Read + Write + Report
Home | Start a blog | About Orble | FAQ | Blogs | Writers | My Orble | Login

Reggae - A daily blog

Reggae - December 2006

Just a quick recommendation for record shops in Melbourne. Both are in the inner city.

The first is called Collectors' Corner. It has both CDs and records covering general genres, but I like it for its' soul and reggae sections. They have a number of good reggae LPs from sixties stuff to more contemporary sounds. A lot are reissues, but good sounds nonetheless. Their 45 section is pretty good too. Not a heap of stuff, but a good amount and they have a just arrived section for you Melbourne regulars.

The second shop has no reggae, but it if you like sixties garage, whether it be from the sixties or a contemporary version, then check out this shop. It is a really good space, which includes a back room where they have bands play every so often. Much respect to that.


I was in both today and made purchases - I'm proud to say I didn't indulge though, I only bought presents for other people.

Melbourne is a fine town and treating me well. Until tomorrow.
60
Vote
   


James Brown dead and my views on him

December 28th 2006 06:59
It isn't especially new, but I have been reflecting on the death of James Brown.

I am not sad - I don't feel any personal connection to the man, but I respected his early career. He was pretty mental later on for however many reasons, and he wasn't young, but I really do like some of his songs.

One of my most prized 45s or singles (depending on the term you prefer) is Papa's Got a Brand New Bag. It is a top song and I am glad I have a copy of such a good song.

He was the self-proclaimed Godfather of Soul, but why not. There are plenty better, but he probably fitted the Godfather role. In my eyes, that quasi role that is simply sentimental.


I did like him though. Top man for the dancing tune.
55
Vote
   


Soul at Cherry Bar, Melbourne

December 27th 2006 01:21
Tomorrow night we are heading to soul @ Cherry Bar. I fly into Melbourne during the wee hours of the morning and in the night we're going drinking and dancing to some sweet northern sounds.

Cherry Bar has been open since 1999 and is a favoured watering hole of many. This is mixed in with a variety of soul and rock and roll to make something we just don't seem to have in Sydney. Of course liquor licenses are much easier to come by down in Victoria so you get cool bars such as Cherry opening up.

Check it out on Murdoch Space: http://www.myspace.com/cherrybarmelbourne

It will be a good way of beginning my invasion of Melbourne I think. One can assume it will be a big one.
67
Vote
   


A Merry Reggae Xmas

December 25th 2006 05:56
I enjoy the festivities surrounding Christmas and seeing my family and all that, but I won't lie, I don't feel a spiritual connectiont to the day. I don't sit here and reflect on the birth of Christ, whether or not he existed. I just am not interested.

One has to say though, it is a pretty good excuse to eat a whole lot of food, score/give some presents and see your family in a relatively relaxrd frame of mind. Mum gets a bit aggro at some stages, but we stopped having the extended family round to our house so we have a pretty chilled time.

I'm in two minds as to whether or not it is worth the pain of having to buy lots of presents though. I am pretty good at buying presents one at a time for birthdays. I can give it some thought and allow enough time for the purchase of single gift at a time when there aren't thousands of people out shopping. When it comes to Christmas though, I quickly run out of ideas and I become pissed off pretty quickly.

That said, I am enjoying the spa my parents recently installed and listening to reggae and rocksteady in wonderful Wollongong. Not a bad life.
53
Vote
   


Just a quick blog to remind everyone it is the Backy Skank Xmas Party tonight. Starts at 830 pm and goes until one falls down drunk, making the most of the season. The Empire is the location and the bands? Well it is Backy Skank doing two sets with Steppin' Razor, The Creepers and Blair Randall. Heaps of giveaways I am informed so come and get some free stuff.

And if anyone is keen we are having pre-drinks at the Carlisle Castle from 530 pm


[ Click here to read more ]
53
Vote
   


Myspace - I gave in

December 21st 2006 04:22
A while back I wrote a blog here saying how I was considering boycotting Myspace because it had been bought by News Ltd. With my personal space I did go through with it - although I was unable to delete the account entirely due to some password and email address issues.

The thing is though, I couldn't do it with the bands' space. The Signals space still exists over at: http://www.myspace.com/sydneysignals. Others has said a band these days would struggle to get any gigs or attention without it and though I don't entirely agree with it, to get people to hear our songs, they had to be on myspace


[ Click here to read more ]
81
Vote
   


Cover songs

December 20th 2006 07:41
I am having a band meeting on Friday to discuss possible covers we can do with the band.

I've got a few ideas, with a combination of covers of reggae songs and soul songs


[ Click here to read more ]
56
Vote
   


Aggrolites News

December 19th 2006 09:50
I am a member of the MIS list, which keeps Madness fans up to date with the latest goings on of the band (http://www.mis-online.net) and at the moment they are on tour, so reviews are coming out thick and fast. Anyway, supporting them is the one and only Aggrolites. This is one of my favourite contemporary bands and from all reports some of the old Madness fans are really getting into this US heavy reggae act.

I took a look at the Aggro website (http://www.aggroreggae.com/) to see what their site said about the tour and found a couple of interesting things


[ Click here to read more ]
55
Vote
   


Rude Cat Festival Spain

December 18th 2006 23:35
A few of my friends have seen The Pioneers in Europe recently and looking around the place, I see they are playing a great festival event called Rude Cat in the city of Girona in Spain next year on March 31.

The Pioneers are up there as one of my favourite vocal groups and are on of the acts still alive that I really want to see. When someone I know says they have seen them, jealousy is the obvious emotion that comes to me


[ Click here to read more ]
61
Vote
   


Backy Skank Christmas Party

December 15th 2006 06:08
It is now less than a week away until the Backy Skank Xmas party. This gig has been running for as long as I can remember and it returns to its now traditional home at the Empire Hotel in Annandale.Thursday 23rd of Decmber is the date. We (The Signals) have played the last couple, but unfortunately can't do this one. That said, it is a really strong lineup of bands with a mix of ska, reggae, punk and rockabilly.

Backy Skank are playing two sets and tend to mix it up a little bit with some ska carols and giveaways. A bit of a year in review for the ska scene in many respects too. Backy Skank will be joined by The Creepers, Steppin' Razor and Randall Blair from Canberra


[ Click here to read more ]
57
Vote
   


So having put a sneak peak of the photos from the Skorcher Weekender up here last week, I am also putting up the link for all the photos before anywhere else.

Not all the descriptions are done, but there are a decent amount of pics to look through from all three days of the event. Check them out and make some comments


[ Click here to read more ]
66
Vote
   


Don Drummond - Man In the Street Video

December 13th 2006 06:01
I got a heads up about this from the great reggae/ska message board dancingmood.net and enjoyed it so much I thought I would share it with everyone here.

Okay so it isn't The Skatalites' Don Drummond doing it, but it is pretty cool and interesting. A great track, it has to be said


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


Hit the Swith - sixties club

December 12th 2006 09:14
Here is a new night I am plugging today. It is organised by, amongst others, Rachel, who also did The Happening. It's this Saturday 16th DEC, upstairs at the Newtown Hotel, known as Z-Bar. See flyer below, should be a decent night and a good way to start your evening.

65
Vote
   


I organised a cruise in 2005 and it went so well I knew I had to do another one. Ska and reggae on Sydney harbour is the best thing ever.

So I invited 140 people and 3 bands for four hours of great times on the water. And wasn't it fantastic! This really made the weekend for me and for those non-Sydneysiders, and there were quite a few of them, they thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. At least that's what they were saying. Check out the pics below, some more will be up on http://www.dizzybeatnetwork.com/skorcher soon


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


The second night of the Skorcher Weekender was a six band bill at the Empire Hotel in Annandale. There was a mix between ska and mod bands and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

See the pics below


[ Click here to read more ]
59
Vote
   


Photos from Skorcher night 1: 45 RPM

December 6th 2006 10:31
Night one of the Skorcher Weekender in Sydney just gone was the now long running 45 RPM club night. There was an excellent turnout with plenty of regulars and new faces, with some coming from interstate.

The next 45 RPM @ Bar HQ is on New Years Eve. If you're in Sydney get along as it will be a big night


[ Click here to read more ]
62
Vote
   


Dynamite December - this Friday

December 5th 2006 10:26
The great club night which is Dynamite is on this Friday evening at the Brighton Up Bar. Sponsored by Soul Jazz, they are sure to have giveaways in the form of some boss CDs. As a launch for the Studio One Rude Boy album there will be no doubt the sounds will be top of the heap. I'll be going along, making it a big weekend, what with soul on Thursday, Dynamite on Friday and then a gig at the Lansdowne on Saturday night.

The flyer below has most of the details on it. If you are new to Dynamite, then you may want to know it's a focus on early Jamaican music as well as some soul and roots thrown in. It usually gets pretty busy later on, but I'll be down there from early on, as the sounds are often better


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


Soul Biscuits this Thursday

December 4th 2006 06:02
So the weekend just gone was probably the biggest of the year for me. I am still getting over it, so will leave discussing it for later in the week.

Today I will plug a new (and yet in many ways not so new) soul club that starts this Thursday. The name of the club is Soul Biscuits, which some of you may recognise, and the venue is Bar Cleveland in Surry Hills. A couple of years ago Soul Biscuits was at Bar Cleveland on a Wednesday night and now it is back, on a much better night in my opinion


[ Click here to read more ]
58
Vote
   


More Posts
1 Posts
8 Posts
14 Posts
283 Posts dating from April 2006
Email Subscription
Receive e-mail notifications of new posts on this blog:
Moderated by Glen
Copyright © 2006 2007 2008 On Topic Media PTY LTD. All Rights Reserved. Design by Vimu.com.
On Topic Media ZPages: Sydney |  Melbourne |  Brisbane |  London |  Birmingham |  Leeds     [ Advertise ] [ Contact Us ] [ Privacy Policy ]