Dizzybeat.com

For fans of: Laid-back reggae with some hip-hop and soul mixed in.

I don’t know that I’ve ever received such a comprehensive press pack from an independent band before, but such effort must be commended. Kapakahi successfully attempts to present a strong message of the benefits of diversity, not only through their music, but their image and rhetoric. The band hail from San Francisco, although one could easily mistake the West Coast act as Hawaiian, with their laid back grooves and the assorted genres they draw from.

The opening title track Light Up is the best of the seven on this short album. It is an up-tempo number with a positive loving message and a memorable hornline. Download it free from the Kapakahi website. It’s love song after love song on this record and I’m afraid lyrically no song particularly stands out. Apart from Light Up, the other pick off this CD is Closer. Again it is the saxophone that lifts the song above mediocrity through its complementing of the vocal melody. The songs are as laid back as one could get with the tracks Miss Irie and Lonely, which is good if you love your Sunday afternoon reggae, but after Light Up I was just left wanting something with a bit more life. Put it down to my own taste perhaps.

Favourite tracks: Light Up, Closer

Overall: It’s a little bit too easy listening for me, but I genuinely believe the purpose of the band’s direction is achieved. I can see this record appealing to an eclectic musical taste, but for me I wanted more tracks with the life of Light Up.

Available from: http://www.kapakahimusic.com

The Blue Mountains' newest night, SNAP! returns this Friday, July 17th.

The lineup includes The Paper Scissors, Jordan & the Original Six, Bunt and One Bollock Peep Show + Snap DJs. The venue is the Baroque Bar in Katoomba.

This is the same mob that bring you Garageland, so it is bound to be a top night!

Two videos from Sunday night's gig at the Vanguard. With a house full of Melbourne's Ska Vendors, we had a great weekend, part of which was captured by my partner in crime, Gen Murray. Both songs feature the Simon Smith led backing band The Aussie 2-tone Allstars.

Sarah Heffernan - Friday Night, Saturday Morning

Ska Vendors - Rude Boys Outta Jail

The folks who bring you SNAP! in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney have something new in store and they're taking residence smack back in the middle of Sydney town. Garage Land is the name of the new night to be held once a month on a Thursday night at UTS's Loft Bar on Broadway. The first night is July 9, 2009 and it's FREE!

I'll be DJing the opening night with the SNAP! boys, but more importantly, The Rumjacks and The Booby Traps will supplying the sounds. Doors open at 5pm (with cheap beer for an hour), but the sounds run long into the night. Please come along and help support punk, ska, reggae, rock and soul in Sydney!

Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=91486794083&ref=nf

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/garagelandnight

The Pioneers perform Starvation at Brixton's Hootananny on October 31, 2008. Video taken by Gen Murray.

Unless you're lucky enough to live in Montreal, you'll probably have to wait until this film comes to DVD, but it looks fantastic and will be worth the wait.

Six of the seven core members of The Specials came together in 2008 to play at the festival “Bestival” on the Isle of Wight. Their 2009 tour of the UK sold out in minutes and they promptly announced some Australian dates, which were equally as popular. As we close in on their Sydney gig, Roddy Byers aka Roddy Radiation, Specials and Skabilly Rebels guitarist, has been kind enough to answer some questions for dizzybeat.com. Please forgive the the odd in-joke!

Photos by and copyright Joe Kerrigan.

Can you offer a highlight/s from the UK shows you’ve played so far with the reformed Specials? Also, how do these current shows sit with your reflections on the past, or even your gigs with the Skabilly Rebels?

WELL NEWCASTLE THE FIRST NIGHT WAS ONE OF THE FEW TIMES I'VE FELT NERVOUS IN MY 40 + YEAR CAREER!
BUT IT WAS A GREAT NIGHT AND WE WERE ALL A LITTLE TEARFUL AFTERWARDS.
SO FAR ITS BEEN A LOT OF FUN COMPARED TO HOW STRAINED THINGS WERE TOWARDS THE END OF THE ORIGINAL BAND BACK IN 1981.
I STILL PREFER PLAYING WITH MY GROUP THE SKABILLY REBELS AS I SING ALL THE SONGS AND GET TO PICK THEM, WHILE IN THE NEW SPECIALS I'M ALLOWED TO SING ONLY ONE OF MINE "CONCRETE JUNGLE". I WANTED TO SING MY THREE SONGS "HEY LITTLE RICH GIRL" "RAT RACE" AS WELL AS JUNGLE BUT I WAS OUT VOTED.

How did the tour to Australia come about? Having been here before, did you and Neville have to get in the ears of the others and convince them to come down?

ME AND NEV BOTH KEPT GOING ON ABOUT PLAYING OZ AS WE HAD A GREAT TIME THERE AND THE ORIGINAL BAND NEVER TOURED AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
EVERYONE'S REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO IT*

I notice a New Zealand date has been added to your tour. Does this suggest other parts of the world can expect a visit from The Specials? I know the yanks are hoping they get a visit.

THERE ARE A FEW PLACES IN THE WORLD WE HAVEN'T PLAYED! NEW ZEALAND WILL BE INTERESTING*
AMERICA IS CALLING AND WE MAY TRY AND FIT A FEW DATES IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR IF WE ARE STILL STANDING!

In 2008 four of us Australians saw you play with the Skabilly Rebels at a ska festival in Skegness. How does Sydney compare to a town such as Skegness?

SKEGNESS AND SYDNEY? ...YES THEY ARE EXACTLY THE SAME... LOL.

Madness has had some recent success with the release of new material. Are there any plans for The Specials to do some new songs?

I HAVE PLENTY OF NEW SONGS AND I KNOW SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS HAVE TOO, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO DO SOME DEMOS AND DISCUSS WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THE BAND NEXT YEAR WHICH COULD BE PROBLEMATIC.

Thanks for taking the time to answer the questions. I don't know many people who haven't bought tickets, so not only will the shows be packed, but they'll be full of people right into the sound.

CHEERS
Roddy Byers
11th June 2009.

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Thanks must also go to Dan Chin from The Wall for organising the Q and A. Dan runs an arts + music weekly club night on Wednesday nights at The World Bar in Sydney’s Kings Cross.
Check it out: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/group.php?gid=19071840928