Bumpin Uglies and Ballyhoo!

Great band, tight live show, pretty damn dynamic for a 3-piece. All three players are really active up there (musically speaking, nobody's doin backflips on stage) and clearly have a love for playing. You can tell they're road warriors. Go see 'em and buy 'em a beer. This is drinking reggae rock.

Ballyhoo! (Yes, that is their name. I know…) are a punk-pop-rock- reggae-is there any genre they don’t do? band from Maryland, USA that have been rocking the music market for decades now, with five albums smugly secured under their belt. Despite the name, this band is all serious talent: their music is smooth, groovy and perfect to rock out to. Every single song is catchy beyond compare. Personal favourites of mine include their hit ‘Walk away’ and insanely groovy and reggae-esque ‘Cali girl’ which are both quintessential summer tunes. Indeed, this band are perfect easy-listening for those sweet summer days chilling on the beach or having a barbeque. They possess an easy chill and unique rock-reggae vibe that you would be incredibly hard-pressed to find anywhere else. The current members that make up this uniquely addictive band are Howi Spangler, whose lead vocals produce incredibly easy listening, Donald Spangler on the drums, Scott Vandrey on the keyboards and new addition Nick Lucera on bass. Despite failing to hit mainstream success, this happy-go-lucky American dream team continue to rake in success from their dedicated fans and are gaining recognition by the year, though far less than they truly deserve. A definite must see.

Ska makes people dance, and reggae makes people chill out. This band, The Supervillains must be the happy medium between the two, either leaving audience in a state of euphoria or simply just confusion. Tonight they demonstrate their longevity, playing a huge selection of songs from their sixteen-year and eight-studio album career so far. Their sound is led by fantastically memorable guitar riffs that always set the pace for these songs, making audiences dance across the world. They have been fortunate enough to support some of their contemporaries, Fishbone, Steetlight Manifesto, Inner Circle, Authority Zero and more. They draw most of their set this evening from their most recent album entitled “Volume 8”. Throughout their performance, these punters around me are lapping up this atmosphere, which they will no doubt be coming down from for a few days after I think. There a great moment when they go back as far as their debut self titled EP.