London International Ska Festival 2013

We are honoured and delighted to announce Junior Murvin will be performing his classic ‘Police & Thieves’ album at The London Intl Ska Festival 2014!

Junior Murvin is undoubtedly best known for his international hit single and album ‘Police & Thieves’. His soaring falsetto voice coupled by one of Lee Perry’s finest production created a sublime song that still resonates around the world today.

The title track and gems such as I Was Appointed, Roots Train and Easy Task make up the ‘Police & Thieves’ album which, along with The Congos’ Heart of the Congos and Max Romeo’s War Ina Babylon, is considered part of a Scratch Perry/Black Ark produced “holy trinity.”

Murvin went onto to record dozens of classic tracks throughout the late 70s and early 80s including Badman Posse for Mikey Dread and Cool Out Son for Joe Gibbs. His unique voice seemingly untouched by time see’s him still touring all over the world today.

Earlybird tickets for the whole festival are available now from www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets
Only 60 left!!

The London Intl Ska Festival‘s very own bespoke record label, Social Club and agency, Hotshot & Scorcher is delighted to announce a brand new Collectors LP vinyl series. Each release is set to have a ltd.run of 300 numbered copies only making them beautiful bespoke collectors pieces of vinyl.

You can preorder the first three releases now HERE

They are:

Scorcher2 PAMA INTERNATIONAL – SOULFIRE LP
After a 3 year hiatus Pama Intl return with a blazing rhythm & soul affair.

Scorcher3 THE SIDEWALK DOCTORS LP
London’s finest practitioners of soulful rocksteady return with their second album.

Scorcher4 PHOENIX CITY ALL-STARS – SKATISFACTION LP
Follow up to their triumphant 2 Tone Gone Ska album the All-stars return with an unique Jamaican Ska take on The Rolling Stones!

Only 300 copies are being made so preorder yours now to avoid disappointment. Please note these are only available to preorder at www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/shop

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The London Intl Ska Festival 2014 returns to the capital on Easter Weekend – 17-20 April 2014.

The festival is set once again to take place across a series of famed and iconic London venues with 50 acts from all over the world.

100 Earlybird tickets are now onsale for £99.99 HERE

For the fourth year in a row we’ve kept our Earlybird ticket price to £99.99 for our entire 4 day festival. Limited strictly to 100 tickets they will give you access to all London Intl Ska Fesival 2014 shows over Easter 2014. With previous festivals including Prince Buster, Laurel Aitken, Ken Boothe, Rico Rodriguez, Marcia Griffiths, Freddie Notes, The Pioneers, BB Seaton (The Gaylads), Owen Gray, The Specials; Jerry Dammers, Lynval Golding and Neville Staples, Neol Davies (The Selecter), Rhoda Dakar (The Bodysnatchers/Special AKA), Hotknives, Potato 5, The Loafers, The Skints, and many others besides you can rest assured 2014′s line up & bespoke programming will once again exceed all expectations.

Line up and venues to be announced shortly.

SPECIAL OFFER
Buy your Earlybird festival ticket in April 2013 and get a free London Intl Ska Festival 2013 T-shirt, Sweatshirt, CD or A1 poster.

EARLYBIRD TICKETS / SPECIAL OFFER AVAILABLE NOW

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I would like to say a huge thank you to all the bands, DJs, crew and everyone who came to our London Intl Ska Festival 2013 for making it such a special and memorable event.

The were so many magical moments. Thank you all!

See you in 2014!

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The London Intl Ska Festival 2013 merchandise is now available from our online Shop

Included in this years booty are T-shirts, Polo Shirts, Sweatshirt, Posters and our limited edition/hand numbered Collectors CD ep featuring rare and exclusive songs from 100 Men, Pama Intl with Manasseh and Wrong Tom, The Sidewalk Doctors and Ed Rome.

Order now and pick up your items at the festival or if you can’t make it get then sent post free in the UK before 1st April 2013.

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All stock available at www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/shop
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Congratulations to Rico Rodriguez on receiving the Silver Musgrave award from Her Excellency Aloun Ndombet-Assamba at the Jamaica High Commission this week, for services to Jamaican music. Richly deserved!

Catch Rico performing his classic Man From Wareika album on Day 1 of The London Intl Ska Festival (28 March) at The Jazz Cafe, in Camden Town. Support from The Sidewalk Doctors & DJ set from David Katz.

plus club night with Jerry Dammers from The Specials.

Tickets going fast at www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets

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We are delighted to announce The London Intl Ska Festival have teamed up with the Specialized charity project and will be donating £10 from every 4 day Ska festival ticket sold in March 2013.

Last year The Specials inspired charity project raised over £25,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

This year Specilized launch their second campaign ‘Beat Teenage Cancer’, which is based around the songs of UK’s fantastic ska/pop outfit The Beat. The project centers on a Beat tribute album featuring all the bands classics, a series of UK shows and closes with a 3 day extravaganza at Parkdean Sandford on November 8th-10th 2013. Artists already signed up include: Ed Rome, Bombskare, The Values ft. Neol Davies (The Selecter), The Talks, Dub Pistols, Dave Hillyard (The Slackers), Rob Johnson & The Irregulars, Rhoda Dakar & Phill Jupitus, Erin Bardwell Collective, Dubtonik ft. Charley Anderson (The Selecter), Buford O’Sulivan & many more.

All the money raised once again goes to Teenage Cancer Trust. For more information go to www.specializedproject.co.uk

 
LONDON INTL SKA FESTIVAL 2013 – 4 Day Ticket

We are delighted to announce news that Jerry Dammers founder of The Specials and 2 Tone Records will be hosting The London International Ska Festival 2013 Day 1 clubnight (DJ set only) at the Jazz Cafe.

Directly after Rico Rodriguez’s headline performance, Jerry will be spinning the finest Jamaican Ska & Reggae from the 60′s to present day at The Jazz Cafe, Parkway, Camden, London NW1 from 11pm-2am.

Tickets for Rico’s show and Festival weekend tickets get you in free to this event. Tickets just for the clubnight are available now from www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets

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We are truly honored to announce the legendary Jamaican singer Ken Boothe has agreed to return for the second time to perform at The London Intl Ska Festival.

Best known for his No.1 UK hit ‘Everything I Own’, Boothe started his musical career by winning a singing competition at the age of 8. His debut recording came in the ska-era when he teamed up with Winston ‘Stranger’ Cole in the duo Stranger And Ken, releasing classic cuts including World’s Fair and Artibella, before moving onto Clement Dodd’s Studio One label. A series of classic cuts followed including The Train Is Coming (on which he was backed by Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer & BB Seaton of The Gaylads) and Moving Away.

In 1967 he toured the UK for the first time with fellow rocksteady legend Alton Ellis. The tour was hugely successful, with Boothe being promoted as “Mr.Rock Steady”. The title was also used for his debut album the following year, which contained the unlikely but huge selling rocksteady version of Puppet On A String. In 1974 Boothe teamed up with producer Lloyd Charmers, a pairing that spawned his two biggest UK hits including Everything I Own, which topped the UK charts for 4 weeks, and the follow-up ‘Crying Over You’ which peaked number 11.

Having recorded for most of Jamaica’s top producers Ken Boothe’s catalogue is immense and stretches from Ska, through Rocksteady and into 70′s and conscious reggae; Silver Words, The Way Nature Planned, Godfather theme, Freedom Street, Who Get’s Your Love, Ain’t No Sunshine, I Don’t Want To See You Cry, Is It Because I’m Black, to name just a few of his timeless classics.

In 2011 Ken Boothe headlined the opening night of the London International Ska Festival and tore the place down. We are honored he has agreed to return to close this years event.

Ken Boothe performs Day 4 of The London Intl Ska Festival (Easter Sunday 31st March 2013).
At Dingwalls, Camden Lock, Camden Town, London NW1. Doors 7pm.
Tickets available now from www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets

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We are delighted and honored to once again have one of the true foundation singers of Jamaica – Mr. Owen Gray performing at The London International Ska Festival. Owen has appeared at the last 2 years of our festival and is always superb. He will appear at our Studio One Thames Cruise along with BB Seaton of The Gaylads, Vin Gordon aka Don Drummond Jnr, DJ Chris Peckings (Peckings studio1) and more.

Owen was one of the first artists to record for Studio One so it seems only fitting he’s included on this bill.

This spectacular takes place aboard the beautiful Dixie Queen paddle steamer on Good Friday 29 March (12.30-4.30pm). You get to see London’s sights from it’s oldest vantage point… old father Thames and have Tower Bridge opened especially.

Kids are welcome to!! This is going to be a truly amazing and unforgettable tribute to one of the worlds finest labels.

Tickets available now at www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/tickets