Ska Bands Lost in Time vol. 1
I figure since I have nothing better to do, every now and again I'll drop in and write about bands who have departed for the big show in the sky. I'll provide links when and where available. Let's try and keep the conversation on the topic of the band. This week, I open up the discussion with the greatest Ska band to ever hail from America's finest city, San Diego. That band? Unsteady!
A little history on Unsteady. San Diego gave birth to the West Coast Ska scene by ways of The Donkey Show. In the aftermath of The Donkey Show somewhere in the late 80s, many smaller, lesser known bands cropped up in SD. Among them were Spy Kids (featuring a young Matt Hensley from Flogging Molly), Colorblind, Gangbusters and Sharkskin (mostly Funk though if memory serves) to name a few. All of the these bands had a member in common: John Roy.
John Roy, for those who don't know, is an amazing songwriter, singer, and saxophone player. In later years, Roy would play with The English Beat as their lead horn player as well as The Psychedelic Furs (again, I may be wrong since I'm writing all this off of memory but I'm sure it was The Furs...). He is a bit of a local legend in San Diego and currently heads up a new creation in The Self Made Men.
Back to Unsteady. Unsteady killed it in every musical sense. Their live shows were energetic and frenzied fun. Unsteady would seamlessly meander through all styles of Ska and Reggae with hints of Funk, Soul, Punk, Jazz, Blues and everything else. Their set up we would refer to as 'the kitchen sink': a full horn section including saxes, a trumpet and trombone, a HUGE 50 year old hammond organ (requiring 3 or 4 people to carry it in) played by a cat named Kevin, drums, bass, guitar and, occasionally, someone extra on percussion.
Somewhere in 1995 or 1996 (I think 95) Unsteady released Tightrope. Tightrope still stands as one of the best sounding CD's of all time. It's bassy like an old jazz record but never overbearing like some can be. The horn and rythym playing is impeccable. Much like Unsteady's live show, this CD shows off how diverse Ska can be. Hints of Motown, Oingo Boingo, Ellington, and so on are all over this disc. Sadly, Tightrope is no longer in print. Good luck finding it.
A few years later a sophomoric album, Double or Nothing, was released. Some Ska fans may find this album a little harder to stomach with stronger influences of Rock and Jazz. It's still a great album and a testament that all bands can grow even if they're already all grown up. Sadly, this is Unsteady's last studio release and is like Tightrope, out of print.
Unsteady continued to play through the early 2000's with an ever changing line up of musicians. There was talk of a Christmas album and a live album but to my knowledge they never happened. John went on to form The Steppers with Kevin Manuel. As things were starting to take off with The Steppers, Kevin found success with a Johnny Cash inspired band named 'Cash'd Out'. John moved forward in 2007 and formed The Self Made Men and, as with all things John Roy, they sound amazing.
http://www.myspace.com/unsteadymusic
A little history on Unsteady. San Diego gave birth to the West Coast Ska scene by ways of The Donkey Show. In the aftermath of The Donkey Show somewhere in the late 80s, many smaller, lesser known bands cropped up in SD. Among them were Spy Kids (featuring a young Matt Hensley from Flogging Molly), Colorblind, Gangbusters and Sharkskin (mostly Funk though if memory serves) to name a few. All of the these bands had a member in common: John Roy.
John Roy, for those who don't know, is an amazing songwriter, singer, and saxophone player. In later years, Roy would play with The English Beat as their lead horn player as well as The Psychedelic Furs (again, I may be wrong since I'm writing all this off of memory but I'm sure it was The Furs...). He is a bit of a local legend in San Diego and currently heads up a new creation in The Self Made Men.
Back to Unsteady. Unsteady killed it in every musical sense. Their live shows were energetic and frenzied fun. Unsteady would seamlessly meander through all styles of Ska and Reggae with hints of Funk, Soul, Punk, Jazz, Blues and everything else. Their set up we would refer to as 'the kitchen sink': a full horn section including saxes, a trumpet and trombone, a HUGE 50 year old hammond organ (requiring 3 or 4 people to carry it in) played by a cat named Kevin, drums, bass, guitar and, occasionally, someone extra on percussion.
Somewhere in 1995 or 1996 (I think 95) Unsteady released Tightrope. Tightrope still stands as one of the best sounding CD's of all time. It's bassy like an old jazz record but never overbearing like some can be. The horn and rythym playing is impeccable. Much like Unsteady's live show, this CD shows off how diverse Ska can be. Hints of Motown, Oingo Boingo, Ellington, and so on are all over this disc. Sadly, Tightrope is no longer in print. Good luck finding it.
A few years later a sophomoric album, Double or Nothing, was released. Some Ska fans may find this album a little harder to stomach with stronger influences of Rock and Jazz. It's still a great album and a testament that all bands can grow even if they're already all grown up. Sadly, this is Unsteady's last studio release and is like Tightrope, out of print.
Unsteady continued to play through the early 2000's with an ever changing line up of musicians. There was talk of a Christmas album and a live album but to my knowledge they never happened. John went on to form The Steppers with Kevin Manuel. As things were starting to take off with The Steppers, Kevin found success with a Johnny Cash inspired band named 'Cash'd Out'. John moved forward in 2007 and formed The Self Made Men and, as with all things John Roy, they sound amazing.
http://www.myspace.com/unsteadymusic
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by lalabooobs on -
i have the double or nothing cd by unsteady. its pretty good. wasnt some one from lets go bowling in in unsteady?
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Permalink Reply by lalabooobs on
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and another ska band lost in time is the grown-ups from north texas. they are really something everyone should check out. they disbanded before i had ever been into ska but a clerk at cd warehouse told me to check them out. pretty awesome stuff.
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Permalink Reply by AUGGIE / Skank-Out on -
I remember seeing one of the last reincarnations of UNSTEADY at the Del Mar Fair in SD. I had just got done watching my share of reggae bands (STEEL PULSE) on the main stage and left early....but before I could make my way out I heard the SKA sound heavy in the distance. WE RAN OVER to a side stage and were happy we did. No one really was there due to STEEL PULSE being half way through their set at the time. BUT MAN IT WAS BETTER THAN ANYTHING that day!
I danced, listened, skanked with friends and More and More people trickled in! The place was now hoppin' and their set was near finishing. I later saw them again open for The Skatalites (my first skatalites show)and also I believe on the 3 floors of ska in LA the 1st time. I've had the pleasure of meeting John many times.
PS. You can find the Spy Kids Drummer Mark playing happily in San Diego's THE AMALGAMATED.
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Permalink Reply by King Duncan on -
AUGGIE / Skank-Out said:You can find the Spy Kids Drummer Mark playing happily in San Diego's THE AMALGAMATED.
You can also find the asshole who started The Amalgamated right here, bitch.
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Permalink Reply by Skibz McCullock on -
I have the 'Double or Nothing' CD, AND I saw Unsteady as an opening act years ago (I *believe* it was at a big LA show that Lord Tanamo was supposed to headline), but for the life of me I can't remember what they sounded like. I'll have to take another look.
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Permalink Reply by AUGGIE / Skank-Out on
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I thought you were trying out for that shitty band you hate so much ...The Masturbators or moderate-bastards? somethin like that.
Oh hey Jeremy Pena and his crew is staying in Ramona with us for the week.Peace
King Duncan said:AUGGIE / Skank-Out said:You can find the Spy Kids Drummer Mark playing happily in San Diego's THE AMALGAMATED.
You can also find the asshole who started The Amalgamated right here, bitch.
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Permalink Reply by King Duncan on
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Fuck you. I made you.
AUGGIE / Skank-Out said:I thought you were trying out for that shitty band you hate so much ...The Masturbators or moderate-bastards? somethin like that.
Oh hey Jeremy Pena and his crew is staying in Ramona with us for the week.Peace
King Duncan said:AUGGIE / Skank-Out said:You can find the Spy Kids Drummer Mark playing happily in San Diego's THE AMALGAMATED.
You can also find the asshole who started The Amalgamated right here, bitch.
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Permalink Reply by Miss Upsetter on -
King Duncan said:Fuck you. I made you.
PWNED!!!!!!!!11111111111111ONEONEONEELEVEN
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Permalink Reply by chris shannon on -
I lived in San Diego from 1991-1997 and hooked-up with Alfred, Robert, Charles, David and Rick (plus Doug, Robbie and Mike) in Sharkskin. We worked our asses off, funked hard and heavy and had a TON of fun bringing the Truth to audiences at the Casbah (old and new), Pounders, Blind Melons, the Belly Up, Spirit Club/Brick-By-Brick, the Street Scene, the Light Out Jazz Festival and many other places.
Just got ahold of 3 CDs full of Sharkskin live and studio recording and, damn, we were pretty good? Can't seem to remember why we decided to stop...
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Permalink Reply by King Duncan on
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Doug was my brass teacher in high school. He didn't care much for Ska. However, he did introduce me to the local flare.
Weird guy. Great player (even if he did have a tendency to go wicked flat in the upper register).
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Permalink Reply by chris shannon on
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Doug was certainly eccentric, but really a hell of a good guy. And also an amazing musician. I might have heard the "wicked flat" stuff in rehearsals (and he mine!) but he was spot-on at the gig. He also was a great arranger. And a total spaz! I can't tell you how many times he came to rehearsal saying how he'd been up for basically 3 days straight writing arrangements for us, Sea World and other groups. And then there was his fascination with who was "boning" whom at his school. Hilarious!
King Duncan said:Doug was my brass teacher in high school. He didn't care much for Ska. However, he did introduce me to the local flare.
Weird guy. Great player (even if he did have a tendency to go wicked flat in the upper register).
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Permalink Reply by WASTE BASKET on -
Edna's Goldfish. Skanic. and many moonska bands disappeared when moon ska went under.
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