* 30 Jan The Arthouse (616 Elizabeth St, Mel, 3001) 8 pm $10 Loonee Tunes (headlining), The High Tides, The Elephant Gods (NSW) & Tin Soldiers

* 5 Feb The Birmingham (333 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Mel 3131) 3pm $7 + Loonee Tunes etc (SKA B Q)

* 6 Feb The Birmingham (333 Smith Street, Fitzroy, Mel 3131) 3pm $7 High Tides etc (SKA B Q)

* 27 Feb The Arthouse (616 Elizabeth St, Mel, 3001) 8 pm $TBA The Skavendors (headlining), Johnny Longshot, Loonee Tunes, The High Tides

This weekend sees Melbourne ska band The High Tides venture to NSW. Interspersed with their gigs are some great club events that are well worth your attention if you're in town.

Thursday December 10th, 5 pm - midnight
Garageland @ UTS's Loft Bar
Free entry
DJs Gus (The Hightides), Johnny McKelvey (The Rumjacks), Robotico (Freedom Sounds), Glen Dizzybeat and Snap DJs spinning ska, reggae, soul and punk.

Friday December 11th, 830 pm
The High Tides @ the Hotel Gearin, Katoomba
With The Elephant Gods and Dirty Lindy

Saturday December 12th, 3 pm - 7 pm
Soul Shakedown Party @ The View Factory, Newcastle
Free entry

Saturday December 12th, 9 pm - 3 am
Take It or Leave It @ Kelly's, Newtown
Free entry

Sunday December 13th, 4 pm - 10 pm
The High Tides @ the Oxford Tavern, Wollongong
With The Resignators, Steppin' Razor, Steel City Allstars etc

It's only a week until the next Garage Land @ UTS's Loft Bar. This month features the fantastic King Cannons from Melbourne as they return to Sydney for a string of shows. Joining them will be The Optionals, Long Slow Drive as well as Snap DJs and myself on the wheels of steel. Please come along - it is free after all!

Thursday October 15 @ the UTS Loft Bar, Broadway.

King Cannons - Teenage Dreams

While I don't think the intended ironic name of this tour is a particularly good one (after all when was ska's fortune ever linked exclusively to America?), the entertainment on offer definitely has me interested. The main reason is Canada's One Night Band who play an infectious style of dirty reggae. Dan Potthast from MU330 and Melbourne's The Resignators will keep those of you into ska-punk interested.

21 Oct Cambridge Hotel Newcastle *
22 Oct Annandale Hotel Sydney
23 Oct Hamilton Station Hotel Newcastle
24 Oct Jubilee Hotel Brisbane
25 Oct Oxford Hotel Wollongong
29 Oct National Hotel Geelong
30 Oct Live @ Light Square Adelaide
1 Nov Ska Nation Evelyn Hotel Fitzroy **
2 Nov Ska Nation Corner Hotel Richmond

Guest supports on all shows.

* The Resignators only
** Dan Potthast Only

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!

With The Specials due in Australia in late July, the Sydney ska scene is coming together on Sunday June 28th at the Vanguard (King St, Newtown) to celebrate our connection to ska and 2-tone. Joining Backy Skank is an all-star lineup including Pat Powell (Club Ska), Steve Montgomery (The Ska Vendors), Steve Phillips (Just Kidding), Stuart Crysell (The Allniters) and Mark Heather (Riot City/Steppin' Razor) for a celebration paying homage to some of the great ska bands. I'll also be spinning some tunes. It's an early start at 6 pm. Please come along!

Tickets are available online

As part of the upcoming festival curated by Brian Eno, Lee "Scratch" Perry will be performing at the Opera House on Thursday 11th June. He will be joined by British Producer Adrian Sherwood for a concert of live dub. I haven't caught Lee Perry on any of his previous trips to Australia, but there's no doubting his significant contribution to reggae music and the Opera House is sure to be a wonderful setting for the show.

Tickets: http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/leeperry.aspx