ORIGINS: Sydney
GENRE: Ska, 2-Tone
YEARS ACTIVE: 1998-2017
MEMBERS:
- Simon Smith - Vocals
- Pete Wilson - Vocals
- Paul Cooper - Keyboards (1998-2006)
- Andy Mifsud - Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals (2006-2016)
- Mark Wilson - Guitar (1998-2011)
- Anthony Donoghue - Bass (1999-2017)
- Bob Spencer - Bass (1998-1999)
- Nick Hempton - Sax (1998-2004, 2016)
- Scott Kelly - Sax (2014-2016)
- Andrew Robertson - Sax
- Layne Visser - Trombone (1998-2002)
- Danny Carmichael - Trombone (2002-2017)
- Rod Mayhew - Trumpet (1998)
- Ross Judd - Trumpet (1998-2017)
- Felix Bloxsom - Drums (1998-1999)
- Mike Quigley - Drums (1999-2002, 2005-2010, 2012, 2017)
- Cat Hunter - Drums (2012-2014)
- Dave Hatch - Drums (2003-2005)
- Lyal Loughnan - Bass (2000) [Live fill-in]
- Al Caulfield - Bass [Live fill-in]
- Brad Merrick - Bass (2001) [Live fill-in]
- Tim Firth - Drums (2001-2002) [Live fill-in]
- Ben Pritchard - Drums (2002) [Live fill-in]
- Pete Atkins - Drums (2001) [Live fill-in]
- Mark Lawrenson - Sax (2001-2002) [Live fill-in]
- Jason Morphett - Sax [Live fill-in]
- Ruth Deloroso - Sax [Live fill-in]
- Dave Theak - Sax (2001) [Live fill-in]
- Justin Kearin - Trombone (2014-2015) [Live fill-in]
- John Pennings - Trumpet [Live fill-in]
- Martin Phillipson - Trumpet [Live fill-in]
- Alistair Law - Keyboards [Live fill-in]
- Paul Jarman - Keyboards [Live fill-in]
- Gavin Ahearn - Keyboards (2016) [Live fill-in]
RELEASES:
- Introducing Backy Skank (1998) - Download Here.
- 1. Don't Sleep in the Subway
- 2. Fashion Victims
- 3. Stanley Kubrick
- 4. Alone
- 5. Boots [Live]
- Suited and Booted (2003) - Download Here.
- 1. Waste of Space
- 2. Why?
- 3. Who Do
- 4. Don't Look Back
- 5. The Domino Effect
- 6. Tokyo Japan
- 7. Running
- 8. Doing Time
- 9. Back to the Water
- 10. The Smart Alec
- 11. Getaway
- 12. Eye Candy
- The Biz (2010)
- 1. Captain of Industry
- 2. Imbalance
- 3. Johnny Come Lately
- 4. Rocksteady Train
- 5. Freaky Deaky
- 6. These Guys On These Things
- 7. Stanley Kubrick
- 8. Fashion Victims
- 9. Alone
- 10. The Greatest Show on Earth
- 11. North Shore Wanker
- 12. In The Rain
- 13. Tokyo Japan
- 14. Waste of Space
- Compilation-only tracks
- 'Waste of Space' [1998, live version] - on Pulling on the Boots compilation.
- 'Simmer Down' [2025] - on Rare Cuts, the Noise Levels compilation.
SUMMARY: Beginning as an original music project created by members of the cover bands Complete Madness and The Fabulous Blues Brothers, Backy Skank quickly rose to the top of the early '00s Sydney ska scene as one of the few bands playing the more traditional 2-tone style alongside the city's many ska-punk and rockabilly bands. With a few core members by his side, vocalist and songwriter Simon Smith would assemble and maintain various lineups over approximately 20 years and two albums, with the band finally calling it a day in 2017.
SHOWS:
1990s
- The Globe, Newtown - 9th July, 1998
- Iron Duke, Alexandria - 1st August, 1998
- Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 25th September, 1998
- Bondi Diggers, Bondi - 26th September, 1998
- The Globe, Newtown - 27th November, 1998
- The Globe, Newtown - 12th February, 1999
- Fox Studios, Surry Hills - 1st April, 1999
- Manly Fishos, Manly - 14th May, 1999
- Bar Broadway, Sydney - 20th April, 1999
- Bar Broadway, Sydney - 27th August, 1999
- The Globe, Newtown - 17th September, 1999
- Iron Duke, Alexandria - 20th November, 1999
- Northpoint Tavern, North Sydney - 24th December, 1999
2000-2003
- Iron Duke, Alexandria - 14th January, 2000
- Iron Duke, Alexandria - 26th January, 2000
- Eastwood Hotel, Eastwood - 26th February, 2000
- Dig This Zine Launch, Bar Broadway, Sydney - 4th March, 2000
- Bar Broadway, Sydney - 8th July, 2000
- Eastwood Hotel, Eastwood - 5th August, 2000
- Cat and Fiddle, Balmain - 14th August, 2000
- The Harp, Tempe - October, 2000
- Bar Broadway, Sydney - 4th November, 2000
- Vic on the Park, Marrickville - November, 2000
- Backy Skank Christmas Party, Cat and Fiddle, Balmain - 23rd December, 2000
- Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 6th January, 2001
- Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 14th July, 2001
- Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 13th October, 2001
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 26th October, 2001
- Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 8th November, 2001
- Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 10th November, 2001
- Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale - 11th November, 2001
- Club 77, Darlinghurst - 29th November, 2001
- Backy Skank Christmas Party, Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 13th December, 2001
- Northpoint Tavern, North Sydney - 5th April, 2002
- Blaxland Tavern, Blaxland - 10th April, 2002
- Newcastle University, Newcastle - 11th April, 2002
- Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square - 20th April, 2002
- Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 4th May, 2002
- The Harp, Tempe - 11th May, 2002
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 28th June, 2002
- Vic on the Park, Marrickville - 5th July, 2002
- Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Club 77, Darlinghurst - 13th July, 2002 [All Ages - Daytime]
- Tartan Heart Ska Nite Klub, Green Square, Zetland - 13th July, 2002
- The Harp, Tempe - 20th July, 2002
- Green Square, Zetland - 10th August, 2002
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 7th September, 2002
- The Harp, Tempe - 14th September, 2002
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 23rd November, 2002
- Backy Skank Christmas Party, Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 14th December, 2002
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 22nd February, 2003
- The Harp, Tempe - 8th March, 2003
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 26th April, 2003
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 17th May, 2003
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 20th June, 2003
- Bat and Ball, Surry Hills - 19th July, 2003
- The Crest Hotel, Sylvania - 1st August, 2003
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 2nd August, 2003
- The Empire, Annandale - 30th August, 2003
- The Harp, Tempe - 20th September, 2003
- The Empire, Annandale - 15th November, 2003
- Backy Skank Christmas Party - December, 2003
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| Vic on the Park, 2001 |
2004-2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 3rd January, 2004
- Cat and Fiddle, Balmain - 30th January, 2004
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 28th February, 2003
- The Empire, Annandale - 1st May, 2004
- Caringbah Bizzos, Caringbah - 6th May, 2004
- Manly Fishos, Manly - 7th May, 2004
- The Excelsior, Surry Hills - 8th May, 2004
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 22nd May, 2004
- The Harp, Tempe - 29th May, 2004
- The Crest Hotel, Sylvania - 9th July, 2004
- Newtown RSL, Newtown - 23rd July, 2004
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 7th August, 2004
- Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale - 13th August, 2004
- The Empire, Annandale - 2nd October, 2004
- Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale - 12th November, 2004
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 27th November, 2004
- The Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne - 3rd December, 2004 (VIC)
- Backy Skank Christmas Party, The Empire, Annandale - 23rd December, 2004
- The Crest Hotel, Sylvania - 14th January, 2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 4th February, 2005
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 11th March, 2005
- ANU, Canberra - 19th March, 2005 (ACT)
- Harbour Cruise, Sydney - 20th March, 2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 8th April, 2005
- Brewhaha, Darrell Jackson Gardens, Summer Hill - 9th April, 2005
- Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills - 30th April, 2005
- The Harp, Tempe - 4th June, 2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 10th June, 2005
- Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 17th June, 2005
- Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 18th June, 2005
- Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills - 19th August, 2005
- Mona Vale Hotel, Mona Vale - 20th August, 2005
- The Crest Hotel, Sylvania - 2nd September, 2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 8th October, 2005
- The Empire, Annandale - 10th December, 2005
2006-2009
- Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills - 15th March, 2006
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 25th March, 2006
- Newcastle University, Newcastle - 14th September, 2006
- The Zoo Nightclub, Brisbane - 4th October, 2006 (QLD)
- The Corner Hotel, Melbourne - 7th October, 2006 (VIC)
- Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills - 19th October, 2006
- Cambridge Hotel, Newcastle - 20th October, 2006
- Newtown Jets Club, Newtown - 11th November, 2006
- The Empire, Annandale - 2nd December, 2006
- The Empire, Annandale - 13th January, 2007
- The Empire, Annandale - 3rd March, 2007
- Hermans Bar, University of Sydney, Sydney - 16th June, 2007
- The Harp, Tempe - 30th June, 2007
- Ska Vs. Rockabilly, The Empire, Annandale - 22nd December, 2007
- The Empire, Annandale - 31st December, 2007
- A Show for Holly, Sandringham Hotel, Newtown - 8th February, 2008
- Gaelic Theatre, Surry Hills - 23rd February, 2008
- The Empire, Annandale - 17th May, 2008
- The Vanguard, Newtown - 28th June, 2009
- Hopetoun Hotel, Surry Hills - 19th September, 2009
2010-2019
- Killcare Surf Club, Killcare - 5th March, 2010
- Sandringham Hotel, Newtown - 13th March, 2010
- Kustom Kulture Weekend, Adelaide - 20th March, 2010 (SA)
- Bald Faced Stag, Annandale - 5th June, 2010
- Newtown Jets Club, Newtown - 19th September, 2010
- Birmingham Hotel, Fitzroy - 24th September, 2010 (VIC)
- The Esplanade Hotel, Melbourne - 25th September, 2010 (VIC)
- Sandringham Hotel, Newtown - 11th November, 2010
- The Townie, Newtown - 17th December, 2010
- The Rhythm Hut, Gosford - 23rd January, 2011
- Fringe Festival, The Light Hotel, Adelaide - 4th March, 2011 (SA)
- The Troubadour, Brisbane - 18th June, 2011 (QLD)
- Annandale Hotel, Annandale - 10th June, 2012
- Factory Theatre, Newtown - 25th August, 2012
- Psyfari, Glen Alice, Lithgow - 23rd August, 2013
- Kustom Kulture Weekend, The Highway, Adelaide - 14th March, 2014 (SA)
- Hi Fi Bar, Sydney - 27th March, 2014
- Lazybones, Marrickville - 21st November, 2014
- Manning Bar, University of Sydney, Sydney - 17th May, 2015
- Lazybones, Marrickville - 31st December, 2015
- Manning Bar, University of Sydney, Sydney - 27th May, 2016
- Lazybones, Marrickville - 14th December, 2019 [Reunion Show]
ORAL HISTORY:
SIMON: Backy Skank started after Pete and I finished playing in Complete Madness, which had done lots of touring and met heaps of bands around Australia. We had secretly hoarded originals that we wanted to start playing, so when the Madness tribute band ended we started working on them. When Complete Madness toured New Zealand we had a substitute keyboard player, Paul Cooper. He was a pommy and had played lots of gigs in London with various bands, including the New Matics, which had Everett Morton from The Beat on drums. He came across into Backy Skank and the rest of the lineup were muso links I had who were keen to play original ska.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
PETE: My love of ska had started in the early '80s with Madness, The Specials, English Beat, The Selecter, and Bad Manners. There'd also been local bands in the '80s - Allniters and Strange Tenants. Even Jo Jo Zep and The Falcons had a ska edge early on. I was sixteen in 1980 so I soaked it all in. I played trumpet as a kid and did a bit of singing as well. The core of Backy Skank grew out of Complete Madness. In Complete Madness, Simon was Suggs, Paul Cooper was Barson, and I was Chas Smash. The three of us had always talked about doing something original when the Madness show had run its course.
Pete Wilson (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Having two singers is good for us. Our originals are quite melodic so two singers gives us interest, versatility and a bit more punch live. When the horns do a bit of background vocals there are five singers.
Simon Smith (Vocals), The Weekend of Ska, 2001
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| Most likely a bootleg of Complete Madness, with artwork mislabelled as Backy Skank |
PAUL: I first got involved at the very start - when I'd played keys for Complete Madness. Myself, Simon and Pete wanted to do our own original material. The name 'Backy Skank' derives from a Jamaican saying, describing how a guitarist plays slightly behind the offbeat in ska or reggae music - to 'backy skank'.
Paul Cooper (Keyboard), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MARK: Simon was doing a blues gig with my band, The Fabulous Blue Brothers, in 1997. That's when he asked me if I'd like to join Backy Skank.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
TONY: I met Simon at a gig and he asked me to join the band. We're still going, playing together close to 28 years later.
Anthony Donoghue (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
NICK: Around 1997 I was playing the RSLs of the Western Suburbs with The Fabulous Blues Brothers, one of several Blue Brothers tribute bands in Sydney at the time. Tony Donoghue and Mark Wilson were also in The Fabulous Blue Brothers. I met Simon when he joined the band as 'Elwood' (character from the film The Blues Brothers). Backy Skank was formed using half of this Blues Brothers band and half of Complete Madness. I'd never really heard ska at that point, aside from the American stuff that was on the radio at the time (Reel Big Fish, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, etc.). We had a band meeting where we decided on the band name. We went with Backy Skank but the other frontrunner was 'City Gents'.
Nick Hempton (Sax), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Rod Mayhew was the first winner of the James Morrison Yamaha scholarship at the Generations in Jazz Festival. We first met at the convention. Next time we met we were playing in a Blues Brothers tribute. He played trumpet on the Introducing Backy Skank EP, which was recorded before we had a proper regular horn section. Rod passed away soon after that sadly, he didn't ever play live with us. He was an astoundingly good trumpet player.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
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| Bio from the first Backy Skank website, 2000 |
PAUL: We recorded an EP right after we formed the band. I remember the producer drank a bottle of white wine at the mixing desk.
Paul Cooper (Keyboard), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MARK: Members would put ideas to Simon for songs. There was a mix of input from the band members; then it would be charted by Simon and rehearsed. The first recording we did had Peter Blighton on the desk producing and was at the Cross Stablez Studios. We sat in the control room next to Peter at the desk, constructing the chord voicing and attack for the song 'Subway'. It was a great session, a sunny day - the band was on a high. The songs were all bloody good but 'Subway' was the deal.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: We recorded an EP, this was done as part of my Masters degree. At the time we didn't love it - now I listen to it as a retro artefact. Anyway, afterwards, the players all said - let's do some gigs. Our first gig was to launch the EP. This was at The Globe in Newtown with The Hangovers and Bedlam Beggars. We set out to play the style of ska that we grew up with and liked - we were a little bit older than the 'new bands' at the time. Madness were my favourite band when I was very young, which then led to interest in other ska bands like The Specials and The Beat. My favourtie Aussie bands were The Allniters and Strange Tenants.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
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| Review of the band's debut EP, The Weekend of Ska, 2001 |
REVIEW: This fantastic debut EP is all you would expect from a band that contains members of Australia's Complete Madness and England's One Step Behind Madness tribute bands. This 8-piece ska band from Sydney have been around for a couple of years... All 4 tracks (plus the one bonus track) are finely-tuned two-tone style, definitely made to get those feet moving. As far as favourite tunes go, it is impossible to pick just one and it's hard even to pick 3 favourites out of the 5 tracks. For me, the opening track, 'Don't Sleep in the Subway' is a definite standout. Awesome harmonies. It's followed up by the kickin' 'Fashion Victims', which is another favourite. Then there's the real mellow 'Stanley Kubrick', followed by the sarcastic 'Alone'. The third standout track is a kick-ass live cover of Strange Tenants' version of 'These Boots'. I am almost always disappointed by covers, no matter who does 'em or what they are, but this is damn near better than the original... All up, I am itchin' to see these guys play live, and can't wait for another recording. Top work fellas.
These Boots zine, c.2000
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| Screenshot of the music section of the first Backy Skank website, 2000. Features some late '90s advice on how to listen to MP3s. |
ROSS: The original trumpet player, Rod, went overseas. I had known Simon for many years before this and had played with him in a number of bands.
Ross Judd (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
PAUL: We had a crowd of regulars from the very start. We were easy to follow because we had a well-established genre - ska, which had a fashion or style, and so people followed that, as well as the music.
Paul Cooper (Keyboard), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Felix was one of my students and he was 18 when he played with us. He left after about a year to pursue other stuff. He is also known as Plastic Plates and it's too hard to keep up with him these days but he's played with everyone from Empire of the Sun, The Presets, Jennifer Lopez, etc. Bob on bass then left - he was only filling in for Anthony Donoghue, who was always the main man on bass in Backy Skank. The rest of the lineup stayed the same for a fair while but we swapped around drumms very frequently before settling with Mike Quigley.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MIKE: I met Simon while doing a blues tribute band with Mark Wilson. Aside from some Madness and one or two Specials songs, I didn't know anything about it. I guess I'd heard some Allniters too.
Mike Quigley (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
PAUL: One of the earliest shows was at the Iron Duke Hotel in Alexandria, it was a shot for under 16s. It started at about 3pm and I could not understand at the time why I had such a fantastically clear view of the crowd for the first time. Then I realised no one was smoking.
Paul Cooper (Keyboard), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
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| From a newspaper, 1999 |
REVIEW: Backy Skank got more people dancing. They really know how to do their stuff... they did decent covers of 'Nite Klub' and 'These Boots'. Highlight of their set however, was Bluekilla's keys player joining Backy Skank on bass. Apparently he's quite a legend in rockabilly circles back in Germany.
Review of Cambridge Hotel show (10.11.2001) by Glen Smyth, Dizzybeat, 2001
SIMON: We mainly played Sydney in those early years. Eventually we played Brisbane twice, and made three trips to Adelaide and Melbourne. The Adelaide gigs were mostly the Kustom Kulture Festival, so they had a budget, and in Melbourne we had a manager who watched the pennies. We flew to each of these locations but did drive to Canberra for a uni gig once. By that time we were a 10 piece band, so travelling was expensive, but it was always fun. It would take lots of phone calls to organise anything like that. Most of the time I'd be organising but we did have contacts that organised our interstate gigs, which helped. The biggest worry was making sure we had enough pre-sale tickets to cover the costs of travelling with 10 people. When we did The Beat national tour we just knew we were going to lose money but we wanted to play with them.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
REVIEW: Backy Skank were up next and I must be honest, I was rather disappointed. Not because I didn't enjoy their set, but unlike usual they had no fill-in members to introduce to us. Sure, Tim was filling in on drums, but we've seen him before. If you have a bench like an American football team, I say use them. Anyway, the band played a sterling set and got heaps of people dancing as usual. Sweat was dripping from 100+ people in the small venue as Backy Skank belted out their trademark catchy songs - 'Eye Candy' and 'Waste of Space' being highlights.
Review of Harp show (11.3.2002) by Glen Smyth, Dizzybeat, 2002
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| Screenshot from Backy Skank's first website, c.1999 |
REVIEW: Take a step back in time and listen to Backy Skank. These guys even dragged out the suits and works. Shit, they must have been boiling skanking around with them on. I digged lead singer Simon's shows as well. Brett (The Allniters), Shannon (The Last Hemeroids), and Martin (The Last Hemeroids) jumped on stage with the band for a number. I have to say Backy Skank have a real professional air to them. Tunes included: 'Do the Dog', 'Nightboat to Cairo', 'Little Bitch', 'Nite Klub', and 'Simmer Down'. Those two tone tunes rip!
Live review of Moonstomp '99, These Boots, October 1999
DANNY: I met the others in the band and started playing with them through my friend Nick Hempton in the early '00s. I was with Backy Skank until the band finished up - I played trombone at the last gig.
Danny Carmichael (Trombone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Sax player Nick Hempton left to be famous in New York and we then had dozens of sax players after that.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
BACKY SKANK WEBSITE: On the recording front, the band has laid down bass and drum tracks for the upcoming album and work will be completed progressively in the next few months on the rest of the contents of this long-awaited debut masterpiece, as other commitments, and credit-cards, permit. The band's almost new bassplayer 'Irish' Tony is having a brief Ska-Battical (Hey! What's he up to? He just joined!) touring with an Italian Elvis impersonator, but c'mon, how could you deny that opportunity to anyone?
News Feed, Backy Skank Website, 2000
TONY: I was away with work when some gigs were happening so both Alan Caulfield and Lyal Loughnan did bass for some live gigs.
Anthony Donoghue (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
LYAL: I filled in on bass sometimes. I'd been in a Blues Brothers band with Mark Wilson, which was how I got connected with Backy Skank. They were great guys, great ska music, great musicians. Backy Skank was a great band - it was high energy, exciting, and fun. Happy times.
Lyal Loughnan (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MIKE: I came and went a bit.. I was touring with jazz and metal bands a lot. I was in Backy Skank in the late '90s, the mid-'00s, and then again in the '10s.
Mike Quigley (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
TIM: I did about five gigs with Backy Skank around 2001. A mate of mine from uni knew Simon and recommended me for the drums. It was fun. It's great plating with a tight horn section. I kinda didn't get the whole ska scene but the grooves were great to play. I was also playing in the Buddy Holly show at the time.
Tim Firth (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
DAVE: HATCH: I did some shows with Backy Skank - I had an affiliation with Simon, we used to be in a band together before Backy Skank came along, in the late '80s, called Brazz Razoo. More of a soul/funk band with a bit of ska thrown in. Backy Skank was a very tight band and a great bunch of people. I did some good shows at the Empire Hotel with them. I filled in on and off for around 3 years and then I ended up going overseas. I don't do a lot of band stuff, I mainly do musical theatre shows - it's very different to playing in a band. Much more structured and intense than a ska gig.
Dave Hatch (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
REVIEW: It's always fun to see who will turn up in Backy Skank, as they seem to have a rotating roster of members. Tonight the drummer from Lightly Salted Peanuts filled in for them, seemingly on short notice, though he seemed to do very well. Soon the floor was pulsing with various drunken skankers. The room was full of all sorts of people, respective fan bases mixing and mingling and dancing. I've seen Backy Skank numerous times now, and the particular highlight of their set on this night would have to have been (for me) 'Simmer Down'. Always great to hear, always gets a good reaction from the crowd.
Review of Vic on the Park show, The Weekend of Ska, 2001
NOTES: Some fill-in performances have helped the team while some of the members have had other commitments prior to the release of the album and a few rabbits have been pulled out of hats to great effect. Most recent and death-defying was the Vic on the Park gig in May, when the fearless band took to the stage, blind-folded, with no net, no drummer, no keyboards, no trumpet, no brains at all. Fortunately, John, the drummer from Lightly Salted Peanuts, stepped into the breach, and fans were able to skank themselves silly, albeit to an abbreviated set. Onya, John!
Backy Skank website, 2002
REVIEW: Backy Skank always offer an excellent sound a great performance. They are fun and fast and get some legs-a-skanking always happening. The only problem is the amount of sweat one generates from over-skanking while they play. I'd see any show they play.
Live review by Claire Mowbray, The Weekend of Ska, 2001
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| From Dig This, c.2001 |
REVIEW: Backy Skank is a good place to start if you're a beginner with ska. They play a lot of well-known ska standards and sound not unlike Madness. In short, radio ska. That's not to say they totally lack entertainment value. With a good sax sound and very tight horn section, melodic organ and solid work on sticks, guitar and bass, the two frontmen stand in front of seven other guys. They finished off with a cover of the old Nancy Sinatra song These Boots turned into a ska tune by Symarip in 1969. By now a number of skankophiles had made their way onto the floor.
Review of Mona Vale Show on 11th November 2001 by Carl Holm, Drum Media, 2001
SIMON: We really enjoy what we do... unlike some bands we don't have a well thought-out strategic plan. We think that if we record well, play well and always have a good time anything else that happens (with labels, tours, etc.) is a bonus. We are planning to tour Melbourne as soon as the new CD is out.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Aussieskins, 2002
SIMON: We had two possible trips to Melbourne that were planned in the early days. One fell through because the airline company, Ansett, went bust and we had to cancel. Our first time to Melbourne we supported Strange Tenants so it was definitely worth the wait.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
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| Queensland-based zine, Aussieskins, 2002 |
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| Front page of the second Backy Skank website, c.2002 |
SIMON: After releasing our 5-track EP Introducing Backy Skank, we had a handful of originals up our sleeve and knew we wanted to record a full-length album. A mate had a recording studio, but even on "mates' rates" it wasn't cheap, and we didn't want to cut corners on production either. We decided to fund it ourselves from the money we made gigging. Gigs didn't pay much back then, so it ended up taking nearly five years to track the album. Just as we were about to start mixing we were offered the national support slot for The Beat on their first Australian tour. Of course, we couldn't say no - even though it meant spending our studio budget on flights and accommodation. The support fees barely covered costs, but the experience of sharing the stage with The Beat was unforgettable. Eventually we got Suited and Booted mixed, mastered, and pressed, all on our own dime - keeping our DIY credentials intact. We were proud of both the songs and the production, and even scored a complimentary review in Drum Media. The track order was carefully thought out. A couple of slower songs, like 'Back to the Water' and 'Tokyo Japan' (which featured a string quartet), never really made it into our live sets. We experimented with steel pans on 'Why?', added baritone sax to fatten the horn section, and brought in timbales on several tracks. One of the more ambitious moments was a 12-piece male choir on 'Don't Look Back' and 'Back to the Water', plus a vocoder effect on 'Don't Look Back' to add some unusual tonal colour. Looking back, recording the album was a huge amount of work but also a lot of fun. At the time, everyone seemed to be listening to The Porkers and The Allniters' new album, and without social media we never really knew how many people heard or appreciated Suited and Booted. But for us, it was a milestone - proof that we could create something ambitious and uniquely ours.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
PETE: It's the usual story of being a self-funding band. From playing for a couple of years, we've been able to pick which songs were always good live, but we also wanted to chuck in some little studio surprises I guess, a couple of the slower reggae things, and somethings with some string players to create something that's unique to the album.
Pete Wilson (Vocals), Unidentified Newspaper, 2003
MARK: Recording Suited and Booted was a completely different experience to the debut EP. It was at Wharf Studios and Simon produced. I was pretty busy with my day gig at the time - I was in and out in one session, one take, really. My favourite songs on that album are 'Getaway' and 'Tokyo Japan'.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Pere Porker came in and did some guest vocals, in fact he contributed to the 'rap' lyrics to the opening track, 'Waste of Space', and Marty Fabok from The Allniters played guitar on one track. We just called in a few friends to add certain things that we knew would enhance the track.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Unidentified Newspaper, 2003
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| Review by Michael Smith, Drum Media, 2004 |
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| Bizoo Issue 20, October 2004 |
REVIEW: Long-awaited album from Sydney ska kings Backy Skank delivers all it has promised in the form of an extremely tight, well-produced ska album. Backy Skank play 2-tone ska with funk, blues, and rock influences. All the favourites such as 'Waste of Space', 'Who Do', "Eye Candy', 'Why' are here as well as a few surprised to those familiar with the band's live show. Probably the most interesting track is Tokyo Japan, which mixes a ska feel with Japanese melodies and comes off sounding quite unique. A definite must for any ska fan's collection.
Review of Suited and Booted by Rhys Lewis, Dropkick Zine Issue 1, 2004
ROSS: I was very proud to play on the CDs. I think there was some excellent playing on those. Many of my friends who were not into ska became fans. Playing ska has a very different vibe to other bands - the crowd just loves to dance.
Ross Judd (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
LAYNE: We have a loyal following. You see the same faces at each gig. You can't help but dance to this music. They're always skanking when we play.
Layne Visser (Trombone), Timeout, c.2005
PETE: It was energy-driven music. I remember feeling crook before some gigs and wondering if I'd get through, but once the music starts you're taken for the ride. Supporting The English Beat, The Neville Staples Band, and Bad Manners were all standouts for me. It's great to meet your music heroes and share the stage with them.
Pete Wilson (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
ROSS: We did some really fun gigs supporting Bad Manners, Special Beat, Bluekilla, and a number of others. The Ska vs. Rockabilly gigs at the Empire were great fun too. Lots of great music, everyone danced.
Ross Judd (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: It was a big thrill being asked to do supports with Bluekilla and Bad Manners because that was a direct link back to the music that we're about, the 2Tone, early '80s UK sound, which is a lot different to a lot of bands that call themselves ska bands in Australia today, who are more aligned to the American punk thing. We play with them and they play with us and there's a mutal respect but our particular sound is much more aligned to England. It's the stuff that we were listening to as teenagers that we really like to play now, and a little bit of that pop kind of thing comes into it as well, through bands like Madness. We also have a keyboard player, 'Pommie' Paul Cooper, he's got a pretty impressive work experience list. He was playing in original ska bands in the UK and actually played with the drummer from The Beat, Everatt Moreton, and Rico Rodriguez the trombone player from The Specials. That was really appealing to us because, once again, it's that direct connection back to it, and his stories of meeting Prince Buster and all that intrigue us.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Unidentified Newspaper, 2003
REVIEW: Although we have seen Backy Skank a huge number of times, their brand of ska makes it possible to have fun every time they play. I think this also says something about ska as a genre as well. A ska band such as Backy Skank can be enjoyed time and time again with exactly the same set week after week. Special mention must go to Nick Hempton, Backy Skank's sax player. It was his last gig with them and he will be sorely missed. He gave us solos on this night we hadn't seen from him while playing with Backy Skank before.
Review of 10th January, 2004 gig at Empire Hotel by Glen Smyth, Everything Crash Issue 2, April 2004
MARK: The most memorable gigs were the Ska vs. Rockabilly shows at the Empire. They were always full houses and everyone was dressed up and dancing their heads off. Pete and Simon knew how to work the crowd.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
TONY: The Ska vs Rockabilly shows at the Empire Hotel were always a highlight. There was great camaraderie between the bands.
Anthony Donoghue (Bass), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: We do a Christmas party every year. We play ska versions of carols, we give away pressies, last year a skinhead Santa turned up! It's a hoot.
Simon Smith (vocals), The Weekend of Ska, 2001
REVIEW: I've seen Backy Skank many times before and I've always wondered how they'd fit their ten-piece band onto the Birmingham's stage. Backy Skank come equipped with a drummer, keyboard player, trombonist, saxophonist, trumpeter, bass player, lead guitarist, rhythm guitarist, leader sing, and toaster/back-up singer. Without fail, they somehow manage to defy physics and all get up on stage at most gigs comfortably. This time was different though - even Backy Skank's lead singer was seriously pondering how they were all going to fit on the very, very small stage. They did it. They all fit. It wasn't comfortable though. They played their original material like the consummate professionals they are and added some two tone covers to mix it up. They covered 'Nite Klub' and apologised for us having to hear it again but I'm almost certain nobody minded. Backy Skank take a different approach to 'Nite Klub' and instead of singing the famous line, sing a much more family-friendly (and on this occasion apt) line, "Love to dance in a club like this, all the girls are very nice and all the boys are pissed!" Backy Skank had the crowd in the palm of their hands and we all skanked along to the lead song of their first album, 'Waste of Space'. Next up with the Symarip's version of Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made for Walking', which actually becomes "These boots are made for stomping". The crowd obliged and Backy Skank finished their set with this old skinhead classic. It was one of the strongest performances I've seen from Backy Skank. They really enjoyed being out of their native Sydney and playing to a group of people who rarely get to see them.
Review of Birmingham Hotel (VIC) show, On My Radio, 2010
DANNY: We did a great support set with Neville Staples and we also played regularly at the Empire Hotel, which always had big crowds and an amazing vibe.
Danny Carmichael (Trombone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
ANDY: I had seen Backy Skank for the first time when my first band, The Skam, played their first show at the Tartan Hearts Ska Nite Klub at the Green Square. It wasn't until I was later playing keyboard in The Signals when I started chatting with Simon Smith. He was a music teacher and I happened to be studying Music Education at the time, so we talked about that, and he asked if I was able to fill in on keys for Backy Skank for a gig. I was pretty thrilled and spent some time learning all the parts. They were a different band to any other that I had played in - they had proper music charts, a brass section, and were a really tight band filled with professional musos - jazz guys on brass; that sort of thing. I enjoyed playing keys and filled in a few more times here and there. Simon really liked the rocksteady sound we were trying to achieve in The Signals and eventually asked if I wanted to join the band permanently playing rhythm guitar. It was after The Signals had ended. It was a lot of fun - I got to write a couple of songs and collaborated a bit on songwriting. The song 'Rocksteady Train' was one of mine I still really like the song.
Andy Mifsud (Keys, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: We were all formally trained musicians and many of us were connected through a variety of other bands and projects. It was only the horn players that used written music/charts though and this allowed us to have a flexible line-up of additional players we could draw on rather than cancelling gigs due to availability issues. Our do-it-yourself approach kind of aligned with the subculture of the time - all our music was written, arranged, produced, recorded, and paid for by the band. I can understand how Backy Skank could be perceived as unusual to some bands and audiences at the time - most obvious was we looked different, favouring a mod style over punk fashion. We were very aware that many subculture and punk bands developed their musicianship differently too, but we didn't judge anyone for their appearance or musical approach and we hoped they didn't judge us. While our background and training and even our '80s 2-tone sound made us somewhat unusual in the punk and underground scene, I don't think it stopped us being accepted - but I'd be interested to hear from others about it. There's always some loves and some haters in any scene.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: By the time we did our second album, The Biz, it was five years alter and we were knew what we were doing. We were also getting a bit more dough for gigs. We re-recorded two tracks off the first EP because we hated the way they were recorded - you couldn't get our first EP by then 'cause it was distributed by MGM and we lost all the recorded files. We were 25 at the time of the first EP and thought we were rockstars because that EP was mixed by the guy who won an aria for producing 'Run to Paradise' by The Choirboys. He knew how to do rock but knew nothing about ska... anyway, because we hated the EP we remixed and/or re-recorded the songs off that EP and included them on The Biz.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MARK: I had shoulder problems in 2011 which put me out of business until 2014. I had a break from guitar and by then the band had evolved into something else.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
CAT: I played maybe three shows as the band's drummer. One was a festival in Adelaide and then two shows in Sydney (one at the Factory Theatre supporting The Beat!) I came to be in Backy Skank as I knew Simon Smith - he was the director of music at the school I used to attend and he asked me if I was able to cover some shows. I'd played in school and community bands extensively before that and had been on a music scholarship at the school I was at. I'd been playing professionally from the age of 16 - my first professional gig was playing in the Rabbitohs drum squad. I would have been 19 when I played with Backy Skank.
Cat Hunter (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MIKE: It's a confounding scene to me, on the whole. The music respectfully adapts and blends Jamaican ska with punk, afro-cuban music, swing, and rock 'n' roll. The lyrics often make some pretty scathing social and political commentary while managing to be light-hearted and cheeky. Then there's the fashion - with both men and women making a whole-hearted effort to look sharp and bring class to the occasion. Rude boys and rude girls are unapologetically dedicated to upholding an image, but it's not a matter of posing - it's about the music and engendering spirit of brother-and-sisterhood. Once the beat kicks in, there's no time for fussing over appearances - it's ON. It might make more sense if I had a better understanding of the sociology of the UK at the time. While there's surely ska scenes all over the place, and have been for decades now, the primary inspiration seems born out of a particular period and place.
Mike Quigley (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
NOTES: Sydney is in a pretty sad state of affairs when it comes to ska and early reggae at present. We have only one ska band in Backy Skank who, even as the most consistent actin the scene over the last ten years, are having their problems keeping together a firm lineup.
Glen Smyth, Everything Crash UK Issue, 2009
REVIEW: Backy Skank have plenty of experience and gumption. They've been on the scene since the late '90s, when ska-punk was going gangbusters with bands like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and The Porkers. It was a decent set... their cheery swagger and tidy arrangements felt breezy and lighthearted, and singers Mr Smith and Uncle Pete did their best to keep things lively.
Review of Sydney show (April, 2014) by Matt McMaster, The Music, 2014
JUSTIN: I played maybe three gigs with Backy Skank, filling on trombone around 2014-2015. I've been a friend and colleague of Simon's for years. The band played a music festival in the bush a few hours north of Sydney - they were fun to play with. Great musicians; a good mix of ska covers and a few originals.
Justin Kearin (Trombone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
CAT: Playing in Backy Skank was super fun - everyone loved ska and was passionate about the music. We played a mix of covers and originals, and both went down really well with audiences. The band was all about fun and inclusivity, which I think came across well in the performances. I moved on from the band as I was touring overseas with the show Tap Dogs, which meant my availability was limited.
Cat Hunter (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: There was a point where it felt like 'What do we do now... ?' It was probably 2012-2014 and we had done a few gigs with my newer band, The Rocksteady Ratpack, by then. And Andy and I were talking more and more about a new sound. It was at this time that Backy Skank was winding down. I was also starting to rehearse with The Allniters around then.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
ROSS: The band sort of reached an ending and just stopped working. There have been a couple of reunion things.
Ross Judd (Trumpet), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: Since we started in 1998 it's seriously getting harder for bands to find venues for music. This combined with lockout laws has changed the whole nature of the scene. But you can still find brilliant bands and venues if you look hard enough.
Simon Smith (Vocals), The Brag, 2016
MIKE: I was in Backy Skank at the end of the band's time until Pete had had enough. I also played as bit in Complete Madness with Simon and some of the others, and have played drums in related things like The Rocksteady Ratpack and other collectives.
Mike Quigley (Drums), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
MARK: I came back for a few gigs but Pete had left by then and Simon had created a new band.
Mark Wilson (Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
DANNY: The final show at the Sydney Uni bar was great. We also did a reunion gig at Lazybones, which was really good. I had some great times with Backy Skanky - we did some great tours, and they were always good guys to hang with. I made great friends from my time in Backy Skank, people who I still play music with. I went on to play in The Allniters and The Porkers as well - from meeting people on the ska scene in my Backy Skank days.
Danny Carmichael (Trombone), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
SIMON: We did a big final show in 2017 - twenty years after we started. But then I had a 50th birthday party in 2019... I put the Backy Skank back together for a gig with Steppin' Razor and The Rocksteady Ratpack at Lazybones.
Simon Smith (Vocals), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
ANDY: Eventually Backy Skank ended. Simon and I worked on a few more projects, like The Rocksteady Ratpack. During Covid (2020-2021), we started writing some new songs for a new band called The Upbeat Ambassadors - we've played a couple of shows, mixing originals with rocksteady covers. We're playing with Anthony Donoghue on bass and Scott Kelly on sax, also both from Backy Skank.
Andy Mifsud (Keys, Guitar), Noise Levels correspondence, 2025
RELATED BANDS: Complete Madness, The Fabulous Blues Brothers, Temple of Groove, Husky, Brass Machine, Baby James, Swing Thing, Blue Riff, The Skam, The Signals, Steppin' Razor, Slant 6, Sleazybeats, Trenchtown, Rocksteady Ratpack, The Upbeat Ambassadors, The Gangsters, Brass Razoo, The Allniters, Sharp Young Blades, Boof, Oceans2, The Jazzgroup Mothership Orchestra, The Gotham City Horns, The Porkers, Enormous Horns, Hollywood Horns, The Java Quartet, Jimmy Little, Tourettes, The Jean Letters, Jenny Biddle, The Ozskas, One Step Beyond, The New Matics, The Jasmine Minks, The Nick Hempton Band
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