New Ska Doc: "Gaz's Rockin' Blues: A Brief History"
Directors Leo Leigh and Zaid Mudhaffer have put together an excellent short documentary film (17+ minutes) for Spine Television about Gaz Mayall's long-running club night titled "Gaz's Rockin' Blues: A Brief History." Filmed during the release of Gaz's book, "Gaz's Rockin' Blues: The First 30 Years" (read The Duff Guide to Ska review here) and an exhibit of his club posters and related paraphernalia at London's Subway Gallery, this doc features interviews with Gaz, one of his main DJs Natty Bo (Top Cats, Ska Cubano), and assorted friends and fans. (An added bonus is a soundtrack featuring cuts from The Ska Flames and Potato 5!)
So much of what Gaz has done and accomplished with his club night is ephemeral (people came, drank, danced, socialized, fell in/out of love, caught a band, went home--then, repeat a week later) that it's really wonderful that at least some facets of it have been documented in his book--and now in this gem of a film.
Great doc. I have always wanted to visit Gaz's Rockin Blues. Not really feeling the delusional photographer at the end though who rambles on and on about how electric music killed music and it is dead today? He needs to open his ears.
I've always loved the Trojans and the whole late 80s UK ska scene outside of the 2Tone bands. I gotta get my hands on that book too! That looks pretty close to how the Moon / Toasters book should go! Just shit tons of pictures and such. That subway gallery was really cool. That's a great idea too. Reconstitute old unused spaces and put some art in them!
Thanks, Jeremy! Gaz's book is fantastic--definitely worth tracking down (I actually ordered it through Amazon in the US). It would have been amazing to have been in the UK in the late 80s...so many good bands and so many good releases...
What They're Saying About My New Book "The Duff Guide to 2 Tone"
“An essential read…Stephen's eye for detail is incredible and his love for 2 Tone oozes from each page.” — Kevin Flowerdew, Do the Dog Skazine
“Written with a personal touch and with great passion about the bands and releases while giving a lot of emphasis to the lyrics, Stephen’s book is a great guiding hand to navigating your way to some great new music.” — Peter Walsh, 2-Tone.info
“It's some of the finest Madness analysis I've ever read.” —Donald Trull, Stateside Madness
“Steve's own story would make a great book, but instead he's written The Duff Guide to 2 Tone, a 250+ page collection of 2 Tone-related pieces from his blog. There are reviews of original pieces, but the book's real purpose is to show how the 2 Tone sound and—more importantly its ideals—carry on today...Get this book right away!" — Charles Benoit, Reggae Steady Ska
"...Shafer has definitely not forgotten how socially conscious issues were at the root of Ska even from the beginning. He makes certain to thread the political issues that motivated the development of Ska throughout his narrative; painting a picture that took both the oppressive political environments and the often ecstatic musical content into account. And in that, he nails down for me what the enduring pull of Ska was to its many fans. Was there ever a more upbeat dance music that combined its boundless energy with a push for progressive social values and calling truth to power?" —Post-Punk Monk
Check out The Duff Guide to Ska Video Channel for footage of ska bands in action in clubs around NYC, as well as unusual and rare ska videos from the 90s! Bands featured include The Toasters, The Bluebeats, The Forthrights, Across the Aisle, The Caroloregians, The Moon Invaders, The Rudie Crew, Tip the Van, Hey Stranger, Beat Brigade, Bigger Thomas, King Chango, The Scofflaws, UB40, The Hard Times, Jah Love and the Valentinians, The Shifters, Rudies Don't Care, Big Audio Dynamite, Stranger Cole and Patsy with Crazy Baldhead, Queen P of Ocean 11, King Hammond, The Snails, King Django, Doomsday! The Ultimate Tribute to Mephiskapheles Consisting of Former Members of Mephiskapheles, Destroy Babylon, The Frightnrs, The Pandemics, Los Skarroneros, The Bullbuckers, The Scofflaws, The Reggay Lords, The Copacetics, Rude Boy George, Dave Hillyard and the Rocksteady 7, Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, The Specials, Roddy Radiation and Lynval Golding, The Ladrones, Chris Murray, Radio Riddler, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro, and Mickey Virtue, and more!
"Ska--the last refuge of rebels, scoundrels, and the unemployable."
"An era of information/When no one seems to know what's going on..." -- "F.A.N." by New Young Pony Club
Steve from Moon--who am I? For most of the 1990s, I was the promotions, marketing, production guy for Moon Records (RIP). It was one of the best jobs I ever had. Seriously, I miss it badly. During 1999/2000, I ran 7 Wonders of the World Music, the first digital download-only ska label (that was too ahead of the curve for its own good; RIP).
I also put together these compilations for Moon: the first three Skarmageddons; Ska United: A Global Ska Sampler; Skank Down Under; This Are Moon Ska I, II, and III; and Moonshot!
Here's an old interview with Adam Coozer from Read Magazine that covers my days at Moon and 7 Wonders.
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If you have a ska or reggae release that you'd like me to consider reviewing, please send an e-mail to Steve at duffguidetoska@gmail.com. You should know that we I am old school and prefer music in tangible formats (plus I might use your music when I DJ ska events). I'd also appreciate any news or tips you may have about bands.
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4 comments:
Great doc. I have always wanted to visit Gaz's Rockin Blues. Not really feeling the delusional photographer at the end though who rambles on and on about how electric music killed music and it is dead today? He needs to open his ears.
Thanks, Matt. I appreciate the comments!
I've always loved the Trojans and the whole late 80s UK ska scene outside of the 2Tone bands. I gotta get my hands on that book too!
That looks pretty close to how the Moon / Toasters book should go! Just shit tons of pictures and such.
That subway gallery was really cool. That's a great idea too. Reconstitute old unused spaces and put some art in them!
Thanks, Jeremy! Gaz's book is fantastic--definitely worth tracking down (I actually ordered it through Amazon in the US). It would have been amazing to have been in the UK in the late 80s...so many good bands and so many good releases...
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