Formed in 2012 by members from some of Adelaide's foundation rockabilly, ska, punk, funk and reggae bands, Fistful Of Trojans will headline Pepper Tree At Leconfield this Fringe season.
With a laid-back, mellow, funky vibe reminiscent of the Trojan Records' ska bands of the mid 1960s, from where they draw many of their musical influences, scenestr chats with the group's drummer, Peter Allan.
Since coming together in 2012, what have been some of the major changes and developments for the band?
There have been various member changes, particularly keys and guitar, as we searched for the right sound.
With the current line-up, we now have a strong songwriting team with four vocalists (Raph Segal being the lead) and a solid ska backline, plus the steady chunk-chunk of Bret Champ on rhythm guitar with hints of rockabilly, and the addition of Chris Hayne on lead guitar. This will be the line-up for the foreseeable future into our next recording.
What about the Trojan Records sound inspires the band?
It has been that innocent, uncomplicated sound of the formative, first wave of ska.
There were so many artists having a go and recording for peanuts, and living on hope in Jamaica. This led to a very deep vault of quirky tunes, inspired by the soul of North America. For me as a drummer, it is the soul of Jamaica and I play it that way.
What is your first memory hearing and responding to reggae/ ska?
I have to admit that I was not a ska convert till much later in my musical career. I come from a blues, soul, funk background.
Originally I had trouble with the down-beat, which is on the three on the kick. So I had to find a way of making that natural. Once I understood that it was soul as they (Jamaicans) heard it, I could bring all my influences to bear and now I love playing the genre.
Is there a healthy scene in Adelaide for ska and reggae bands to perform?
Yes, I think so. We are careful not to overexpose ourselves. We don’t do much more than a dozen shows a year and Adelaide accommodates that fairly well. We have a good and loyal following, so that we know when we put on a show there will be a good turn out.
How are you and the band feeling about headlining the Pepper Tree At Leconfield event?
We are all very excited and look forward to not only playing to fans of ska in such a great and relaxed environment, but also reaching out and presenting our tunes to a wider audience and, of course, taking in some fine wine and nibbles.
What can audiences expect from your live set?
From the right reverend Raph up front, crowned with his bowler hat, uke slung over his shoulder and powerful, soul-drenched vocals to the funky engine room hidden away at the back and laying down the groove, there will be plenty going on.
Each member brings his style and personality to the band. We are all good mates and have a lot of fun on stage together and there’s plenty of energy.
We are running hot at the moment with new, original tunes and Chris and Bret get up front to sing a couple of tunes. And plenty of good, strong pumping organ from our clever keyboardist Ben.
Seeing as Leconfield is a winery, which wine/s do you think pair best with the music of Fistful Of Trojans?
Well, I’m a chardonnay and shiraz fan…The 2017 Lecofield chardonnay has a compatible nuttiness and a persistence and depth throughout, so I guess that’s us!
2017 Leconfield shiraz is described as a stylish wine with a tight, elegant structure… that may be stretching it, but we can aspire to that.
The best thing about a Fistful Of Trojans live show is…
The infectious, solid beat and happy sing-along tunes.
Your first EP 'In The Rough' was released in 2017; are you working on another record yet?
Yes, we have plenty of new killer tunes and are presently compiling and fine-tuning them. We will definitely have enough to head into the studio mid year, so stay tuned.
What's coming next for Fistful Of Trojans?
There are more shows planned for the south in the next few months as a follow-up to Pepper Tree at Leconfield.
We recently performed at the National Scooter Rally on the 26 February to 300 ska fans in the city… it went off! We will no doubt continue to be the support band of choice for upcoming international ska acts at The Gov.
And we are in the throws of putting together a short stint to Melbourne, likely alongside our friends the Strange Tennants.
