We have played a couple of gigs in Brixton on the last two Sunday evenings.
First we played Upstairs at the Ritzy – always a favourite for us as the sound there is so good. It’s a lovely small venue. And as we were the only band we got to play two full sets.
We had a blast and we think the audience did too. The set list we played is below.
Here’s Annie at the Ritzy.
And last night we got to play a very different gig just down the road at the Hootananny – somewhere we haven’t played for a few years. If the Ritzy is small and intimate, the Hootananny is the opposite – big and loud. We played one long set starting at a quarter past midnight to a big and appreciative crowd, who sang along with many of the songs. It was a long evening given that we had soundchecked at just after six, but worth it as we got a great reception.
Thanks to Cecil Reuben, who has been promoting reggae at the Hootananny for years, for putting us on again.
And it was good to see a poster from when we supported Neville Staple – nearly ten years ago – still on the band room wall.
The Skamonics played at our wedding, just under 10 years ago, and were one of the highlights of the day! We were wondering whether you might be free to play at our 10 year wedding anniversary party, which is on 24 November this year.
And so last night we made our way to the Hackney Coffee Company to play two sets. This was our first gig for some time and we had a blast. Remi joined us on guitar as special guest for his first gig with us, and having played in a ska band in Poland for ten years he was a natural fit.
We took a rushed picture at the sound check (before we had changed) and this is what we played:
It was a lovely spring evening yesterday, just right for a gig at a tennis club. We had a great time playing for an Aldersbrook Lawn Tennis Club social evening. It was a great success with a big crowd that danced all night.
Thanks to Andy Wilson who came and played tenor sax for us for the first time, depping for Jackie who is away.
And we have some fabulous feedback:
So many people said to me last night that was “the best night ever” at our tennis club.
Even more asked me “when are you coming back”.
I look forward to having that discussion with you soon. Big thanks from everyone at Aldersbrook.
We didn’t take any photos, but this is what we played:
This is always one of our favourite gigs and last Thursday’s was no exception.
We were very lucky to have Rachel Musson guesting with us on tenor sax, who played some great solos.
There was a good crowd who seemed to enjoy themselves, inclduing some regulars. And Roger, the sound guy, is one of the best we ever work with.
We had two sets – and this was what we played.
Chinatown
Guns Of Navarone
Latin Goes Ska
Tide Is High
Mood For Love
My Baby Just Cares for me
Work Song
Mambo Number 5
Enola Gay
Mad World
London Calling
Monkey Man
One Step Beyond
Hall of the Mountain King
Come Dancing
Simmer Down
Pata Pata
10 Out Of 10
Tainted Love
Rudy A Message To You
Baggy Trousers
My Boy Lollipop
Gangsters
And it’s always good to see our name (almost) in lights. Let’s hope we get to play there again soon, and that by then the owners have stopped victimising their staff and pay the living wage.
We have never played an outdoor gig in January before. But while we needed our thermals we had a ball playing the Thornton Heath Light Festival yesterday. It combined some of the Lumiere light festival installations with live entertainment.
We only had time for a short set. This is what we played.
For our second Brighton gig in a row, we were privileged to play for Andy’s 50th birthday party in the rather swanky Metropole hotel – a much easier place to get gear into and out again at the end of the evening.
We’ve already had a great thank you note:
Thanks so much Mark. You were brilliant. Everyone loved you. Please pass on my thanks to the whole band.
We’ve had a very nice email from our recent clients:
“Thank you so much for last night, you were fantastic! We had so many comments about what a great band you are too. Andy’s mum was up and dancing and Andy’s mum never gets up and dances these days!
“Thank you also for playing Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, that was a real treat for us both.
“Thank you again for making our evening special and giving so many people a great time.”
Yesterday evening we travelled to Brighton to play for a party celebrating a wedding that had taken place a few days before.
While loading into a venue on a pedestrian precinct in the middle of a fearsome one way system was not exactly easy, once we were all set up and enjoyed a fine burger it was a blast.
As a special request for the happy couple we played “Can’t take my eyes off you” with a ska flavour, which seemed to go down very well on what had become a packed dance floor in the monster second set.
We don’t have any photos or video but this is what we played:
We were delighted to be the main band on the Saturday night of a weekend mini-festival at the Royal Oak pub in Hollywater, near Liphook in Hampshire.
We were sharing the stage with the General Wayne sound system who have impeccable taste, and selected some great tunes for before and after our set. And while bands can never tell what the audience get to hear, the onstage sound was spot on.
Our special guest was the mighty Joe Ospalla on drums.
We didn’t get a chance to take many photos, other than a few as we were setting up.
