Upcoming Events
THE SKINNY "REGGAE PHARMACISTS" debut on the Island (VBCSS Membership event)
@ The Hidden Gem Thu. April 3rd 9:30pm doors at 9pm
Admission with membership
Stomp Records' "Reggae Pharmacists" The Skinny make their Island debut on Thur. April 3, 2014 at The Hidden Gem for our On the Road to Ska Fest membership event. Admission with membership
They create asound that pleases both purists and enthusiasts by combining old school reggae and ska grooves with the sultry melodies of classic soul and pop. This is a musical
prescription that is sure to soothe and relieve all your aches and pains. Straight out of Montreal, Canada.
In the fall of 2010, Howie and Brian hatched a plan of putting together the band of their dreams. Having played in a number of local bands such as “Take The Boys”, ”Stepper”, and "The Fabulous LoLo", they decided to add another chapter to the already flourishing Montreal ska bible with The Skinny. They have been the talk of the town since the release of their first EP in 2012 entitled “Cut the Fat” where you can hear it featured on college and internet radio as well as from the speakers of many passing cars.
The Skinny has shared the stage with several Montreal ska and reggae favourites such as "The Fundamentals", and "Danny Rebel and the KGB", as well as having headlined their own showcases. Now that their first album is complete, they plan on touring extensively to bring their brand of “Musical Medication” to the masses.
ROOTS ROUNDUP REUNION/ON THE ROAD TO VICTORIA'S 15TH ANNIVERSARY SKA FEST!
@ The Upstairs Cabaret You all know how much Victoria BC Ska Society loves presenting reunion shows. So we wanted to ask those that used to be active in the all ages ska/reggae/punk scene in the late 80s and 90s if you've ever heard of the band Roots Roundup? If you used to go to Pressure Cooker or Cultivator shows you'll know what we're talking about. Regardless if you don't know you will be able to learn now as they'll be part of our On the Road to Ska Fest festivities in April 2014.Roots Roundup plays a high energy hybrid of globe-spanning music, mashing up the sounds of rock’n roll, reggae, ska, afro-beat, folk, funk and pure old school punk rock.The Roots Roundup lineup has evolved over the years as members pursued various musical interests including performing, writing, recording and teaching. Core Roots members Greg Hathaway, Dave Hannah (Dym-E-Tree), Barry Taylor, Keith Rose, David Hathaway, Mark Campbell, Shuggy Milligan and special guest trombonist Andy Cakes reunited in 2005, treating a full house of loyal and new fans to a truly rip-roaring two-night performance at the Fairview Pub in Vancouver.
Originally formed in 1985 in a small apartment in East Vancouver, Roots Roundup became widely known through the late 80′s and early 90′s as one of Canada’s hardest working, hardest touring and hardest rockin’ worldbeat dance bands. They released numerous independent recordings including “Get Rooted”, “What We Do”, “Syzygy” and in 1997, “Rootrospective”, a 16 song collection spanning their entire recording career.
RUDEFEST 2014! (2ND ANNUAL) featuring: Ninja Spy, Sweetleaf, Blackwood Kings & Fins Out! - All Ages/Beverage Garden w/ID.
@ Victoria Event Centre Sat. April 12th 8pm - 1am doors at 7:30pm 
$14.50 adv./$13 for students [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
The Victoria BC Ska Society and UVic Ska and Reggae Club are proud to announce the second annual Rudefest, an all-ages mayhem-fueled dance party dedicated to the spirit of ska, reggae, punk, hardcore, funk, and dub. $14.50 adv./$13 for students [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
This is the second of FOUR April shows designed to celebrate being "On the Road to the 15th Anniversary Victoria Ska Festival."
Performers:
Ninjaspy (Vancouver)
Ninjaspy knows how to put on one hell of a show. Just ask anybody who's seen them on one of their many cross-country treks. A true fusion band, Ninjaspy mixes the dance-ready beats and thick grooves of ska, reggae, and funk with the thrashing aggression of hardcore and metal. The mainland group, comprised of brothers Joel, Adam, and Tim Parent, possesses one of the most diverse sounds to ever pop up along the west coast.
Their unique musical output has allowed them to share the stage alongside modern metal icons such as Protest the Hero, Coheed and Cambria, and Periphery, while also making appearances at such events as the 2012 Victoria Ska Festival. Their 2007 full-length album Pi Nature received universal critical acclaim, and their most recent release, 2013's No Kata, an experimental musical journey through metal, drum n' bass, and dub, is accompanied by a graphic novel. Both releases were produced by Garth Richardson, known for his work with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, and Rise Against among others.
Ninjaspy's performance at Rudefest will see the trio expand to a five-piece, with the addition of trombonist Mike Kayser and trumpeter Cole Graham, known for their work with Vancouver groups such as Whiskey Chief and Whitey. Also, with Ninjaspy bringing a heavy edge to this show, we're thrilled to announce a partnership with Heavy Metal UVic for this event.
If you like the heavy ska fusion of bands such as Leftover Crack, Voodoo Glowskulls, and Fishbone, Ninjaspy is for you. See ya in the pit.
https://www.facebook.com/ninjaspy
SweetLeaf
By popular demand, SweetLeaf is back for Rudefest 2.0!
Victoria’s SweetLeaf formed in November 2011 when singer-guitarist Chris Jones responded to an online ad. “Victoria's ska scene and music scene in general is so supportive of new talent,” says Jones. “I love the bands in this town and all the people that come out to move their feet.” After six months of rehearsals, SweetLeaf made its debut at an underground warehouse show thrown for members of the Victoria BC Ska Society, a non-profit organization that produces the yearly Victoria Ska Festival. Since then, the group has honed their live performance to be sharp and energetic.
“Man, now that the days of making money from recordings are over, a live show is a band's bread-and-butter,” explains Jones. “We want to be the [band] you leave talking about, waiting for our next one.”
When listening to SweetLeaf, who wields a three-piece horn section, one can sense inspiration from the upbeat 90’s ska sound of bands such as Reel Big Fish and No Doubt. But as Jones contests, SweetLeaf is more than just a ska band. “We’ve never had any boundaries in what genre of music moves us. Hip hop, funk, ska, punk, jazz, soul, bluegrass - really anything that's original.”
www.facebook.com/Sweetleafmusic
Blackwood Kings (Victoria)
Just two years into their evolution, Blackwood Kings is one of the more unique bands to pop up in the Victoria scene. Building upon a foundation of Jamaican genres such as ska, reggae, and dub, Blackwood Kings also incorporate influences from styles as diverse as punk, progressive rock, funk, hip-hop, and metal.
Named after the Victoria BC street corner where the band rehearses, this is a group ready to make some waves. Laid-back reggae rhythms, odd time signatures, dueling guitar solos, slap bass lines, frantic jungle beats-- no musical idea is off limits, making live performances varied and energetic.
Blackwood Kings has shared the stage with notable acts such as Ghana's Paapa Wastik, Hot Rain from Hawaii, Canadian reggae legend Jah Cutta, and J-Boog from Compton, California.
Things are just getting started for this young, progressive dub quartet.
https://www.facebook.com/BlackwoodKings
Fins Out (Victoria)
The idea for the Fins Out was first put forward at the end of the 2009 summer when friends Derek Myles and Rob Thomas were chilling in whistler for some late-summer wakeboarding. In the evenings after riding they were listening to different punk and ska songs on Youtube and thought "Man it would be sick to start a punk band." Several months later, the first Fins Out songs were written in a cheap Bali hotel. The sound was punk but also surfy, and so they called it surf punk.
Today, the Victoria punks have been quickly making a name for themselves in the local scene. The bands philosophy is like a big fast loose fins-free surf turn, basically the way the members like to live their lives: fast, loose, and care free. Fins Out!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/FINS-OUT/217549648280630
This event is proudly brought to you by The Victoria BC Ska Society, UVic Ska and Reggae Club, Heavy Metal UVic, and UVic Student's Society.
THE PLANET SMASHERS 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT/ON THE ROAD TO SKA FEST 2014
@ Club 9ONE9 Tue. April 15th 9pm - 1:00am doors at 8:30pm
$17.50+ early bird - $19.50 + regular advance [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
Twenty years has come and gone and The Planet Smashers - Canada's ska kings have stood the test of time representing the genre throughout Canada and beyond for all that time. In terms of touring, not many indie Canadian bands come close. The Planet Smashers have headlined countless tours in North America, 8 European tours, been included on 5 Vans Warped Tour as well as a Japanese tour in 2002. They have toured with such acts as AFI, the Toasters, Sick of it All, Billy Talent, Rancid, Mustard Plug, Simple Plan, Samiam, The Aquabats, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and countless others. In addition to spreading the message of ska and reggae to the world, the band has supported numerous other bands through Stomp Records (the lead singer's longtime ska/punk/reggae record label based out of Montreal.$17.50+ early bird - $19.50 + regular advance [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
Take advantage of this discounted early bird sale now!
THE PLANET SMASHERS 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT/ON THE ROAD TO SKA FEST 2014
@ Rickshaw Theatre Thu. April 17th 8:30pm - 1am doors at 8:00pm
$17.50+ early bird - $19.50 + regular advance [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
Twenty years has come and gone and The Planet Smashers - Canada's ska kings have stood the test of time representing the genre throughout Canada and beyond for all that time. In terms of touring, not many indie Canadian bands come close. The Planet Smashers have headlined countless tours in North America, 8 European tours, been included on 5 Vans Warped Tour as well as a Japanese tour in 2002. They have toured with such acts as AFI, the Toasters, Sick of it All, Billy Talent, Rancid, Mustard Plug, Simple Plan, Samiam, The Aquabats, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and countless others. In addition to spreading the message of ska and reggae to the world, the band has supported numerous other bands through Stomp Records (the lead singer's longtime ska/punk/reggae record label based out of Montreal. $17.50+ early bird - $19.50 + regular advance [ticket locations] [Buy Tickets Online]
Take advantage of this discounted early bird sale now!
THE RETURN OF LOS KUNG FU MONKEYS (TIJUANA, MEXICO) w/JAH CUTTA & EVERYBODY LEFT! - On the Road to Victoria's 15th Anniversary Ska Festival!
@ Lucky Bar This show is both a skankster's and punkster's paradise all in one! Los Kung Fu Monkeys (Tijuana, Mexico) are one of North America's premier ska/punk, hard core bands. They are revered all over Mexico and throughout the United States. In 2010 the band made their Canadian debut at Victoria's 11th Annual Ska Festival and now they're back for more! After you finish seeing them you will probably be drenched.Jah Cutta - Montreal's king of reggae is no stranger to our Island's reggae scene. Jah Cutta has played in Victoria many times over the years both headlining shows and playing alongside regional bands such as Giraffe Aftermath and also international powerhouses such as Barrington Levy & Detour Posse. Jah Cutta has also appeared on Victoria's Annual Ska Festival.
Finally Everybody Left are the hometown heroes of this show!
Victoria’s Underground-Indie-Left Coast-Reluctant Reggae-Post Ska-Dirty Popsters were rumoured to hit the the studio this fall but those people are misinformed. Recordings have already begun for their anticipated full length debut, set for a mid-2014 release. The yet-to-named album will mark the introduction to new guitarist, Alex Prescott to the lineup.
The Complete Everybody Left Season One has been released digitally on and features the self-titled 2010, 2012 and Live in Calgary EPs.
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