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Reggae - A daily blog

Reggae - November 2006

Only one more sleep til Skorcher

November 30th 2006 04:16
As the organiser of this three day mod/skinhead/ska/reggae extravaganza, I have to plug it one more time. It begins tomorrow so there isn't much time to spare.

I am happy to say the cruise is close to being sold out, which means if you are reading this now, you may want to get in contact if you want a ticket.

Below is the flyer and for more details, check out: http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/skorcher



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Skinhead/Mod Clothing

November 29th 2006 03:28
Although I am aware clothing isn't important for everyone who likes reggae and ska, for some of us, clothes are a nice complimenting element to the music. For skinheads/mods/rudies there is a distinct look.

Right at this moment I love the stove pipe trousers and button down collared shirt look. It is a bit more formal than the jeans, button down and braces most skinheads tend to favour, but it also makes you feel a million bucks and in my experience makes you stand out from the rest.

Buying clothes becomes a bit of an obsession and I now have a vast selection of shirts, jackets, shoes and polo shirts. Fred Perry polo shirts are quite smart looking, but in my opinion they are casual wear and therefore should not be worn on a big occasion. Down the shops or at a small gig yes, but not a big event.


This blog wasn't meant to be about my own taste in clothes. Rather it was going to discuss the newish clothing line, Guvnor - http://www.govnor.com. Unfortunately, the website seems to be pretty shit - apart from an initial FLASH animation. From the clothes I can see on this single page, I am not overly enthusiastic. Rather than starting at a good point, say with button downs or polos, they have started with Lonsdale type lines. Boring and uninspiring.



So I recommend MERC or COSMIC BREED, even BEN SHERMAN, FRED PERRY OR WARRIOR rather than this here Guvnor. I think there is room for a mid-priced line of mod and skinhead clothing, but I don't think GUVNOR is going to be it.
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Some killer new tunes

November 28th 2006 06:51
As I am DJing A Night at the Hop on New Years Eve in Melbourne, I thought I should keep my eye out for some new dancefloor hits to add to my collection. I am already quite proud of my collection, but there were a few tunes I was looking for that I think should please a ska/rocksteady/early reggae crowd.

The 45s I picked up aren't necessarily original pressings - I don't have that kind of cash, but they are good finds nonetheless. I am not going to reveal my source either, but a reggae fan can probably guess where I got these from.

Here they are:

Harry J All Stars - Liquidator
Susan Cadogan - Hurt So Good / Upsetters - Version
Ken Boothe - Artibella / Bobby Kalphat - Version
Derrick Morgan - Tougher Than Tough
Bob Marley - Soul Shakedown Party / Upsetters - Dollar In Teeth
Alton Ellis - Girl I've Got A Date / Melodians - I Will Get A Long Without You
Ken Boothe - Everything I Own / Silver Words
Derrick Morgan - Night At The Hop / Belly Woman
Melodians - Sweet Sensation
Techniques - Little Did You Know
Toots & The Maytals - Sweet & Dandy / Desmond Dekker - Mother Young Gal
Derrick Morgan - Forward March

Looking at the list I am pretty happy with all of them, but there are a few standouts. One is Alton Ellis' Girl I've Got a Date, which I have always wanted. And look at the B side! Ken Boothe's Everything I Own is a recent favourite of mine and in terms of the dancefloor, well Toots Sweet & Dandy is good to have. These of course aren't especially rare releases, but it good to have some of these in the collection, believe me!
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The Brag have fucked up

November 27th 2006 04:54
MATURE CONTENT
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I was on the radio today

November 24th 2006 01:48
This morning I went on Jason's show "Bass Culture" on 2RRR 88.5 FM. It's on from 8 am - 10 am every Friday and I recommend it to all Sydney lovers of reggae, from ska and rocksteady to roots and dancehall. A little something for everyone.

I went on to plug the Skorcher Weekender coming up - Dec 1st - 3rd 2006 and I played a few tunes from the bands featured and some other top ska and reggae tunes


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Off topic: punk rock show tomorrow night

November 23rd 2006 08:07
So the Lansdowne caught fire last night, but apparently it wasn't severe enough to affect the Marching Orders gig on there tomorrow night. Marching Orders (http://www.myspace.com/marchingorders) are Melbourne band of skinheads and punx playing street punk.

Tomorrow night they'll be joined by AVO (Sydney Hardcore), The Corps (Sydney rocknroll), RUST and Run For Cover (Wollongong drunk punk). Far from reggae, but something a bit different is good at times. Plus it is free and there are $5 meals upstairs


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45 RPM as part of Skorcher

November 22nd 2006 07:26
A second post about Skorcher in the space of the day. This time it is the flier for 45 RPM on the Friday night. For full weekend details check out The Skorcher Website. 45 RPM will see DJs spinning the best sixties inspired sounds - soul, ska, reggae, garage as well as some revival mod and 2-tone. Dress to impress is how the slogan goes, but most importantly come down ready for a dance. This weekend is going to be huge and 45 RPM, on Dec 1st will be a great way to kick it off.

Torrin is travelling from Brisbane and bringing his bag of records for a debut at 45 RPM and is joining the great ska sounds of Max, the Soul of Double O Soul, Marek's ecletic mix, Sara's mix of mod, ska and soul and Nick's more rare mix of reggae, soul and r&b. Bar HQ on Parra Rd in Camperdown is the place to go. Be there and come say hello, I'll be on the door


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Saturday night @ Empire as part of Skorcher

November 21st 2006 23:35
Having ongong issues with technology and telecommunications at the moment, meaning last night I didn't get a chance to post yesterday's blog. Here is a short one to makeup, showing the flier I made for the Saturday night of the Skorcher weekend. December second is the date. The poster below should be in Drum Media next week. The blurb below will also be used in the Empire's ad in Drum.

As the absence of Mods Mayday was felt around Sydney this year, Skorch return to the Empire to bring you a mod, ska and reggae showcase to fill the void. The feature night of the Skorcher weekender will see both Sydney and Melbourne acts take to the stage for a sixties inspired explosion, including The Ska Vendors (VIC) and their brand of jump-up sixties ska, garage favourites The Booby Traps, crowd pleasers Backy Skank as well as DTS, The Resignators (VIC) and the all conquering mod newcomers The Get Set. Those who have attended Mods Maydays past will testify that this will be more than just a gig, but an event recalled for years to come


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Freedom Sounds - Sydney Sunday Reggae

November 20th 2006 04:17
Last night we went to a reggae do at Spectrum on Oxford St and despite some top quality tunes, it wasn't especially well supported. Not too bad for an opening night, but just not as good as it could have been. I had fun though and as it is going to be a weekly do, I thought I would plug it.

Sunday is a perfect reggae day so relieve the week's stress by listening to some roots and dancehall. Last night they had the quality Basslines crew giving us some lyrical entertainment over the sounds and everyone was having a great dance. See the flyer below for more info


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Musings from last night

November 17th 2006 04:58
Headed along to Health Club at the Flinders in Surry Hills for a night of "Island Sounds". I don't normally venture to Surry Hills to go out, but as the Dynamite boys were on the decks it couldn't be passed up.

Got there pleasantly toasted with a few beers at the Lansdowne for Rachel's Birthday. Happy Birthday Rachel! Was happy to find the sounds were top of the line and we soon were on the dancefloor. Not your usual reggae crowd by any means, but they were right into it


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Alpha Boys School Coasters

November 16th 2006 00:55
I am not going to go to deeply into the history of the Alpha Boys school, but for the uninitiated, it is a Jamaican school with a music programme that saw many of the great Jamaican musicians, both living and dead, go through. In recent year, the school has been under some financial pressure and so set up a foundation to keep it running. There has been support worldwide, but it needs to continue and luckily enough, you can support the school through some pretty cool purchases.

One is the below set of coasters - replica labels of old ska, reggae and rocksteady labels. How bloody cool is that


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Island Sounds at Health Club this Thursday

November 15th 2006 07:36
See the flyer below for the event I will attending. Should be a bit of a laugh, the saving grace being the Dynamite boys are DJing it and I digging their selecting right now. They are really pushing the reggae sounds forward in Sydney, trying to get the cool Surry Hills types into the music and getting about to a bunch of different venues.

The name Health Club for a night amuses me quite a large amount, and being a Newtown boy means I am not sure what to expect, but as long as the sounds are good, I don't suppose it matters. I am going for a dance. And as the theme is dress Hawaiian, Rasta or Rudeboy I think I'll just slot in to the rudeboy theme, dressing as I would normally


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A Night at the Hop

November 14th 2006 07:19
New years eve I have a recommendation in Melbourne for all early Jamaican music lovers. A Night at the Hop is the name, a club night that has had a few evenings already under its belt playing the best in sounds for skinheads, rudies and mods alike.

The home is the British Crown in Collingwood, an intimate pub perfect for a good but not too hectic night out. The New Years Eve do is limited to 100 tickets, so you'll want to get in and buy tickets as soon as they're available. Outre Gallery and the British Crown will have them on sale soon from all reports otherwise check out the Myspace for more details.: http://www.myspace.com/anightatthehop
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U2, Kylie and Pearl Jam have not caught everyone's imagination

November 12th 2006 23:30
Photo Credit: Anton Corbijn
When I am not listening to reggae music, I fulfil my interest in politics and social commentary listening to ABC 702 Sydney. If I am home all day, there's a chance I will listen to it for three quarters of the day.

Of course, there are going to be times when I don't like what is covered. Today it is talk of the U2, Kylie and Pearl Jam (PJ just briefly) concerts. I really don't think those people who go to one gig a year should be considered in discussion about their night out. They are over produced shitty stadium or arena gigs and despite them drawing big crowds, there are a huge amount of more people seeing other live music events on that night


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My weekend

November 10th 2006 04:52
Finished uni for the year today. Just six months off teaching YOUR children English and Social Studies. Yes, I have asked the same question, what is this world coming to?

Anyway, because of me finishing uni for the year, I am going to give this weekend a good go


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Ian Dury reworked for the current climate

November 9th 2006 01:43
I am a pretty big admirer of the late Ian Dury. The man was an excellent performer, lyricist and from all reports a very decent man. He was known for his punk positioned ditties with his band The Blockheads, but he also had a ska connection. He was good friends with Madness and went on to record a track with them on their most recent album, Wonderful. You'll notice a reggae feel in some of his songs as well.

One song that Ian Dury used to do was Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3. A top little song it is. Now Sydney radio presenter James Valentine (former member of The Models, former presenter of the Afternoon Show on ABC TV) is recording a new version, titled Reasons to be FEARFUL, Part 3. It's a reflection of the current state of affairs. It's a pisstake and will use contributions from eager public. The chosen contributors will be going in tomorrow to record the track, and the song will be available to download from the ABC Radio website: http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/jamesvalentine/
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Weekend events, laptop gone

November 7th 2006 13:01
I've had my laptop flogged, so I am not in the best of moods. I will be getting well plastered this weekend however at one or alll of the following things:

Friday night - Black Cherry. Not reggae, but after the first night I expect it will draw quite the crowd. Mainly punk and rockabilly


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Another 45 RPM - November

November 3rd 2006 05:10
We're just a week out from another 45 RPM. It's on Saturday November 11th @ Bar HQ. Get along, it is always a good night for dancing to some top ska, reggae, soul, mod and sixties garage.

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Skorcher band preview: Backy Skank

November 2nd 2006 04:26
Leading up to the Skorcher, a ska, reggae, mod and skinhead weekender, I am going to preview some of the bands playing at the event. The Skorcher is to be held in Sydney from December 1st - 3rd. Full details can be found at: http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/skorcher

Backy Skank


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Reggae Australia on the web

November 1st 2006 06:46
Australian reggae hasn't been especially organised on the web in the past, but it is slowly coming along.

For radio, contemporary and reflective articles and info on their own events, Firecorner.com has been good for some time


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