Dirty Revolution
I was taken aback when I first encountered Dirty Revolution in the dark grotty stick-floor depths of TJ's in Newport. They sounded so different from the other bands....... no screaming vocals, no cover versions....... and their sound - Reggae Ska Punk! I'd only ever heard this when I saw The King Blues once in Sketty (Swansea) or when I put on my favourite Clash and Rancid records.
Dirty Revolution are a female-fronted four-piece band based in Cardiff, with Stu on guitar and backing vocals, Morgan on bass, Marcus on drums and Reb Sutton on vocals and guitar. Wondering what these guys sound like? They remind me of The Specials and Toots and the Mayatels. They're really reggae and ska based, but there's a definite punk influence there that brings bands such as Sublime, The Clash, The Ramones and even Rancid to mind in terms of the guitar playing.
The thing that stands out about this band is their originality. How many bands locally are reggae ska? How many bands have got female vocalists? Reb's signature vocals are reminscent of Kirsty Macoll and teamed along with the uniquely rich, upbeat bouncy sound of Dirty Revolution this band are one to watch out for. They've already been aired on the BBC's punk show 'The Lockup' that showcases only the best in international punk, reggae and ska. This year have also seen this band play festivals such as renowned 'Strummercamp' in Manchester, 'Workhouse' festival here in Wales and legendary punk rock festival 'Rebellion' in Blackpool as well as countless gigs up and down Britain.
They've recently released a self-titled mini-album on UK-based 'Do The Dog' records which you can preview on their myspace!
Dirty Revolution are hitting the Canton Festival in Cardiff on Sunday 30th of August at the Lansdowne Pub, weekend tickets for the Canton Festival are a fiver, single day tickets are going to be three quid at most.
For more information, log onto their MySpace page HERE.
