Laid back dub
The Slackers slide on in to Calgary
PREVIEW
THE SLACKERS
Monday, September 23
The Warehouse
Bursting at the seams with enthusiasm and talent, the seven members of the multi-instrumental, new wave, dub ska band known as The Slackers discovered their mutual affection for the reggae sound back in 1990. Things have certainly changed a lot since then, but The Slackers have not wasted any effort chasing trends – as a rule, they prefer to start their own.
Singer-keyboardist Vic Ruggerio, trumpet player Jeremy Mushlin (a.k.a. DJ Mush 1), Marq Lyn, trombonist Glen Pine and the group's other members take a democratic approach and share the microphone. Veteran saxophone player Dave Hillyard explains how their love of performing live, combined with the seductive influence of Caribbean music, was a launch pad for the New York-based group’s unique mélange of styles.
"What we’re doing is built on the Jamaican, rocksteady, Skatalites, Lee 'Scratch' Perry foundation, which is taken in a lot of different directions," Hillyard says. "We do our own thing with it. We all play with different aspects of the music – keyboards, vocals and horns. There is a very strong dub influence, but the main thing is to make it your own and keep on pushing."
The Slackers eclectic mixture of musical tastes has not only given ska revivalists a distinctive sound, but has vaulted the band to success in the recording studio, as well. Equipped with so many contributing members (numbers and attendance are variable), the possibility for creating new material is virtually inexhaustible.
Refuting the connotations of their lazy appellation, The Slackers have produced an impressive five full-length albums since 1996 – well-known titles include The Question (1998) and Live at Ernesto’s (2000), the latter recorded in Holland. Their 2001 release, Wasted Days, which features plenty of down home country flavour, pedal steel guitar, and a deadly cover of Bon Jovi’s "Dead or Alive," is, according to Hillyard, very much in character for the troupe.
"I’d have to say that of all the albums we’ve done so far, Wasted Days sounds the most like us – the most like our sound. Similar to what we’ve done before, it’s derived from reggae, ska, but we’ve continued taking things to the next level of ska evolution and merged it with an American mix of a whole bunch of things. Some Asian and Indian dub, all kinds of instrumentation and vocals – sort of like old-school R and B stretched out into a lot of improv."
Despite being faced with the atrophy of the whole Oi! ska phenomenon, and an upcoming generation of kids who define "skank" as an ugly woman, The Slackers are more in demand than ever. Perhaps it’s nostalgia for the big brass section (added in 1994), pogoing or wearing a suit and dark glasses in the mosh pit, but whatever the reason, it has led to endless tours throughout Europe, across the U.S. and now, finally, into Canada.
"It’s weird," Hillyard says, laughing. "When ska was so popular, we weren’t very popular. Now that ska’s not popular any more, we’re playing more than ever."
The lexicon of ska
Oi!: Working-class, British-influenced street punk, circa ’77. Characteristics of this style include mohawks, skinheads, anthems, Doc Marten's boots and suspenders. (e.g., Blanks ’77, US Bombs, Oxymoron, The Business, Sham 69.)
Pogoing: The simple act of jumping and bouncing in rhythm with the music. Less violent than moshing. A frequent activity at pop punk shows and the area on the outskirts of the moshpit.
Skanking: An activity frequently seen at ska or ska-influenced punk shows. The characteristics of this form of dancing include exaggerated arm and leg movements and "slow motion walking."
Source: Punk International — Punk Dictionary: www.punkinternational.com |
