Good old fashioned decency is the goal for this new ska band.
What the world needs now is two things…
- Decency.
- More ska.
And luckily, Be Decent are here to help the world with both things!
And they’re giving us a good start with their debut EP ‘Having A Laugh‘ – 7 tracks blending ska, reggae, punk and pop!
Be Decent is the brainchild of singer/guitarist Jimmy Doyle, formerly of such celebrated ska bands as The Fad and The Forthrights; bassist Kenneth Partridge, author of the 2021 book Hell of a Hat: The Rise of ’90s Ska and Swing; and drummer Geoff Bickford, whose career in ska dates all the way back to the popular ’90s-era Connecticut group Jimmie Scooter.
Together, they write songs about unity, mental health, and the struggles of everyday life.
From the simple ska jauntiness of tracks like ‘Get Over It‘ and ‘The Struggle Continues‘ to the laid back grooves of ‘You Better Work‘, each track is infused with messages of empathy, hope and tolerance- and that can’t be a bad thing.
There’s even a cover of The Cranberries 1996 track ‘Salvation‘ that warns of the perils of getting sucked into drug abuse- but it’s given a ska makeover of course.
‘Having a Laugh’ features keyboard and trombone from Sean McCabe (Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb the Music Industry!, Rocky Sullivan, PsyD) and saxophone from Matt Mason (The Pietasters, Bad Manners, The Fad).
It’s a positive, impassioned and fun collection of tracks- definitely worth checking out. That would be the decent thing to do.
‘Having A Laugh‘ is out now. Purchase/stream HERE and all other streaming services.
- Get Over It
- The Struggle Continues
- You Better Work
- Out For Blood
- Now’s The Time
- Be Decent
- Salvation
Follow Be Decent on Their Socials
Need more Punk In Your Life?
Album review: Rebuke – ‘Things One Shouldn’t Have To Say’
It’s curious that Europeans are doing such a fine job keeping the late 90s/early 00s Californian skate-punk sound alive. It wasn’t long ago that we
Album review: The Hellacopters – ‘Overdriver’
First, full disclosure: I’m a big fan of the Hellacopters, not least because the Swedish quintet’s excellent 2002 record ‘By The Grace Of God’ helped
Album review: Peesh chronicles 2024 in ‘The Perennial Effect’
Songwriter Peesh never stops – he has music constantly running through his brain – and his latest solo collection is the culmination of 12 months
Vive Le Rock to host their 15th Anniversary concert in London on 31st May!
It’s hard to believe that Vive Le Rock magazine will be 15 years old this year! Chief Editor Eugene Butcher had hinted that there would
Madball, London Tufnell Park Dome, 31st Jan 2025
None of tonight’s bands are particularly pushing the hardcore envelope, but it’s hard to complain when they all serve up a rapid succession of raw,
Album review: Pet Needs release ‘Kind Of Acoustic’
Alternative/indie band Pet Needs have released an acoustic album full of smash hits and both fan (and band) favourites! ‘Kind Of Acoustic’ contains 12 tracks
I’m Molly Tie- I Love punk! I play drums (badly), write a lot about punk (not as badly) and I’m particularly interested in issues relating to women in the music scene.