The Vibes vs The Skallions - A Night of Ska & Reggae with Ovengloves the Selector
The Vibes
The Vibes are an 8-piece soulful reggae band based in Belfast. Formed in 2014 they immediately began a monthly residency in The Belfast Empire. The band worked as support act for legends like Lee “Scratch” Perry and The Specials, as well as New York ska heroes The Slackers and The Toasters. The Vibes released their debut album Workin’ in 2017 but were soon forced into hiatus when trombone player Willie McLean suffered a severe stroke, the band gradually returned to do some small shows in late 2018 and 2019.
After another enforced hiatus in 2020/21, The Vibes returned to the studio in 2022 to record a second album, The Vibes Play Don Drummond, consisting of 9 tracks all written by Jamaican trombone innovator Don Drummond of The Skatalites. The album was conceived by Vibes trombonist Willie McLean with song arrangements by UK brass icon Dennis Rollins (Jamiroquai, Maceo Parker, Blur). On this album The Vibes pay homage to some of the greatest early ska music with 7 instrumentals and 2 songs including Simmer Down, Occupation and Latin Goes Ska.
With another album worth of original songs still to be recorded, the band also do a wide array of covers, some reggae songs by the likes of Jimmy Cliff and Alton Ellis, but also lot of non-reggae songs from artists like Bob Dylan, Sam Cooke, Arethra Franklin and many others, given the reggae treatment.
The Skallions
The Skallions are a Belfast based 7 piece Ska, Reggae powerhouse, bringing bags of energy and stacks of attitude.
The Skallions burst onto the Belfast music scene in late 2017 opening for New York rocksteady legends, The Slackers. The Skallions wasted no time sprouting and unleashing their unique brand of perfectly balanced fun and mayhem on audiences across Ireland.
The Skallions have rubbed shoulders with some of the giants of the Ska Reggae scene providing support for such legends as The Specials, Neville Staple, The Beat, and the veteran Reggae and Roots DJ, David 'Ram Jam' Rodigan, who later featured ‘Skallion Battalion’ on his BBC Radio 1Xtra show.
Other highlight gigs include playing with The Slackers in Dublin, Jaya The Cat, King Kong Company, The Sunflower Fest, Cork and Tramore Ska And Reggae Festivals and all the gigs at the Warzone Collective.
Releasing their debut album “Skallion Battalion” on vinyl and digital in March 2020 with themes of class divide, homelessness, the cost of living and craic the band are now working on a follow up album and gigging around the UK and Ireland.
This was all achieved with the punk ethos of DIY, supporting themselves through hard work and determination
Fans of Punk, Ska, Rock, Reggae and Pure Belfast craic will not be disappointed with their high octane show-stopping atmosphere.
The Skallions claim influences from bands such as Bad Manners, The Specials, The Selecter, Toots & the Maytals, and Runnin’ Riot to name a few.
This shines through in the Ska-hallions blistering originals with hard-rocking drums intertwined with pumping bass lines. Tasty melodic keys to move your feet tangled with heavy guitar riffs designed to have any crowd bouncing from start to finish and a horn section set to blow the house down every night.
On top of all this, a powerful male and female duo giving stacks ensuring you will be moving your feet all night.
The Skallions are well known for non-stop high-energy live shows that is sure to get any party started. You can expect nothing less from these mad capped moon stompin' miscreants, so get your knees up and skank like a Skallion!
Doors - 7.45pm
Show - 8.30pm
Show End (estimated) - 11.30pm
Fully License Bar
Age 18+