An evening and Interview with Roddy Radiation and the Skabilly Rebels
A dark, bitterly cold raining Saturday evening around half 6pm, the queue is starting to form outside the doors of the Music Entertainment Cultural Arena (MECA) in Swindon on regent circus. It’s the 16th January 2016, The doors are set to open at 7, for an evening of Rockabilly Ska fusion, brought to the stage by the once lead guitarist and sometimes vocalist, writer of songs like “Rat race” and “Concrete Jungle” among others. A member of a band labelled narrators of youth culture in England in 1980s, whose songs echoed the chaos at the time with the riots in the streets, the one and only Roddy Radiation of “The Specials”, along with the band the Skabilly Rebels.
This show is their first of the New Year, which has a busy line up for the frontman. The band are due to play at The Globe in Cardiff next Friday 22nd, before Roddy flies off to the U.S. to perform with his U.S. Skabilly Rebels. With over three decades of playing and touring under his belt, this born frontman takes it all in his stride, or at least appears to with his energetic stage presence, slicked back hair and rock and roll playing style.
The band consisting of Adrian R Lee on the saxophone, Connor O’Connor on the bass, Spencer Walker hitting the drums and the 2nd guitarist Danny Webb sporting a t-shirt in tribute to the late David Bowie. They all come from Coventry and all bring with them years worth of playing experience to support their frontman Roddy Radiation.
The venue for tonight is the MECA on Regent circus, Swindon. The price for the ticket is £12 on the door and £10 for those who book online. The hall was built in 1929 to be a theatre hall now converted into an 1800 capacity music venue. With a large wooden dance floor, Art Deco moulding around the ceiling and walls that frame the stage. It sets the scene for a 1950s dance hall, rock and roll evening full of loud music and dancing crowds.
They expect 3-400 fans of both, Ska and rockabilly as well as those interested in what the band has to offer.
Skabilly rebels bring to stage a mashed fusion of rockabilly guitar playing and Roddys vocals, a Ska energetic vibe. With rock & roll riffs from Danny and Roddy and Ska beat and saxophone being blown by Arian R Lee, the audience have plenty to jump to whether you are swinging or skanking, for a sound that on paper shouldn’t add up, the Skabilly Rebels provide the answers to what the crowd seems to asking.
The support acts for the evening are the local Ska bands ‘The Nomarks’ kicking off the first session at near 20:00, after a small delay to the evening. Following them are the ‘Erin Bardwell collective’. Both bands did a great set warming the crowd, who where dancing from the off, to the first song.
Fans of both genres would not be disappointed with the music, plenty of classics from Roddys “Specials” days like “Concrete jungle” to their own repertoire from their 2009 “Blue attack” album. It was the songs from ‘The Specials’ days that really got the crowds jumping and by the end of the evening, there were some tired and sweaty people hoping and jumping around the floor.
Roddy is no stranger to playing in the United States, having done a number of nights performing with his former band member Lynval Golding and his U.S. Skabilly Rebels as well as live shows with support of the Scotch Bonnets. A Ska and soul flavoured band from Baltimore and Washington DC. Roddy will be heading back out on his first solo U.S. tour in March this year.
Roddy and the band were kind enough to give me a quick interview before the show, for a quick catch up and to discuss their future, playing style and some tales of times gone by. We ask about their history and touch on the tragic death of the legendary drummer of ‘The Specials’, Mr John (Brad) Bradbury.
Interview with Roddy Radiation and The Skabilly Rebels…
So you guys looking forward tonight’s gig in front of the Swindon crowd, it’s the first of the year for you guys?
Danny – Yeah, kicking off the first of the year here in Swindon.
Have you played here in past Roddy?
Roddy – Yeah, I’ve played here before, not in this venue though, one of the support acts told me apparently it was 14 years ago now, didn’t think it was that long.
Danny – So you would have only been 14 then weren’t you Roddy. (Said with a grin)
For the new fans of the Skabilly Rebels, where is the best place to be able to hear your music and get their hands on the album or new Ep.
Roddy – The website is the best place to download the album, it’s http://www.roddyradiation.com
Danny – You can find us on YouTube as well, we have loads of stuff on there.
Your song the “Doldrums” is also featured on a collection album on ITunes, is that true?
Roddy – Yeah, a friend of mine Steve Hookers put that together on a album called the “Leather soul Volume one”
Have you guys got any plans to go back into the studio for any new releases this year?
Roddy – Yeah (said though mouthful of pre-show crisps and sandwiches) a fair few songs are ready to go, its just a matter of rehearsing them and getting in the studio really.
Danny – You see that’s the thing, Roddy is still writing new songs now, he is not just relying on ‘The Specials’ stuff, so just watch this space…
Roddy – And these will be released on the website. Its kind of catching on, with the Internet and Facebook. I was chatting with someone the other week from Costa Rica who had heard of us via the Internet, they really got into it.
So where are the Skabilly rebels going from here, where are you playing next?
Roddy – We are playing in Cardiff at The Globe on the 22nd, then off to Glasgow. After that I’m heading out to the West Coast of the States doing a few solo gigs there. I would love to bring the lads out with me but it’s all about money.
How did the band The Skabilly rebels come to form, have you all known each other previous?
Connor – Well I’ve only just joined about 2 months ago.
Roddy – We are all kind of from the same circle really.
Connor – I’ve played with Danny before…
Roddy – (cutting in joking) we all live in the same house, like The Monkeys and the beach is just outside. All of us sit around in shorts and listen to music.
Danny – We are lucky now, we all have separate beds! Na, I’m in a different project with Spence, I’ve also been working with Connor for the past 10 years. Then Adrian came back on the scene. We’ve all done different projects and we all get on which is the main thing.
Connor – With all the time spent in the van farting together, we have to really.
Danny – You have to get people you trust and get along with and Germany was our first test.
Where in Germany did you perform?
Danny – We played in Dortmund, Hamburg and Berlin.
Spencer – And Copenhagen
Danny – Which is in Denmark (he said with a laugh)
Roddy – It was a Sailor Jerry’s backed tour, so lots of rum.
Danny – that’s when we first really found how we all felt about each other.
Rest of the Band – and that Danny loves rum!
What was it that inspired you to create this unique sound by collaborating the two genres, Ska and Rockabilly together?
Roddy – I’ve always kind of like been the Rock & Roll aspect of ‘The Specials’. The specials you know, Drammer picked me because he thought he needed that sound, it’s not the same but like when Bob Marley signed to Island Records. Chris Blackwell brought an American, black blues, player to play with The Wailers to make them more accessible. In England it’s always been very reggae/Ska thing anyway. So Drammers got me involved with ‘The Specials’ to put a bit of punk, Rock & Roll thing, which Elvis Costello didn’t like. He told Drammers and the band to fire me, said I didn’t fit in. He had been listening to a lot of early 60s Ska and there wasn’t any “Jonny Thunders” in that.
Danny – What does he know ay? Elvis who?
So when starting this project at first, was there any difficulty getting the sound that you wanted?
Roddy – The problem is like, the kids aren’t the same kind of tribal about it now, where a lot of older people used to only listen to certain styles of music and dress in certain ways. I know Guitarists from Whirlwind and umpteen Rockabilly guys who also love Ska and listen to reggae and all sorts. The problem is that there are a lot of Specials Fans like what we do but there are a few diehard skinhead fans and reggae fans that think we are too Rock & Roll. Its mixture really. The Specials did a mixture of style, on paper it shouldn’t have worked but it did you know, but that’s the only thing that is new, is by mixing it. If you go back far enough in time, like a lot of ‘Fats Domino’ is huge in Jamaica and they used to get a lot of country radio stations from the southern states of America, so a lot of Jamaican artists used to cover country songs, so there has always been that type of cross over. Its just that we come out so blatantly mixing the styles together that can be a bit of a shock for people but its always been there. ‘The Clash’ where doing reggae and Rock & Roll songs on the same Album “London’s Calling”. Music is about mixing things together.
So guys, where would you say the majority of your fans come from, the Ska or Rockabilly scene?
Roddy – I would say the majority of fans are ‘Specials’ fans because they are interested and like the songs I wrote. They come to listen to the new songs and liked where they were coming from, which is my take on what I did in the specials really. Its crossing over to different kinds of people, I found that when I was in the southern states of California, the Mexicans really get it, which I thought it was strange they love the Ska and Rockabilly, they were all dancing around.
Danny – what I’ve noticed as well are a lot of the people who do like us, are in to country, like Hank Williams and that kind of thing. They just get it and with the Ska as well it makes it more danceable.
Roddy – that’s what its about really, it’s the dance music. Rock & Roll was always been dance music and so was Ska. If you go back far enough it’s all connected. From Fats Dominos and every early to late 40s and 50s. It’s that kind of swing thing with the Calypso and the Mentos and African Influence, it’s all mixing it up. Basically anything to shake your booty to.
Having worked with some of the greats like The Clash, Elvis Costello, Jean Jacque Burnel of ‘The Stranglers’, Jake Burns of ‘Stiff little fingers’. What were some best moments and some of your most surreal experiences
Roddy – well, most of them I can’t tell you, about but our first Specials major tour was supporting ‘The Clash’. In the 90s The Specials’ mk2 were supporting [David] Bowie and he came in and was really nice and friendly and said it was great to see us again. Because in 1980 we were playing in New York and Mick Jagger and David Bowie where there and came to see us play, which kind of freaks you out a bit when people you have admired from a teenager actually come see you play. Which can be over whelming sometimes.
You got your name Roddy Radiation from your brother when you were a kid because you were a fan of Ziggy Stardust in the 70s. How much has the late David Bowie influenced your career?
Roddy – yeah that’s true and I still hate him (he said laughing) I did a cover of “somebody got murdered” the Clash song on The Specials mk2 album and there is a verse where I switch in to complete David Bowie. I didn’t realise until I heard it back and was like “oh dear” its like the stuff you listen to as a kid just sticks in the back of your mind and you cant help it come out sometimes.
How did you all get into music?
Adrian – I saw Roddy back in the 1978 when he was in the band the Automatics and now I’m playing with him. I was there from the start really.
Danny – Well the usual really, I used to listen to my mum and dads music collection, ‘the Beatles’ and all of that. It was like I wasn’t content to just sit there and listen; I want to do what they are doing. So I picked up a guitar and learnt three cords and…
Connor – (chips in) and now he’s learnt four.
Danny – Yeah I’ve just mastered the forth one now, but yeah the usual really.
Connor – Much the same, at school you get a band together with your mates and you pick up an instrument and have a blast on it and take it from there.
Roddy – it wasn’t anything to do with the lifestyle of free booze, girls and party’s or anything.
Spencer – I got in to ‘The Beatles’ really,
Roddy – I’ve always referred the [Rolling] Stones! (cutting in)
Spencer – My Grandad gave me a record player and I got my first record, which was ‘The Beatles’, and I used to just listen and played along to records more than anything, just in my bedroom and taught myself. I was brought up with it, my dad was a musician and he would be off playing, so it was in my blood really. In fact my dad was the driver for ‘The Specials’, he had an old van and he used to do the PA. Roddy used to stick his chewing gum to the roof, he still hasn’t forgiven him. Well he did that for 2 years in the build up to their first single and then when the new management took over they sacked him.
Arian – Yeah and to get Roddy back for the chewing gum, he now has to put up with spencer as the drummer (said laughing).
Spencer – Plus the drummer that worked with Roddy in the ‘Bonediggers’ Jim Prial, he used to always be round my house when I was a kid. So he has known me since I was a right nipper and I used to watch him play. Then I got to meet Roddy and we got chatting and now I’m playing with him.
Roddy – The country music scene is very incestuous anyway. It is a small little scene and everyone knows each other and that you know, its consistently changing, people are always swapping different bands and line up work and some don’t but you know everyone knows each other, that’s the thing.
It is a small world, my mum got to meet you Roddy and the rest of ‘The Specials’ in the early 80s when you played at the Coliseum down at Carlyon Bay.
Roddy – I remember playing down there a couple of times. Once with ‘The Special’ and again with the ‘Tear Jerkers’. When I played down there with the ‘Tear Jerkers’ they introduced us to the crowd and we came on stage to suddenly realise we had all left our guitars down in the dressing room. So we all had to just walk back off, we were professionals you see.
We mentioned earlier the late David Bowie and from one great loss to British music to another. The death of your friend and legendary drummer John (Brad) Bradbury.
Roddy – I was very shocked; in fact I’m still coming to terms with it. We weren’t the closest of buddy’s but like, after spending so many years together, it’s kind of like loosing your left toe or something, its really very sad, a great drummer. (The entire band nods their head in agreement). It made us all realise we are getting old now and I’ve been to a number of funerals over the past couple of years and you know, life’s short. So you’ve got to enjoy your self while you can.
Conner – You are only here once (and fist bumps Danny)
Have you had much contact with your former band mates since?
Roddy – Me and Neville keep in touch, we kind of like, well me and Neville split from the band [The Specials] 2 nearly 3 years ago. The band wasn’t getting on so well like Terry Hall became the new leader and things went according to him and what he wanted. Neville and me had our own bands, as you can see and we just wanted to concentrate on them. Plus no one was playing any material and it was basically, I was the only one writing songs.
Danny – Lynval [Golding] worked on our Ep.
Roddy – Yeah he worked and recorded on our Ep recently on a number of tracks.
Danny – He played on sweet revenge
So what’s the plan for after the gig tonight?
Danny – We are heading back to Coventry tonight. Going to be a long drive, nearly 3 hours.
Well thank you for the interview guys and I’ve got to ask, as my cousin who also works on the newspaper, who covers competitive eating around the world and will love the fact I got to ask this. If you have to participate in an eating contest, what would your preferred choice of food be?
Danny – well I’m a vegetarian, so I guess lettuces.
Conner – or grass!
Roddy – Southern fried chicken
Conner – Burgers
Spencer – French fries
Danny – not grass! It would be Quorn sausages
Adrian – Curry.
Words and photos by
Owen Jenkins
Life On Music 