I had the pleasure to sit down and have a chat with Ska Music Band The Skangsters founders Wayne Hunt and Adi Wooldridge. We sat in Peach Place outside The Leafy Elephant in Wokingham and I learnt more about their 27-year history. They spoke about meeting Sir Bob Geldof and his respect for their longevity, and the support they had from Heart FMs Babs Jordon. They also revealed the close relationship they have with Brighton band Will and The People who are currently being touted as the new Police or Specials.
Ska with Attitude
With an extremely loyal following, The Skangsters have played all across the UK at a wide variety of festivals, prestigious functions and live venues. If you enjoy live music you will love The Skangsters, an energetic and original band producing their own style of Ska with attitude!The main aim of The Skangsters when playing gigs is to ensure everyone is involved and enjoying themselves. It’s infectious, when the band strikes up and the front men strut their stuff no one within earshot will be able to control themselves foot-tapping, stomping, clapping and singing along are all actively encouraged. They see what works and go with it.
Peach Place Wokingham Music Venue
The Skangsters performed live at Peach Place in Wokingham heralded as the best Ska band you will see, this side of the Watford Gap. Their performance was is part of a new programme of entertainment in Peach Place, The Skangsters being the first of 5 events every other Saturday through to September 2022 There’ll be a mix of evening and day performances, so keep an eye out for who’s up next!
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Wayne explains how the band was formed after being sacked from another and how over the years they have always kept grounded, secrets to their staying power seem to come from insisting that they had ‘no superstars’ in the band and this kept the band on an even keel.
I was quick to learn the fact The Skangsyers were not a tribute band but one that made music their own and originality was key to their performances. The band had worked with many big names including Bad Manners, Madness, The Beat and The Specials. 27 years had left them with enough experience to deal with sudden band shortages, power cuts and losing key band players such as a pianist. Improvising and the show must go on were all part of their recipe to success.
Useful Skangster links