Melbourne Ska Orchestra is a unique wonderful ramshackle train that has carved a reputation as one of the new leading exponents on the Australian Ska scene. Thrilling performances at Womad, Apollo Bay and Bluesfest have catapulted this group into international arenas with European dates scheduled for next year.
The fifth and final Ska Nation is coming up in September! Which artists are the band looking forward to playing alongside?
Our good friends the Ska Vendors are a great local act and Looking forward to Pat Powell doing his thing to…all the artists on the bill are part of the greater family of Ska so we all have this inherent love for each other… teammates in the Ska side.
Do you think there’s a need for more ska events in the Melbourne live music scene?
Well its such a celebratory style that a weekly ska event at least should be a necessity!
How did the Melbourne Ska Orchestra form?
We tried to set a world record for how many horn skankers we could have on stage and it turned into a real band, Funny that…
Who are the bands most influential artists?
Cant go past the Skatalites, Prince Buster, Stranger Cole ,Owen Gray, all the Two Tone peeps, Madness, Specials , etc…
You guys have a grand total of 30 members! Has the band always been that extensive?
Pretty much from the word go we always had more people than we could fit on stage..
Are all 30 members always performing at gigs and rehearsing together?
We have a consistent core of about 18 and the rest change and float as required..
Probably about 40 peeps available at any one time
If you could play any venue/festival where would it be?
Love Womad, BluesFest… Glastonbury, European Festivals….
How do you like your music? On digital, CD, or vinyl (maybe even cassette)?
Vinyl is always going to have that middle register juice that hits in all the right places.. but sometimes you gotta go with what is available… make sure you hear the bottom end though… and not too harsh on the treble!
Any plans for new music coming up soon?
We’re recording a new album in November..looking forward to capturing the real juice..
Where can we catch you playing next?
Caloundra Festival which is MASSIVE is up next after Ska Nation , Should be a hooooot!
Blesss! Ska!
For more info on Ska Nation head to the website – www.skanation.com
