Poster
The Shuddas
Fuel Cafe
26th September 2010

The Shuddas were formed by Jon Rose (Vocals/Guitar) and George Jerome (Keys/Vocals) in Withington, 2008.

The band was a project, in response to what Rose felt was a boring music scene - static indie bands appearing at showcase nights, playing to not many people, with no-one seemingly enjoying any of it.

The music turned out as a kind of ska-pop (the ska influence being UK and Jamaican - not the modern, American kind), with some post-punk, funk, and even jazz influences.

The idea was to recreate the atmosphere of gigs he had attended in the early nineties, such as Community Charge and More Fool You, and to try to remind people that dancing and good times were possible at gigs put on by local bands, with proper engagement from the people on the stage.

Over a few months, three tracks were recorded as a prototype (Wring You Out, Firing Line, & Nobody Needs to Know), and a band was recruited. The initial lineup was James 'The Power' Jones (Trumpet), Jaki Chapman (Sax), Dan Wiebe (Drums), Tim Curry (Bass), and Ed Stuart (guitar).
After a few months, Ed Stuart was replaced by Pierre 'Pimo' Maulet.

The gigging life of the band was only around 18 months, at a modest rate of a couple of gigs a month, but bar a couple of exceptions, every one had the desired effect - a full, dark, sweaty room, with everyone dancing.

For numerous reasons, including, but not limited to, musical differences, personal differences, and sexual differences, the band split in 2010.

They reformed a year later for a one-off reunion gig (again, at Fuel), for which Maulet returned from France. This was to be, possibly their most well attended, and loudest, if not finest performance.

Most members of the band are currently involved in other musical projects, with the exception of Jones, who is a recent father, Rose, and Curry, who are respectively... resting.

The Shuddas may return, one day.