By skamonic
We played the last of our summer wedding gigs yesterday somewhere between Stoke Poges and where the M40 leaves the M25. Once again we were joined by Joe on drums who was as tight as usual.
Sri Lankan food
The venue was a marquee. Our PA is fine for such events, though wisely a temporary dance floor had been installed as the ground was a bit uneven, and people prefer to dance on something smooth and solid.
But this is a gig we will remember for the food. The bride is Sri Lankan in origin, and so was the food.
Here’s the band tucking in.
tucking in before we played
Steve certainly enjoyed it.
Thumbs up from Steve
It got too dark to take any further pictures after this (and we had some music to play), though it would have been good to get some shots of the packed dance floor.
But once again we proved that ska can cross every boundary to get people dancing.
By skamonic
Here’s what the client for our dancing in the rain gig has said:
One of the most memorable moments was coming out after dinner worried about finding you playing in the rain on your own only to find 20 odd people with brollies stomping around in the mud.
I knew then that we had the right guests and the right band. Thank you.
Well, we can’t help with guests, but we are always ready to do the music.
By skamonic
Name: Mark Huggett
What instrument(s) do you play? Drums
Do you have any other role in the band? I book the gigs and produce the band recordings but my main role is lighting a fire under the rhythm section ;0)
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Red is Danger is my favourite tune especially as I get a solo which is more than 4 bars long. This of course means we hardly ever play it
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? The last great one was at the Last days of Decadence.
with other bands? I play sometimes with The Annie Whitehead Quartet which is both very challenging and rewarding. I’ve also played some great gigs with Benoit where everyone is dancing is a crazed fashion. My most challenging gig was playing 5 hours non stop with The Trojans. Also I played in South Africa at at KwaZulu Natal Jazz center and
everyone sat and listened for the whole gig!
How did you learn to play? By listening to records and the odd lesson. My 2 brothers play drums too
What else do you do musically? I run www.jazzdirect.co.uk which releases new jazz recordings. I have my own band the Dan Wilson Mark Huggett Project and I play with Benoit Viellefon and his Orchestra. I also play with some Big Bands.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? I like Art Blakey, John Bonham, Jack De Johnette, Paul Motion, Stewart Copeland, Sly Dunbar, Bill Stewart, Jim Black, Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Elvin Jones, Philly Jo Jones, Richie Hayward, Steve Ferrone, Terry Bozzio, Maurice White… ( I could go on!)
Non drumming influences on me are Miles Davis, Brian Eno, Cuban and Brazilian music
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? Prog, Funk, 70s Rock, Jazz. Loving Pink Floyd Led Zeppelin, John Zorn, Frank Zappa, Bootsy, Can, Jakob, Basie, Sinatra, Duke, Bird
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Miles Davis 1982 North Sea Jazz Festival, Joe Zawinul at Ronnie Scotts a couple of years ago
What do you do when you are not playing music? Teach Art History and produce music
What about you would surprise other members of the band? I have a certificate in Thai cooking
How many paintings did Leonardo Da Vinci do in his lifetime? about 20
By skamonic
We are all just back from playing a wedding gig in Herefordshire.
It was a stunning setting – a group of buildings dating back to the 14th century that are situated in beautiful countryside a few miles from Leominster.
We had a great time, and had the chance to dig out some tunes that we’ve not covered for some time as were playing three sets, including a first laid-back jazzy one in the afternoon immediately after the ceremony.
The venue
The weather was less than stunning however. We had sunshine, showers and everything in between, with our last set played in almost total darkness – not always a recipe for hitting the right fret.
As we were playing outside (a very sheltered outside for the band) it meant we were playing to an audience that could one moment be basking in the sun, and the next rushing for shelter or grabbing umbrellas.
Our stage
This was certainly our first experience of playing to people who were dancing in the rain.
We don’t have any photos of that, as of course, we were playing at the time. But we did take some between sets.
DJ Andy on the decks
We often work with a good DJ friend of ours for weddings and other functions. So here’s a picture of Andy. You can’t really see, but he’s stuck between a fig tree and some antique agricultural equipment. This is a bit of a change from some of the sweaty clubs in which we play.
Our drug of choice
All bands like to play up the rock and roll lifestyle, but actually our drug of choice is coffee and lots of it. This is also the first gig where we have been provided with venison sandwiches.
Brollies at the ready
And did we say it rained?
We at least are all dry, while Andy who took this photo is out front getting wet.
Annie and Veronica
We had a special guest on trombone, Annie, who is seen here chatting with Veronica.
Frank and Mark
Here are a few more photos of the band between sets.
Leah and Steve
Nigel looking his usual relaxed self when setting up the PA
By skamonic
What instrument(s) do you play? Electric 6-string guitars older than me.
Do you have any other role in the band? Calming Nigel down whilst he’s setting up the PA. Trying (vainly) to stop the horn section talking about jazz.
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Guns of Navarone!
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? I enjoy playing Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues (when water from the air conditioning unit isn’t dripping down my neck!
How did you learn to play? Carefully.
What else do you do musically? I play guitar with the soul/blues/surf band the Astrojets, and bass with the punk/new wave band the (ahem) Electric Cucumbers.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? Steve Cropper, Jimmie Vaughan, T-Bone Walker, Freddie King. Stax and Excello records. Surf music.
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? Soul, blues, country, rock. Bobby Bland, Fabulous Thuderbirds, Creedance Clearwater Revival, Thin Lizzy.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Buddy Guy at the Town and Country Club (now the Forum) around 1990, and Anson Funderburgh and the Rockets with Sam Myers at the 100 Club around 1998.
What do you do when you are not playing music? Repair valve amplifiers (www.,jpfamps.com). Shameless plug……
What about you would surprise other members of the band? My inability to answer cryptic crossword questions.
Do you have any embarrassing admissions? Yes, I’ve never owned a Fender Telecaster.
By skamonic
What instrument(s) do you play? Saxes, Misery Stick… and bassoon for non-party situations. Piano in times of desperation.
Do you have any other role in the band? Nagging Mark to use a cowbell at every opportunity. Insisting that Frank should be referred to as ‘The Doctor’. Trying to insert quotes from the Rite of Spring into every gig (not that anyone ever notices!).
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Dr Who – it defines ‘sexy slow groove’ !
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? with other bands? Erm, probably the one in the barn because the local ale and cider was grand! And I felt like I was on form.
Hard to pick best gigs, so many to choose, but I guess you could say that playing at Buckingham Palace for Princess Anne was a particularly nice one.
How did you learn to play? Very carefully.
What else do you do musically? eg other bands. Musical Director of The Blue Flamingo Big Band, created by my company Blue Flamingo Entertainments which I co-own with fellow Skamonista Leah! I really enjoy my new funk outfit, Last of the Blue Flamingos. Founder member of reed trio, W3. Have been lucky enough to enjoy playing with a wide array of groups and organisations really… for example I had some experience with the BBC Symphony Orchestra which was great.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? This list could be endless, so I’ll keep it to two! Tubby Hayes on Sax, definitely. More generally, I owe a lot of my soul to Tord Gustavsen.
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? All kinds. I mostly listen to jazz, but I trained classically. Erm, avoiding the ones I’ve already mentioned, some of my current ‘most played’ list are: The Mingus Big Band, Jake Goss’ Banyan, Stanton Moore, Don Byron, Curious, Arturo Sandoval, Gwilym Simcock, Quantic and his Combo Barbaro, Gergiev and the LSO, Avishai Cohen….
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Can I have two?! Seeing Tord Gustavsen was stunning. And the other would be the Ronnie Scott’s Big Band, doing a night of Dizzy Gillespie stuff – the guest trumpeter wasn’t on form, but the band were incredible that night – especially Dave O’Higgins!
What do you do when you are not playing music? Arrange it instead. Or teach it. Or travel somewhere, inevitably en route to play more of it. Or listen to it! I also run my businesses obviously, which is pretty full time – I do a lot of promo stuff daily for that. I guess my other big interest is my motorbike which I blast about on (it’s a bright green Ninja for those who care!).
What about you would surprise other members of the band? The contents of the shoebox in the bottom of my wardrobe.
Think of a question that has an interesting answer (and preferably answer it?) I guess the inevitable question will now be ‘What is in the shoebox in the bottom of your wardrobe?!’
By skamonic
Name: Leah Elisabeth Thomas
What instrument(s) do you play? Saxes (Piano, Clarinet, Recorder, Flute, Vocals….)
Do you have any other role in the band? Person who counts people in, wears high heels, woops a lot, and jumps up and down. And provides the tenor skank.
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Gangsters, the Madness stuff…oh it all depends on the mood!! love it all.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? with other bands? Hootananny is great…love playing 100 Club with Big Band – love the Gospel Piano in church on a Sunday morning.
How did you learn to play? Piano at the age of 5, sax at age of 10…and was made to practice. Brilliant. I was in every music club going, was in recorder club in sixth form. Then came the music degrees.
What else do you do musically? Music company with beautiful fellow Skamonic Steve: Blue Flamingo Entertainments….gig with Big Band, Rockabilly, Quartet, Gospel….have been known to do some madrigal singing…
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? Coltrane, Dexter Gordon, Lockjaw, Pete Long…
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some of your favourite bands or musicians? Anything that has a great horn section – LOVE jazz, old school rhythm & blues, grew up on country, ADORE rock’n’roll. Good pop.
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Some fab nights at Ronnie Scott’s, or for that matter Big Band Britannia @ Barbican, or just some great contemporary jazz in dingy venues.
What do you do when you are not playing music? Talking about music. Going to church. Going to see gigs. Organising music.
What about you would surprise other members of the band? I’d never listened to ska in my life before I played the first time as a dep. Ooo, I went to Bible College in America for a year.
By skamonic
This is the first in a series of band member profiles. We’ve asked everybody to fill in the same questionnaire.
First up is our bone man Nick.
Name: Nick Richards
What instrument do you play? Trombone
Do you have any other role in the band? being late for photo sessions
Do you have a favourite tune in the Skamonics repertoire? Alley Cat Ska
What’s the best gig you’ve ever played with the Skamonics? with other bands? It was nice to play at the 100 Club a few years ago, but it was early days for the band, and I think musically we get better all the time so maybe our most recent gig is always the best!
How did you learn to play? Mainly self taught, with advice from Annie Whitehead and Rico Rodriguez, and some lessons from Malcolm Earle-Smith
What else do you do musically? Another ska band called The Apocryphalites and a jazz big band run by Cool Boy, an old Alpha School boy. Here’s a great vid about the Alpha Boys School – the Jamaican institution that educated a huge proportion of the early ska and reggae musicians.
Who are your musical influences on your instrument – and more generally? Don Drummond (Skatalites), Fred Wesley (James Brown), Glen Pine (The Slackers), Bill Harris (Woody Herman)
As well as ska, what other types of music do you like, and who are some ofyour favourite bands or musicians? Jazz trombonists- Robin Eubanks, Frank Rosolino, Urbie Green, Jack Teagarden. Classical composers- Wagner, Mahler, Schubert, Bach
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to (where you weren’t playing?) Maybe John Zorn at the Barbican in 2000, 3 sets the last of which was the Masada Quartet with Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen and Joey Baron. Blew my mind as to the amount of energy & inventiveness it can be possible to create and sustain with acoustic instruments.
What do you do when you are not playing music? Graphic Design is my day job, outside of that I do running, cycling, yoga, practising…
Who is the most famous person you’ve played with? The footballer Nobby Solano, I used to play in his salsa band a couple of years ago when he was playing for West Ham.
What about you would surprise other members of the band? I really want to SING!!!
Have you ever been described as a Renaissance Man? Yes
Are you the tallest trombonist in London? Probably!
By skamonic
“The band were great, can you thank them all very much please. Hope they enjoyed it too”
We certainly did Charlie.
Thanks for booking us.
By skamonic
The answer is that I’m not sure as my watch stopped half-way through the set.
As it’s a bettery operated watch that normally stops about once a year this could not be anticipated.
But my guess is that we were just a bit over.
What I do know is that it was a fabulous gig, where we got three encores.
There was a heaving floor of dancers the whole time we were playing, and a good part of that was that we did get through the songs more quickly than we normally do. Slightly fewer solos and a slicker transition between songs mean that we really kept the energy levels up.
I reckon the final tally was 17 songs in 75 minutes. That’s still a record for us.
