This is the mother of all SKA partys! 3 Bands, a DJ and an album release!
Battle-Ska Galactica is a 7-piece retro-futuristic intergalactic ska explosion and they are about to release their debut album to the life forms of Earth. Entitled “Everybody’s got an opinion”, the album presents arrange of firmly held opinions and a satisfying peek into various ska sub-genres, from UK Rude Boy styled ska to old-school Jamaican flavoured ska, and even manages to invent a few hybrids along the way.
Battle-Ska Galactica have been skanking around Wellington for about 4 years, and have gained a loyal following of ska-heads along the way, and a reputation for high energy live shows that voyage into the outer reaches of ska and beyond.
The brainchild of tenor sax player Frankie Curac, they began as an instrumental ska-jazz group in the vein of the New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, with an emphasis on jazzy arrangements and improvisation, showcasing the player’s chops while keeping the dance floor alive. In more recent times an emphasis on songs with vocals has emerged and the
band has discovered a number of talented songwriters in their midst, willing to share their opinions with anyone who cares to listen and crafting some very hooky ska tunes in the process.
The band’s 1st single and title track off the album is a perfect example. Keyboardist Dayle Jellyman, venting about un-solicitited points of view being rammed down his throat at the bar after shows, wrote “Everybody’s got an opinion”. It came to rehearsal perfectly formed, and has proved itself a
dancefloor winner at gigs with its slamming surf guitar riff, brassy horn lines and shout along chorus.
After a few initial line-up changes, the group has settled into it’s current cast of Reprobates and Rude Boys, featuring the Battle-Ska Horns, comprised of Curac on tenor sax, Matt Enright on trumpet and Damian Forlong on slide trombone,
and the Galactic Riddim Section made up of Steve Swanson (drums) John Downes (bass) Saali Marks (guitar), with Dayle Jellyman coaxing an endless array of tones from his armoury of keyboards and pedals.
Lead vocal duties are shared between Marks, Jellyman and Curac, with the rest of the band contributing shouts, oi’s and other ska noises to great effect.
“Everybody’s got an opinion” was recorded and mixed in Featherston over a couple of weekends at Warren Maxwell’s Stonefeather Studio, and with it’s release Battle-Ska Galactica intend to stamp their mark on the NZ ska scene, and prove that there can be life after The Offbeats for Wellington ska fans.
The band will celebrate the release with a show at Bar Bodega on the 9th of June, with support from Masterton ska band SKAper and Wellington stalwarts Rainbow Country and Dj Skaman.
Only $10 on the door or $25 with the album. Doors open 830pm
