Ska-punk legends to co-headline New Zealand / Australia tour 2018

Ska-punk giants, The Selecter, and The Beat, are joining forces for an Australasian tour that will see them hitting New Zealand shores in early 2018 for two special co-headlining shows in Auckland and Wellington.

The Selecter and The Beat emerged from the UK’s late 70s/early 80s ska revival - AKA the ‘2 Tone movement’ - which also gave rise to the likes of The Specials and Madness. Renowned for putting on energetic shows, packed with back-to-back hits, each band will play a full set at the Powerstation in Auckland on Wednesday, January 24 and the Opera House in Wellington on Thursday, January 25.

The Australiasian tour follows their critically-acclaimed sold-out tour of the UK, which started out as six dates but was promptly increased to nearly 40 shows because of the phenomenal demand for tickets.

The Selecter is led by their frontwoman Pauline Black, alongside a talented band of musicians, and co-fronted by original member Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson. The anarchic passion that fuelled the band’s gigs during the 2 Tone era is still there, with hits such as Three Minute Hero, Missing Words and On My Radio, just as relevant and alive today as they were 30 years ago. The enduring classics come thick and fast in the show, interspersed with the band’s newer material, including songs from 2015’s critically-acclaimed album, SUBCULTURE, which was produced by dub-master Prince Fatty.

The Beat, fronted by Ranking Roger, released their spectacular fourth album BOUNCE (the first in more than 30 years) in September 2016. The album shows off every gleaming aspect of one of the most musically diverse bands to come out of the multi-cultural explosion that remade British pop from 1979 onwards. Joining Roger in the revitalised band is his son Ranking Junior AKA Matthew Murphy - a powerhouse MC who brings to the band an update on the toasting that made Ranking Roger such a pivotal part of the original band. The same energy that pumped through the hit singles of the 80s - Mirror In The Bathroom, Stand Down Margaret and Too Nice To Talk To – is still The Beat’s driving force.

Don’t miss your opportunity to relive one of the most iconic movements in music and culture when The Selecter and The Beat take to the same stage for two explosive nights of magic and madness.

THE BEAT AND THE SELECTER

NEW ZEALAND & AUSTRALIAN TOUR JANUARY 2018

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 24 – POWERSTATION, AUCKLAND

THURSDAY JANUARY 25 – OPERA HOUSE, WELLINGTON

SATURDAY JANUARY 27 – THE TRIFFID, BRISBANE QLD

SUNDAY JANUARY 28 – THE METRO, SYDNEY NSW

MONDAY JANUARY 29 – THE FORUM, MELBOURNE VIC

WEDNESDAY JANUARY 31 – THE GOV, ADELAIDE, SA

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 1 – ASTOR THEATRE, PERTH, WA

Tickets on sale Friday May 5 from 10am at http://mjrpresents.com/theselecterandthebeat/

www.theselecter.net / www.thebeatofficial.com

Feel free to use the above poster in social media, or the Facebook banner below.

Norman Jay (MBE) Tours Australia and New Zealand Jan/Feb 2017

Norman Jay is unquestionably one of the most respected and popular DJs in the world today. Co-founder of the legendary Good Times Sound System and London dance music station KISS FM, Jay fostered the ‘Rare Groove’ scene pushing the boundaries of the UK’s emerging club culture. Awarded an MBE for services to deejaying and music, he recently compiled his most eclectic compilation to date, ‘Good Times Skank & Boogie’, and is currently taking his legendary Good Times party to selected venues around the UK, continuing to convert generations of clubbers to the cause, championing new sounds, yet never forgetting his musical roots, thus guaranteeing nothing but ‘Good Times’. www.mustardmusic.com.au

Check Jay on tour in Australia and New Zealand over summer.

25 Jan • Coast Port Beach • Perth

26 Jan • Captain Baxter • Melbourne

27 Jan • Sugar • Adelaide

29 Jan • YOT Club • Raglan ($10 from 5pm)

03 Feb • Impala • Auckland

04 Feb • Wanderlust • Lake Taupo

05 Feb • Fat Freddy's Drop • Queenstown

10 Feb • The Island • Sydney

Joining Jay is Byron Bay's, Al Royale.

Al has DJed house music for 25 years in clubs, festivals, outdoor raves and anywhere that will hold a party. He learned the trade among the UK’s free party scene in the East Midlands playing in muddy fields with rows of bass bins and smiling faces. 

His sounds is groovy, funky house and he likes to create something more than the sum of the parts using mixing and selection to get the vibe right. 

Recent DJ highlights include Australia’s Lost Paradise festival, New Years Eve and Falls Festival Byron Bay, New Years Day. 2016 saw him play at Bohemian Beat Freaks Festival, Pollinate Byron Bay, the amazing Nudge Nudge Wink Wink parties, Coco-Republic, Bizarre Garden Festival, Love For Life Festival Cornwall UK and Gallery Sounds in Nottingham.

Al is also the founder of Sounds Good Sound System who with his crew and Funktion One system host parties wherever they can be they on the beach, or in a club and are always looking to bring good vibes and funky underground music. Their own Sounds Good parties in Byron are always sell-out. He is also resident at Coco Republic Byron Bay.

Al’s played clubs in the US, UK and Europe such as The End Up, The Top, Green Gorilla (San Fran), EarthTones Label party (LA), La Marocha (Beunos Airies), The Bomb (Nottingham) and too many muddy fields to mention and has also had a few releases on DiY Discs back in the 90’s and 2000’s. 

Expect current and contemporary funky house music with soulful roots and a few old tunes thrown in.

Pama International Single Release & Trojan Records Tour

Trojan Records in conjunction with (world-famous) The London International Ska Festival continues its long-standing undertaking of presenting the very best in ska, rock steady and reggae sounds with its first UK tour in 4 decades.

Performing live on the tour will be the all-new Pama International, who during their first 10 years recorded 9 albums, played 3 BBCRadio 1 Maida Vale sessions and won the Rebel Playlist on BBC6. Their collective nature saw them work with members of The Specials (Official), Madness, Steel Pulse, Style Council, Galliano, Kasabian, Billy Bragg, Mad Professor, Michieone Michie, Wrongtom and Jamaican legends Derrick Morgan, Dave & Ansel Collins, Dawn Penn, Dennis Alcapone and Rico Rodriguez (musician). Constant touring saw them gig with Madness, The Specials, Toots and the Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, Prince Buster, Mick Jones (The Clash), THIRD WORLD, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Max Romeo, Janet Kay 'Queen of Lovers Rock' and Caroll Thompson to name a few!

Now, with a brand new line-up and after a 7 year hiatus, Pama International return in fine style with their ‘Love & Austerity’ album which sees release this spring on the Record Kicks label and comprises of no less than 8 singles! The group's reworking of Martha Reeves & The Vandellas' soul classic 'Heatwave' has already picked up airplay from BBC1xtra (David 'Ram Jam' Rodigan: “premier rocksteady”), BBC6 Music’s Craig Charles'Funk & Soul show‘Best of 2016’ (“as ever, their productions and taste is faultless”), and of course on GO FEET! Radio where it made the best of 2016 playlist.

Appearing alongside Pama International on the tour will be the ever excellent DJ Mistah Brown (Tighten Up crew) as well as a number of regional guest DJs.

Details are as follows:

TROJAN RECORDS UK tour

13th January: Bristol - The Full Moon & Attic Bar

14th January: Nottingham - The Maze

27th January: Reading - Purple Turtle - free entry

11the February: Leeds - The Wardrobe

11th March: Blaenau-Ffestiniog - Cellb

17th March: Cardiff - The Globe

THE DEAD 60S UK tour

+Pama International support

06 Glasgow O2 ABC 2

07 Sheffield O2 Academy 2

08 Birimingham O2 Institute 2

09 Brighton Concorde 2

13 London Electric Ballroom part of The London Intl Ska Festival 2017 +The Spitfires & more

14 Liverpool O2 Academy

Get along and see them if you can, it'll be an evening of blistering hot ska, rock steady and reggae sounds as they celebrate the most iconic reggae label in the world!