Written by Jarek Zaba

“A reggae slap in the face with a ska head butt and a round house kick full of punk” – that’s how Jay Ludgrove , guitarist from The Brasskats, describes the band.

“Basically we like to make you dance and laugh, until you don’t know whether you are dance-laughing or laugh-dancing,” he adds.

The Brasskats have been IYAF regulars for the past four years, regularly playing in the Culture Café at the Raise The Roof! Opening night at the Rose Theatre.

They have also played a number of outdoor stages.

“IYAF is a great cause and Kingston responds so enthusiastically that you really can’t help but have a huge smile on your face,” says Jay.

“The audience is always up for a dance and a giggle when you play an IYAF show.”

The Brasskats were also involved in the Make An Album In A Week workshops at Hook Studios, where a group of young people had an opportunity to work with Our Friends Records and a number of artists to go through the process of producing an album, from booking bands to designing artwork.

“We’ve been working with OFR since its creation,” says Jay.

“They are our brothers-in-arms. They are as crazy as they are professional and the quality of the artists they work with and the events they put on are outstanding.

The album workshop was a great opportunity to see the benefits of IYAF first hand.”

For The Brasskats, a busy year shows no sign of slowing down, with a studio album set for November and a host of shows booked.
 

Based on information supplied by Matt Gleinig.