City Date For The Neville Staple Band

 Aberdeen City, Opinion  No Responses »
Sep 222017
 

With thanks to Jill Lerner, James H Soars Media Services.

Neville Staple, also known as The Original Rudeboy, is credited with changing the face of pop music not only once but twice.

He is a living legend, and his band, The Neville Staple Band are appearing at The Assembly, Aberdeen on Friday Oct 7.

Neville Staple’s thirty-five year career in the music business is well documented, from the early days with The Coventry Automatics, The Specials and Fun Boy Three in the late ‘70s and ‘80s, to The Special Beat and various other collaborations during his solo career from the ‘90s up to the present day.

Neville’s 2-Tone legacy is huge. 2-Tone fused traditional ska music with punk rock attitude, energy and musical elements. The movement helped to transcend and defuse racial tensions in Thatcher-era Britain.

The actual imagery of 2 Tone has become almost as famous as the music itself. The famous black and white chequered design has become synonymous with ska.

About his musical legacy, Neville Staple comments: 

“The way we brought it was mixing Jamaican music with the English style, which was actually punk at the time. Now most people are into ska, they listen to all the people that we talked about that they might not have listened to before… This has happened again and again with the different waves of ska.

“I am hearing lots more young bands now also putting their own spin on ska – some with dance music and some with a rock beat. It’s all good. The music just makes you want to dance. Even when singing about tough times, every-day things or bad things, the beat and the rhythm makes you want to move!” 

Neville’s autobiography, THE ORIGINAL RUDE BOY, was published by Aurum Press in the UK in May 2009. It is an amazing story that tells of Neville’s interest in music in the early ‘60s, his relationship with Pete Waterman (record producer, songwriter, radio and club DJ and television presenter) who he met at a club in Coventry and his rise out of hell into stardom.

“Out on his own, still pretty special” – Record Collector

Neville has a way with people, he cares about his audience and wants to give them a good time. In return, the crowd are word perfect on every song and each event turns into a party.

“Nothing came close to the sensational Neville Staple Band who really got the party started and had the masses dancing along” – Anita Merritt – Exeter Express & Echo.

Reviews of the latest album release Feb 2017 – Return Of Judge Roughneck:

“For me, ska and reggae has to be spot on to really work. Yes, I am a snob! Life’s too short. The proof is that, once you listen to ‘Return Of Judge Roughneck’, you will be smiling, nodding and indeed a-grooving round your lounge. It’s fun, but he means it”.  Martin Haslam, Uber Rock, Feb 2017.

“it is a joyous concoction of ska, reggae and dub, featuring intriguing remixes and fascinating bastardisations of old favourites. Add to the mix a few choice cover versions, and unexpected ones at that, and what you get is a thoroughly enjoyable album from start to finish”. Loz Etheridge, God Is In The TV.  Feb 2017.

 The Neville Staple Band

The Assembly,
3 Skene Terrace,
Aberdeen.
AB10 1RN.

Doors: 19:00  
Tickets: £20.00  
Venue: 01224 633336

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City Date For ‘The Original Rude Boy’

 Aberdeen City, Featured  No Responses »
Feb 112016
 

Neville Staple Band Press Shot - Copyright Christine 2.3MB Sugary StapleThe Legend that is Neville Staple, playing The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Friday 26th Feb. With thanks to Jill Lerner, James Soars Media Services.

Neville Staple is credited with changing the face of pop music not only once but twice.

From the early days with The Coventry Automatics, The Specials, and FunBoy3 in the late ‘70s and 80’s, to The Special Beat and various other collaborations during his solo career from the 90’s up to the present day, Neville Staple’s thirty-five year career in the music business is well documented.

Nevilles autobiography, THE ORIGINAL RUDE BOY, published by Aurum Press in the UK in May 2009, is an amazing story which tells of Neville’s interest in music back in the early 60’s, his relationship with Pete Waterman, having met him at a club in Coventry, and his rise out of hell into stardom.

Following on from the 2009 Specials reunion and his departure from the band in late 2012, he continues to be a forerunner of the ska movement, and continues to thrill audiences with his own excellent band at venues and festival appearances worldwide.

In 2015 Neville headlined The Avalon Stage at Glastonbury, the highlight of what was a very exciting year which saw him touring the UK, playing festivals, gigs and private house parties. One reporter in his review commented:

“It isn’t hard to work out why The Specials lack energy on stage, it’s because Neville Staple took it with him”
– (Steve Oliver – Nottingham Post Review).

Neville has a way with people, he cares about his audience and wants to give them a good time.  in return, the crowd, are word perfect on every song, and each event turns into a party.

In 2013 Neville produced a new album called ‘Ska Crazy’ with his band which was released in May 2014, ahead of his extensive tour, which includes old Ska classic covers and brand new material. His wife Christine Staple and long time friend Daddy Woody, a Jamaican DJ/Artist, also provide vocals on the album.

Neville has also worked on various collaborations with ‘The Mutants’ (Rhythm and Punk Review) including co-writing 4 tracks on the album – one of them co-written with his wife Christine, ‘The Talks’ and ‘Flipron’ as well as tracks with ‘The Dub Pistols’ (released 2014) and ‘Duplex’. Many more collaborations are underway and ‘The Original Rudeboy’ is as busy as he has ever been.

“Out on his own, still pretty special”
– Record Collector

The Neville Staple Band

Friday 26th Feb,
The Lemon Tree,
5 W N Street,
Aberdeen,
AB24 5AT

Tickets:£16.60 (inc. bf) Doors:7.30pm Ticket Office: 01224 337688

Bad Manners @ the Lemon Tree 2-1-15

 Articles  No Responses »
Jan 092015
 

Bad Manners at the Lemon Tree?  It would be rude not to go.  By Rock Chick and photos by Dod Morrison

What better way to end the festive season and start 2015 than with a bit of Ska with Bad Manners at the sold out Lemon Tree on 2nd January.

The band was formed in 1976 and spent 111 weeks in the UK singles chart between 1980-1983. Buster Bloodvessel is the only original member left in the current line up.

max_splodge_Aberdeen_Jan_2015_by_Dod_Morrison_photographyMax Splodge came on as support and was well received by the sell out crowd. During the set he did covers of old favourites including “Nellie the Elephant”,” Swords of a thousand men”, “2 pints of lager and a packet of crisps please” and Sham 69’s “Hurry Up Harry”.

The very bouncy crowd lapped it up and were in high spirits waiting for Buster and the band to come on stage. They arrived to chants of “you fat bastard “and went right into the first song, “This is Ska”.

The set list was quite extensive with loads of songs from their back catalogue – “My girl lollipop” “Lorraine”, “Ne ne na na na na nu nu” and “Special Brew” to name a few.

 

Bad_Manners_Aberdeen_-_Jan_2015_by_Dod_Morrison_photography_122 (2)The tempo slowed down a bit with “Can’t take my eyes off you” which was a cover of an old Frankie Valli song. With over 500 people in the venue, it had turned into a sweatbox, but this didn’t stop everyone dancing away.

There was a short instrumental at the start of the encore then Buster came back on to do “Lip up Fatty” and “The Can Can”. He’s still as energetic as ever and bounced around all night and he more than deserved the few pints I’m sure were waiting for him as he left the stage!

He announced they’d be back later in the year so I’m sure we’ll see quite a few familiar faces then as well.

Definitely a “must see” gig for anyone’s to do list. See you down the front!