Nicky Bomba is the effervescent frontman of Melbourne Ska Orchestra, a 26-member band he’s previously referred to as a “musical church”.
“In a way, all small bands are like a belief system,” he tells the BRAG. “Your group has a philosophy on life, and this band represents that for me. You want your team to be doing good stuff. We’re constantly challenging ourselves to make something better … If you think the same way about us, join us, because we think we’re doing good work.
“I want to move away from the church thing, though,” he adds. “We’re more like a soccer team.”
It’s an inclusive sentiment that characterises the band’s approach to its broader genre. In the same way the upbeat rhythms of Jamaican ska fused with the aggressive punk of England to form two-tone, the MSO are proud of their strong multicultural roots, drawing upon them to add flavour to their music.
“We’re big fans of funk, rocksteady and South American vibes, and we’re developing hybrids with calypso that are uniquely our own,” says Bomba, who is of Maltese heritage. “We’re wearing our own colours now.”
The progression of the group from playing ska covers to original tracks has been an exciting one. Bomba is acutely aware of the MSO’s place in the history of the genre, and is resoundingly enthusiastic about the video clip for their latest single, ‘Satellite’, taken from upcoming second album Sierra-Kilo-Alpha (due out early next year).
“We’ve grown up! We’re no longer under the apron strings of the UK sound, although that’s still represented in the music we play today,” Bomba says. “It’s not perfect, but there’s a sense of adventure to it.
“The first album was a collection of all the things we’d been doing over the years. We weren’t really a serious entity until 2009, so that was really a statement about everything that had come before. This new album is more a sense of, ‘This is our voice.’ We’ll always harp towards the old stuff because of our love for ska, but this new clip is moving towards the future.”
A recent tour overseas saw Bomba and co. brushing shoulders with even more fans who barrack for the black and white. In England they performed with original rude boy Stranger Cole and two-tone legend Rhoda Dakar of The Bodysnatchers. The band was met with an overwhelming response from ska aficionados in Turkey, and Bomba seems as excited about performing as when the MSO first assembled.
“It was a real honour to be playing with the people there,” he says. “The thing about ska is – and it’s why the Orchestra works – there is a real love for the music. It means fans – they can be kids, parents or even grandparents – still have the energy. Stranger Cole is 75 and even I had trouble keeping up with him!”
The MSO’s connection to Stranger Cole meant they were invited to feature three tracks in a short film (Beverley), telling the story of a young rude girl growing up during the volatility of the Thatcher era. For Bomba and his crew – who are at heart just music fans who partly came together due to their appreciation of Madness and The Specials records – it was a big achievement. However, it’s also a stark reminder to Bomba of how the music scene has changed from the mid-’70s until now.
“My first release was on vinyl because that’s all there was,” he says. “Now you can just press a button and you’ve downloaded your song in seconds. Somewhere along the way, the music was cheapened. We’re trying to highlight the value of music as it’s perceived. There are a lot of processes involved; recording, rehearsal, writing. It’s gotten to the point where the only source of revenue is playing live. It means our music is political in some ways, but also it’s motivational. You figure out ways to survive. If your trajectory is about making the best art you can and being positive about it, you’ll manage.”
He seems confident, but notes that with a band of the MSO’s size, it’s difficult to manage without the help of government grants, and laments the recent reduction of funding to the Australia Council.
“Our human race is a creative species. We have the technology to live quite comfortably, but we don’t have that balance right yet. That’s what I noticed overseas, that they have a real appreciation of their art and culture. It’s about what people need, and sometimes common sense is what’s right for the agenda.”
Referencing the Velvet Revolution of Czechoslovakia in 1989, Bomba’s words reflect the stance of a man who regularly has to organise 25 bandmates on tour. “Ask questions. Small voices count. They base these things off the polls. The polls are – that’s the people! And that’s kind of the attitude of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra – keep motivating and energising people.”
If that’s the case, then Bomba has definitely found the right team to play with. Despite the workmanlike ethic that has the Orchestra back on the road so soon after their international tour, he maintains a sunny disposition. “I like to see the beautiful adventure of the world. I won’t be home for two to three weeks at a time, but I have a little ceremony that I do. It makes me really positive. Home is where I am.”
Bomba’s faith that the group’s music will help inspire its listeners as well as his fellow bandmates remains his guiding light.
“This next album will make us proud.”
[Melbourne Ska Orchestra photo by Ian Laidlaw]
Melbourne Ska Orchestra perform at Metro Theatre on Friday October 23.
