Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on March 2010

The creator of London’s longest-running club night and a veteran of many Fuji Rock Festivals, Gaz Mayall (right, son of blues legend John) hauls his Rockin’ Blues ska revue to Tokyo next month. The bill constitutes a dream lineup, with Jamaican living legends The Skatalites returning to the capital for the first time since 2008. Less well-known but equally formative are Sound Dimension, who will back the vintage singing duo Stranger and Patsy—creators of some of Jamaica’s top hits in the early years of ska and rocksteady, including 1962’s “When You Call My Name.” Tokyo ska warhorses The Ska Flames round out the bill.

“Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues 30 Years Anniversary”
Ska veterans The Skatalites, The Ska Flames and others. Apr 4, 4:30pm, ¥6,500. Studio Coast, Shin-Kiba. Tel: Smash 03-3444-6751.