As summer kicks off and a cup weekend approaches, it’s time to strap on your two tone shoes and bowling shirt and embrace the grinning ska fan within.
You know you love it, when that horn section kicks in, wailing with giddy excitement, spraying bombastic notes across the room. It’s the whomping upper-cut of the ska sound, and even though you know it’s coming, it puts a smile on your face every single time. That’s the thing about the old skanking, off-beat bounce of ska – it’s the most easy-going, joyful music in the world, and when you hear it, there’s nothing to do but dance.
As summer kicks off and a cup weekend approaches, it’s time to strap on your two tone shoes and bowling shirt and embrace the grinning ska fan within. Over three days, across four venues, Ska Nation 2010 will present the biggest, brightest, bounciest sounds in town, with local, interstate and international acts piling in for the party.
Friday night sees Aussie ska legends Area 7 opening the ceremonies at The Evelyn, Saturday afternoon Dan Potthast (USA) will host a ‘Skabour’ boat cruise, while Canada’s Chris Murray plays the after-cruise party at Cherry. Cup Eve sees Ska Nation wind up with a massive party at The Corner Hotel and Melbourne’s own Commissioner Gordon are top of the bill. That’s it – your whole weekend sorted. Let the good times roll…
HIGHLIGHTS
DAN POTTHAST
Bespectacled indie punkster Dan Potthast was the singer songwriter of St Louis outfit MU330, a third wave ska band with Elvis Costello inflections. MU330 started out as a pyscho ska outfit, moving to softer indie sounds for the albums Crab Rangoon and MU330, before their acclaimed return to form with 2002’s Ultra Panic. While MU330 continue to tour, Potthast has spent the last decade carving out a solo career as a minimalist ska singer with a wicked sense of humour, releasing eyeballs in 1999, Sweets And Meats in 2002 and Eat The Planet in 2008.
CHRIS MURRAY
Canada’s Chris Murray, now living happily in the LA sunshine, is a ska-head who fell in love when he first heard Madness’ cover of One Step Beyond on the radio. Throughout the late eighties and nineties, he headed up influential two tone ska act King Apparatus, then moved to the ‘States and started up a solo career, releasing The 4-Track Adventures Of Venice Shoreline Chris in 1995. This and Murray’s other solo albums are home-recorded and have a distinctive lo-fi quality – rough around the edges by full of pep. With the release of Raw in 2002, Murray took things even further, recorded the entire album on a walkman. Ask your folks what that is kids. Better yet, ask Murray this weekend. His new album, Slackness is out now and kicks arse.
COMMISSIONER GORDON
Melbourne’s beloved Commissioner Gordon – the it-and-a-bit ska act of the early naughties – have reformed (again) to wow the crowd at Ska Nation 2010. The cheeky six-piece built a loyal following with A Life Less Gordonary (their 1999 EP) and Get in the Car (the 2001 album) racking up support slots with Reel Big Fish, Royal Crown Review and Voodoo Glow Skulls, amongst others. Since officially resigning in 2006, the Gordos have moved on to other projects, both musical and personal, but they’re dusting off the brass for one more balls out performance this weekend.
THE RESIGNATORS
The Resignators are the driving force behind Ska Nation and one of the most prolific ska acts in the country. With over 400 gigs and international tours behind them, the Melbourne sextet have kept the skanking spirit alive, representing Oz at the 2009 SXSW Festival and releasing a debut album through Stomp the same year. The Resignators are due to release their follow up record, See You In Hell, in about a week, so expect to hear plenty of new material from this energetic party band.
WHEN / WHERE/ WHO:
OPENING NIGHT PARTY The Evelyn Hotel, Fitzroy – Saturday October 30
Area 7
Dan Pothast (USA)
The Ska Vendors
The Kujo Kings
Steel City All Stars (NSW)
SKABOUR CRUISE – Docklands (afternoon) Sunday October 31
Dan Potthast (USA)
Madonna
Strangely Attraktive
CRUISE AFTER PARTY – Cherry Bar +18 (evening) Sunday October 31
Chris Murray (Canada)
Loonee Tunes
Son Of Dad (SA)
SKA NATION FINALE – The Corner Hotel, Richmond – Monday November 1
Commissioner Gordon
Chris Murray (CANADA)
The Resignators
Lotek & The Rebel Hifi (UK)
Chris Duke and the Royals (NSW)
HOW MUCH: Festival Pass $47, Finale Pass ONLY $25
Tickets available from THE CORNER HOTEL BOX OFFICE, FIST2FACE Ringwood and THE SKA STORE. For all info and tickets, check out skanation.com
ALSO CHECK OUT:
The SKA NATION 201 Compilation CD and festival program, which features track from 14 bands on the bill. Now, when you’ve already been to the festival, you can get boozey and dance around to Ska Nation at home! Dig it. Pick up a copy at Ska Nation 2010.