The Forum was abuzz. Wading through a sea of fedoras and dapper black suit n’ ties, an infectious energy and anticipation flooded the crowd. And it was a decent crowd – for the Melbourne Ska Orchestra’s first ever headline gig, the place was close to sold out. Present mainly at festivals and always sharing the bill, MSO have garnered a following with people who liked to dance – nay, skank – to some original ska and a selection of the genre’s ground-breaking best. And nothing much had changed. Trading gumboots for leather boots, plastic cups for beer bottles, the young and the seasoned were already jiving to the warm-up music.
The advantage of having a 35-strong orchestra on stage is the sheer impact, the drama, the theatrics that are possible. Take the opening song, Katoomba, for example; slowly, steadily building as each row of the bandstand was filled, each member injecting his or her own little character to the set. And before a word was even spoken. That dramatic moment was saved for frontman and lynchpin of the group, Nicky Bomba, unnecessarily asking the audience if they wanted to dance. And so began their ska interpretation of the theme to classic ’60s detective show, Get Smart. Bomba, cool as a cat in his sunnies and suit, could have well played a walk-on role.
Lygon St Meltdown, one of the better known songs from the group’s self-titled debut album, was MSO’s “Melbourne take on rudeboy ska”, the first of many throwbacks to the foundations of ska and funk. Within a set that showcased MSO’s finest, there were covers of The Specials’ A Message To You Rudy and Small’s My Boy Lollipop, as well as shout-outs to funk legends James Brown and Lee “Scratch” Perry (before “He’s a Tripper”, no less). The perfect way to celebrate a band formed to commemorate the 40th anniversary of ska ten years ago.
Bomba was having way too much fun with this band, at one point literally controlling the brass section with one hand and the crowd with the other. He shared vocal duties with Pat Powell and the lovely Rebecca Ari, who touched the sweet spot with Calypso-inspired groove “Learn To Love Again”. Not even the drum kit was safe from Bomba, as he got amongst the jamming clarinets, tenor saxophones and trombones.
And to cap it off, Singalong Day had the audience doing just that, before tidbits of Bob Marley’s Simmer Down and The Specials’ Monkey Man made it into the set. A fine combination of new to old, and an obvious celebration of all life, love and happiness – set to the tune of 35 talented music-makers. Get involved.
BY JEN WILSON
LOVED: The vibe.
HATED: The Forum’s midnight curfew.
DRANK: Beer, in a bottle.
