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Club Ska - a reggae history lesson

April 13th 2007 04:57

If you read the blog earlier this week you'll know a band called The Rocksteady Ratpack will be playing Mods Mayday this year - Saturday May 5th @ Newtown RSL.

Anyway, a number of members were once in a Sydney band called Club Ska. I myself am too young to have seen this band, and I expect not too many of the people reading this will remember them. I did a little digging and found the no-longer updated History of Australia Ska by Tracey.

The Club Ska page tells of a few seven inch releases, the members, but most impressively, the picture below of Pat Patou (Powell?) in a great silve tonic suit.

Make sure you check out Pat as he fronts the band on May 5th.

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Posted By: Glen - Category: History

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Comment by Anonymous

April 14th 2007 12:08

I got one of the Club Ska 7's. Its a little studio done for my liking. Ive also got a bootleg of one of their live shows. Their live sound seemed to be much better than their recorded sound. They did some brilliant covers aswell. Im really keen to see this Rocksteady Ratpack, if they got a history with being in club ska they sound like they'd be right on the money. Anyway can't wait to head up your way. See you soon

Comment by Chuckles

April 14th 2007 12:13

I never sign in proply on here

Comment by Anonymous

April 16th 2007 06:04

I first became aware of and interested in the rude scene at the tender age of 14 in 1987. At that time, there was a moderate wave of Aussie ska, many of whom played at the raucous, shambolic Sutherland Entertainment Centre underage discos (the Sutho Bop). I distinctly remember seeing the Allniters there, coinciding with their chart hits. By 1988 (aged 15) we went regularly to the Teachers Club in the city to see bands (paper ID at the time, they didn't care how young you were). Don't remember the name Club Ska, but they could have played there, it was a pretty hit and miss affair, very smoky, dingy and very little technical support. Over the years I slowly slipped out of the scene, but always retained a percolating passion for all things Mod, Rude, Reggae, Rocksteady etc. Now as a thirty-something Enmore local I'm thrilled to be able to indulge my child/ young adulthood passions once a month at Take it or Leave it. Thanks for organising such a great night that I can stumble home from. Looking forward to the Mods May Day. Just got to convince my non-scenester friends....

Comment by Glen

April 16th 2007 06:09

Reggae

I wish you had included your name, last anon. Glad to have you back involved and supporting the events we're putting on. Would love to sit down and have a beer and hear a few stories from the eighties.

Comment by Anonymous

April 16th 2007 06:21

im not the other person posting ,but was 15 in 87,real different than now,none of this RSA stuff ,gigs were drink fuelled ,pill popping ,anarchic events

Comment by Anonymous

April 16th 2007 06:23

I'm afraid my memories aren't that strong! It's all a bit vague. I do recall a strong regional focus though (we were the Engadine Skins- though not so skinnish really, and definately SHARP). There were other clusters in the Strathfield/ Burwood area and I think Northern Beaches. Not the friendliest of scenes to tell the truth. Very insular and intimidating if you're not on the inside. Of course, the Town Hall was the focus for casual drinking, and there was only a handful of places to acquire clothing (no Internet) Whenever I go there now I'm famous amongst my friends for saying, 'I've been coming to the Town Hall for 17 years- Half my life'. It's lost a lot since they opened up the top bit (Platform 8).

My name is Steff by the way. You gave me a flyer on Saturday Night. I have short bleached blonde hair. Would love to share a beer sometime.

Comment by Glen

April 16th 2007 06:31

Reggae

Really good to hear from you Steff. Considering how much is city-centred these days and a lot smaller, it is interesting to hear how regionalised it was.

Comment by Anonymous

April 16th 2007 06:38

The internet is the major difference these days, and we didn't have mobiles to organise stuff. Drum Media was just starting up I think. It was a lot of word of mouth, and that's why we did things close to home I guess. We used to have to know someone who went to England, and bring back a whole lot of stuff. The Merc catalogue was like gold, though you could never afford anything from it. The only place to get a Ben Sherman was Grace Bros mens wear, and I have an old faithful Harrington with a wool (not cotton) liner which I got for $100 from Blue Beat in the city (that was a LOT of money for a 15 year old, but I still wear it almost 20 years later). Newtown was a lot grubbier then, and Enmore even worse.
I feel as though I'm from a different generation, but you can't be that young. Can you?

Comment by Glen

April 16th 2007 06:46

Reggae

23 (going on 40 according to some). To be honest when I started getting into things, it wasn't much different. My first FP gear and Harrington came from an Englishman. It is only now I have money and a CC that I can order stuff online. I did go to Conte on King St to get my first suit pretty quickly, however.

Comment by Steff

April 16th 2007 06:51

Look forward to seeing you around. This quick chat has bought back loads of feelings, if not concrete memories. And, as I said, I am appreciative that your events have allowed me to slip back into something that's held a huge chunk of my heart, for more than half my life.

Comment by Glen

April 16th 2007 06:58

Reggae

Well it's great you are still in touch with what is going on. Despite it being a part of life, it disappoints me that so many people from the past fall out of the scene entirely.

Comment by Paula

May 13th 2007 15:24

I am one of the (old)er people you refered to earlier, I was twenty when Club Ska hit the scene. We got to know a few of the guys and had a ball with them.
We'd follow them to every Adelaide gig, then surprised them and turned up at a Melbourne gig unannounced, should have seen Pats face!
We ended up in their van with them one night going to a gig at San Remo, what a hell ride that was, Stuart was green when we got there and so was I, can't rememberwho was driving, Pat I think!
Anyway, got there, gig was cancelled so another hell ride all the way back to Melbourne.
Those were the days, I still love reggae, ska etc am now back in contact with Pat and he told me last week he'd sang with Ratpack Reggae, hopefully one day Adelaide will get a few visits from some decent reggae bands.

Comment by Paula

May 13th 2007 15:28

I remember Pat in "that " tonic suit too!!

Comment by Anonymous

April 27th 2008 01:14

if you want more.....I was the audio engineer for club ska and have a lot of desk tapes of them

[ Previous - Mods Mayday 2007 with poster ]

[ Next - My top favourite tunes for the dancefloor ]

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