BOSS SOUNDS SKA & REGGAE FESTIVAL
BOSS SOUNDS SKA & REGGAE FESTIVAL 2011 returns to the region once again this month with a brilliant line up of acts On the bill are THE LEE THOMPSON SKA ORCHESTRA, DENNIS ALCAPONE, DAWN PENN, OWEN GREY, WINSTON FRANCIS, WINSTON REEDY & THE DUB CATS The festival takes place at University of Northumbria – 29th October (6pm-midnight). One of the UK’s greatest festivals of ska and reggae Boss Sounds returns to NewcastleGateshead on the 29th October when Madness great’s Lee Thompson and Mark Bedford will join a host of Jamaica’s finest including Dennis Alcapone, Dawn Penn and Winston Francis and Owen Grey at the University of Northumbria.Lee and Mark from Madness have formed The Lee Thompson Ska Orchestra who have quickly become one of the UK’s hottest ska outfits.Their Boss Sounds show will be their north east debut and it is eagerly awaited by all fans of Madness and ska music.Madness of course are one of ska music’s biggest names famed for their string of UK chart hits throughout the ’80s, this project firmly see’s the boys return to their roots in Jamaican ska music which was originally popularised by artists such as Prince Buster to whom they dedicated their hit The Prince.this 12 piece feature a full horn section and have been favorably likened to the Skatalites who of course headlined the first Boss Sounds Festival way back in 2005.Dennis Alcapone is one of reggae musics originators, one of the first artists to “toast” or rap over songs he was a major influence on the US hip hop scene who copied his trademark style of talking over records.He cut seminal versions of songs such as “Cherry Oh Baby” later popularized by UB40 amongst many others.Many will remember Alcapone’s show stealing show at the 2009 Boss Sounds Festival when he took to the stage resplendent in white suit and red bowler hat.Alcapone will be joined onstage by the great Winston Reedy, former singer with the UK’s first reggae band, the Cimarons.Dawn Penn, one of the biggest female names in reggae will be making her Boss Sounds debut. Dawn in famous for her UK top 3 hit, “no, no, No” from 1993.Born in Kingston, Jamaica her classic song, “no, no, No” was originally recorded as, “You don’t love Me” for the legendary Jamaican reggae label, Studio One in the late 1960s. it was later married to contemporary dancehall rhythms to massive effect in a hit which went around the world.
Tickets £17.50* from Ticketline 0191 2274757 0870 2643333 seetickets.com*includes entry to After show party: Ska’d for Life vs Pangea Sound System in Reds Bar, University of Northumbria 12-3AM