. โIf people donโt know us,โ Dave suggested, โitโs always a nice test. Weโve been surprised by the positive feedback.โ
Thereโs the thing with Blondie & Ska, and I put it to Dave without trying to cause offence, that though itโs unique, nothing theyโre doing is particularly ground-breaking. Theyโve no stars in their eyes, but the niche is theyโre two musicians having a whole lot of fun, doing what they love doing. And this is what comes across, and why it sounds so good. โAbsolutely,โ he agreed, suggesting the original blues band was tiresome. โI wasnโt really up for anything after that, and later wanted to get back into the action. Weโre doing it now because we enjoy doing it. The Blondie & Ska stuff, you know, the more we play, the more people ask, and more bookings we get in ska clubs, and our repertoire is pushed in that direction.โ I laughed, so prolific was the Jamaican record industry during the ska era, thereโs always going to be one trainspotter, like me (!) who comes up and asks for some obscure Coxsone rarity!
But in turn, thatโs precisely the ethos of both ska, and seemingly Blondieโs music. Aside the political unrest occasionally portrayed in the Two-Tone ska revival of the eighties, the memorable songs come from a carefree perceptive of jollity, and like Madness and Bad Manners, ska is eternally dance music, from the very roots. Likewise, Blondie rarely, if at all, socially commented about anything more than romance.
Dave was so enthusiastic to chat about the reasoning and history behind Blondie & Ska, about the technicalities of recreating the perfect tribute sound, and appeasing the aficionados, we couldโve chatted forever, but I feel you need to witness them in the arena they love, rather than waffle some!
An interesting story surrounding the chosen name for the duo we finished on, as while setting up for an early gig, the organiser summed up the sound on the blackboard by chalking up โBlondie & Ska,โ under the premise a lot of blond girls and a lot of male ska fans had turned up. โI was standing there, looking at the name on the poster,โ Dave explained. โLorraine was saying, can you just get on and set up, cos weโve got to be playing in an hour?! I said, but look at the name on the poster, and she was going, no, get on with what youโre supposed to be doing!โ But Dave approached the guy, knowing him through many past gigs, to ask him if he could use it. โThe girls danced to the Blondie songs, and the guys danced to the ska,โ he noted. Story checks out, the mix works. Tune into their live streams to find out for yourself, or hereโs hoping to catch them at a real gig soon.
A talented local performer from Devizes is set to share the stage with international star Jason Donovan this summer as part of Fulltone Festival โ26. …. Grace Sheridan,โฆ
Pride month finds me wondering if Pride events are actually needed more in our smaller market towns where awareness and acceptance is perhaps lesser thanโฆ
Wiltshire Music Centre is launching the Make Music This Summer programme, a vibrant 19-day programme of musical activities for children, young people and families….. Designedโฆ
Images by Jess Worrow A busy late spring weekend across the county, with major events from Bradford-on-Avon to Swindon, but I’m bringing quality acts Iโฆ
Again, we find ourselves in the most unsuspecting part of the world to find the perfect reggae sound, Switzerland. Fruits Records release Winds of Matterhorn at the end of this month, 30th April.
Rather than the unanimous Rastafarian camp, Jamaciaโs hills of Wareika, Swiss-Italian trombonist Mattbrass and producer Jackayouth have taken inspiration from the eminent mountain in the Alps for this four-track instrumental EP. Unlike the progressive nature of the Jamaican music industry, Fruits Records, as ever, find their penchant in a more classic sound. The tried-and-tested formula of roots reggae may be deemed old hat on the island of reggaeโs origin, but no one can refute the global influence of Bob Marley and the Wailers, and the consequential epoch which followed.
The mechanics of the profound effect reggaeโs golden era has had on music as a whole is inconsequential here, because there is no fusion or experimental divergence. You will not hear rock or soulโs pastiches of the formula, thereโs no preaching vocals, you will only hear a crisp and refined approach to the true sound. This is reggae at its finest, a driving riddim, occasional wail of an electric guitar, heavy bassline and saturated in sublime horns.
To emphasise these classic elements of reggae are evidently profound, each tune is singularly named after the four classic elements; earth, air, fire and water.
Earth is marching one-drop reggae, the kind youโll identify with the later works Bob Marley & The Wailers, such as the 1979 album Survival. But Air is no lighter, thereโs a real deep, roots feel to it, a plodding bassline fills said air, but throughout thereโs this continuation of a tight horn section, managed to perfection. Fire has more upbeat jollity about it, so much so it near-verges on the classic ska of the unrivalled Skatalites. Water brings it back around, with that proud one-drop march.
This is the traditions of reggae, elsewhere at its very best, the only thing it lacks is the vocal affirmation to Rastafari, or anything else uniquely indigenous to JA, rather a structured salute to the sound, as if it was performed by Mozart or Beethoven. Thereโs the nutshell, if Beethoven went to sister Mary Ignatius Daviesโ class at Kingstonโs Alpha Cottage School, with Don Drummond, Rico Rodriguez, Roland Alphonso et all, his symphonies might end up sounding something like this; it is that accomplished.
Top marks, as if they not done it before on Devizine, and I’ve still not gotten fully over how awesome Wonderland of Green was!
Tickets are now on sale for Frome Festivalโs silver anniversary year, taking place between the 3rd โ 12th July, 2026. Three hundred events are scheduledโฆ
Itโs 2006, and the charts are awash with what will become known as landfill indie. Somewhere in backwater Townsville UK, an already road worn veteranโฆ
After months of speculation, controversy, and local media bias, The Shindig Festival at Malmesbury’s Charton Park has been given the green lightโฆ.. Despite Newsquest floggingโฆ
What was once counterculture hedonism is now as mainstream as a package holiday. In the UK music festivals are fashionable, approved and plentiful. Ten yearsโฆ
Three short years ago, we first spoke with Vanessa Tanner, campaigning in the Devizes Town Council by-election for Devizes East. In those few minutes, Iโฆ
A new album released yesterday from Swindonโs premier reggae keyboardist and producer Erin Bardwell made me contemplate a section of Henri Charriรจreโs book Papillon. The autobiographical account of a fellow no prison or penal colony can seem to keep incarcerated. Thereโs a point where Papillon deliberately causes a disturbance in order to be put in solitary confinement. He claims he prefers it to the regular cells, because away from the other inmates, alone in pitch darkness he can reimagine, practically hallucinate and relive his better days.
For the concept of the album and accompanying film Get Organised is largely reminiscing and reflecting on his past. Possibly, I suspect, due to age becoming, the fact this marks a thirtieth anniversary of the formation of his heyday two-tone band, The Skanxters, but largely due to lockdown.
Myself, lockdown has been parttime. Iโve worked throughout, galivanting through the villages, meeting early morning risers, and itโs all been much the same as it ever was, just cannot nip tโ pub, or see family living out of the area. Which is frustrating at times, but I accept itโs not as bad as those shielding and self-isolating; that wouldโve driven me insane my now. Itโs common in isolation to consider oneโs life and recollect, but Erin does it over a reggae beat; and I approve!
Weโve been here before; this is not Erinโs first reflection of lockdown. Pre-pandemic he directed a collective who were pushing new boundaries in rock steady. But April last year saw the solo release of Interval, a deeply personal reflection and mind-blowingly cavernous concept album, diving into the psyche and exploring past events; scarce formula for reggae.
Erin Bardwell
Yet Erinโs style is such; relished in unconformity, individualism and freethinking, factors which make it so utterly unique itโs hard to compare. Itโs this standout signature which Erin stamps on all projects, be them solo, as the Collective, or side projects such as the experimental dub of Subject A with Dean Sartain, or The Man on the Bridge project with ex-Hotknives Dave Clifton, which defines the very sound of reggae in Swindon and puts it on the skanking map. If there was a skanking map, which I wish there was!
Whereas Intervalโs morose mood merged styles through experimentation, some often out of the confines of reggae, be they jazz, ambient and space rock, Get Organised will wash better with the matured skinheads, scooterists and Two-Tone aficionados, for it sits with more golden era reggae, particularly of the sixties Trojan โbossโ reggae epoch. They tend to know what they like, and favour tradition over risky and radical progressions.
In this notion too itโs sprightlier and more optimistic than Interval, a result of vaccinations and this โroadmapโ out of lockdown, perhaps; The Erin Bardwell Trio booked for a gig at Swindonโs Victoria on 1st July. Though at times thereโs still the thoughtful prose Erin is fashioned for, reflecting the effect of lockdown. The lyrics of Eight Oโclock, for example, which notes despite the usually lively nightlife at this time, the town is quiet.
The Erin Bardwell Collective
Theyโre all sublimely crafted pieces, the title trackโs mellow riff nods to Lee Scratch Perryโs middling Upsetters period with something akin to a tune like Dollar in the Teeth. And in that, we have to consider the great producers of rockers reggae for comparisons, rather than the artists. Aforementioned Perry, but of Niney the Observer, of Harry J too, and Get Organised subtly delves into dub, so I guess King Tubby also. Yet the opening tune reminded me of the earlier, legendary producer Duke Reid.
Erin has the proficiency to cherry-pick elements from reggaeโs rich history, effectively merge them and retain this said signature style. The Savoy Ballroom has the expertise keys of Jackie Mittoo, with the vaudeville toytown sound of Madness. That said has opened another Pandoraโs box, as Two-Tone also has a significant influence on Get Organised, naturally. The grand finale We Put on that Show is reflective of the era, along the lines of the steady plod of Do Nothing rather than the frenzied ska of Little Bitch, if weโre going to make a Specials contrast, which I think is apt.
Equally, youโre going to love this if, like me, you cite the debut album Signing Off, as UB40โs magnum opus rather than their following pop covers, or just if youโre looking for something different from the norm.
These recollections are visualised in a half-hour video, making it more poignant. Itโs a scrapbook film, with homemade clips of The Skanxters setting up or driving to a gig, footage Iโd expect to have been largely unseen until now. Thereโs also a montage of memoirs chronicling Erinโs career, as the camera pans across gig posters, bus tickets, vinyl and press cuttings. Though far from documentary, the sound plays out the album, the material an aid to the songs, and a fascinating art project to accompany it.
โA second solo album wasn’t really part of the plan,โ Erin explains,โbut with the current climate as it is, I still found myself coming up with music and songs. These tunes started following a theme, that led to a film idea, and the sounds and visuals grew together influencing each other.โ
The point in the early nineties, when the Skanxters were the pride of Swindonโs two-tone scene is captured well, and while those on the circuit, or even living locally then, will love recognising the many memoirs, anyone into the scene at the time will thoroughly enjoy this outing. Overall, though, Erin continues to break boundaries, and this album is a blessing and pleasure to listen to, alone from its narrative and meaning, as all good reggae should.
Wiltshire Council will discuss granting itself permission to fly the Pride Progress flag outside County Hall and other Wiltshire Council offices during Pride Month. Theโฆ
Sixteen year-old entrepreneur, Katie West from Devizes, set up her own gardening business, FreshEdge Teen Landscaping a few months ago, but received a ban fromโฆ
The Rondo Theatre in Bath will be bursting with high-energy chaos this June as The Rondo Theatre Company presents Bullshot Crummond, a gloriously silly parodyโฆ
Four years ago I witnessed a Gen Z phenomenon in Devizes. With a certain indie punk zest and intelligent songwriting, Devizes School band Nothing Rhymesโฆ
We are the mods, we are the mods, we are, we are, okay, you get the gist. Imagine Kate Nash is Doctor Who’s assistant, and they tracked back to Carnaby Street in 1963. If she dressed and performed without raising suspicion that they’re time travellers, you’ve got a general picture of the fantastic Emily Capell.
On one hand, this is fab retrospective meddling, on the other it’s lively and fresh fun, with a beehive hairdo.
There’s nothing here not to like, unless you’re a ret-con rocker and if so, I’ll see you on Brighton beach, pal. All I ask is you aim for the face, so you don’t crease my suit.
“What are you doing in my swamp?!โ Shrek asked a horde of fairytale creatures, exiled to his wood by Lord Farquaad in his namesake Dreamworks … Continue reading “Shrek at Mac’s Theatre School”
Reggae and ska’s association with trains tracks back to its very roots, that beguiling chugging offbeat replicates engine noise, ergo subject matter and band names suit.
Here’s hoping if Devizes does ever get a station, more reggae bands will stop here and bring their sunshine music. Prime example; I’d sure make a beeline for this Bath-Bristol seven-piece locomotive, with their lively blend of dub, ska and soul. Failing that, I’m trekking, have roots, will travel.
Offering an exciting live show, the Maitree Express has been in the recording studio and the effect projects onto wax; proof here, in the pudding.
Wait, did someone say pudding? My work here is done, that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on…..
“What are you doing in my swamp?!โ Shrek asked a horde of fairytale creatures, exiled to his wood by Lord Farquaad in his namesake Dreamworks … Continue reading “Shrek at Mac’s Theatre School”
If you came here looking for an original song by upcoming hopefuls, look away. Chippenham’s Blondie & Ska may not be groundbreaking or looking for a mainstream recording contract, a Blondie tribute act who fuse ska and Two-Tone classics into their repertoire, but what they do they do with a barrel load of lively fun. And, in a nutshell, lively carefree fun is the backbone of ska.
Heores of the live stream currently, booking Blondie & Ska for a party or pub gig in the future, and you can gurantee, if fussy music devotees tut, the majority will be up dancing. For this reason enough, I blinking love this duo, but that alone is plentiful. Like their Facebook page for details of future free streams, it’s an entertaining, unpretentious show.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
Great things about ska are many fold, but a topper most one has to be collaboration. Rather than set groups, as with most mainstream music, musicians uniting for projects is common and has always been the ethos of ska and reggae since day dot. Perhaps being the very reason it’s so lively and communal.
Another great thing about our song of the day, where Islington’s ska legend Nick Welsh, aka King Hammond, teams up with that crazy Essex duo Death of Guitar Pop, is the ska style displayed, near enough mimics the jump blues “shuffle” on which ska is originally based.
But history aside, let’s just enjoy this new track for all it’s worth. DoGP are fast rising in rank on the UK ska scene, with a carefree “Nutty Boys” fashion, it’s easy to see why.
And that’s my song for the day. Very good. Carry on….
No video to this one. Do we need visuals? Not when it’s this good; my favourite track of Brighton-based contemporary ska heads, Dakka Skanks.
They’re lively, diverse, lots of fun, and I think we’ll be hearing a lot more from them in the near future.
If the Duallers have reached a pivotal point akin to the Specials, and Death of Guitar Pop are providing the tongue-in-cheek Madness equivalent, I believe these guys could be The Beat of this era, as there was a band unafraid to experiment.
Dakka Skanks are majorly ska, but throw a lovable but carefree punk attitude, and a wide range of other influences, such as soul, into the melting pot, and concoct something uniquely entertaining.
Sunday off, broke my promise to post a song of the day, everyday. Allow me to make up for it. Bristol’s Mr Tea & the Minions with a lockdown themed song. See how sublimely they fire a frenzy of folk and Balkan styled ska-punk into festival proportions. I think they’re the hottest bands around these parts, and fondly reviewed the album, Mutiny a while ago. Just a reminder today then, these kids have it.
I made enquiries, wanting to bring them to Devizes. It’s no cheap option and obviously currently off the cards.
The reservation is that just because I’m loving this style, it might too radical for a Devizes audience. So, I’d appreciate some feedback; would you have paid a purple one to see them play in our town?
Fingers crossed, we live for a better day. But I believe lobbying a large Devizes venue to bring contemporary music direct to us, just occasionally, is crucial to the culture diversity we should be delving into.
Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….
It’s getting late now and I’ve only just got around to posting our song of the day. Had a piece to write and the obligatory family Scrabble game. Nearly missed the deadline, meaning my promise to post a song each day didn’t quite last a week, but alas, I’m here last minute to seal the deal.
What better then, than the pride of Devon, The Simmertones. They’ve fast made it to a lead name in the UK ska scene, and with their lively shows and crazy ska cover of the Dr Who theme, a personal favourite, it’s easy to see why. A tad more tender, here they are…..
Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….
Hi, yeah s’me, keeping up the Song of the Day feature like dedication was as word I know the definition of!
No excuses not to, I mean I am of the generation when Roy Castle clasped his trumpet weekly, ready for the signing off of “Record Breakers.” No, it’s not a euthanasim, Google it whippersnappers.
Might also explain my fondness for brass. Brass is class, and a vital element of ska. Yep, four tunes in and I couldn’t resist sharing some ska with you.
It’s a commonly misguided notion that ska is a retrospective cult here in England. It tends to convey a bygone era of Two-Tone records, boots and braces.
Yet today, while said stereotype has a grounding, ska is an international phenomenon, particularly in South America. I did write a piece about this region’s love for ska, and how it’s roots out of Jamaica bare a different tale from our own.
To show you how fresh it can be elsewhere in the world, and it’s not a reminiscence for a load of overweight balding pensioners as perceived in the UK, here’s all-female bar one Mexican band, Girls Go Ska, who I’m secretly in love with, (so secret they don’t even know themselves….until they use Google translate!) doing an instrumental jam.
Girls and ska; what’s not to like? Have a lovely rest of your day. Very good. Carry on….
After five years, a new album drops tomorrow (Friday 23rd October) from southwest Welsh reggae outfit, Captain Accident & the Disasters, and itโs worth the waitโฆ.
Using the word โreggaeโ as a blanket term for pop music of Jamaican origin, rather than a particular subgenre of roots reggae commonly associated with Bob Marley at his peak, as it currently stands for Caucasians, there seems to be two distinct followings in the UK; that of the retrospective scooteristโs adoration of reggaeโs original template, ska, which inspired the Two-Tone movement, and the more progressive dub to dancehall counterculturists and punks favour.
I view it as unfortunate that the bridge between them is often overlooked, as it was the most creative period in Jamaican recording history. Yet Captain Accidentโs previous album Bad Press relished in the smooth rock steady style which took ska on its journey to reggae in the late nineteen sixties. A particularly hot summer of โ67 and the government curfew in Jamaica are held responsible for the shift, where it was the tempo mellowed and brass gave way to vocal harmonies.
The relics of rock steadyโs ballad concept remains in subgenres such as โloverโs rock,โ and thereโs as plenty of hints to this in Sayonara Paranoia as there was with Bad Press. But this time around the melting pot is far more welcoming to all of reggaeโs subgenres; Sayonara Paranoia not only draws from and encompasses them all, but seemingly creates some new ones on its magical journey. The press release suggests โSayonara Paranoia is an album of contrasts,โ and youโre in for a pleasant surprise from the off.
It opens with a lead single released last February, Slither on the Dashboard, recounting the day a family pet snake escaped into Captain Accidentโs car while he was driving it to a new home in the Welsh Valleys! If its subject perfectly illustrates frontman Adamโs pseudonym, a nickname earned through a lifetime of spectacular clumsiness rather than a carefully crafted stage persona, our surprise is the track is decidedly upbeat ska with nods to Two-Toneโs association with punk. If you must look towards Northern Soul for a tune about a snake, forget Al Wilson, because this one skanks almighty and breaks like a real slithering reptile!
So we establish, Captain Accidentโs namesake is a self-deprecating streak that occasionally finds its way into the music, but never at the expense of sincerity. Songs immediately following revert back to the uplifting chill of rock steady; wonderful vocal harmonising songs like Rise and Fall are signature Captain Accident, and Baby Slow Down comes in with that cool Jacob Miller feel.
Itโs a ten song long flow which you donโt want to stop, as influences into a collection of songs exploring resilience, love, heartbreak, anxiety and hope ripple through the eardrums blissfully. Yet, I have to take hold during the fourth song, because if this album stretches into ska, rock and punk territory while maintaining the Captainโs classic and loved fashion, where does To The Sun fit?! It has the kind of completely unique riff I cannot define; elements of dancehall blend into a punky reggae which reminds me of the sleng teng riddim of Prince Jammyโs electronic takeover of reggae, but still this song is refreshingly experimental, completely original, and that riff, oh that riff is so addictive it sticks!
From this point I accept Iโm in for an adventure, with the Captain leading the mission; where are we going Capt?! The gorgeousness of sunshine love songs follows for a further two tracks, and then he confirms the destination; weโre upbeat ska again with Mission to Mars.
But if instrumentation and vocals are only the physical aspects, the conscious theme of Me & My Friends proves a spiritual skill in songwriting, and could be compared with Marelyโs So Much Trouble in the World. โLife gives you plenty to write about if youโre paying attention,โ Captain Accident said of the album. โSometimes those stories are about love, heartbreak or the things that weigh on your mind, and every now and then something completely ridiculous happensโlike accidentally letting a snake loose in your car. Reggae will always be at the heart of what I do, but Iโve never wanted to put boundaries around the music. The rock and punk records I grew up with are just as important to me, and I think this album reflects that. I canโt wait to get back out on the road with the band and share these songs with everyone.โ
Sayonara Paranoia was written, recorded and produced entirely by Captain Accident, reflecting a deeply personal and independent approach to making music. Yet this song is followed again by Pick up the Slack, which, as it might sound, is full steam train chugging ska again to appease the boots and braces crews!
The moment Suggs of Madness joined the band on stage should be an indicator to, not only Captain Accident & The Disastersโ steadily built reputation as an energetic live act, but also the sense of spontaneity and musical community within the UK reggae and ska scenes. They appeared at Boomtown Fair, Isle of Wight Festival, Wilderness Festival, Bestival, Cornbury Festival, Mucky Weekender and Rototom Sunsplash, one of the worldโs largest reggae festivals. They shared stages with the likes of Aswad, Steel Pulse, The Abyssinians, Alborosie, The Selecter, Julian Marley, and The Beat.
Until we meet, the treasure of this new album is that no matter the diversity and experimentation, the Captain and his band invites the listener to his table and entertains them with the same divine quality no matter which direction their distinctive ship faces. And this is accomplished with a defining recognisable overall style whereby soaring twin-guitar harmonies warm the cockles, rather than the traditional horn section, the riffs drift across reggae like itโs given, and the vocalโs smooth like John Holt suddenly fell deeply in love.
If this is about as high an accolade as one could get within reggae circles, donโt assume I flatter; Captain Accident & The Disasters supported Toots and the Maytals at a gig in Wales, and the late Toots Hibbert took them on tour. They completed three full UK tours supporting the reggae pioneers; when you hear this album, you realise why that happened.
A UK tour follows the release of the album, details HERE. Socials below.
Well, what else is there to oyez about? Congratulations must go to our Devizes Town Crier, Charlotte Howard-Macdonald, again today, as Brian Mathew MP tabled a motion in the House of Commons celebrating her achievement of winning the 73rd National Town Crier Championship in Rye, only two months after taking up the role…
Recognised as our first woman to serve as Town Crier for Devizes, Charlotte said, โthis is a first; a speechless Town Crier! Thank you so much, Brian, for this wonderful and completely unexpected recognition, and to the MPs who have added their support. Seeing my name in a parliamentary motion is quite surreal!โ
But whoa there, all this talk of female town criers, isnโt there any room to celebrate the guys too?! Charlotteโs husband Moray MacDonald is an outstanding producer of electronic music who creates the most wonderful soundscapes under the pseudonym Cephid. I first met the Lavington-based couple upon reviewing Cephidโs album Sparks in the Darknessthree years ago.
Moray cut his teeth touring with progressive rock and metal artists such as That Joe Payne, Godsticks, Kim Seviour and Ghost Community, more recently he remixed for OMD. Of Sparks in the Darkness I said at the time, โgorgeous complex structures and intense electronic textures,โ making comparisons to everything from the Doctor Who theme, through to Kraftwerk, The Art of Noise, Yello and American electro outfit Newcleus, explaining โCephid encompasses these, yet is ultra-modern, uses tech as orchestral, and is as fresh as the Buxton spring; like Jean Michel Jarre came after dubstep, as if 808 State created Tubular Bells!โ
Forward wind to February last year, Moray finally staged the album at Bathโs Rondo Theatre, and I had to make a beeline. It was a breathtaking show, to see the album played out live added to the magnificence of this achievement and made it all seem real. The added bonus was to see the laser harp Moray created at seventeen, but had never used publicly until that gig. And after this monumental occasion, the audience were invited to try the homemade electronic instrument themselves.
The gig caused me to contemplate the progression of electronics in music, and how we take it for granted. Though Devizes is a blues town, of conventional analogue instruments, Moray informed me of the townโs little known influence on the development of electronic music by the way of Daphne Oram, a pioneer of electronic sound who was born in the town. On her centenary I ran a series of articles about Daphneโs life, focusing on her largely unrecorded early years in Devizes.
Why am I reminding you of all this now, you might ask?! Well, thereโs the thing. Tickets have just gone on sale, for Cephid is coming to St Maryโs Devizes, for a one off electronic concert on 28th November, and yes, he will bring his laser harp. Moray is supported by Richard Anthony Bean, an electronic music composer and producer from Exeter; be there!
With Devizesโ historic connection and affliction to the blues, it can be a challenge to introduce other genres of music to our town, although there is an audience here accepting diversity, of people who worship the eighties electronic scenes from hip hop to synth-based new romantic and new wave to gothic, and the ravers which followed, and from here stems the concept that technology is so commonplace in music we no longer see the seams.
These are the people I need to entice, because please, oh hear ye! Believe me when I tell you this show is incredible, and unlike anything else youโve seen in Devizes before!
On the Festival of Discovery, other political discoveries, and is the Crammer full yet?! No to the latter, but local Facebook groups are full โฆ.of negativity!
I’m in no place to review the Festival of Discovery which happened last weekend in Devizes, being Devizine was asked to contribute, and because of that contribution, I didn’t catch the amazing variety of goings on, being sentry at my post, save for a pasty break. But I think there’s positive and negative things to be said about it, plus a few points which require a degree of balanced clarification.…
Oh, for the forked tongues of keyboard warriors; those vocal minorities disgruntled by attempts to bring free community-driven festivities to town, when a majority braved the minor drop in temperature, just as everyone does for the far more inclement Christmas festival. While we still live in a democracy, sorry killjoys, but we’re duty bound to go with those who made the effort and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Starter for ten thousand, let’s clear this one up immediately. Yeah, you’re bang on the money, it would’ve been lovely to have had this happen during summer. One comment read, โWhy have it in October with all the beautiful weather we have had this summer!!โ Iโll take it as a question easily answered, even if there was no question mark.
For those stating the bleeding obvious, in order to slam DOCA, and largely from a Conservative twonktank, please note, it is all about the money. The Street Festival doesn’t come cheap, and was cancelled in May 2024, during the final and brutal Conservative cut of Arts Council funding, on which DOCA relied on.
Fortunately, since the political party which, let’s not forget, were hosting cocaine orgies at 10 Downing Street, and fornicating like Emperor Caligula on a stag do in Thailand, while forty thousand of our most vulnerable perished in care homes, was obliterated, Labour has been a smidgen more generous towards the arts. Creative director Loz made a triumphant return to Devizes, got me on the blower only a month ago, to ask if I’d like to host an area dedicated to young talented musicians, for this festival she was rushing to announce.
Naturally, despite not being able to tick neither โyoungโ nor โtalentedโ boxes, I jumped at the opportunity. It took a lot of last minute organisation, as it did for the other dedicated volunteers of DOCA, who worked tirelessly to put this event on; shame on you if you favoured nitpicking on Facebook instead of attending it.
I wasn’t on traffic duty. I did my bit, with Simon, the best grand prix pit stop sound engineer, and Mr Ian James powering us up, and it was flipping amazing! Every singer-songwriter I could think of in the right age bracket turned up, seemingly not stuck in traffic neither flown in by helicopter Shirley Bassey style, gave it their 120%, and showed the few who bothered to turn out that local music is safe in gen z hands.
Having already lavished on the popular Confetti Battle and Colour Rush, I reasoned with Loz that what’s left in the kitty could’ve been put into bringing a spectacular Winter Festival and Lantern Parade. To which Loz shrugged and replied, โyeah, you’d think so, wouldn’t you?โ Such it was revealed to me, the grant given has an expiry date prior to Christmas, and if it wasn’t spent it would be lost. So, it really was a case of, does DOCA put in the overtime and seriously get on the case of a celebration with an extremely short window of organisation schedule, or would Devizes have an ordinary weekend of shopping and dog walking?
So, rather than sitting picking their noses, we had the Festival of Discovery, and what did we discover?! Who’d have flunked bringing such a wonderful festival to Devizes would result in a plethora of harsh online criticism?! Did we even know of their existence before this weekend, or were they discouraging โbots?โ Devizes used to be such aโฆMatter of factually, Mr Grumpy lived in Crosspatch Cottage, actually located in Happyland, and I’ll leave this there.
Could’ve caused less of a stir if traffic was delayed due to a woman-beating Reform conference. The result of a family of ducks crossing a road in Devizes is traffic chaos; do we shoot the duck?! Actually, with the bitterness posted on the usual suspect Facebook groups, don’t answer that.
Congestion was a suggestion, and a valid point, it was slightly more chaotic than normal and that was unfortunate, for which DOCA apologised and took action, reopening the Market Place on Sunday. There may have been overlookings in signage of road closures, if so it could’ve been because of the lack of time to get this festival organised; a lesson learned, but which didn’t deserve the verbal punishment it received, from those unwilling to volunteer their help, I should add.
But, please save me the spiel about not knowing this well-advertised event was occurring, for I’ll only retort like a Specsavers advert and say, โyou should’ve gone to Devizine!โ I wouldnโt rely on the Gazelle & Herod telling you about an event, unless Martin Kemp, the Queen Consort, or Nigel Farage is attending it.
Oh, and by the way, it was DOCA who addressed the traffic issue and acted accordingly, not councillors, despite what one certain Mr Wallis might tell you. Though the same Conservative councillor waffled on his Facebook page speaking highly of the event for the illusion of balanced popular opinion, but trundled past the festival looking like his shoes were more important. This was the very same killjoy Devizes Conservative town councillor who once suggested the street festival wasn’t โdiverseโ enough, despite it was so obviously the most diverse event Devizes has ever seen!
Whereas two councillors, one independent and another a Guardian, stopped by to praise my attempt to engage and stage young people. A third was the hopeful and right choice, Guardian candidate for Devizes East, Rosemary McDonald, who did likewise, and when she did, those Masters of the Tory Universe shamefully laid in waiting for her, like snipers at the gate.
Today the same councillor, Wallis, one which others earmark as some kind of arch- nemesis of Devizine, whereas I’d rather it be simply that whenever there’s trouble at mill, he’s grinding it, is showcasing their Devizes East candidate for the by-election, Laura Ayling. Apparently Laura is single handedly going to tackle antisocial behaviour in the Market Place, and is seen shaking the firm militant hand of none other than Dirty Harry PCC Wilko, right there, on the spot.
You have to chuckle if this is the spinning point for the desperate Conservatives, being the Devizes Guardians have already written to Wilko on the subject, requesting a larger police presence. Odd how, hey presto, as soon as the prospective Conservative candidate steps in, the apparently apolitical PCC too busy to reply to Guardians, who boasts of shooting people on his Faceache page, around the same time Wallis tried to encourage me to interview him because Iโd find heโs actually a โreasonable guy,โ manages to suddenly find the time to majestically ride into town like Clint Eastwood for a photo opportunity.
The antisocial behaviour in the Market Place isn’t a political matter, it’s as it says, a social one, directed at Devizes police to keep the peace. It is unfortunately going to occur whoever sits in the seats, and however many officers they can throw at it. Therefore no political party is to blame, and no party can resolve it any better than another, in my honest opinion. But, it’s clear from this outrageous Facebook post, those trusty Tories will make it a core of their battleground, and play is going to get dirty. Their hypocrisy reaches its peak today, when I will thoughtfully let you in on a secret; Mr Wallis made an official complaint to the town council, because Rosemary was photographed in Sidmouth Street! Oh the outrage!!
Rosemary came to Sidmouth Street partially because I invited her to, begging your pardon sir, being that rightfully addressing youth issues in Devizes is part of her campaign, and core to one of our objectives, of which you saw the results of in the very street this weekend; thank you for coming, and I hope you missed the part where I sang with the legend who is Ruby! Devizes Market Place, Devizes in general, isn’t a battleground, and Sidmouth Street isnโt the trenchline, Rosemary does, surprisingly, have a right to walk down it, just as we have the right to throw a party there.
Ha! And others even rallied in the comments sections to try and blame DOCA for this rise in anti-social behaviour, without any reason or logic, because once you publish your rant, no matter how valid your point, these threads of negativity spiral out of control. Hereโs two classic quotes, for example: โAnd a woman outside Boots openly peed on the pavement!!!โ And โTrump could of organised better and it would of been the best best ever event!โ
It’s a shame the original comments made from traders who directly benefited from the Festival of Discovery at the weekend were overshadowed by those who claimed they unfortunately didn’t, but it is the negative which pushes the circus into the big-top. The ignoramus absurdity that Trump should work for DOCA, and then heโd put a stop to people peeing outside Boots, is why weโre in the shit we are in, surely?! Brittox of Trump, letโs rename it now, save him the bother when he arrives.
Yes, there were huge gaps in happenings in the Market Place, space is required for safety of some of those acrobatic and circus shows, but the remaining gaps were supposed to be filledโฆ. by you! You! The ones, it seems, who opted to cry on Facebook instead. Is this the way of things now, or was this just an unfortunate isolated incident? Because I’m concerned.
This event was so well-organised and staged so many amazing features it should have attracted thousands. The fact it didn’t left me wondering why, and wobbled my head with many thoughts.
I thought about the Reclaim The Streets parties in the nineties, where anarchist eco campaigners took dumpsters and blocked streets, resulting in one giant rave, and no disgruntled whingers. I tried to imagine it happening in Devizes, and what the result would have been. We had no Facebook to bark at then, but even if Devizes was a Conservative safe-seat, still, I refuse to believe its population were ever party poopers, before this terrible today where the flag flies half mast.
Even in this modern era of Trumpconomics, Bristol sound systems simply hang speakers out of a window, and the community outside gathers to party like there’s no tomorrow, likely because there isn’t. There’s often even an elderly lady rocking with her zimmer-frame. Why are we so stuck in mud here in Devizes? It’s a brilliant little town, where they ironically hashtag #nothingeverhappensindevizes – I hope the users of this gag-tag aren’t the same ones crying like spoiled babies, because some people here thought it’d be nice to throw a random bash in October. Oktoberfest, anyone? It’s a thing elsewhere!
Then I gave consideration to Street Festivals of yore, how we all gathered to enjoy ourselves, and worry last weekend illustrates how times are unfortunately changing; you canโt give away a festival in Devizes. I remember with fondness how I got up on stage at the last one, to introduce Nothing Rythmes with Orange, to a sea of people covering the entire Market Place and cramming down the Little Brittox to get in; what an incredible effort from the good people of Devizes. Thereโs a photo Iโll drop below; ask yourself, are you there, and if so, did you attend this weekend, and if not, why not? Genuine inquiry.
Iโm aware and appreciate the sterling efforts made by so many, including Councillor Ian Hopkins, who freely created the Street Festival, and remember what Loz brought to the table. A blaze of colour and curiosity, a natural development of the unusual, especially here in Devizes. I gave consideration to the Ceres/Ruth Pierce display, her parting gift to Devizes, which held everyone spellbound, even the drinkers who took the day as the piss-up they dubbed Black Rat Monday, stopped and watched in awe! Where was Lucy and Wilko to save us from those black rats back then, eh?! Back then, we coped with the extra traffic, we didnโt require ten kazillion Facebook posts to remind us it was happening, we just made our way there, and celebrated all that is good about living and loving our town.
Loz and everyone contributing their time to DOCA, deserve the key to Devizes city, for the wonderful events they have driven, not the verbal criticism they so poorly often receive. It really makes me worry about the bigger picture, the terrifying thought that this rise of the far right will see the demonisation and degradation of arts throughout the country, not just Devizes. They seem to hate anything which challenges their regressive social restrictions or questions the insular society in which they wish to live under, and that just happens to be pretty much all interesting art and creativity.
Someone even had the audacity to redden about those brilliant Hydropunk neighbours of ours, pointing to the defunct hosepipe ban as a source of their anger, like a hundred litres of water is going impact the global water shortage; did they fail to observe the absolute thrills on the faces of our youngest residents as they flocked to play with the hydro apparatus, or did they simply not care for want of ranting?
Two other horrifying comments on the thread, abhorrent about this weekendโs festival, suggests the struggle is real: โStop public funding for “Arts” there are much more important things to spend public money on!โ where I wonder what else this person thinks the Arts Council funding should grant other than arts, or are they more simply seriously misinformed about how DOCA is funded, (through this grant and public donations,) and one other which puts an opinion quite bluntly; โThis crap has to stop!โ Find that guy sulking in the kitchen at parties!
But to assume misinformation is root to the outcry doesnโt excuse an ex-town-councillor exiled to Rowde Parish Council, Chris Greenwood, for he knows precisely what he means, and it was this monstrosity of evil: โI have always been concerned by the wholesale lack of transparency and accountability from DOCA. They appear to be the one organisation that has the ability to close down roads in the Town Centre almost at random. Iโm led to believe that DOCA is considering a rebranding exercise, as the Arts Council have apparently indicated that Devizes doesnโt possess a broad enough spectrum, from which to extract an audience – either pedestrian or vehicular. One of the new names having been considered is โRaking In The Moneyโ which does seem rather apt, as the Arts Council have stumped up a few hundred thousand over the years, until tightening the screws after the Flying Fiasco a few years ago! A significant chunk of the proceeds also have a history of being distributed well outside our Borough, rather than supporting local performers.โ
Oh hi there Chris, your stab at humour is hardly on a Billy Connolly level. Did you come and see the eighteen local young performers I staged on behalf of DOCA this weekend? Because I certainly didnโt see you wobble past in your Crocs at all. Did you notice local musicians John E Wright, Del-Boy Jepson and Sarah Tarry in the Brittox? And given that, who made you Judge Judy on such matters?! You misinformed Professor of Penistry!
I trust I can go out on a limb here, as heโs unlikely to have read this far, and remind our readers that this is the despicable Mr Toad and Wallis bumchum who falsely claimed bird flu killed the freezing cold malnourished swan on the Crammer, so they could cull all the pigeons and gulls, and who banned me from his petty Facebook page for suggesting a police officer who was an active member of a hunting criminal ring who stupidly filmed themselves actually killing a fox, was a conflict of interest!
Are you therefore going to believe the absolute filthy pig swill which spews from these verminโs mouths?! Or are you going to say, you know what, I might forget the petty nonsense from grandstanders and political pointscorers, and enjoy the time I have left on this godforsaken planet?! The Festival of Discovery was brilliant, with the potential to thrill the whole town, if they bothered to show their disgruntled mugs!
by Ian Diddams images by Gill Morrell and Penny Clegg
How all the other passions fleet to air, As doubtful thoughts and rash embraced despair, And shuddโring fear, and green-eyed jealousy – Merchant of Venice, Act 3 Scene 2, William Shakespeare
O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is the green-eyed monster which doth mock The meat it feeds on; that cuckold lives in bliss Who, certain of his fate, loves not his wronger; But, O, what damned minutes tells he o’er Who dotes, yet doubts, suspects, yet strongly loves! – Othello, Act 3 Scene 3, William Shakespeare
Thus says firstly Portia, but more specifically Iago to Othello, in the eponymous play, ostensibly to warn against jealousy, but in fact manipulating Othelloโs insecurities in his Machiavellian scheming. And thus this โShakespeare Liveโ autumn touring production gains its show name, as director and deviser Gill Morrell has creatively and carefully curated a number of Shakespeare scene, with the common theme of jealousy. Most Shakespearian plays performed by community theatre groups typically have a few actors multi-roling in generally supporting character roles, but here Gill has taken a cast of nine all multi-roling performers across twenty-three pieces, taken from from a mixture of twenty-six plays from Shakespeareโs tally of thirty-eight!
The focus on โjealousyโ understandably means the tragedies and historical plays are well represented, but even so ten comedies are included in this collection. As Gill says herself โJealousy turns out to be a prime motivation for conflict in love, families and politicsโ. And how we see these examples from โOthelloโ, โKing Learโ and โHamletโ segue smoothly with โA Midsummer Nightโs Dreamโ, โTwelfth Nightโ and โMuch Ado about Nothingโ.
It would become a litany of names and characters to list everybody and each of their roles which would bore everybody, so I shall desist here other to say the cast of Hero Fancett, Penny Clegg, Sarah Horrex, Liz Hollis, Jeremy Reece Iain Lowe, Roger Hames, Jim McCauley and Charmian Norman Taylor between them portray two full ensembles and a mind boggling sixty-seven characters, with not a little panache, style and vigour.
All of the above were more than excellently supported by stage management of Connor Palmer, James Dennis, Graham Paton and Ellen Read; tech by โ who else?! โ Alex Latham; music by โ who else ?! โ Laurie Parnell; costumes by Hermione Skrine.
Of course, to learn who plays which parts, in which extracts from which plays there is a very simple solutionโฆ to get yourself to a show during this Wiltshire tour
Marden House Centre, Calne – Weds 21 Oct The Town Hall , Corsham -Thurs 22 Oct The Merlin Theatre, Frome -Fri 23 Oct The Cause, Chippenham – Sat 24 Oct
“What are you doing in my swamp?!โ Shrek asked a horde of fairytale creatures, exiled to his wood by Lord Farquaad in his namesake Dreamworks 2001 award winning film. Everyone loves that ogre, which began as a fairytale parody, but, even if as banter, his name has become an eponym embedded into popular cultureโฆ.
In this case, though, Shrek is either Mac’s Theatre School students Harry Yandall or Cameron Nash, Lord Farquard is Amelia Mascall or Zoe Miller, and the swamp is Devizes School! Yes, Mac’s is bringing Shrek The Musical to Devizes from 28th to 31st October…I’m a donkey on the edge!!
In its tenth year, the troupe at Mac’s Theatre School has achieved notable success, winning Eisteddfod medals and taking home glowing reviews for their ambitious musicals like The Addams Family and Our House; and not just from us!
They auditioned and performed on the main stages of Disneyland Paris, but it’s the audience who also benefit from their specialised workshops hosted by West End professionals, and high production standards, utilising professional sound technicians, lighting designers, and a live backing band. Mac’s provides inclusive, affordable weekly training in acting, singing, and dancing for children aged 4 to 16, but the standard of their performances will amaze you!
The other main roles go to Lily Ancrum or Isla Poirot as Fiona, Jacob Marsh, or Immy Foster as the unforgettable Donkey. We wish the whole cast the very best of luck!
Shrek the Musical is a Tony Award-winning stage adaptation of the original 2001 DreamWorks animated film, featuring music by Jeanine Tesori and a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It expands the beloved movie into a full two-act theatrical production with 17 original songs, diving deeper into the backstories of Shrek and Fiona.
Tickets for the shows are available HERE, or at Devizes Books. While it’s unconfirmed if they’ll have parfaits, I guarantee you, those Mac’s kids are amazing, and you’re in for an entertaining evening!
Okay you lovely lot, who are deffo coming The Festival of Discovery this weekend across Devizes, and who, deffo, going to pay us a visit at Albion Place, yesterday I highlighted all the wonderful acts we have performing on Saturday, but we do it all again on Sunday too…..
So here’s what we have lined up on Sunday, and it is equally as amazing as Saturday, so don’t over do it the day the before, and find us, same time, from 11:30 until 5:30pm at Albion Place in Sidmouth Street. Here’s who we have playing for us; ooh, I’m so excited and couldn’t hide it even if I wanted too!
From Devizes and performing as Tamsin Rose, at fifteen Tamsin already has built an impressive portfolio both as a singer-songwriter and guitarist, and acting. Tamsin attends Stagecoach, and has performed in numerous stage shows and musicals, including the poignant lead as Anne Frank for the Wharf Theatre.
Lois is from Devizes, currently studying at Sixth Form near Winchester. Lois is our youngest writer for Devizine, ever! She also performs at open mics.
12:40: Indigo Avenue
Indigo Avenue is a duo consisting of Rufus Townsend and โฆโฆ.. Rufus is Trowbridge based, and the guitarist for Devizes-own riot grrrl band Steatopygous, who have recently toured with The Pumpโs Sketchbook Records.
Alife is sixteen, and a singer-songwriter from Warminster who has already taken on stages in Warminster, Frome and Trowbridge. He busks in Bath regularly, sharing his original music and covers with the world. His original music follows a blend of indie rock, with RnB and chill guitar music.
This summer Alfie was invited on stage by frontman of the Kooks, Luke Pritchard, to play guitar with the band in front of thousands of people during their set at the Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall.
Orla is a singer-songwriter from Bath, and she brings with her Jack Hughes, as an acoustic duo who have been performing together for a few years in various bands. Orla played Womadโs launchpod stage, and I met her first at Courting Ghostโs Three Trees Festival at Trowbridge Town Hall.
In our review of this brilliant festival I called her performance โclearly one to watch. With crystal vocals she gave us some divine originals, including a particularly poignant one called Mouthwash, and made Crowded Houseโs principal her own.โ
Seren is a folk singer-songwriter from Warminster with a voice you wonโt forget.
Seren performs a mixture of original songs and covers. โMy favourite covers to perform are Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield, and Black Star by Radiohead,โ she tells me. โI first started performing in May 2024, and since then I have performed at CorFest 2025, Swinterfest, and have supported Irish folk musicians in Salisbury including The Henry Girls, Daoirรญ Farrell, and Tim Eady and Mike McGoldrick. I am inspired by a mix of artists/musicians and genres such as folk, indie, pop, indie rock, and jazz.โ
Seren regularly performs with Meg Hoy, who performed as our headliner on Saturday.
Poppy Rose is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and vocal coach from Bath, known for original acoustic pop. Weโve been reviewing her recordings for a few years now, but Iโve not had the pleasure of meeting her in person, until now. James of BBC Introducing in the West played her newly released and completely unique EP, Let’s Go Swimming.
Ruby is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist currently residing in Bradford on Avon. Ruby is likely no stranger to Devizes, regularly playing our venues and festivals here, as well as busking with bagpipes.
Ruby grew up playing music anywhere she could. From her first performance at the Edinburgh fringe festival, to Celtic connections and many folk festivals around Scotland, Ruby’s background created the best foundation for her ongoing career in music.
Her second EP released in August 2025 has created a stir. Her debut single Caller Unknown, with help from Tim Burgess of the Charlatans and produced by Freddie Cowan of The Vaccines, was first played on BBC6. Rubyโs other music has found its way into Celtic music radio, Radio X, BBC introducing South West, BBC Bristol, Cornwall and Devon as well as Bath Radio and Radio Wilts and many local radio live lounge sessions. Awarded the Best Female Solo Artists at the 2025 Wiltshire Music Awards and Second Place Instrumentalist as a Highland Piper, opening the awards event as the special guest.
So, youโre joining us at Albion Place on Sidmouth Street in Devizes this weekend, right?! Donโt say Iโve not told you about it once itโs over!! Thereโs so much going on for this Festival of Discovery and DOCA have worked tirelessly to provide an amazing FREE weekend, but Iโm here to tell you a little bit more about who we have playing in the Devizine Launchpad areaโฆ.
You can download the program HERE and find some amazing things going on throughout all three zones; amazing things Iโll likely miss because Iโll be with sound engineer Simon Stockley, Ian James of Light & Sound, and these amazing young and talented singers, songwriters and musicians:
I’ll start with Saturday and bring you news of Sunday tomorrow…..
Saturday 17th October
11:30: Stan Jenkins
Stan is a thirteen year old singer-songwriter and guitarist from Trowbrigde. A student of Bath & Wiltshire branch of The Rock Project, Stan joined the Trowbridge Town Hall Youth Board and with friend Oliver Clark recently sold out Trowbrigeโs Old Town Hall organising a teen open mic evening.
I’ve not seen Stan perform myself yet, so get here early and let’s kick this off together in style!
Sienna is a singer-songwriter and actor from Swindon. She began writing and performing aged ten, and released her debut single Petals in 2022 at fourteen. Her style is dark folk-rock to pop, with progressive accompaniments. Sienna vocalised for AuralCandy, and is inspired by her father, Richard Wileman of Karda Estra. Sienna is currently studying at BA Musical Theatre in Winchester.
Though I’ve not yet met Sienna in person, we’ve been covering her singles for a few years, and she contributed to the second 4 Julia’s House compilation album with Petals.
Braydon Lee Jones is a fifteen year old solo acoustic singer-songwriter from Calne, and is rapidly becoming one of the South West’s most exciting young artists. Despite performing live for just over a year, his incredible stage presence has already landed him on major stages like the Bristol Harbour Festival and the Phoenix Festival in Cirencester. Blending a diverse mix of well-loved covers with a growing catalogue of country-infused original material, Braydon-Lee brings a fresh, high-energy performance that appeals to music lovers of all ages.
It has been a massive breakthrough year for the young artist, who was recently featured on BBC Introducing in the West and is currently shortlisted in the Top 5 for three separate awards, including Best Male Artist, Best Newcomer, and Best Original Track for his hit single, Endless Summer.
Unfortunately I missed Braydon at CrownFest this summer, but I did catch him for the first time at FullTone Festival a couple of years ago!
Jodie is twenty-three, a Cheltenham UGC travel creator, musician and vlogger.
With over 103k followers on Tiktok, Jodie creates aesthetic content to showcase hotels/airbnb brands in a natural and relatable light. Sheโs worked for Tiktok Live, and has experience in social media marketing. Jodie also regularly busks and brings her own spin to popular covers.
That’s where I first saw Jodie, busking in the Devizes Brittox!
Ed Dowdeswell, a level 3 music student, is an emerging grassroots singer-songwriter and musician based in Devizes. The stepson of Jamie R Hawkins of The Lost Trades, heโs learned from one of the best. Ed also fronts Chippenham band Olympiad.
Ed is often found at open mics, I first saw him at The Fold’s open mic in Devizes.
Rosie Jay is an indie folk-rock-alternative professional singer-songwriter from Salisbury, currently studying music at Bath Uni. Rosie writes her original music and creates haunting and memorable lyrics and riffs that capture the world around her, creating a captivating experience for the audience an evening of walking in her shoes. She won two Wiltshire Music Awards last year, runner-up in a third!
So impressed with Rosie’s singles, we become friends a few years ago, and I first saw her performing at The Crown in Bishop’s Cannings.
Emelia is a singer-songwriter from Marlborough, currently studying for GCSE’s. With a passion for storytelling through song and performance, Emelia’s last performance at MantonFest blew me away, along with everyone else watching!
Emelia is a regular at MantonFest and RamsFest and also enjoys musical theatre, performing in school performances, and has previously performed professionally at the Watermill Theatre in Newbury.
Meg Hoy, or M3g, is an original singer-songwriter of indie-folk from Chippenham. With numerous local appearances from The Pump to Swindon Shuffle to Minety and Chippenham Folk Festival, her self-penned songs are uniquely poignant experiences. Influenced by artists like Florence Welch and AURORA, she has been performing live since age 14 and has built a notable local presence, including winning The Neeldโs battle of the bands, and opening for Frank Turner at the Bristol O2 Academy. Her music is celebrated for its emotionally transparent, unique lyrics, which she roots deeply in her personal experiences and her autism.
I first met Meg when my daughter Jess was doing work experience with Devizine, and she interviewed Meg. We’ve been friends since, and no matter how many times I’ve seen her perform, she always takes my breath away.
I’m so pleased Meg is headlining our Saturday, and everyone else who is playing; I’m more excited then they are! But, we’ve another day on Sunday, same time same place, and don’t think for a second I’ve put all my eggs in one basket, because Sunday is going to blow your mind; I’ll be back tomorrow to highlight who’s coming on Sunday!
Wowzers, it was four years ago since we last mentioned local singer-songwriter and musician Lou Trigg, when we reviewed her single to come out of Potterneโs Badger Set studio, Flowers. Itโs a good time to catch up, because Lou is releasing a three track EP called Delaying the Inevitable, this Friday (16th October,) where the finale is a second part to Flowersโฆ.
At the time I called Flowers, โa chorale delicacy,โ which โtrickles along sublimely,โ and there’s been no change of style since, only a huge development in the narratives, and Louโs ability to express them. All these songs are equally angelic and orchestrally ambient anti-ballads, which, with subtle piano, angelic backing chants, acoustic guitar and the occasional moody drum, perfectly balances the distinctive and euphoric desperation in Louโs voice.
This time around Lou recorded them herself at Mudlark Sound Studios outside Bath, and Martin Spencer mastered them at The Badger Set. Thereโs three tunes, subtle folktronica, complete, quite short, yet songs with that kind of ambience which leaves me wondering what magic someone like William Orbit would make of them.
You (Her) has a slight electronic buzz but is deeply poignant. It takes the โtalking to the other womanโ narrative of Jolene to the next level. I mean, we never know if Jolene acts on the obsessions of the storytellerโs partner, itโs all in the assumption, but here, the broken-hearted narrator sends the cheater directly to the third party, dejected but with a warning of his negative characteristics. Itโs a moody break-up song where, even when thereโs sadness, thereโs something magically and satisfyingly uplifting in this beautiful song. This tenet flows through the three tunes.
Home has the hook and commercial viability, and drifts so wonderfully youโll believe youโve known this song all your life. The differences here being it seems more communal, and any doubts in the relationship seem subjective, that the object of her desires is metaphorically as comforting as home, when they choose to be. โItโs a song about your birthday wish,โ Lou described, โthat every birthday, you wish for the same thing and will, until you get it, what you once had.โ
The second part of Flowers is a melodic conclusion to the past ballad, and slightly more folk-inspired, with only a delicate and perfectly placed electronic click. It ventures to a dark denouement, capturing the mood of a victim of an emotionally abusive relationship and impels the listener to mourn, or at least take sorrowful heed. โIt ends the story I began to tell,โ Lou explained, โunfortunately, it didnโt have the best ending, but I decided to share my story, as many women will have gone through similar. I thought it was an important story to finish.โ
Thereโs an honest melancholic passion driving these songs, reaching out to the spellbound listener. Lou stresses this closure of Flowersโrelays a dark time in my life,โ and every sublime beat is a tear the listener feels on their own cheek. It really is on an Adele level of emotional expression. But the magic here is also lying heavily on the distinction of Louโs powerfully unique vocal range, and the musical compositions reflecting them. And for these elements included, and so cleverly combined, these three beautifully poignant songs match what Adele left the world.
Now I know at this exceptionally high accolade of a comparison youโll cry, โoh you, with your saccharine flattery,โ and assume that Lou must have some really posh biscuits in her biscuit barrel Iโve got my eye on! But Iโll tell you now, that bloke with the lovely smile, Mr Threlfall, has been spinning Home on BBC Introducing in the West last week, and Lou knocked these songs for a six at Komediaโs Electric Bar last night. So, just you wait until Friday, check them out for yourself, and youโll realise thereโs more than a packet of M&S All Butter Scottish Shortbread at stake here!
Delaying the Inevitable, is out this Friday (16th October.)Here’s Lou’s Spotify, follow and pre-save!
Not just a pretty spiral church, there’s plenty for Bishop’s Cannings to be proud about. Evidence with the personal touch recently defeated a brazen landgrab,โฆ
Friday afternoon at The Lamb, tucked away behind the Town Hall in our market town, with my aim to introduce two aspiring local singer-songwriters whoโฆ
Swindon-based adrenaline pumping five-piece Liddington Hill released their first EP for three years, and Radium is highly radioactiveโฆ.. For most on the North Wessex Downs,โฆ
Whatโs that? What have we been missing? Well, itโs been a while since the last Talk in Code single, and thereโs one coming our way on Friday (16th October,) so thatโs a good startโฆ.
Ah, those gorgeous guys could turn a straight manโs head, with their bridging the gap between eighties new wave electronica and nineties indie pop, dancing around it clad in Adidas, and generally creating timeless anthems; and this one is another high impact tune, with upbeat euphoric ambience, racing choruses and rousing hooks.ย
What Iโve Been Missing fits their lovable trademark style, and is particularly reminiscent of the memorable eighties power pop of Go West, Duran Duran, or Deacon Blue. In equal measure it corresponds to contemporary indie trends from the likes of the 1975, The Killers, Two Door Cinema Club, Fickle Friends, Years & Years, and Keane. Unarguably another earworm their fans will be singing straight back to them.
What Iโve Been Missing, is to be released on Friday 16th October 2026 via Regent Street Records. Aligned to their discography, this substantive and dynamic track also has thoughtful prose of romantic circumstance. With a narrative of conflict between approach and avoidance, and its denouement, frontman Chris Stevens uses the hyperbolic idiom, โWhere have you been all my life?!โ to define it. In the final discovery of a soulmate, he expresses, โweโve all got that little something or someone, that missing piece in our lives. Or is it that we just crave more, all too often?โ
“Imagine finding a person who you really click with,โ guitarist Alastair Sneddon furthers, โall the anxieties about getting into a new relationship are there, close to the surface, waiting to burst out. It’s exciting, you know the person is going to fill that space that you have been feeling is empty, but it’s just difficult to say out loud; this is that internal monologue.”
If the theme is a sentimental catharsis, the release of emotion rests, and is delivered by the infectious soundscape their devoted fanbase adore them for. Chris expresses it as a โretro-infused, euphoric indiepop banger which will have you dancing round the house in no time!โ
What Iโve Been Missing was recorded at The Pines Studio, Berkshire.
Talk in Code took home six awards at the 2025 Wiltshire Music Awards, including Best Original Band, and Best Original Song. They have 1 million+ streams, 3 million views, and 35 radio ‘A’-list adds. They signed to London’s Regent Street Records, with active sync representation via Big Hug Music Group and Play Equals Sync.
Their recording and performing history details three albums, and a constant variety of gigs, festival appearances, and tours, where they appropriate their surroundings and thrill audiences. Talk in Codeโs momentum progresses, sharing stages with Ash, Sleeper, Years & Years, The Feeling and Scouting for Girls across Victorious Festival, The Great Escape, Godney Gathering, Jurassic Fields, and performing at iconic venues such as The Cheese & Grain, Frome, The Horn, St Albans and The Fleece, Bristol.
Despite substantial growth, their loyalty to their supporters, dubbed โtalkers,โ remains paramount in all their activities. Putting โfan community first,โ Talk in Code has acquired an unparalleled fanbase and ingenious merchandising, through an active WhatsApp fan group to a unique Lego-inspired loyalty reward scheme.
What Iโve Been Missing is released on Friday 16th October, across all streaming platforms. Talk in Code have an instore session planned with HMV Swindon and later that evening of Saturday October 17th, they will be playing a hometown single release show at The Victoria, Swindon.
And believe me, you may have seen Talk in Code before, they get around a bit, but the best place to see Talk in Code, Talkers will tell you, is at their home-ground in The Vic, Swindon. With support From Bluebeard and the Desperate Hours, it’ll be a great night!
People power in Devizes! Due to pressure from Devizes retailers and councillors, Wiltshire Council today revised their plans for essential cable works in Devizes, originally set to commence during the busiest Christmas periodโฆ.
Retailers were informed the works were planned from 12th October until 18th December, covering The Brittox, Little Brittox, Wine Street, Long Street, Morris Lane and The Shambles. Making it clear they were not against the works happening, just the poor timing, which, with stop-go traffic controls, threatened to lessen footfall during the crucial Christmas shopping period, Ida McConnell of Devizes Retail & Independents rallied local retailers and councillors to ask Wiltshire Council to consider postponing the work. And it was successful.
Wiltshire Council posted an update, stating theyโve โworked closely with Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks, to agree a revised programme of works in Devizes that significantly reduces disruption and protects the townโs important festive trading period.โ
This included a promise the current works would be completed by 21st November, that any remaining work has been pushed back until January, and access to shops and businesses will be maintained throughout. They also stated work on Little Brittox will take place between 5pm and 11pm to avoid normal trading hours, and activity on Thursday market days will be reduced between 9am and 3pm.
After an initial โwhoohoo!โ Ida said,โThe original letter was initiated by us at the request of Justina from The Healthy Life Company, and Faye from Fayeโs, with support from Jodie at The Gourmet Brownie Kitchen, three local retailers,โ and she thanked them. Ida also thanked all town and county councillors who โworked together to get the issues addressed.โ
And herein lies the secret as to how this happened so effectively. Ida said, โthis was a team effort from local councillors from different political persuasions,โ giving special praise to Devizes South Cllr Maria Hoult, Devizes North Cllr Ian Hopkins, and Devizes East Cllr Jonathan Hunter, as well as the two hundred people who signed the letter to the council.
In a time where local Conservatives are abusing the Government-enforced waste food recycling and three weekly bin collections change to fiercely rally their candidate for the Milford by-election, Laura Jones, hoping it will topple the Lib Dem led county council, this joint effort should illustrate exactly why any need to topple them should be taken with a pinch of salt. On this issue, as with many others to date, the newly led Wiltshire Council clearly listened, and responded positively.
Yet Devizes town councillor Iain Wallis is seemingly expanding his โlocalโ boundary to include campaigning in Salisbury, and said, โvote Conservative in Salisbury Milford and they will no longer be running the council. A vote for anyone else will allow them to continue.โ But we could only speculate how the outcome on this issue might have differed coming from a Conservative led Wiltshire Council, and, more worryingly, what lengths they would be prepared to go to in order to secure this win; would they jump in bed with Reform?!
In their desperation to regain control, this nightmare scenario is more likely than we might imagine, and then theyโd be too busy singing the National Anthem, like every council meeting is the World Cup Final, to have sorted this so quickly!
Local issues are more effectively resolved when councillors disregard any national party affiliation and work together with the public; this success story proves it. Compared to the previous Conservative led Wiltshire Council, the Lib Dem new guys have only just got their foot in the door, and things are already looking better. They deserve to be given a chance in my opinion.
Meanwhile, not to overly poison this good news story, the success of our local indie shops during the Christmas build up no longer can be governed by, or blamed, on roadworks; only on and by you, shopper! This ballyhoo would be a completely and utterly pointless waste of time if you then go and shop online anyway! We must support our local businesses and do a Christmas shop here, in Devizes.
The word โvery,โ rarely an adjective, as in โit happened in this very house,โ or โthis is very Terry Edwards,โ but commonly worthlessly used as an adverb, as in โitโs very cold today,โ or โthis is the very best of Terry Edwards.โ While the album simplifies it to the ambiguous โVery Terry Edwards,โ itโs BandCamp page suggests, โThe Very Best of Very Terry Edwards,โ which though itโs exactly what it is, itโs also one adverb enough for the most lenient of proof-readerโs red line. Yet, if the usage of very is erm, very worthless, it is the only thing on this album which is.
The multi-instrumentalist, best known for trumpet, flugelhorn, saxophone, guitar and keys, marked his sixtieth birthday last September releasing this three-CD best-of box set, and while I shouldโve mentioned it last month, between putting batteries in toys and stuffing myself with pigs in blankets things got tardy. Right now, though, I can think of no better outstanding project to kick off our music reviews for 2021. Reason only partly because it ticks all my personal favourite genre boxes, more so because of the range of said genres is far greater than run-of-the-mill best of compilations.
We need to assess Terryโs biography to understand the reason for this variety. Funky punk and second-gen ska most obvious, as from 1980 he was a founding member of Two-Tone signed band The Higsons, after graduating with a degree in music. But around that time Terry also produced and played on the Yeah Jazzโs debut album, of whom, despite the name, were particularly folk-rock.
Terry in 1984
From here the vastness of Terryโs repertoire blossoms, as session musician for a huge range of acts, from Madness to Nick Cave, PJ Harvey and The Jesus and Mary Chain to, particularly notable, The Blockheads. As well as his solo material, with his band The Scapegoats and a stint with dark punk-blues outfit Gallon Drunk, itโs understandable collating this in one reminiscent anthology is a mammoth task and a melting pot. Which is just what youโre getting for your money, a very, as the grammatical disorderly title suggests, worthy melting pot.
โWhen the earliest recording here was made the 18-year-old me couldnโt comprehend being 60,โ Terry explained, โyet here I am presenting a triple album containing 60 titles recorded between 1979 and 2020, through thick and thin.โ Therefore, it must be more tongue-in-cheek than Iโd suspect Roger Daltreyโs notion now of My Generationโs lyrics that for the opening track he opted for The Higsonsโ โWe Will Never Grow Old.โ
โYouโd expect an overview of my career to have some odd bedfellows and more than its share of quirks and foibles,โ he continued, โbut itโs been compiled to flow musically rather than have a chronological narrative.โ
That said, the first four tunes from his original band follow, with all their fervent rawness. Terry covered his tracks though, โI immediately break my own rules by starting with The Higsonsโ earliest release and debut single, but redeem myself by following up with the most recent recordings; two ballads recorded with Paul Cuddeford (Ian Hunter, Holy Holy) in February 2020. There is more method than madness; groups of songs which follow a theme or genre are found together regardless of when theyโre from.โ Indeed, weโre then treated to three tunes in a matured, mellowing jazz and blues, the latter of which with the vocally perfected Erika Stucky.
Then weโre into rock with The Wolfhounds, and a guitar-twanging Christmas blues song with Robyn Hitchcock, plodding jazz with Knife & Fork, post-punk Big Joan, avant-garde jazz with Spleen and rockabilly styled New York New York. While mostly jazz-related, this first disc graduates through genres with finesse.
Terry is like Georgie Fame with a Mohican, but whatever avenue is explored, you can guarantee quality. The second CD starts with a bang, upbeat mod-jazz with The Scapegoats. Thereโre more known covers here, sublimely executed Herbie Hancockโs Watermelon Man, a superb solo rendition of The Cureโs Friday Iโm in Love, as if Robert Smith wore a Fred Perry, and a hard-rock electronica version of Johnny Kiddโs Shakin all Over with the haunting vocals of Lisa Ronson. Even find an orchestral film score, and a piano solo of the knees-up capitalโs favourite, May Itโs Because Iโm a Londoner.
Yet if both the quantity and quality on offer here is so vast to make me waffle, it doesnโt waiver for the final disc, rather itโs my favourite. A BBC session outtake of a jazzy Voodoo Chile, with altered title to โChild.โ Dunno, canโt be a typo, the dedication to attributing to Hendrixโs masterpiece is no easy feat, lest it be known Terry manages it with awesomeness dexterity, with a saxophone!
If the last CD continues with on a jazz tip for two tunes, weโre transported to ska via John Holtโs Ali Baba by Lee Thompsonโs Ska Orchestra and other sundry members of Madness, and Totally Wired by Terryโs โSka All Stars,โ and more ska-jazz with Rhoda Dakar. Post-punk follows, featuring The Nightingales with Vic Goddard, Snuff, Glen Matlock and Gallon Drunk. Perhaps my favourite parts being the shouty cover of The Human Leaguesโ โDonโt you Want Me Baby,โ by Serious Drinking, and the general dilapidation of seriousness with new wave tunes mirroring the unsubtlety of Ian Dury & The Blockheads.
Hereโs a jam-packed box-set brimming with variety which flows suitably and makes a definitive portfolio of a particularly prolific and proficient musician. For many itโll hold fond memories, for younger, who think Kate Nash created the cockney chat-rap, or jazz wasnโt the same until Jamie Cullum came along, itโs a history lesson theyโll never forget!
This 60th birthday, 60 track-strong celebration spans over four decades. A triple CD clamshell boxset with 24-page booklet, but more importantly they say, โVery Terry Edwards is a birthday present to himself as much as anything else,โ giving it the impression youโre on a personal journey, like a child sitting on their grandpaโs lap while he recites memoirs, blinking exciting ones!
A sad state of affairs and reflection on the era, to see village pubs dilapidated and closed, once thriving hubs of a community. I thought this as I drove past Bottlesford’s Seven Stars just the other day, for it was the last pub standing within the Woodborough area, aside from a hike into Pewsey orโฆ
Some four years since his last release under his own name, Lavingtonโs electronica composer Moray McDonald presents a soundtrack; the music he wrote and produced for Devizesโ Wharf Theatre’s production of Kit Marloweโs Doctor Faustus, which was performed back in Januaryโฆ.. It was one of those rare occasions I stepped in to cover the dressโฆ
Can we please draw a red line under Pewsey’s Moonrakers St George’s Cross facade fiasco now Wiltshire Council has u-turned on a proposal forcing landlord Jerry Kunkler to paint over it? Providing we don’t draw a vertical red line at its centre-point, yes!! Locally It’s created divided opinion, but reaching national media has wonked theโฆ
Sketches and Written by Brian Edwards If not too distracted when bumping into townsfolk and village friends, you might remember to get more of a cheese you liked or that essential part for the vacuum cleaner….. As regular readers of Devizine will know, one of the understated pleasures of Devizes is having a wander aroundโฆ
The award-winning film, โThe voice of Hind Rajabโ will be shown for one night only on Monday 18th May at 7pm at Swindon Arts Centre….. In January 2024, 6 year old Hind was killed along with her cousins, aunt, uncle and two paramedics from The Palestinian Red Crescent who came to their aid after theirโฆ
If options for urbanites seeking experiential or themed dining experiences are boundless, theyโre lesser so in our rural backwaters. Yet, weโve returned from a delicious and most memorable Sunday lunch at The Water Gypsy, a working longboat pop-up licensed restaurant cruising the Kennet & Avon Canal; itโs the unique and enjoyable experience you really needโฆ
Thereโs a cold remote ambience of burrowing doubt in the opening of Westburyโs singer-songwriter Serenโs debut song, in which, as the title suggests, she uses a worm analogy to convey shadows of diffidence. Yet, it is a breath of fresh air of resilience, and an exhaustive equilibrium in which to express sorrow and build fromโฆ
We are pleased to start 2026 by announcing that this year, we are planning to run the Imberbus service on Saturday 15th August 2026 when several vintage former London Transport Routemaster double deckers (plus a few newer ones) along with some visiting buses from other areas, will again provide a bus service from Warminster Stationโฆ
The biggest risk for any media reporting negatively on illegal raves is that, in their youth, their fifty-plus target audience probably attended illegal raves themselves! What the actual F are they trying to prove with their negative coverage of an illegal rave, when tax-dodging billionaires ripped a financial hole into the country, politicalย extremists march causingโฆ
Devizes Music Academy is set to bring joy, energy and a whole lot of sparkle to the stage with its latest musical theatre production,ย Sister Actย later this week…..ย Following the outstanding success of previous productionsย SIXย andย Everybodyโs Talking About Jamie, the Academy continues its run of ambitious, high-quality youth theatre with this feel-good favourite, based on the much-lovedโฆ
Righty, a pop quiz question prior to todayโs review, if youโre game? Look at the three people pictured below, which one of them influenced reggae music the most, A, B or C?
Answer: A. Did you guess right? Probably, because you know me well enough to know it was a trick question! C is Jamaican National team footballer, Allan โSkillโ Cole, though as a close friend of Bob Marley he became the Wailers tour manager and was credited in co-writing some songs. And B is just Brad Pitt with a Bob Marley makeover for a biopic which has yet to see the light of day!
On the other hand, A is Sister of Mercy, Sister Mary Ignatius Davies, a teacher of Kingstonโs vocational residential school, Alpha Cottage School, a school for โwayward boys.โ A devotee of blues and jazz, she operated a sound system at the school and tutored many of Jamaicaโs most influential musicians. As a musical mentor for graduates she dubbed โthe old boys,โ would later make up the backbone of The Skatalites, producer Coxsone Doddโs inhouse band which shaped the very foundation of ska at Studio One.
The Skatalites in 1964
Here is the unrivalled benchmark of Jamaican music, as well as a plethora of instrumental ska classics, just like Booker T & the MGs were the inhouse band of Stax, The Skatalites backed more memorable singles from too many singers to sensibly name here, yes, including Bob Marley.
To suggest a ska band isnโt as good as Studio Oneโs Skatalites is not an insult, rather a compliment to even be mentioned in the same sentence. Itโd be the rock equivalent of saying that guitarist isnโt as good as Jimi Hendrix. For all intents and purposes, Cosmic Shuffling are not a new Skatalites, but to find anyone to come close nowadays, you need not look further than Switzerland; yeah, you read that right.
Ska in Switzerland usually abbreviates Square Kilometre Array, the forefront organisation of fundamental science, with a mahoosive universe-scoping telescope. Yet Iโve discovered some stars of my own, creating some sublime ska music. While Skaladdin are strictly ska-punk, and the amazing Sir Jay & The Skatanauts are majorly jazz-inspired, there is a scene blossoming. Geneva based combo Cosmic Shuffling are ones to watch. With a penchant and dedication to the authentic golden age of Jamaican sounds, Cosmic Shuffling deserve a comparison to Skatalites more than anyone else I could roll off, even to note, theyโre Fruits Recordโs inhouse band.
After a few scorching singles on Fruits Records, Cosmic Shuffling release an album, Magic Rocket Ship, tomorrow, 13th November. Nine tracks strong, this is mega-ska bliss. Without the usual ethos of speed being the essence, this lends perhaps closer to rock steady, but prevalent horns give it that initial changeover between styles, when ska was slowing, due to curfew in Jamaica and a particularly sweltering summer. Rock Steady mayโve been short-lived but was reggaeโs blueprint, skaโs successor and arguably the most creative period of Jamaican recorded music history.
If youโve even a slight fondness for traditional ska and reggae, I cannot recommend this enough. At one point I felt the English lyrics slightly quirky, with wonky connotations perhaps lost in translation, albeit with a tune stimulated from a Dr Seuss character, namely The Cat in the Hat, I guess seriousness is not on the agenda. Neither are vocals wholly on show here, but the โtightnessโ of the band, making the composition of every tune simply divine. I canโt fault it, only jump and twist to it like it was going out of fashion! Which, by the way, in my world, it never will.
Magic Rocket Ship is both a tribute to Jamaican music and a breakthrough into the innovative world of the sextet. Recorded in the aesthetics of sixties sound; ribbon microphones, magnetic tapes and analogue saturation, by extraordinary Spanish producer Roberto Sรกnchez, itโs a delight to listen to. From itโs opening vocal title track, which doubles up as an explanation to the band name, to the fantastic instrumental up-tempo finale Eastern Ska, every tune is a banger.
Perhaps with Anne Bonny as the most subject worthy, Short Break the most romantically inducing, and Night In Palermo being the most sublimely jazzy, itโs clear with Magic Rocket Ship vocalist Leo Mohr, with Loรฏc Moret on drums, backing vocals and percussion, Mathias Liengme on piano, organ, backing vocals, percussion, Basile Rickli on alto saxophone, backing vocals, Anthony Dietrich Buclin on trombone, backing vocals and bassist Primo Viviani. With guest guitarists Roberto Sรกnchez, Josu Santamaria and Tom Brunt, Gregor Vidic on tenor saxophone, William Jacquemet on trombone and trumpeters Thomas Florin, and Ludovic Lagana, Cosmic Shuffling have set a new benchmark, mimicking those legendary Skatalites, without the help of a nun. At least, I donโt believe there was a nun involved!
A superb new live album from Dublin’s finest ska-reggae outfit, The Bionic Rats….
Thereโs some wonky logic in the character Jimmy Rabbitteโs bemusing outburst in The Commitments film, โThe Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So, say it once and say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud!โ Persecuted before the slave trade, there are some intelligible contrasts between the oppressed races.
Still, the thought of Dublin conjures rock legends to outsiders of every decade, be it from Thin Lizzy to Skid Row and U2 to The Script. Diverse as any city though, if you thought the idea of music of black origin was the stuff of films, think again.
Far from a retrospective regression going through the motions of a bygone Two-Tone era, The Bionic Rats are an exciting, energetic reggae and ska six-piece from Dublin with a building collection of original and stimulating material. Even their band name, I suspect, is taken from a Black Ark tune, Lee Scratch Perryโs renowned studio. Yesterday they released a dynamic album doing their thing where they do it best, on stage, in their home city.
In a conclusively roots reggae inspired track, Red Gold and Green, frontman, Del Bionic lays down a chorus not so far fled from the Commitments quote, โreggae is talking about the things I bear witness to, on and off the Liffey quays. Iโm not Jamaican, Dublin born and bred, I don’t wanna be a natty dread,” Though a bulk of the material here is upbeat ska, if it relates to a modern ska era, it borrows extensively from Two-Tone, particularly for itโs no bullshit attitude and social commentary. A component definingly reggae, or correlated to any plight of poverty and societal righteousness in general. It rings out the enduring message, reggae is universal.
Reggae often takes on board regional folk roots, be it influenced by, or using traditional instruments of that area, the recent surge in Balkan ska for example. Yet, the only local element the Bionic Rats take is said Irish bitter repartee and attitude within their subject matter.
Their sound is beguiling and directed towards the very origins of Jamaican pop music, and skanks to any highest region! The very reason why theyโre a force to be reckoned with, internationally, having shared the stage with their mentors, Madness, Bad Manners, Horace Andy, Israel Vibration, Johnny Clarke and their aforementioned namesake, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, also opening for Damien Dempsey and Imelda May. A hit with the crowds at the One Love Festival in Sussex, London International Ska Festival, theyโve made the frontpage of eminent Do The Dog Skazine, Doc Marten’s used their song Dear John for an online campaign and they continue to skank the crowd at Dublinโs longest running reggae night โThe Sunday Skankโ in the Temple Bar.
Ironically the 2009 debut album was titled Return of The Bionic Rats, and since three more albums have followed. The good news is, wonderful as their studio albums are, we can all now pretend weโre in the crowd of a Sunday Skank with this beauty of a recorded live show, and boy, do they give it some.
The premise is simple, as it is with ska. Lyrics often minor compared to offbeats and horns. Subject matter slight; between girls, lust, dancing, record buying and being rude, the Rats offer sentiments on prejudges, tyranny and oppression, but seldom will romance be on the cards. You may not be enchanted by The Bionic Rats, who describe this release as โperfectly capturing The Bionic Rats in all their sloppy greatness,โ but your waistline will get a darn good workout.
While weโre tempted by the simplicity of the upbeat ska sound in danceable tracks like Annie Oakes, the sweary Bad Garda and the particularly well grafted tale of obsessive record buying, Hooked on 45s, thereโs roots, like aforementioned Red, Gold & Green, and rock steady numbers such as prejudice themed Dear John. Thereโs no end of expected banter and comical themes, such as the English Beat sounding Girl with Big Hands. Then thereโs that contemporary third-gen fashioned ska-reggae but wrapped in a no-bars-held cussing, of which titles speak for themselves; Twisted Little Bitter Little Fuckers, for example.
Such is the expected acrimonious nature of an Irish ska band; lap it up, itโs refined rudeness. Done too, with experience, The Bionic Rats rose from the ashes of Dublin-based reggae band, King Sativa, who were active on the scene from 1998 until their breakup in 2005. Their guitarist Graham Birney, and drummer Anthony Kenny moved over to the Bionic Rats. Like them, or not, Iโm convinced they probably donโt give a toss, but going on this superb live album, you certainly canโt ignore them.
San Diego, California, 2018, King Pops Horn and son, Korey Kingston began on a musical partnership, merging Koreyโs deep vested love for dub and reggae with his fatherโs tenure as a decorated traditional jazz singer.
Gathering a gang of musicians with resumes including savvy veterans from The Aggrolites, Rhythm Doctors, Suedehead, Brian Setzer Orchestra, The Original Wailers, Stevie Wonder and a pianist who plays organ for the San Diego Padres baseball team, they formed Shuffle & Bang.
Over multiple recording sessions taking two years, this unique musical journey culminated in an accomplished album, Island Bop. Pirates Press Records, partnered with the bandโs own Jetsetter Records are ready to deliver this gem to the world on 6th November; everything about it suggests itโs right up my street and banging loudly on my door.
And it is, and it is loud. Dressed as a classic Blue Note jazz album, with indistinct band-in-action photo and simple capitalised font running down the left side, it comes exceptionally close to capturing the elegance of an era of definitive jazz and soul. Yet it drifts wildly between genres, a surprise to know whatโs coming next in many ways, but often, perhaps, constituting a Jack-of-all-trades.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, to hit the benchmarks of such legendary epochs, to come close to all the variety of influences represented here in one shebang, from Blue Note to Stax and Studio One, is quite near impossible. You got to hand it to them for trying. For all it is worth, it is accomplished, highly polished and grand. Itโs exceedingly entertaining and highly danceable, to boot! Just donโt let the cover art allow to run off with the idea youโve stumbled upon a new Marvin Gayeโs Whatโs Going on.
At all times, no matter what subgenre itโs mimicking, itโs brash but not slapdash, flamboyant and proud. Thereโs minimal subtly of soul, delicately tight riffs of ska, and to cast it overall is to say it is akin to big band, as itโs in your face and wonโt let you escape, even if you wanted to, which, you probably wouldnโt. Big Band does jump blues, ska, soul, and even by the end, dub reggae.
Yep, you heard it right; it ticks all the boxes. The opening song is a deep acapella with a booming Teddy Pendergrass fashioned soul voice, whereas the second sets the running theme as this big band panache. Taking the jazz end of a classic ska sound, the third tune dragged me onto the dancefloor, or my kitchen lino to be more precise; yep, Iโm reviewing while washing the dishes again!
Switching back to Cab Calloway big band groove for a fifth song, it is perhaps the next which is most interesting to date, Naima maintains a big band style but serves it with a rock steady riff. Quickly as it does it, it shifts again, onto a shuffle rhythm with some killer horns, more Louis Jordan than T-Bone Walker.
Within the thirteen strong songs, the whole album is showy and that makes it rather magnificently inimitable, and because of this running big band ethos incorporating all the various styles, at no time does it jerk into an alternative genre, shudder the goalposts, rather surprisingly, they flow all rather splendidly.
It gets unpremeditated and rides the Ratpack train, with beguiling vocal gorgeousness, When I Take My Sugar to Tea, particularly, or a take of traditional ska like the Skatalites, but the next tune might again return to up-tempo swing. Given our Louis Jordan reference, the only recognisable cover is his Tympany Fiveโs Let the Good Times Roll, at least you think it is, until the end song.
If you figured this cover might act as a grand finale, prepare, because after a drum and cymbal interlude, the groove suddenly and without warning dubs. Yep, true dat; with a deep rolling bass and reverbs akin to King Tubby, and perhaps melodica to impersonate Augustus Pablo, we are treated to a divine dub of the Gorillazโs Clint Eastwood. Although theyโre calling it Drum Song.
The culmination forces you to hardly recognise the style at the beginning of the album, and to return to it might make you think, no, I want to go listen to some Sly & Robbie now instead. However, Island Bop will rest accustomed in a jazz, blues, soul or reggae record collection, and you will return to its gorgeous portrayals. For all its swapping and merging, yes, Island Bop is hard to pin down, but for eclectic jazz and soul fans, its refreshingly experimental and a damn good groove!
Local reggae a rarity around these backwaters, but when it does rise you can trust Pop-A-Top Records is a watermark of quality. Since prolific Swindon Skanxter keyboardist, Erin Bardwellโs amazing solo album, Interval, heโs rubbed his unique style into a collaboration with Hotknives co-founder, Dave Clifton on this sublime project called The Man on the Bridge.
A double-A EP was out in April, followed this week by a six-track album A Million Miles. There are chilled echoes of rocksteady and traditional boss reggae blended with slight roots and dressed with a garnish of Bardwellโs inimitable take on the genre. Naturally, thereโs a splinter of Two-Tone reggae too, which works on so many levels.
Dave Clifton
The Hotknives are best known for their live albums, but did release one studio album The Way Things Are. Formed in Horsham, back in 1982, they principally play ska. Guitarist Dave Clifton was among the original line-up. He left in 1993, but with a slimmer roster the band still perform today.
Opening tune to A Million Miles, Donโt Blame Me, is immediately likeable rocksteady, and wouldnโt look out of place on a classic Trojan Tighten Up compilation. Looking over the Land plods securely, resonances Erinโs band the Erin Bardwell Collective and is just simply beguiling.
Erin Bardwell
Just Dreaming though dubs, is as at sounds, dreamy, using flute, by another ex-Hotknives, Paul Mumford of Too Many Crooks, it connotes that eastern dub vibe of Augustus Pablo. Yet with Believe we return to chugging boss, with sublime horns, also by Mumford, and Daveโs picking guitar riff. The guest vocal is a refreshing change, provided by Pat Powell of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra. Proof, as Iโve said, ska is an international thing, and the Melbourne Ska Orchestra are pushing boundaries on the other side of the world.
Title track, A Million Miles again deviates, fusing a slight English folk influence, it reflects memories and cites Dave and Ansell Collins and the OโJays in a theme of a lost romance. Never Say Never raps up the journey you donโt want to end, with a plonking fairground twist; as if Madness worked with UB40. With Erinโs dream team, Drummer Pete O’Driscoll, Pete Fitzsimmons on bass, except Looking Over The Land where long term friend from The Skanxters, Vinny Hill features, weโre in capable hands, and this is a memorable collaboration producing a superb and varied mellow reggae vibe. You need this right now!
“The Truth is Hard to Find celebrates their unique but retrospective style with a passion for pop-reggae, an uplifting beat, chugging ska riff and beguiling two-tone vocal harmonies….”
Far from what the name suggests, and common generalisation of the genre, I found Northamptonโs six-piece reggae/ska band, The Bighead, not in the slightest egotistical and very approachable! Thus, Iโll be spinning their tunes on Ska-ing West Country on Friday, and for the foreseeable future.
That said in this era where a plethora of bands like the Dualers and Death of Guitar Pop have breathed renewed energy and a fresh approach to the UK two-tone scene, which otherwise risked falling into a diehard cult of seniors on Lambrettas who spent their pension on a pair of cherry Doc Martins!
Though nothing with Bighead is as the frenzied ska blended with delinquent-filled punk of yore. They tend to flow maturely, with rocksteady and roots reggae, while attire the fashion akin to the two-tone era. Iโve no issue there, through the furious ska thrashings of The Specials, the downtempo Ghost Town is likely cited foremostly, and on the island of origination, the short rocksteady age between ska and reggae was undoubtedly the most creative musical period in Jamaican history.
Seems while previous decades hugged youth cultures which devoted to a sole variety of Jamaican music, newly formed bands, like Bighead in 2008 by Da Costa, follow a similar ethos as what we discussed when Trevor Evansโ Barbdwire came to Devizes Arts Festival. They select the benefits and choosiest elements of ska, rocksteady and all subgenres of reggae, and fuse them with sublime results.
Thereโs a plentiful gap to fill, and itโs all trilbies and shades for Bighead. Their May single, The Truth is Hard to Find celebrates their unique but retrospective style with a passion for pop-reggae, an uplifting beat, chugging ska riff and beguiling two-tone vocal harmonies, signifying an optimistic new era for the old genre. In contrast, the other two brilliant tunes Da Costa kindly emailed me, Step Up and Try Me Again, rely on roots reggae and doo-wop rocksteady respectively.
The Bighead are no strangers to the festival and club circuit, have headlined and supported original 2-Tone acts such as the Beat, The Selector, Bad Manners and a 2013 show with Madness. Theyโve played over Europe and are regulars on the Berlin Reggae scene.
So, polish your boots, snap on your braces and follow Bighead; not that I should really be flattering a band who are already self-confessed big heads!
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On first hearing Wonderland of Green, I was like, yeah, thatโs as sweet as a sugarcane field. But itโs moreish; every listen it approves all elements, everything I love about reggae, and why I love it.
Fruits Records may be based in Switzerland, but their dedication to authentic Jamaican roots reggae is paramount. This latest release featuring the Silvertones is a prime example, a sublimely balanced one-drop riddim with all the hallmarks of reggaeโs golden era; the roots sound of the seventies, Black Ark, the legendary studio of Lee “Scratch” Perry, and the Roots Radics rub-a-dub riddims of the early eighties. These traditional styles echo through this 7โ EP; the heavy bass, the offbeat guitar riff, and the traditional female backing vocals as passed into mainstream by the Wailersโ I-Threes.
Yet it also pounds contemporary at you too, fresh sounding, with a version, Living In A Wonderland, toasted by Burro Banton, an incredibly gritty-voiced DJ popular in the late eighties and nineties dancehalls of Jamaica. Even the subject matter of Wonderland of Green is timeless, as it suggests, itโs earthy and ecological, a tenet inherent in Rastafarians long before it became trendy.
The band behind the riddim is the 18th Parallel. Produced, composed and arranged by Antonin Chatelain, Lรฉo Marin and Mathias Liengme, and recorded at Genevaโs Bridge Studio by Liengme. Thereโs an instrumental on the flipside, and an extra killer dub mix by French wizard Westfinga, who retains the retrospective ethos using the traditional dub values set by King Tubby.
Burro Banton
But what makes it so thoroughly beguiling is the vocals by The Silvertones. A legendary vocal harmony trio from the early ska era, originally, Keith Coley, and Gilmore Grant, with Delroy Denton joining early in their career. Delroyโs individual baritone and guitar skills saw him quickly become the frontman. Though he migrated to the States and was replaced by Joel โKushโ Brown.
Though the only remaining member is Keith, who takes lead, thatโs just technicalities, as the modern line up rests with Norris Knight and Nathan Skyers on harmonies, both of whom have solo careers in their own right.
Westfinga & The 18th Parallel’s Wonderland of Dub
Recording at Coxsone Doddโs Studio One, they interestingly triumphed in Jamaica with their debut single, a ska re-creation of Brook Bentonโs โTrue Confession,โ a track producer Duke Reid would also have the early Wailers record, but the Silvertones is indisputably more poignant. They also recorded under guises The Gold Tones, The Admirals, but most popularly as The Valentines, prevalent with the skinheadโs ska revival era was a tune called โBlam Blam Fever,โ denouncing the rude boyโs gun culture.
The Silvertones
Through the late sixties they enjoyed success recording for Reidโs Treasure Isle label and Clancy Eccles, as vocal harmonies became more significant during the rock steady era. Yet their dominant period was the early seventies when they stepped into the converted carport which was Black Ark.
The eccentric amplifier genius, Lee โScratchโ Perry is renowned for getting the best out of any artist, he shaped the way we view Bob Marley & The Wailers. With penchant for outlandish, heavyweight psychedelic sound testing, he was the experimentalist who would pave the way for dub pioneers like King Tubby.
Historically then, Wonderland of Green slips right in as if itโs been there all along, but prominent now with its environmental subject matter, itโs gorgeous. I look forward to blasting it on my Boot Boy Radio show this Friday, maybe blending versions together, even if theyโre live from the Skinhead Reunion, and whoโs punters would favour boss reggae!
Wonderland of Green is newly released this week, as download, or on regular black wax 7โ vinyl and on a beautiful limited and numbered picture sleeve edition with opaque dark green vinyl; how apt!
Two things former humble truck driver Gerry Watkins is a natural at, plucking an ingenious idea and putting it into action, and putting on a gig to fund it. In 2017 Gerry raised four-grand to buy a double-decker bus, which he converted into a homeless shelter in Cirencester. Since heโs launched a similar plan in Swindon, and continues to raise funds for this amazing homeless project. The Big Yellow Bus project is innovative but simple, and Gerry works tirelessly to keep it running.
With live music teetering on return, it still maybe a while before some venues are ready to reopen, despite yesterdayโs sudden given date of August 1st. The following weekend, 7&8th, sees a grand restart for The Big Yellow Bus, to get funds rolling once again. The Tavern Inn in Kembleplays host to this glorious two-day mini festival, which is free, with collection buckets for the Big Yellow Bus doing the rounds.
Music plans to kick off at 7pm on Friday 7th August with our good friends, Absolute Beginners. I know, like most, Cath, Gouldy and the gang will be itching to get back to live music. While thereโs still a few gaps in the line-up to confirm, The Roughcut Rebels will be a welcomed act, introducing their new frontman, the one and only Finley Trusler; an awesome unification we look forward to hearing. Mick O Toole is also on Fridayโs header.
Saturday 8th though is an all-dayer. Paul Cooper (Martin Mucklowe) from the twice BAFTA award-winning BBC tv series, This Country, will be opening up the event at midday. Shaun Peter Smith will be the Compรจre for the day, as Miss Lucy Luscious Lips, heโs certain to add a little bit of glamour and sparkle. Thereโs a number of faces I know to this busy line-up, and plenty new to me.
An interesting Opening at midday, Ascenda are a four-piece, playing smooth music with a rock edge and thoughtful, theatrical vocals. Their current collection of songs ‘Celeste,’ forms a love story that explores conflicts; solitude versus companionship, and spirituality versus practicality.
Cath, Gouldy and the gang return as The Day Breakers at 1pm, with their irresistible blend of Celtic and mod-rock covers, itโs guaranteed to go off! Swindonโs all-girl rock and pop covers band, Bimbo follow at 2pm. Dirty and filthy punk is promised to followed with The Useless Eaters, a band who accurately recreate the iconic sound of late 70โs British and American punk.
Six Lives Left
Cirencesterโs masters of high-energy classic eighties rock covers, Loaded Dice are on at 4pm, followed by a mesh of Britpop, new wave and ska with SkAโD Hearts at 6pm. Era-spanning soul follows with Joli and The Souls, and rock restarts in style with Six Lives Left. Sticking with six as the magic number, the finale will be from Calneโs fantastic misfits of Britpop and new wave, Six O Clock Circus, who are always up for a party!
Joili & The Souls
Yeah, itโs all slightly out of our usual jurisdiction, but with a line up like this, all for such a great cause, and with limited events these lockdown days, this is highly recommended and worth the effort. Kemble Railway Station is right opposite The Tavern Inn so itโs easy to find.
Note, putting such an event on so early after lockdown will not be without expected guidelines, everyone must abide by. Gerry urges social distancing and that you respect those around you. โThis is all done so you can enjoy yourself and have a great time watching and dancing to great live bands and performers, thank you for all your support and together we can have a great time.โ I’m sure they will, Gerry. If anyone is heading off from Devizes, gimmie a lift, pal, because this sounds unmissable!
If last yearโs fortieth anniversary of Two-Tone Records saw an upsurge of interest in this homegrown second-generation ska, it shows no sign of flawing anytime soon. Perhaps you could attribute parallels to the social and political climate of our era, or debate intransigent devotees are reliving their youth, but Iโd argue itโs simply an irresistible sound.
One thing our eighties counterparts didnโt have to contend with was the Covid19 pandemic, and musicians of every genre are reflecting on it. Ska is of no exception, weโve seen many contemporary performers releasing new material on the subject, but here we have a legend doing his thing, topically.
The Neville Staple Band releases this timely single, Lockdown. A dynamic modern-sounding reggae track, yet encompassing all the goodness of the Two-Tone era of yore. Understandable, original rude boy Neville Staple is conversant with this, a founder member and co-frontman of The Specials, Fun Boy Three and Special Beat. Those influences shine through here. Thereโs something very Fun Boy Three about this tune, with a slice of poetically-driven Linton Kwesi Johnson to its feel.
As true as the song suggests, in lockdown Dr Neville Staple has teamed up with wife Sugary Staple, to pump out this relevant single, commonly reflecting on the feeling of many concerning the virus and staying safe. โSugary came up with the idea to write a song about the lockdown,โ Neville explains, โwhich, at first, was a very fast-stomping ska track. We then realised that it was too fun and happy a tune for the theme. Most of us have been quite down about the whole virus thing, so we decided to take it on a more sweet but moody 2Tone reggae route, in a similar vein to ‘Ghost Town’, with some music we had worked on previously with Sledge [Steve Armstrong.]โ
While I detect echoes of Ghost Town, this tune also breathes originality and present-day freshness, confirming progression of the genre rather than a frequently supposed nostalgia. Being a local site, some may recall his visit to Melkshamโs ParkFest last year, where an unfortunately damp evening didnโt stop the revelling, and Neville stole the show with an assortment of Two-Tone classics. I was backstage with the wonderful support band Train to Skaville. A chance meeting with Neville, when he popped out of his tent for pizza, humourlessly failed to engage long enough to explain who I was, and ended with him pointing at his pizza-box and saying โyeah, Iโm going off to eat this.โ I shouldโve known better than to harass a legend when their pizza is chilling in drizzle! I nodded my approval, knowing Iโd have done the same thing.
Neville was awarded an honorary doctorate from Arden University last year. With a tour, and so many international shows and festivals postponed, the couple decided to do a lot of extra charity work as well as new song writing. DJ recordings for people sick in hospitals or in isolation, personally dedicated to them, was just the start. Sugary and Neville wanted to highlight the work of Zoeโs Place, a charity run for terminally ill babies and toddlers. As ambassadors for this charity, Sugary expressed, โcharities like these really do suffer at a time like this, as the focus is on other things. But the work they do at Zoeโs Place is like one of a kind and so very special. They step in when families really do need the support, providing 24-hour high quality, one-to-one palliative, respite and end-of-life care for children aged 0-5 years. A heart-breaking time for anyone involved. We must not lose a charity like this – it is too important and so we will be supporting this, along with other charities we are patrons or ambassadors to, with this single.โ And the duo dedicates this song to all those who have been affected by Covid-19.
Shared to our Boot Boy Radio DJs, you can expect we will be spinning in for the foreseeable future, but you can get it here:
SPECIAL NOTICE – FROM THE SPECIALS, NEVILLE STAPLE & SUGARY:
A MESSAGE TO YOU..! The Legendary Neville Staple (Dr), Sugary Staple & the Band, need your help please.
Can you wonderful people please donate just ยฃ3 towards this project (which will also get you 2 signed exclusives pics), or any random amount, or check out the mega exclusive vinyl 45ย & CD gift set offersย (these are going really well, and are extremely rare limited edition items, so grab them while you can). You just click this link and choose your reward, to then register your donation. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fromthespecials/lockdown-ska-2020-from-the-specials-neville-staple-and-sugary/ย ย
If you like a bit of ska and reggae, catch me on www.bootboyradio.co.uk Fridays from 10pm GMT till midnight!
If I penned an all-purpose article a week or so ago, about ska in South America being as prospering now as it once was in England, I follow it up with this grand example….
Argentinaโs Dancing Mood trumpeter and producer Hugo Lobo made history this week, releasing โFire Fire,โ a skanking upbeat cover of a Wailers rarity, by calling in international troops. Throughout this prolific career, Hugo endeavours to encourage legendarily collaborations, exalting the international genre and keeping the flame of Ska and Rocksteady alive.
Dancing Mood staggeringly sold over 200,000 albums. Hugo Lobo presented his debut solo album ‘Ska is the Way’ in 2017. This renowned trumpeter not only performed and produced for many of the south American ska and reggae bands I mentioned in my previous piece, but transcends to international acclaim, working with Rico Rodriguez, Janet Kay, The Skatalites, Doreen Shaffer, and Dennis Bovell. With Jerry Dammers, Hugo paid tribute to Rico Rodriguez in 2015 at the London International Ska Festival.
In a transcendental meeting, three generations of ska artists from the corners of the planet combined to recreate this 1968 musical nugget from the Wailersโ homemade label โWailโn Soulโm,โ where Peter Tosh leads. Jamaican-born British rhythm guitarist and vocalist Lynval Golding, of the Specials and who later founded the Fun Boy Three with Terry Hall and Neville Staple, is central to the single, yet he always is central to something ska! Lynval appeared on Glastoโs Pyramid Stage with Terry Hall backing Lily Allen, and the Park Stage where Blur frontman Damon Albarn and beatboxer Shlomo knocked out Dandy Livingstoneโs โMessage to You Rudy,โ a popular cover for the Specials.
Lynval Golding
With a generation-spanning rรฉsumรฉ, Lynval Golding continues with current group, Pama International, undoubtedly the UKโs most celebrated contemporary ska outfit who we were the first new band in thirty years to sign to Trojan Records. Yet through this huge portfolio, Hugo Lobo proudly announces his presentation is Lynval Golding’s first solo material.
Lynval with Jerry Dammers and Jools Holland
If thatโs not enough to whet your appetite, Hugo also called upon the current bassist of The Skatalites, Val Douglas to add to the enthralling sound. Check the bass on Bob Marleyโs โWake Up and Liveโ if you want a shining example of Valโs talent. Though Val is a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, composer and producer, working with just about any reggae legend you could name; Toots & The Maytals, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Ernest Ranglin, The Abyssinians, Delroy Wilson, Dennis Brown, Ken Boothe, Lloyd Charmers, as well as contemporary ska artists the New York Ska Jazz Ensemble.
Val Douglas
All this considered, it could go one of two ways, overloaded with ego and fighting for centre stage as would many legends of other genres, or simply a sublime sound. Bear in mind this is SKA, collaborations are more frequent and common than rock and pop, and unlike the often-pugnacious insolence of ska bands, thereโs never anything narcissistic about legendary collaborations. Glad to announce itโs the latter of the two ways, this sound leads the way. It holds all the catchiness we expect from ska, it heralds tradition but sounds fresh and innovative; the hallmark of the scene I love.
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Discovering a thriving ska scene in South America is like England in 1979โฆโฆ
Studio 1โs architect, composer and guitarist, Ernest Ranglin proclaimed while the US R&Bโs shuffle offbeat being replicated by Jamaicans in their early recording studios went โchink-ka,โ their own crafted pop, ska, went โka-chink.โ Theorised this simple flip of shuffle took place during Duke Reidโs Prince Buster recording session mid-1959, added with Busterโs desire to include traditional Jamaican drumming, created the defining ska sound.
Prince Buster’s block party on Orange Street
Coinciding with the islandโs celebration of independence in 1962, the explosion of ska was eminent and two years later the sound found its way out of Jamaica, when Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Prince Buster, Eric “Monty” Morris, and Jimmy Cliff played the New York World’s Fair. But if Jamaicaโs government revelled in the glory of the creation of a homegrown pop, behind the scenes, Kingstonโs downtown was using it as signature to a culture of hooliganism, known as The Rude Boys, and thwarted it. Through curfew and a particularly sweltering summer of 67, horns were lessened, tempo was mellowed and reggaeโs blueprint, rock steady, had formed.
World’s Fair, New York 1964
Forward wind fifty-five years and Jamaican ska pioneer, Stranger Cole launched album โMore Life,โ yet itโs released by Liquidator Music, a label dedicated to the classic Jamaican rhythms, but based in Madrid. Perhaps in similar light to Busterโs innovation, Jamaica doesnโt revel in retrospection and strives to progress; the last place in the world youโre likely to hear ska these days, is in Jamaica itself. Modern dancehall trends can be attributed closer to the folk music of mento.
But the design was set, and to satisfy the musical taste of Windrush immigrants in England, Bluebeat, and later, Trojan Records set to cheaply import the sounds of home. It was a combination of their offspring taking their records to parties, and the affordable price tag which appealed to the white kids in Britain. Thus, the second wave of ska spawned in the UK. By the late seventies the formation of Two-Tone records in Coventry saw English youths mimicking the sound.
Similarly, though, this has become today somewhat of a cult. Given the task of producing a radio show last year, for ska-based internet station, Boot Boy Radio, while aware of American dominated โthird gen ska,โ that there were few contemporary bands here, such as the Dualers, and Madness and The Specials still appeased the diehard fans, I never fathomed the spread of ska worldwide. The fact Liquidator Music is Spanish, it is clear, ska has a profound effect internationally, and in no place more than Latin America. Yet while Englandโs second wave is largely attributed to the worldwide distribution of ska, and waves the Union Jack patriotically at it, the sound of ska music spread to Jamaicaโs neighbours significantly prior.
Caribbean islands created their own pop music. Barbados had spouge, cited as โBajan ska,โ despite a completely different rhythm section more attributed to calypso. Columbia likewise saw a surge in cumbia during the early sixties, a genre derived from cumbรฉ; โa dance of African origin.โ
In South America though, ska was fused with their own sounds of samba, and particularly upcoming rock โnโ roll inspired genres such as โiรช-iรช-iรช,โ via Brazilian musical television show, Jovem Guarda. Os Aaalucinantesโ 1964 album Festa Do Bolinha predates Englandโs embrace of ska, the same year, in fact, as Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, et all playing the New York World’s Fair. At this point in time, through Bluebeat, English youth were only just discovering a love for Jamaican music, and Lee Gopthal wouldnโt found Trojan Records for another four years. This mesh of fusions gave birth to a creative period in Brazil, vocal harmony groups like Renato E Seus Blue Caps, and The Fevers followed suit, blending US bubble-gum pop with jazzy offbeat rhythms. It did not borrow from Englandโs mods; it followed a similar pattern.
Las Cuatro Monedas
Similarly, in Venezuela, Las Cuatro Monedas introduced ska and reggae as early as 1963, with their debut album, โLas Cuatro Monedas a Go Go.โ Through maestro arranger and composer, Hugo Blanco they won the 1969 Song Festival in Barcelona, and continued until 1981, when over here The Specials were only just releasing โGhost Town.โ Desorden Pรบblico is Venezuelaโs most renowned ska band, formed in the eighties. When frontman Horacio Blanco was still at school, he wrote โParalytic Politicians,โ an angry, anti-Hugo Chavez anthem which his fans still yell for. Although Chavez died in 2013, his protรฉgรฉ Nicolas Maduro has descended the country into political and economic crisis; one example where South American ska is equally, if not more, dogmatically defending justice as Two-Tone here in the UK.
Desorden Pรบblico
Chile trended towards cumbia through tropical orchestra Sonora Palacios in the sixties, therefore ska didnโt fully surface until the third-gen bands of the nineties. Even today though, Latin enthused bands such as Cholomandinga and reggae is favoured through bands like Gondwana. The modern melting pot is universal and extensive though, Iโve got a lovely cover of Ghost Town by Argentine cumbia band Fantasma, who cite themselves as being the first to develop a cumbia rap. And when upcoming, all-female Mexican ska band, Girls Go Ska sent me some tunes to play, a cover of the Jamโs David Watts was one of them.
Girls Go Ska
Allโs fair in love and war; undoubtedly the Two-Tone era of England has had a profound effect on the worldwide contemporary ska scene, so did their revolutionary principles. Peru commonly cites its scene commenced in the mid-eighties, when punk and second-gen underground rock bands emerged in Lima. Edwin Zcuelaโs band, Zcuela Crrada differed by having a saxophonist, and adopted a sound which bordered ska. Azincope and Refugio were quick to follow, not to the taste of the rock-based crowd who classed it commercialised pop. Psicosis came about in 88, the band to initiate the term โska bandโ in Peru, taking steps to eradicate the preconception. They won a recording contract through a radio contest, the jury expressed concern; the band were radicals within a pseudo-movement with libertarian ideas, and so the band refused to record.
Zcuela Crrada
With influences from the Basque ska-punk band, Kortatu, Breakfast continued the rebellious nature with ska in Peru, but discarded their discography. It will take us into the nineties to start to find orchestral flairs, when Carnaval Patetico and Barrio Pamara emerged, bringing with them the countryโs belated by comparison, second wave. Odd to see how punk gave ska a leg-up in this legacy, but the melting pot is bottomless.
Where some bands, such as Swiss Sir Jay & The Skatanauts, favour pouring jazz into their style, akin to how the Skatalites formed the backbone of Studio 1 through attending Kingstonโs Alpha Cottage School, others, such as the States bands like The Dance Hall Crashers prefer to fuse punk influences, Big Reel Fish takes Americana to ska, and one has to agree the tension of teenage anguish felt by eighties skinheads equalled that of latter punk-rock.
The Dance Hall Crashers
The rulebook is borderless and limitless, to the point there is no longer a rulebook, through an online generation one can teeter on the edge of this rabbit hole, or go diving deeper. If I said previously, Two-Tone is a cult in England, in South America ska is thriving. Some subgenres bear little relevance to the sounds and ethos of original Jamaican ska. Other than the usage of horns to sperate them from punk or rockabilly, off-shoots of skacore and skabilly tangent along their own path. Oi bands prime example, where a largely neo-Nazi tenet cannot possibly relate to an afro-Caribbean origin.
Again, the folk of a nation mergers with the sound, and there can create an interesting blend, such as the Balkan states, where the Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orchestra and Dubioza Kolekiv carve their own influences into ska. Which, in turn, has spurred a folk-ska scene in Bristol and the Southwest, bands like The Carny Villains, Mr Tea & The Minions and Mad Apple Circus, who add swing to the combination, and folk-rock bands such as The Boot Hill Allstars, confident to meld ska into the dynamic festival circuit. South America typifies this too.
Mr Tea & The Minions
Modern murga, a widespread musical theatre performed in Montevideo, Uruguay and Argentina hugs ska through carnival. Argentinaโs scene is as widespread and varied as the UK or USA, in fact it was former Boot Boy presenter, Mariano Goldenstein, frontman of The Sombrero Club who led me to the rabbit hole. If the name of this Argentinean band signifies Mexican, one should note, The Sombrero Club was a Jamaican nightclub on the famous โFour Roadsโ intersection of Molynes and Waltham Park Roads in St. Andrew.
Byron Lee @ The Sombrero Club
Journalist Mel Cooke recalls in a 2005 article for the Jamaica Gleaner, โalthough it carried a Mexican name, the senors and senoritas who stepped inside the Sombrero nightclub did it in true Jamaican style. It was an audience that demanded a certain quality of entertainment and, in the height of the band era the cream of the cream played there. โIt was one of the premier dance halls for bands, live music,โ says Jasper Adams, a regular at The Sombrero. โIf you capture the image of the dance hall in London at the time, you get an idea of what it was like.โ
Note the Wailers, bottom of the billing!
After the demise of the Bournmouthe in East Kingston, in a bygone era, The Sombrero was the place to catch ska legends, Toots and the Maytals, Tommy McCook and the Supersonics and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. There could be no name more apt for Argentinaโs Sombrero Club, for within a thriving scene which mimics England in the grip of Two-Tone, their proficient and authentic sound is akin to our Specials or Madness.
The Sombrero Club
It is, however, through Marcos Mossi of the Buena Onda Reggae Club from Sao Paulo, perhaps a lesser known band outside Brazil, who have really spurred my interest in South American ska, through their sublime blend of mellowed jazz-ska and reggae, and through it I realise Iโm still teetering on the edge of the rabbit hole. Aside the aforementioned bands, Iโm only just discovering Brazilโs Firebug, Argentinaโs Los Fabulosos Cadillacs, Los Calzones Rotos, Los Autรฉnticos Decadentes, Karamelo Santo, Cienfuegos, Satellite Kingston, Dancing Mood, Staya Staya, Los Intocables, and Ska Beat City, Cultura Profรฉtica from Puerto Rico and Peruโs Vieja Skina. Pondering if the list will ever end.
Bunena Onda Reggae Club
One thing this highlights, while ska is international now, with vibrant scenes from Montreal to Melbourne, Latin America holds the key to a spirit akin to how it was when I opened my Christmas present in 1980 to find Madness long player, Absolutely.
Tune into my show on http://www.bootboyradio.co.uk – Friday nights from 10pm till Midnight GMT, where we play an international selection of ska, reggae, rock steady, soul and funk, RnB, shuffle and jazz, anything related which takes my fancy, actually!
ยฉ 2017-2020 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
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Broke my hibernation last night to trek across the downs and catch Swindonโs Skandals play the Lamb in Marlborough; well worth the effortโฆโฆ
โSome proper drum and bass,โ yelled frontman of The Skandals, Mark Colton during the break of a Bad Mannersโ Special Brew cover, โnot like the shit the kids listen to today!โ In essence thereโs the summary of The Skandalsโ ethos, yet with the catchiness of the simple offbeat of ska, youโll commonly find every generation up dancing together. So, while the attitude is to appease the elder, skinhead, mods and scooterists, I think youโll find generations too young to personally recall the days of yore a band like The Skandals arrest, still love it.
This was certainly true in Marlboroughโs Lamb last night, as this Swindon ska cover band came to skank, with bells on. It was a squeeze in the crowd, with the aforementioned varied demographic, but none can resist the surge of retrospective ska. Limited to saxophonist Nina as the brass section, and without keyboards, this six-piece still manage to capture the spirit of the era and throw it back in your face loud and proud. Iโd wager this comes from experience; the band boasting not just Nina, but both guitarists Jase and Mark, who previously played with Swindonโs legendary Skanxters, and in turn this event brings fond memories to my old watering hole, as those Skanxters skanked here during their nineties reign.
Though frontman Mark also heads a new wave punk cover band, The Rotten Aces, among other projects such as Thin Lizzy tribute, The Lizzy Legacy. This punker angle showed through the playlist, as adroit but only subtly โskaโdโ covers of โEcho Beachโ and the Toy Dollโs bonkers arrangement of โNellie the Elephant,โ echoed between the more archetypal tunes of Madness, The Specials, Bad Manners, et all. I wanted to quiz Mark on what he favours, but when they stated they were taking a ten-minute break, it was far more punctual than most bands!
Pigeonholing I havenโt time for, and in a hedonistic moment it matters not. Example; they covered Rancidโs Time Bomb, pioneers of the ska-punk crossover that the international third-gen ska-heads thrive on. Yet the Skandals didnโt venture over this border, delivering predominantly eighties Two-Tone they were obviously inspired by, and giving the audience diminutive verbal notations as to why, amidst the usual banter. They were lively, fun and entertaining; everything a ska band should be, and would guarantee to liven up your venue or pub. Specials covers Rat Race, Rich Girl, Little Bitch and their version of Tootโs Monkey Man being the nimblest.
It may be a timeworn formula for a ska band to cover classics like Baggy Trousers, Lip Up Fatty and Mirror in the Bathroom, but like fish n chips, itโs clichรฉ because it never fails to thrill an audience, and The Skandals do it superbly. Interestingly, they added northern soul anthem โTainted Love,โ reggaeโs โPressure Dropโ and โChase the Devil,โ into the melting pot, and choosing โFood for Thought,โ as their UB40 cover is a wise move; anything post-Red Red Wine and itโs a cover band covering a cover band!
While Devizes has a thriving music scene, other than sporadic gigs from the scooter club, the pub circuit lacks ska and reggae, and you all know how I feel about that. If the mountain wonโt come to Muhammad. It was a delight to pay a visit to Marlboroughโs Lamb again, despite remining in Wadworthshire, itโs working formula stands the test of time. โWeโre quite lucky in Marlborough,โ a regular informed me, rattling off the Bearโs backroom, The Wellington and Royal Oak as fond live music venues, as well as the Lamb. Yes, I nodded my acknowledgment, but when ska comes to town thatโs where youโll find me! โLet me tell about Sally Brownโฆโฆโ
ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
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Put the kettle on; Balkan gypsy ska here in Bristol, Mutiny, the new album from Mr Tea & The Minions is a favourite for my best album of the year, with a top hat on.
Impressionable, I creaked the door on a near-expired student party, where a cocktail of Cinzano and shrooms polished off the amateur bassist, and he hung unconscious half off the edge of a sofa in his own puke. I witnessed scholar deprivation; comatose youth, crusty dreadlocks matted into a teetering Christmas tree, and a random arm draped over a guitar amp, howling feedback. I gulped, no partygoer standing, but an erratic noise of a โRed Roses For Meโ cassette whirling. Sounds blessing such a character-building eye-opener makes you reconsider your loathing for a particular genre of music.
Until then, my presumption of folk music was pruned from an overwhelming desire to hold primary school sweetheart, Trudiโs hand, and the only foreseeable method to achieve it; to opt for country dancing. Ever frustrated to find myself partnered with dowdy Emma instead, I guess it rubbed a revulsion for frumpy folk music, with its delicate romances of falling autumn leaves and daisies dancing in a spring zephyr. It can be nauseating, symbolic of my failure to caress Trudiโs nail-bitten digits.
The epiphany dusted, I bought the Pouges long-player, shaking my preconception solo until crusties like The Levellers came onto the scene, boiling the realisation folk doesnโt have to be frumpy, in fact, itโs an epoch, a peopleโs music, and the roots of all that followed owe it. But if that era of recklessly launching yourself around, knocking down parentโs ornaments and calling it dancing has come of age, and if the Pouges are now acceptable, seasonally, (they stole the best Christmas song slot from a band in tartan trozzers and platform shoes after all,) I say unto thee, Mr Tea & the Minions; itโs my new favourite thing.
Itโs not an awkward mesh of Despicable Me and the A-Team, rather a contemporary Bristol based, female-fronted six-piece ska-post-punk-folk Balkan-inspired riot, and their new album, Mutiny is beyond blooming gorgeous. Constructed out of lead vocalist and controller of โshaky things,โ Elle Ashwell, drummer Fabian Huss, guitarists James Pemberton, James Tomlinson and James (Fold) Talbot on bass, with manager Lucy Razz on violin, they formed six years ago through Jamesโ love of Balkan music. With the edges polished by collaborating with DJ Howla, and Jamesโ professed love of tea, Mr Tea & The Minions was born, a name which they say was โa joke that was never meant to go so far.โ
As Balkan, itโs fresh, electrifying and wonderfully danceable. Elleโs gritty shrill is apt and uplifting, the theme is often invitingly saucy, awakeningly tangible, sometimes metaphorically current affairs, but it hardly wanes in energy, and if it does you know itโs building to something. Mutiny is ten songs of splendour, drizzly evening enriching with a gypsy spin. Itโs a warm musky pub of yore, where a furtive crusty band jams and you spill your cider on a scraggy dog. It also riffs like ska, boils like The Levellers and rinses fresher than Shane MacGowan on his best hair day.
The Eye of the Storm, like the title track, and Pandemonium are the Fruit Pastels, breezier tempo tunes like the beautifully crafted The Spider and The Fly stun you in anticipation of the melody, but no single tune stands alone, thereโs a flow of prog-rock, and if it starts and ends with a little โmeow,โ itโs never completely nonsensical. Lyrics are sublimely executed, mostly evocative, but dashed with fun. Thereโs really nought bad I could say about this unique album, Iโll be dancing to it for the foreseeable future, maybe even look up Trudi on Facebook, she canโt still bite her nails.
Somebody local book these, pl-weaseeee; the Southgate or Barge would suit to a, pardon the pun, tea. Yet times are looking good for this madcap band, on the verge of another spectacular festival season and numerous gigs on tour, our closest to date is the Prince Albert Stroud Nov 22nd, Bocabar in Glastonbury on the 9th, or recommended homecoming at the Old Market Assembly, Bristol on 30th Nov. Failing this, try the Mutiny for size.
ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.
If Devizesโ thriving live music scene lacks one thing, in my humble opinion, itโs ska. I got to get over my grumpy, staying-in head-state for fear Celebrity X-Factor is the best mainstream telly can thrust upon me, drive to the Sham, if only for a pint. Ska will force my hand if nothing else will.
The Foresters Arms is a new one for me, but itโs immediately attractive, in a humble way. Functional, even for the eight-piece ska-cover maestros known as Train to Skaville. They fit comfortably; Devizes needs something like this, a reasonably sized pub-venue for a brass section to bounce, and a landlord wearing a Fred Perry and cherry Doc Martins. Proof was in the pudding; we are missing out.
Itโs a welcoming and friendly community spirited pub, with ample space to skank rainy blues away. Amidst bustling crowd of young and old, male and female, black and white, there was a point when the landlord was up having a jig himself, for jolly example. And a band, if whose appeal seems to fizzle east of Bromham, are welcomed with open arms here. I canโt drum this point any further, Train to Skaville are brilliant.
If doing this ska show on Boot Boy Radio has taught me one thing, itโs that this division is far from an aging retrospective minority who canโt shake their Two-Tone youth culture, rather an international burgeoning scene where bands under a โSka-Familyโ banner aspire to create new and original tangents. The foundation of which, though, is that classic period where the Windrush generation gifted us this offbeat sound for us to exploit to the max, and Train to Skaville embrace this. They are not out to be the next best thing, rather to supply an audience with the benchmarks they know and love, and to get them off their seats. They do this, with bells on.
Propping the foyer of the Foresters during the break, I laughed that although it was raining, it was nicer to be huddled inside, rather than the last time I caught this act, on a drizzly St Georgeโs Playing Field supporting Neville Staple. Jules of the band remarked happily that they could play Specials covers too, which were crossed out of a setlist prior to Neville wanting to understandably do them. Train to Skaville did just that this time; Ghost Town, Rat Race, Gangsters, you name them, they covered them with unique panache, a cut above the average ska covers band. Alongside typical Madness and Bad Manners floor-fillers.
But it doesnโt stop there, their repertories know no bounds, as they break it down to reggae anthems, owning Bob Marelyโs โIs This Love,โ Marica Griffithโs โFeel Like Jumping,โ and Timโs heart-warming rendition of Ken Bootheโs โEverything I Own,โ a tribute to his mum who he recently lost. There were tears, but veneration as the band played through. Our respect and condolences go out to Tim and his family.
I find though, even greater than knocking out known ska classics, or bouncing to boss reggae, when a ska band can produce ska versions of pop songs. Sometimes amusing, sometimes out of admiration of another genre, but for a ska-fan, often better than the original. Train to Skaville also have a line which branches out here, as a skanking Echo Beach rang out towards the end of the first half of the show.
A great night, great surroundings, and sure sign for me that Devizes needs to skank it up a bit!
ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.
Some years back I was told a ska band played the previous night in the village across the dual carriageway. Being an aficionado of the genre, I was disappointed to hear Iโd missed it; good enough reason we now have Devizine so you need not be like me and can hear of events before they happen!
Informed the band was called Train to Skaville worsened matters; such a great name, taken from the 1967 single of Jamaicaโs harmony group, The Ethiopians. The launchpad for a UK tour when it hit our charts, the songโs riff has been applied to many later songs, including Toots & The Maytalโs 54-46 and heralded the concept of the chugging train sound used in a plethora of later ska and reggae songs.
Despite ensuring Iโd added all their local gigs to the event guide here since day dot, and befriended singer Jules Morton as part of the all-female fundraising supergroup, The Female of the Species, the must-see box on my perpetually cumulative to-do-list remained unticked, until last night. Unfortunate weather clouded sanguinity early on when I ventured over to Melksham for the opening of Party in the Park. An evening dubbed โParkfest,โ separated from the main event happening today, as what once may have been a welcoming gig, has spawned its own identity; the main event builds on universal pop appeal, Parkfest has a more matured feel.
It was in chatting with Bruce Burry, event coordinator at the Assembly Rooms, which revealed this forthcoming grand line-up of ska. I was taken aback, Party in the Park is Bruceโs baby, and boy, does he take care of it. Impressive and vast is the setup at King George V park, professional is the stage, sound and effects. Iโd heard of it before, but when Bruce uttered the name Neville Staple, my heart whacked into hyperdrive. Some months on, I was kindly invited backstage, as the support, none other than my burning-box-to-be-ticked band, Train to Skaville, prepared and tuned. Attempting optimism, my mutterings that once they took the stage the drizzle would cease met with sullenness, but guys, I was right, wasnโt I?! Call me Michael Fish.
Naturally, headline act, the original rude-boy, formerly of The Specials and who later formed Fun Boy Three with Terry Hall and Lynval Golding, Neville Staple excelled with sleekness and anticipated competence. His combo group, The Neville Staple band has become the stuff of legend amidst the ska scene since 2004. Again, akin to our review of Trevor Evanโs Bardbwire at Devizes Arts Festival last month, Nevilleโs outfit merges two-tone and punky reggae back into its precursor ska, for this explosive melting pot, prevalently fermented the anniversary of Two-Tone Records, the Coventry record label which spurred a scene and both aforementioned artists played a pivotal role in.
However, this was not before Neville and friends ran through some Specials classics, and if classics are the given thing in this retrospective amalgamation, Train to Skaville knocked it out of King George Park, prior to this fabled performance. For the headline act was grand, this should be taken as red, and despite my pedestal I popped Train to Skaville onto, they surely flew above all expectations.
For blending 007 (Shanty Town) into The Tide is High, as a teaser, the burgeoning crowd began to yearn for their start time, as gratis was handed to DJ setup, Fun Boy Two, Train to Skaville stepped up to an audience clearly familiar with the panache of this local band.
Train to Skaville have been on the circuit for eight years, albeit it a number of roster variations through their time, partly the reason, Jules told me, for not putting down any original material. This if-it-ainโt-broke attitude fitting, for the majority of ska followers just want to hear the anthems. While this is done timelessly by many-a-cover-band, Train to Skaville sit atop this standard, their unique style, singerโs Tim Crossโs witty repartee and entire bandโs expertise reeks of good-time ska and explodes with party atmosphere.
For what seems to be a rare thing, a ska band from the Trowbridge/Melksham area, they set the bar high, and through Israelites, Too Much Pressure, and Rancidโs Timebomb to name but a few, they launched back on stage, slowing for reggae and rock steady classics, Hurt so Good and Is This Love, and detonating the finale by slipping back into ska with Prince Busterโs Madness, followed by Madness, Selector and Bad Manners hits and a sublime versions of Tears of a Clown.
Yet this train doesnโt seem to call at Devizes, and if word of the group of friends from Devizes I was delighted to meet there, Vince Bell, Tamsin Quin and significant other halves, isnโt enough to convince you I donโt know what is! The last train pulled out of our town in 1966 and I canโt wait for the Devizes Parkway project to become a reality, the angle of this piece is simply that someone needs to book this lively band in our town, we canโt let the Sham take all the spotlight! Theyโve rammed pubs, gigged The Cheese & Grain, supported Neville a couple of times previous, and become hot favourites westward, we just need to stop them buffering at Seend!
As for Party in the Park, the main event kicks off this afternoon, a more pop-feel, theyโve some awesome local legends, including Indecision, Kirsty Clinch, Burbank, Forklift Truck, along with a fire-show, unicorns, fairground and food and drink stalls, topped off with a Take That Tribute. You can get a ticket on the gate, this an affordable event and the pride of the Sham.
ยฉ 2017-2019 Devizine (Darren Worrow)
Please seek permission from the Devizine site and any individual author, artist or photographer before using any content on this website. Unauthorised usage of any images or text is forbidden.
All Photos used with kind permission of Gail Foster
From a talk by CBE award-winning English foreign correspondent and BBC News world affairs editor, John Simpson, to the Sub-Organist at Durham Cathedral, Francesca Massey, the Devizes Arts Festival has kicked off this week, better than Tottenham. Their showcase, more varied than ever before, truly caters for all; you just need to either research, or hear me bashing on to find something suitable for you.
Personally, my time came Saturday, when the Corn Exchange was blessed with sweet, sweet reggae music! You know I love thee, local music scene, but my ongoing quest to encourage more reggae in these backwaters came to an apex last night.
Perhaps a hard sell in Devizes, yet a genre Iโll push until the wheels fall off. Yep, said wheels wonโt last to shove Devizes into the streets of downtown Kingston Jamaica, but our great hall was lively and the modest audience appreciative of what Coventry based Barbdwire delivered.
Without doubt Barbdwire could produce a โbeginners guide to reggae,โ without watering down or succumbing to commercialisation. For all sub-genres were presented to us last night, with tremendous panache and sublime competence.
I often wonder how irritated Ziggy Marley gets when interviews adopt the clichรฉ angle of his father, recollecting him once stating, โreggae is not a one-man-music, itโs a people music.โ An apt quote for Barbdwire, the band a varied bunch. While originator and drummer, Trevor Evans, the former Specials roadie-once drummer, characteristically oozes a reggae archetypal, bassist Chellyโs persona rings out dub and the proficient trombonist has Two-Tone band written all over him, trumpeter John Pudge, clearly the youngest, doesnโt appear represent any reggae stereotype.
I snatched a quick tรชte-ร -tรชte with John, attired in a T-shirt embossed with โRoots, Rock, Reggae,โ I was keen on querying his t-shirt gainsays against his instrument choice, brass sections being generally considered ska-related. We discussed how Barbdwire play to the audience; their ability to pull any of reggaeโs subgenres out of their hat makes the band flexible, supporting The Specials, as their next gig, or Holli Cook, as they did last week.
But centre of attention last night in Devizes, this band were an epiphany for some residents and a universal accreditation for those reggae lovers. In our preview I said, โ(Two-Tone) may have challenged punk with chicness akin to mod, but today, these subcultures are inconsequential, we can bundle it all into one retrospective burlesque, select whatever element of any we care to, and fuse them without pretence or offense; one reason why a group like Barbโd Wire is fresh and electrifying.โ
Well, while reproducing their album Time Has Comeโs originals did just that, their choice of covers was equally extensive. From ska favourites like Baba Brookโs version of Herbie Hancockโs Watermelon Man and the Wailerโs debut hit Simmer Down, they also exposed the audience to roots, with Max Romeoโs Chase the Devil, Horace Andyโs Skylarking, renowned for his later work with Massive Attack, and even dub, akin to its master King Tubby.
There were versions of reggae classics, like Uptown Top Ranking, and all harmonised by the beautifully melodic and confident vocals of Cherelle Harding, a singer who could roll on a lovers tune with the finesse of Phillis Dillon to convert without haste to toast a stepperโs riddim, at one point verging on dancehall with a wonderfully luminous interpretation of Sister Nancyโs Bam-Bam.
Make no mistake, this diversity was not delivered reggae-lite, rather an expertise and rounded acknowledgement to the many faces of Jamaicaโs music export, and delivered to us adhering to all the positivity and joyfulness the genre celebrates. As an apt example, they gathered outside to meet and greet, where they were applauded with respect vowed to add our town to their tour map; something Iโll hold against them, as this was an outstanding performance!
Long live the Devizes Arts Festival then, hopeful theyโll consider the evening a success and plan in, as they are already planning 2020, something else reggae-related. Following on, this week sees Strange Face at The Bear today (Sunday) where the Adventures with a Lost Nick Drake Recording takes place.
Monday and Christian Garrick & John Etheridge presents Strings on Fire at The Exchange. Tuesday is The Shakespeare Smackdown, and Wednesday String Sisters are at St Andrews Church.
An Audience with Bob Flowerdew at the Town Hall, also Wednesday, and Thursday, Atila Sings the Nat King Cole Story at the Town Hall. Oh, and next Saturday has a whole host of FREE fringe events across town. Check the website for booking details, but hurry, Fridayโs Moscow Drug Club event is sold out. If cancelations occur find posts on the Arts Festival Facebook page, and Iโll promise to share them as soon as I spot them; have a great festival!
Never content with what contemporary music thrust down our throats, even as a youngster, the easiest and sneakiest place to hunt for origins was Dadโs record collection. It would be years before he discovered the shortfall of vinyl and confronted me. Sixties Merseybeat and blues-pop standard, I recall the intriguing moment I unearthed a shabby cover of a girlโs naked torso, โTighten Up Vol 2โ was inscribed on her abdomen in lipstick. So, when he did, I inquired why he bought this, Trojan Record. More concerned where his Pink Floyd gatefold had vanished to, he half-heartedly explained, โit was something different,โ as if he didnโt wish to divulge too much, โand cheap.โ
The estate of Bob Marley is still argued over, he never understood how to handle the royalties of rock star. Other than a BMW he had no extravagance, the house on Hope Road a gift from Blackwell, in which he lobbed a single mattress in the corner of a bedroom. What you see of the Jamaican music industry in the movie, โThe Harder they Come,โ is staunchly realistic; peanuts a too expensive commodity to compare to payments made to singers and musicians.
Poor wages triggered a prolific industry, hundreds of hopefuls jammed Orange Street awaiting to be ripped off. Trojan Records was founded the year after Bluebeat dissolved, 1968. The reasoning both English labels sourced Jamaican music was originally to supply the Windrush generation with the sounds of home, it is doubtful either realised the legacy they would leave. The underpaid nobodies singing on these records meant Bluebeat and Trojan could lower the price tag when compared to what upstarts like Bowie or Clapton would require, and price was everything for white British kids attempting to amass vinyl for house parties; as my father summed up.
Though the attraction mayโve been the price, the enticement of these records came when the needle hit the groove; these rhythms were insatiably beguiling and exotic. I felt that ambiance too, and fell head over heels. But my palette had been preconditioned without comprehending it. Slightly too young to have immersed in the youth cultures of the late seventies, the sound bequest our pop charts.
Whether it was Blondie or the Police, or Madness, The Beat, or Piranhas, the charts of pre electronica eighties was inspired by the two youth cultures of punk and skinhead, and until the day I discovered a Bluebeat 7โ of Prince Busterโs Madness, exposing Suggs and his Nutty Boyโs embodiment, I had no idea. Jerry Dammersโ Two Tone Records only had six years, an insecure contract with a get-out clause after one single, saw the acts achieve acclaim and jump ship.
But if we celebrated Trojanโs fiftieth last year, we must do the same for Two-Toneโs fortieth, as it engraved its hometown, Coventry, as firmly on the ska map as Kingston. Within its short run Two Tone defined an era and reintroduced the roots of the dub reggae scene that punk spurred to white British youth; ska. The nonchalant rudimentary street-styled design of Two-Toneโs corporate identity is today considered standard ska practise; Dave Storeyโs chequered monochrome background with Walt Jabsco, a character based upon a Peter Tosh image.
It may have challenged punk with chicness akin to mod, but today, these subcultures are inconsequential, we can bundle it all into one retrospective burlesque, select whatever element of any of them and fuse them without pretence or offense; one reason why a group like Barbโd Wire is fresh and electrifying.
Though hailing from Two Toneโs home, Coventry, drummer and vocalist, Trevor Evans, a.k.a. ET Rockers, having begun his sparkling career as roadie turned DJ for The Specials, and with a brass section arrangement by Jon Pudge, ska is only an element of Barbโd Wireโs sound. Guitarist Ryan Every, Fingers Aitken on bass, and Mark Bigz Smith commanding the keys, blend influences as far and wide as punk to orchestral and blues into a melting pot of reggae. Fronted by the spiralling, gospel-inspired vocals of Cherelle Harding, their unique sound drives a heavy dub bassline, while not divulging on its preconditioned instrumental ethos. What weโre left with is a genuinely contemporary reggae lattice landing the group as firm favourites on the dynamic Coventry scene and festival circuit such as Skamouth.
While tracks like Duppy Town and Et Rockers Up Town, on their 2017 debut album, Time Has Come, rely on dub, a stepperโs riddim thrives throughout, but incorporates aforementioned influences. The only recognisable cover, for example, is the classic Latino-inspired Rockfort Rock of which the Skatalites perfected a ska-rhumba amalgamation. Produced by Roger Lomas, who also handles Bad Manners and The Selecter, again, Barbโd Wire pride themselves with Two-Tone influences, yet unlike the standard ska cover band youโre likely to get on our local scene, who all have their place in maintaining a clandestine but welcomed scene here, Barbโd Wire will be a fresh and welcomed gig, when they arrive at Devizes Corn Exchange on Saturday 1st June as a feature of Devizes Arts Festival.
For me, and any reggae/ska/soul aficionado, this is simply unmissable, but for the Arts Festival it may be a risky move, breaking their typical booking in search for newer audiences. While organ recitals, poetry slams and theatre noir have their place, we owe it to ourselves to support this event in hope it will spur future events at the festival of an alternative and contemporary genre. That is why youโll see our Devizine logo proudly on the posters for this particular appearance, as though we plan to bring you more in-depth previews and reviews of this yearโs stunning line-up, Iโm most excited about this one!
Designing the posters for the Devizes Scooter Club came to the peak of absurdity with this one for the latest event on the 30th March, and I feel I may need tone down the experimentation a tad. Still, I think it stands out from the run-the-mill event poster; in the words of Mike the Cool Person, โI never stand on convention, it never stood on me.โ
But I cannot deny, with a bombardment of highly anticipated local gigs this coming month, Iโm looking forward to this one perhaps, the most. Weโve seen a few Northern Soul and Motown nights of recent from the Scooter Club, and while my eclectic taste appreciates these along with the plethora of other gigs lined up on my calendar, you still canโt, in my opinion, beat a bit of ska.
This will reflect well against the forthcoming Scooter Rally, as while a weekend-long event will provide scope for the club to parade all relevant genres, thereโs a truckload of ska to be heard. Orange Street headlining will be one to watch, while Swindonโs The Tribe mesh ska with hip hop beats, and other local outfit The Erin Bardwell Collective will simmer in some rock steady. Essexโs finest, The Start are not averse to playing ska, and Iโm sure, given the nature of the event that the Day Breakers will blast a two-tone classic or three. Of course, Bad Manners tribute Special Brew take as red.
Confident in the statement international third-gen ska is regenerating the old Two-Tone scene here in England, is evident in the success of groups like the Dualers. Call it clichรฉ, say yeah, diehard skins donโt know when to give it up, but thereโs something in that joyous offbeat which makes you want to jump and skank.
So put your braces together, your boots on your feet, and allow me to introduce this prodigious booking, Dorsetโs eight-piece ska band, The Decatonics. It promises to be a blinding night at the Devizes Conservative Club. The band, formed in 2012 have indeed supported the aforementioned Dualers, along with The Skatelites, The Neville Staple Band and Bad Manners.
An established 8-piece female-fronted ska band, The Decatonics are constructed of bassist Rowan, two Steves, one on keys and the other on drums, an energetic backline and powerful horn section of Mike on tenor sax, Harry on trumpet and alto sax, and Ian on trombone. Theyโre fronted by two adept vocalists who compliment one another; Shaun, also on lead guitar and Sally, who Iโve been chatting with. I started by asking her how long theyโd been together and if the members were the same original line-up.
โThe bass and I, and the lead brass, are original, with our drummer being with us for five years,โ she explained, โbut as with any large band, changes are inevitable along the way.โ
โIs it all covers, or have you any original songs recorded?โ I asked Sally.
โWe do just cover songs,โ she sustained, โbut try and give our own little flair, and being female-fronted we get to play a more diverse set than your standard ska covers band.โ No issue there, in retrospective glory, cover songs make the night at the Scooter Club. Not forgoing, Sally mentioned that since 2017, The Decatonics have been part of a Specialised Project, recording tracks for a CD. I saw my opening, boasted of my newfound show on Boot Boy Radio and blagged two tunes to play on the show next week!
The first song a Trojan hit in the UK, Bob & Maricaโs up-tempo Pied Piper, proves their ability to sprinkle a joyous contemporary ska riff to a boss reggae classic, but the second hoists up that skill, with a concentrated ska adaption of the Jamโs Standards.
The Decatonics draw influences from both original Jamaican ska, bluebeat, and its new-wave Two-Tone, but also from successors rock steady and reggae. They even accommodate soul in the melting pot, bringing a vibrant live show which has built up a great reputation with the entire mod/scooter scene rather than just ska aficionados. Do not expect third generation punk experimentation, but a suitable English ska sound popularised by Madness and The Beat.
With a strong following through regular pub and club gigs, and festivals such as the Big One Weekender Festival, Dorset Volksfest, The Dorset Steam Fair and Teddy Rocks under their belt, Iโm certain theyโll transport their astounding party atmosphere to our already lively Devizes Scooter Club nights.
Tickets are a tenner, by messaging the Devizes Scooter Club Facebook page, from Vinyl Realm, Jefferson’s Cafรฉ, or from the Devizes Cons Club direct. As usual there will be a raffle, and I believe itโs me warming up the crowd on the wheels of steel, like a musical fluffer; but donโt let that put you off! The club ascertain everyone is welcome, not just members. Think of this as an opportunity to taste what you might bear witness to at the forthcoming Rally in July, oh and to have a good knees-up too!
If last weekend in Devizes belonged to rockers, as the Sports Club shook by the awesome Saddleback Festival, it was small mercies for the Mods this Saturday as Devizes Scooter Club hosted a more moderately proportioned charity BBQ day, which wasn’t without equal summer fun and frolics.
The corner of Hillworth Road and Long Street became a haven for scooter enthusiasts, whoโd travelled from far and wide, and local lovers of soul, reggae and ska who gathered outside the Conservative Club to raise some funds for the Devizes and District Opportunity Centre.
How much was raised at this tender morning moment (at the time of writing this on Sunday) is unconfirmed, majority of organisers I’d wager are taking a fully-earned rest, if not nursing a sore head!
I’ll let you know the grand total as soon as I get some feedback, but cake stall helper Paula told me she’d sold twice as many as last year’s family fun day, as husband Andy, whose task it was to man the barbeque looked vacantly into space through sheer tiredness. โI reckon he’ll be flipping burgers in his sleep,โ I imagined.
The bar and garden packed out by lunchtime, extending to the car park, which converted into a showroom of lamberttas and vespas, with an added parts stall. As enthusiasts admired each other’s “hairdryers,” their families enjoyed the plethora of side stalls, the hall of bouncy things (castle and a Gladiators-styled battle arena) and the quality music.
Contrary to their name, Swindon’s Daybreakers turned up early afternoon. Thank heavens I figured, lesson learned that day; a cider breakfast does no good when attempting to operate a mixer. Thanks to Tony who danced around me doing all the technical wizardry and gave our musical show a voice.
By 2pm The Daybreakers were off, with no one willing to stop them they revved through a glut of benchmark early 80s pop, the likes of the Specials and Dexy, to sublime renditions of crusty rock, such as the Levellers. Wherever Cath, Gouldy and gang land there’s guaranteed to be a blinding show and today was no exception.
An awesome team effort blessed the event with an uncompromising community spirit. From face-painted kids guessing names of teddies, shooting footballs and munching cake, to adults estimating the weight of a ham, shooting down beers and munching burgers, a village fete atmosphere ensued with a retrospective, hedonistic angle, as opposed to being all vicars and teacakes on the lawn.
By late afternoon Chippenham duo, Blondie & Ska had pitched inside and began their dazzling show; a precise Blondie tribute meshed with other two-tone classics in a style as if Debbie Harry would’ve covered them. They made a fantastic sound for just a duo and relished every minute despite fatigue setting in with the punters, who tended to loiter outside to begin with.
With most exhausted from the day’s affairs already, it took a while for the show to push the audience into gear, hangers-on remained in the shadows of the garden to begin with, or those with families retired home with worn-out youngsters. I thought it a shame the club could’ve shown how we welcome acts as good as Blondie & Ska, but the thought abruptly ceased as the evening took hold and sweltering members graced that dance floor.
I offered a rock steady break for the band, but dancers yearned for some Northern Soul, so that’s what I did. Then Blondie & Ska continued and took us to into to the close. If you need more of these guys, or if you missed this thoroughly enjoyable show, I strongly advise you check out future gigs on their website. Closest to us, is The Wroughton Club on August 11th, The Royal Oak Corsham the day after, and the Gladstone Road Club in Chippenham on October 27th.
As for the Daybreakers, well theyโre never to be missed. Catch them again for an afternoon in Devizes, when theyโll be at Vinyl Realm on August 4th, and check their Facebook page for an extensive gig guide.
Back to the BBQ Day though, it was in observing the quantity of people gathered, and their enjoyment of the day which gave me both enormous optimism for a very successful Scooter Rally next summer, and a pride in our small town’s Scooter Club, where everyone contributed a gallant effort to ensure a grand day out was had by all, most laboured until they dropped, notwithstanding, some money was raised for our preschool for children with disabilities and learning difficulties. So full steam ahead for the Scooter Club now, as tickets for a brilliant sounding, soultastic Motown-eske band, All That Soul, are now on sale at the Cons Club, Jeffersons and Vinyl Realm.
Being one of our first pieces it has to be said, not only is it of far better quality than the type of rubbish Iโm now putting out, but it had an inspiring theme! The reason I bring it up, because the local, all-girl supergroup The Female of the Species, which was its subject, are at it again, and tickets for their gig at the Melksham Assembly Rooms are now on sale.
Tackily pasted from last yearโs event, I wrote: โNicky Davis from People Like Us and The Reason, Glastonburyโs Julia Greenland from Soulville Express & Delta Swing, Fromeโs Claire Perry from Big Mamma & The Misfitz, solo artist Charmaigne Andrews from Melksham, and Julie Moreton from Trowbridgeโs Train to Skaville and Jules & The Odd Men, form the supergroup for Live on the Night, at the Melksham Assembly Rooms on Saturday 30th September.โ So, other then being pushed back a day, I asked Nicky if anything else has changed?
โClaire (Big Mama) no longer performs with the Misfitz,โ noted Nicky, โinstead sheโs now with โBig Mamaโs Banned.โ Jules added, โThe girls are delighted to announce that joining us as part of our band line up this year, on sax, is my fellow ‘Train to Skaville’ band-mate, the awesome Miss Karen Potter.โ So other than this itโs much the same and on target to rock the Melksham Assembly Rooms on Saturday the 29th September.
Karen Potter
This yearโs event is subtitled โRaising Money Through Music,โ and is in aid of Young Melksham, a registered charity which โwork as a community to provide all children and young people with opportunities to thrive, develop and participate.โ Young Melksham really makes a huge difference to the lives of youth in our area, by hosting more events than I can list here, including The Melksham Young Peopleโs Awards.
Click for more info on Young Melksham
They make trips to shows locally, hold a variety of regular weeknight โyouth club styledโ workshops and events from their Canberra Club, from cookery to sports. They even run a shuttlebus to get kids there safely. The policy of Young Melksham is: โadvancing in life and helping children and young people by developing their skills, capacities and capabilities to enable them to participate in society as independent, mature and responsible individuals; advancing education, providing recreational and leisure time activities in the interest of social welfare designed to improve their conditions of life.โ They even have fully-trained counsellor and listening support workers when youth need a friendly face and a listening ear.
Supporting the supergroup this year will be young songstress with that oh so soulful voice, Laura Jayne Burt, Melkshamโs guitar/soloist Sarah Deer and batting for the boys, Bathโs acoustic duo Ben & Tim. This is one unmissable annual extravaganza which takes the best elements of all these local groups and combines them into a blend of reggae and ska, soul and Motown, blues and rock. It can only guarantee too ooze with local talent and blow the roof of the Assembly Rooms, for just a tenner a ticket, with ALL proceeds going to this fantastic charity-based community projectโฆ..and itโs full of gorgeous ladies; whatโs not to like?!
Trains have an emblematic relationship with reggae and its predecessor ska.
The chugging offbeat imitating a steam engine has been a running theme throughout its history. From choo-choo vocals of the Ethiopianโs classic โTrain to Skaville,โ to Keith & Texโs rock steady anthem, โStop that Train,โ and The Wailerโs song of the same title, reggae is awash with train themes; itโs only apt thereโs such thing as โGreat Western Reggae,โ and a substantial scene in the historic railway town of Swindon.
Pop-a-Top Records is Swindonโs label dedicated to its reggae homebrew. Itโs headed by the ex-Skanxter, Erin Bardwell and his Collective whoโve just released โGreat Western Reggae Soundclash,โa double-album which serves as a prodigious sampler for Pop-a-Topโs Great Western Reggae style.
In those ravey daze, the Skanxters were a local archaic blessing, harking to an era when life was less Altern 8 and more, well, Specials. I fondly recall heady nights following the Skanxters, at the Queenโs Tap, The Vic, and the Lamb in Marlborough, and remember the disheartening revelation a gig at Level III in 98 would be their last. I reminisce how, during their comical, โIโll never know (who nicked my bike),โ lead singer Andy Paton would ask the dodgiest looking audience member, โOi, was it you?โ and how once I was selected for the honour!
Imagine my delight at catching up with Erin, who played keyboards in the band and hasnโt stopped since. โNot all the artists (on Pop-a-Top) are from Swindon,โ Erin explained, โbut most are, or have links to it.โ With countless projects under his belt, such as dub production duo Subject Aโs โSleepwalkersโ release with ex-Skanxter bass player Dean Sartain, and nostalgic two-tone reunion gigs for the Skanxters, Erin is exceptionally prolific.
Though meticulous effort has been refined into โGreat Western Reggae Soundclash,โ and while not astoundingly lyrical, despite the opening track โRock Steady Rub,โ with vocals parallel to Johnny Cash popping into Studio One, GWR concentrates more-so on keyboards akin to Jackie Mitto.
The Collective glide steadily through a plethora of traditional rock steady, which while wouldn’t sound out of place on a Trojan โTighten Upโ compilation, also has a sprinkle of reflections on Swindon. Again, in the aforementioned running train theme, the tongue-in-cheek “Night Bus to Highworth,” and a nod to Edith New, the Swindonian suffragette first to campaign in an aggressive manner.
Fans of Jamaican music in Britain tend to separate into two trends, echoing dub and skinhead ska; the transitional stage is often overlooked. When really, developed through hard times in 1960s Kingston, where curfews set by the government to curb “rude boy” culture, it consequently mellowed the mood for the following era, and was Jamaica’s most creative period musically.
To hark back to this rock steady/boss reggae period is tried and tested in this album, a rarity left to groups like New York’s Frightnrs, who in turn add a little New Yorker panache to their sound. The Eric Bardwell Collective do similar, plus, while fundamentally inspired by rock steady they’re not afraid to explore techniques usually saved for ska or reggae, from chugging choo-choo vocals to nyabinghi drums and one drops, the tune โWhy Why,โ being a grand example of this, and along with both male and female vocals, the latter supplied by Dominican-born Sandra Bell, it makes the sound wholly unique and excitingly refreshing.
With rich history including backing reggae star Dennis Bovell, and a trip to Jamaica in 2003, to record at Byron Leeโs legendary Dynamic Sounds with Studio One engineer Sylvan Morris, Erin Bardwell has the contacts to add a plethora of talent to feature within the Collective. On this release youโll find Selecter Guitarist Neol Davies, drummer Matty Bane of the Neville Staple Band, Pat Powell of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra alongside Swindonโs finest line-up, such as, among others, horns from the SN Dubstation.
Thereโs much here to impress and delight the reggae enthusiasts, my personal favourite being โChange,โ where the Byron Lee influences shine, reminding of the frequently sampled piano riff of โMy Conversation,โ by the Uniques. Although thereโs equally as much inspiration external to reggae, at times the soundscape took me to contemplate early Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett days, and a sprinkling of Sgt Pepper towards the albumโs close. So, I figure thereโs as much here to enjoy for the occasional reggae listener.
Thereโs an album launch at the Thomas Hughes Memorial Hall in Uffington on December 1st, the Erin Bardwell Collective are also live at The Castle in Swindon on Friday 8th and Zed Alley in Bristol 15th December. If thatโs too close to the big C, Iโd highly recommend you keep warm and treat yourself to an early yule pressie; grab yourself a CD or download of this outstanding local riddim redeemer here at Bandcamp.
Deadlier than the male, The Female of the Species is an amalgamation of female musicians from various local bands who team up to host charity gigs; whatโs not to like?
Nicky Davis from Warminster based People Like Us and The Reason, Glastonburyโs Julia Greenland from Soulville Express & Delta Swing, Fromeโs Claire Perry from Big Mamma & The Misfitz, solo artist Charmaigne Andrews from Melksham, and Julie Moreton from Trowbridgeโs Train to Skaville and Jules & The Odd Men, form the supergroup again for โLive on the Night,โ at the Melksham Assembly Rooms on Saturday 30th September.
Seriously not to be missed; Beginning by showcasing two young performers; James Dempsey and Laura Jane Burt, giving them stage time and experience. The show then continues with People Like Us. The finale, Female of the Species sure to be the icing on the cake. Blending their influences in a mash-up of reggae and ska, soul and Motown, blues and rock, how on Earth do they govern what genre is coming next?
I thought Iโd hassle Jules of Train to Skaville for an answer. โEach of the girls chooses three or four songs from their bandโs set list,โ explained the self-confessed rude-girl, โand then we add in the stuff we sing together.โ
The Female of the Species first formed for a one-off gig at the Civic Hall, Trowbridge in 2014 for the Hope Centre in Southwick, a charity for adults with learning difficulties,ย โbut it was so successful,โ Jules continued, โwe had no choice but to do it all againโฆ.and again.โ
This news nugget keeps getting better though, as this year theyโre fund-raising for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. The previous appearance at the Assembly Hall in Melksham, back in 2015 raised ยฃ2,920 in aid of WILTSHIRE M.I.N.D Mental Health Charity. The founding gig at The Hope Nature Centre in Southwick in 2014 I previously mentioned, raised an amazing ยฃ3,395.
While the next Train to Skaville is boarding from the White Swan, Trowbridge, Big Mama and the Misfitz only coming as close to us as The Fox and Hounds in Colerne on 4th November and the next People Like Us gig being a longer bus journey to Bath, at the Westgate on 22nd, hereโs something in easy reach and all for the greatest cause. Tickets at just a tenner can be snatched from the Assembly Rooms or online here.
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