NEW bands added to the line-up for this year’s Coventry Godiva Festival will revive the city’s great Ska tradition.
Reggae/Ska bands The Skints and Dreadzone and urban acts Big Narstie and Lady Leshurr have joined the line-up in the Rhythm Tent for Saturday night.
The acts will join the Rhythm Tent’s headlining act, JME.
The Skints formed in 2008 and combine reggae, ska, dub, punk and hip-hop together to create their own ‘East London Reggae’ sound. Their latest album ‘FM’ was released in March.
With over 20 years of recording and performing live music, Dreadzone combine ska, reggae, techno, folk and rock. They have released nine studio albums and two live albums.
Bands already announced include legendary ska band The Beat, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Slaves, Embrace, The Wombats, JME, Don Broco and more.
Pete Chambers, curator and director at the Coventry Music Museum, said: “Coventry’s Ska roots pedigree needs no introduction.
“So it’s exciting to see The Godiva Festival announce a roster of superb contemporary Ska/Reggae talent, guaranteed to keep our legacy as ‘Skaville’ intact. Already The Beat are Ranking Full Stop on Friday night, and more exciting names are being added all the time.
“So you bet that it’s a mouth-watering prospect to be welcoming ‘The Skints’ and their refreshing brand of East London Reggae to Godiva.
“Add to the mix perennial crowd pleasers ‘Dreadzone’, with their mighty bass beats and Techno rhythms, it’s shaping up to be the best year yet.
“I say that every time, but every year seems to surpass the previous one, I can’t wait for Godiva to come, is it July yet?”
Coventry Godiva Festival 2015 will run from July 3-5 in the War Memorial Park and is billed as the UK’s biggest free family music festival with over 125,000 visits last year.
Grime artist, Big Narstie is widely known for his solo work. He released his album What’s the Story Brixton Glory Pt II last year, followed by a tour with other big grime acts, including JME.
Lady Leshurr is a solo artist from Solihull who has featured on tracks with Tinie Tempah, Wiley, Lethal B and Don Rotten. She was named as “the one to watch” by Paul Lester of The Guardian.
Councillor Abdul Khan, cabinet member with responsibility for events, said: “I’m pleased to see yet more big names being added to the bill so hopefully people from not only Coventry but across the Midlands and UK come along and enjoy the biggest free family music event in the country.”
The event also features comedy acts, vintage markets, a silent disco, family field entertainment, licensed bars and food stalls.
The latest news and line-up can be found on www.godivafestival.com or by signing up for the free Godiva Festival e-newsletter.
