World-famous ska, rockabilly and country-skiffle band from SE London
Back in 1983 Matt had a cassette recording of a Californian radio station, Radio F.A.T. , based in Gilroy, which was playing country-swing, country and bluegrass. We listened to it incessantly and during a cold winter on his first trip to Canada, Matt transcribed the lyrics of several of the songs on the tape, including…
A friend of Amanda’s was working as a freelance photographer and got us a two-page feature in Jackie Magazine called ‘City Limits – In London’ along with some copy about things to do and see in London. It came out on July 5th 1986 (Issue 1174) but by the look of the backgrounds the photos…
A memorable and thoroughly enjoyable gig for the The Forest Hill Billies was Gaz and Duke Vin’s Rockin’ Luxury Cruise to Amsterdam in 1986. The cruise was a mini floating festival of reggae, rock steady and ska music with a great mix of people and featuring some true legends of the Jamaican music scene. The…
Transmusicales is an annual music festival held in Rennes, Britanny, with the final evening showcasing up-and-coming British talent. In December 1985 it was The Forest Hill Billies’ first gig in France. That year the line-up included Doctor And The Medics and The Fine Young Cannibals.
Ska is the music from 1960’s Jamaica that preceded Reggae. In this piece, I want to talk about Ska. S-K-A … Ska. At 17 years of age, a friend told me that a friend of hers wanted me to join his band. Apparently they played Country music and Ska. She enthused, “Dave’s really excited about…
2014 marked the 30th anniversary of The Forest Billies formation as a six-piece busking band at the 1984 Glastonbury Festival.