Is ska uncool or just unpopular?

[Worm]

Interesting debate topic - I’ve recently become a fan of Toots and the Maytals and bands of that style.

Is ska just unpopular or uncool?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

Ska no doubt has its aficionados, but was its heyday in the UK maybe some 40 years ago?

 

[Cowley]

Interesting debate topic - I’ve recently become a fan of Toots and the Maytals and bands of that style.

Is ska just unpopular or uncool?

I don’t think it’s uncool. We’re going to a little festival this weekend up near Newark where The Selector and Bad Manners are playing. It’s great music to jump around to and like everything it’s good fun to dip into now and again.
Probably be quite an old crowd but it still sounds great live.

 

[Bevan Price]

It is just one of many types of music that is largely ignored by "music radio". Don't ask me why, but probably because they are obsessed with playlists containing 3 minute pop singles that someone has decided are "trendy / fashionable" -- or because the people in charge are devoid of imagination / original thought.

 

[High Dyke]

I grew up in the two-tone revival era and still love it today. Whilst I'm open to many genres of music, I always migrate back to ska and reggae. I found a proper record shop in Norwich recently that stocks a lot of this type of music. I ended up buying a number of Trojan CD's. Ska makes you want to dance, and gives you a feel good vibe. There are a number of active ska bands across the world, but as just mentioned, it is largely ignored by mainstream radio.

 

[farleigh]

Ska may be unpopular but it will never be uncool.

Inspired me to put on some 2-tone

 

[AlterEgo]

It’s both. But I like it.

 

[eastwestdivide]

Never fails to make me smile and get the toes tapping

 

[SteveM70]

Ska may be unpopular but it will never be uncool.

Inspired me to put on some 2-tone

This

I’m off to see the Specials on Sunday. Can’t wait. And best of all my 17 year old youngest son is coming, and he loves it too

 

[DarloRich]

is this something for the olds?

 

[AndrewE]

Don't forget Rocksteady too... I came to the genre very late, but I have quite a few CDs - and cassette tapes too. Some bought from an outdoor stall on Birmingham market. The seller was so surprised that he insisted I have a second one thrown in for the price!

 

[Gloster]

If you like Ska, then dance to it and ignore what anybody else says. Enjoy what you like rather than what the fools trying to anaesthetise the way that you feel dictate.

 

[High Dyke]

If you like Ska, then dance to it and ignore what anybody else says. Enjoy what you like rather than what the fools trying to anaesthetise the way that you feel dictate.

Nice up!

I was at the cricket last night. Whilst queuing for the bar I couldn't resist have a skank, as the pre-match entertainment did a cover of Monkey Man.

 

[Trackman]

I grew up in the two-tone revival era and still love it today. Whilst I'm open to many genres of music, I always migrate back to ska and reggae. I found a proper record shop in Norwich recently that stocks a lot of this type of music. I ended up buying a number of Trojan CD's. Ska makes you want to dance, and gives you a feel good vibe. There are a number of active ska bands across the world, but as just mentioned, it is largely ignored by mainstream radio.

I grew up with the 2-tone era as well (second ska wave), happy days there were too.
It seems the first wave and second ska wave has had a resurgence in recent years too.
I'm friends with a member of Madness and do some PR work for him. OK, Madness are not strictly ska but if it wasn't for Prince Buster they probably wouldn't have been as successful as they are, plus they wouldn't have their name.
I also do some social media work for said member, it amazes me how many teenagers/youngsters who like Madness, The Specials etc buy the old 60's 1st wave ska stuff too- so uncool? not.

 

[96tommy]

Pauline Black is one of the most cool musicians out there. Nothing uncool about ska.

 

[alex397]

I’d say that ska has stood the test of time a lot better than most other music from the same era (I’m referring to the late 70s/early 80s wave of ska). It just seems to me there are more younger generations interested in it now compared to, say, New Romantic or Synthpop from around the same time.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Great stuff and very much of an era.

Some of my young adults , pick and choose their music carefully - and they like the odd track .....

 

[Mag_seven]

is this something for the olds?

I had to look up what "ska" is.

 

[Cowley]

Great stuff and very much of an era.

Some of my young adults , pick and choose their music carefully - and they like the odd track .....

Same with our kids. I often hear Ghost Town coming from my daughters bedroom.

 

[Cletus]

There’s quite a bit interest in Ska down this way, including the Skabour Festival in Folkestone.

The Specials are still going of course, they have a gig at Dreamland in Margate tomorrow night.

 

[westv]

There’s quite a bit interest in Ska down this way, including the Skabour Festival in Folkestone.

The Specials are still going of course, they have a gig at Dreamland in Margate tomorrow night.

I saw them at Glastonbury in 2009.

 

[AndrewE]

It's not so surprising: it has rhythm, melody and harmony, i.e. it is music, (and our brains are naturally programed to respond to it) - but you could say it has all 3 in spades. Brilliant stuff.
What I don't understand is how some skinheads (who I thought were synonymous with racism and violence) came to love it! Suggs' autobiography didn't explain it either. Maybe skinheads weren't all as bad as they were portrayed...

 

[Worm]

is this something for the olds?

Not at all I’m barely scraping my mid 20’s.

 

[alex397]

.
What I don't understand is how some skinheads (who I thought were synonymous with racism and violence) came to love it! Suggs' autobiography didn't explain it either. Maybe skinheads weren't all as bad as they were portrayed...

If I remember correctly from a documentary about ska from the ‘two tone’ era, skinheads were originally white youths who shaved their heads to be like their black friends, and many anti-racists became involved in the trend. However, it later also become popular with the far-right which is what many associate skinheads with now sadly.

 

[Cowley]

Your roving reporter has just snapped this photo of Pauline Black in her natural environment.




I can confirm that it was a massive knees-up and once the crowd loosened up the place was absolutely jumping.
There was no talk of whether we were being cool or not (I was)…

 

[32475]

Yesterday, Bank holiday Sunday afternoon walking near Broadstairs seafront, a car went past slowly playing Tom Hark by the Piranhas at high volume. That got some people dancing. That was cool!

 

[alex397]

The Specials gig at Margate over the weekend looked rather popular!

 

[SteveM70]

The specials were brilliant at the piece hall last night. Obviously increasingly few original specials nowadays, but still put on an ace show