| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| vicwong |
Posted - 06/19/2004 : 11:44:21 AM
Wow. I don't mean to make the people who couldn't come to the show jealous (sorry Brian), but WOW.
Not only were they one of the best ska bands I have ever seen live, but one of the best bands of any genre I have seen ever! These guys were just pros. They played traditional ska on par with the skatalites and even the biggest purists cant help but move to their 2-tone fast stuff. Insane musicians. INSANE. They had such incredible energy and I loved the velvet suits. Their live act was just so over the top. You don't see that often with ska bands in the states.
They started with a rockin' droning intro riff and hit us with Mancini's "A shot in the dark". Played some fast stuff, then switched to the upright bass. What followed was one of the best jazzy ska instrumentals I have ever heard, then a tasteful cover of the Skatalites "Bridge View". One highlight for me: an ambient conga intro into a beatiful reggae rendition of "the look of love" played on a muted trumpet. They let every member of the band shine for at least one song.
The singer guy might have caught people off gaurd for people who haven't heard their recordings. He just sorta sits on a stool up there and looks tough while occasionally yelling out broken english stuff. I don't know if its scripted or not, but I thought of him of more of a ska "hype man" if you will.
Anyway, I might just have to drive down to LA to see them again.
-Vic |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| daoster |
Posted - 06/28/2004 : 12:32:11 PM
Oh yeah...
http://www.kcrw.org/cgi-bin/db/kcrw.pl?show_code=mb&air_date=6/22/04&tmplt_type=show
Weee |
| ruderoots |
Posted - 06/25/2004 : 11:26:23 AM
quote:
They were the highlight of the festival for me (along with the incomparible "Mr. Soul", Alton Ellis)...B#...
Ack!! Jealous...
abram
www.ruderoots.com
|
| acetone |
Posted - 06/25/2004 : 08:24:20 AM
I'm down with you'all...
saw TSPO up in Frogtown at the SNWMF and they ripped so hard Saturday night, I returned Sunday morning for the matinee show...best ska band I've seen since my glory days with the Untouchables...great energy and charisma...the true test was that Sunday show...you could see the bandmembers were running on empty, but they gave it their all...total pros & all quality players...They were the highlight of the festival for me (along with the incomparible "Mr. Soul", Alton Ellis)...B#...
joshharris |
| daoster |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 5:06:25 PM
Now all they gotta do is release it in the U.S.!
Talking about releasing shit in the U.S., I hear they're looking for a label..
Victory Records has turned them down, and apparently, they're trying Hellcat...Chuck Wren of Jump Up Records has also been trying to get them..
If they do get a U.S. label..I hope...........they release the DVDs!!!
Weee |
| ska-t |
Posted - 06/24/2004 : 08:57:11 AM
Do you guys know if the guy with the video camera was part of the TSPO crew or just a fan taping the show?
they have been filming a documentary of their first North American Tour
|
| ruderoots |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 3:01:24 PM
quote:
TSPO was the best! They had such a great mix of up tunes, mid-tempo grooves and ballads. Can anyone provide a set list? I have to agree that instrumental after Yanaka's introduction was one of the best ever. W-o-w. Do you guys know if the guy with the video camera was part of the TSPO crew or just a fan taping the show?
I definitely want to grab a plane to LA to catch them at HOB but that's a bit expensive. Anybody bootlegging that one?
His name's Akihiro Kinoshita (if you mean the short-haired one). He's part of their promo crew.
abram
www.ruderoots.com
|
| pixell0 |
Posted - 06/22/2004 : 2:44:44 PM
Hi all,
The show was awesome! I'm so fucking happy that my first ska show was with CMC and TSPO!!! I've been on a happy groove since the show and I hope that never stops. CMC was a great opening act. Their combo provided great contrast to the full brass ensemble of TSPO. CMC's got a great beat, the drums and bass worked beautifully together and Chris' voice is classic.
TSPO was the best! They had such a great mix of up tunes, mid-tempo grooves and ballads. Can anyone provide a set list? I have to agree that instrumental after Yanaka's introduction was one of the best ever. W-o-w. Do you guys know if the guy with the video camera was part of the TSPO crew or just a fan taping the show? I have a mpg of them doing their Shot in the Dark intro at a concert, so maybe they're going to make a DVD of their US leg of the summer tour? Either way, I'd love to get a copy. I hope they come back soon and that they felt the love.
I definitely want to grab a plane to LA to catch them at HOB but that's a bit expensive. Anybody bootlegging that one?
conrad
|
| daoster |
Posted - 06/21/2004 : 12:52:50 PM
So I will be going to the Blue Beat show in L.A. tomorrow, and MAYBE the H.O.B. show.
Any fellow NorCal people going down there?
And Grand Prix...hahaha, I don't know, it's not what you expect from TSPO, not too much ska, but if you just like, listen to it without any expectations, maybe you'll like it. Well, I do like some tracks on it...like Pandora's Time.
I was watching a video of theirs, and it was tight, the stage was dark...and then suddenly, three of the members started playing Pandora's Time with synths!
TSPO goes New Wave!
And I'm going off topic.
I'll shut up now.
Weee |
| ruderoots |
Posted - 06/21/2004 : 11:53:03 AM
quote:
were there lotsa hot japanese asian girls there?
They were as Asian as they were Japanese. 
So true...this was a freakin' awesome show. All of my homies and me going for free didn't hurt the mood any, either. That band was so damn good, I'm going to try to catch them in Tokyo next month. Also, it was a treat to see the Chris Murray Combo. They're playing some of the new material that they've written just for the combo. The end of one of Chris' songs goes: "But the TAPE is the RAWEST!", perhaps in response to things some fans had to say about Raw. Who knows? I can't wait for them to cut an album.
abram
www.ruderoots.com
|
| ska-t |
Posted - 06/21/2004 : 11:14:39 AM
they are not all great. be careful.
grand prix - not too hot.
live albums are pretty good (I'd really try and find stuff from the last 5 years though to get a better feel for the show you saw..
they are label shopping right now for US distro..
|
| bwalker |
Posted - 06/21/2004 : 09:54:51 AM
Hi
Yes this really was THE BEST SKA SHOW of the year!
The opening act, Chris Murray Combo was also
excellent. He has reduced traditional ska to its
basics: acoustic guitar, bass and drums. He has
a classic ska voice and seems to channel the old
tunes.
But the Tokyo guys were simply outstanding!!!
As mentioned above, they have it ALL covered:
great stage look and energy, superb musical chops,
great fun in connecting with the audience. Etc.
They have the enthusiasm of punk ska and the
musical abilities of the masters such as
the Skatalites, New York Ska Jazz Ensemble, Articles etc.
They are so good you wonder why they have never
been here before. Sure hope they come back!!!
Since all their albums seem to be Japanese imports,
does anyone know which is the best or the best
one or two to start with? I assume they
should all be pretty good since the band is SO GREATlive. So if anyone has heard the albums and
can offer an opinion, I would greatly appreciate it.
thanks...
--Bill Walker
|
| hop skip jump |
Posted - 06/20/2004 : 2:21:04 PM
:( I wish I could have gone....life is hard for us sometimes. Everyone's been talkim about tspo, but how was chris murray? rockin'?
Pudding is the epitome of all that is good and wonderful. |
| vicwong |
Posted - 06/19/2004 : 10:12:39 PM
quote:
;_;
were there lotsa hot japanese asian girls there?
Any special guests come out? I know Lynval Golding came out for the encore in Seattle!
Weee
Lots of asian folks. Probably the most I've seen at a ska show. I think a lot of the crowd knew TSPO from the j-pop scene. Also, anime fans probably heard of them after they did that Lupin III theme song (which they did perform that night). A few skins and rudies, but not as much as I expected. Suprisingly, I think most ska fans in the states dont know about them.
No special guests unfortunately. But then, I considered every member of that band a special guest. It might be a long while before they come back.
-Vic |
| joshd |
Posted - 06/19/2004 : 2:35:58 PM
I haven't heard ska sound so big since I saw the Skatalites. They have the absolute greatest horn section ever to play ska. Every single motherfucker up there was sick. Their trumpet player was on fire, their tenor sax player was one of the greatest I've ever seen, their trombone player was like the J-Rico, dood couldn't really play alto sax or guitar, but he could certainly sit there and look cool. Wowwww what a great band.
"She's got diamonds on the soles of her shoes" |
| daoster |
Posted - 06/19/2004 : 2:09:41 PM
;_;
were there lotsa hot japanese asian girls there?
Any special guests come out? I know Lynval Golding came out for the encore in Seattle!
Weee |
