Imagine an empty theatre. Build the scene in your mind: how the stage looks, the colour of the curtains; put some spotlights on, create a bit of ambience.
Now populate your imaginary auditorium with whatever the word ‘orchestra’ brings to mind. Your brain will probably fill with elegant people playing classical music and a serious, suited conductor, back to the audience, gracefully flicking his arms about.
Unless you’re a fan of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra (MSO) that is. In which case, your scene will be vibrantly different. The tiny people in your head won’t be sitting sedately, they’ll be playing their instruments with their whole bodies. And their raucous conductor, Nicky Bomba, will be singing, dancing and bringing the audience so far into the music and merriment on stage that, while it lasts, there ceases to be a barrier between the two.
While he may take centre stage, Nicky is quick to point out he is by no means the star of the MSO show. “It’s quite a beautiful ship we’ve got going, full of amazing people and brilliant musicians. Everyone just gets what needs to be done when we perform and we work as a unit. That’s a big part of why we’re doing so well. I may be the leader but we’re very much a communal effort and I feel privileged to be a part of it.”
And that communal effort comes not just from the musicians but from the audience as well. Nicky spends as much time conducting the crowd as he does the orchestra and their voices, energy and positive vibes are a vital part of the show. “We love it when the line between the audience and the band is blurred. We played recently at the Sydney Opera House and I didn’t realise but there was some sort of stipulation that the audience were not allowed to come on stage.
“There was this girl dancing, she was dressed up in full ska gear and doing some great stuff, so I let her get up. The security guy was onto her straight away and I had to get between them. He kept trying to reason with me, so I just started dancing with him and danced him right off stage. It was a classic moment. ‘It’s all okay, let’s just dance, oh look, you’re off stage’.”
Since that Sydney gig, the Melbourne Ska Orchestra have been to the States, Canada and New Caledonia, where Nicky also toured his solo project and his other band, Bustamento. “It’s a bit of a gypsy lifestyle but it’s certainly exciting. And I appreciate the fact that I get to make a living performing and travelling. I feel like I’m definitely living the dream.”
To any normal person, the idea of touring with not one but three different bands all at the same time sounds like a mammoth undertaking. But to Nicky, it’s nothing out of the ordinary. “I played my first gig, a talent contest, when I was six. We came second.”
Nicky’s theory on why they didn’t come first? The other band had the advantage of leads. “They were electric and we were all acoustic. But it was great and then we got a gig from that gig and I’ve been playing ever since.
“I feel honoured to have three musical projects which are all completely different. Melbourne Ska Orchestra is like the big cruise liner, Bustamento is the little speed boat and then my solo stuff, I guess, is like kite-surfing. It’s exciting, it keeps me on my toes.”
Melbourne Ska Orchestra Tour Dates
Sat 3 & Sun 4 Oct - Caloundra Music Festival (Sunshine Coast)Fri 16 Oct - The Prince Bandroom (Melbourne)
Fri 23 Oct - The Metro Theatre (Sydney)
Sun 31 Oct - Island Vibe Festival (Brisbane)
Fri 27 Nov - Queenscliff Music Festival
Sat 28 Nov - Gorgeous Festival (McLaren Vale)
