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A look at the history of Melbourne based Sak band The Ska Vendors. THE SKA VENDORS The Ska Vendors, based in Victoria, have been delighting lovers of ska and rocksteady for more than two decades. Featuring top shelf singers and musicians, The Vendors reprise ska and rocksteady classics and 2Tone standards while also delivering originals that are true to their roots. The Ska Vendors formed in early 2003 when Steve ‘Stevie’ Montgomery met Steve Phillips, at the SkaBar in Melbourne’s Royal Artillery Hotel. Scottish-born Stevie grew up singing hymns and gospel, and playing trumpet and guitar. He got into Madness and 2Tone more generally as a teen during the peak of ska in the UK in the early 1980s. A decade and a half later, now living in Melbourne, Stevie joined The Mighty Mighty Swankers who played an eclectic musical style, performed a few gigs and released an eight track EP. Meantime, Steve Phillips had been playing drums since his teens in Adelaide. He first heard ska at a 1979 gig by The Jumpers, generally acknowledged as Australia’s first ska band, but really got into it a few years later while listening to a friend’s Madness cassette. In 1986, Steve helped found Just Kidding, hometown ska favourites who released two singles and an EP on their own label, and also had songs included on two European compilation albums. Steve left the band in 1989 and shortly afterwards moved to Melbourne to pursue work as a graphic designer. Bonding over their mutual love of ska, and tapping into a resurgence of the genre across the city, Stevie and Steve began recruiting musicians for a band of their own. Then, as Stevie tells it, they “had the audacity to invite the late great Lowell Morris to join”. Lowell was the drummer with The Caribs, a band featuring Australian musicians, who helped shape early ska in Jamaica.[i] At The Ska Vendors’ first rehearsal, Lowell apparently was stunned by the pace. “His face was priceless as he watched us bash out our tunes at 100 miles an hour,” Stevie recalled. “He stuck around though and we cherish the time we had with him.” The Ska Vendors’ first line-up included: Steve Montgomery on lead vocals; Steve Phillips on drums; Lowell Morris on congas; James Majernik on guitar; Luke Walsh on bass; Gus Kenny on keys; Stuart Ferguson on trumpet, and; Eoin Pehm on trombone. The Vendors played their first gig as support to local indie band The Specifics at The Dan O’Connell Hotel in Carlton. Their set, stuffed with originals from Stevie, was lapped up by an appreciative crowd and was recorded by radio presenter and DJ, and longtime supporter, Gary Skaman. With that, The Ska Vendors were away, gigging regularly and filling dancefloors at venues around Melbourne, especially the Morning Star Hotel in Williamstown, a bayside suburb that was home to several band members. From the first, The Vendors’ gigs have been joyous celebrations of the offbeat. They quickly built a following amongst rudes, rastas, skins and mods. And they were called up to support touring 2Tone greats including The Selecter, Bad Manners, and the SpecialBeat featuring Ranking Roger and Neville Staples. Along the way, The Vendors refined and expanded their sound. “We started off doing a lot of our own songs and playing very fast,” Stevie said. “We knew that we needed to learn our craft in terms of doing Jamaican stuff so we did our homework, listening to the experts. As well as original Jamaican bands, we took inspiration from [UK ska and rocksteady band] Intensified and [US ska, reggae and soul outfit] The Slackers. Our sound become more cultured, more informed by what we were listening to. We wove in Jamaican rhythm and blues and ska and rocksteady. And Melbourne’s got its own unique sound from its rich history of ska, reggae and rocksteady. All those ingredients created what we are.” In the DIY tradition of 2Tone, The Vendors have relied on community radio to promote their music and gigs, and on the broader ska community to put out recordings. Two releases in 2005 were recordings of a performance on Mohair Slim’s Blue Juice radio program on community broadcaster PBS, and of a gig at The Corner Hotel. Their first two EPs were Vendors’ Stew, which was released on Skaman Records in 2006, and The Ska Vendors, which was produced by Rob Rolfe in 2007. Each ranged across originals and covers, showcasing their songwriting and musical chops as well as their commitment to traditional sounds. I Don’t Want You To Go, from Vendors’ Stew, was among 44 tracks selected for the United Colors of Ska 4.0 album, released on the Pork Pie label in 2007. The reggae instrumental, Skin Up Matt from The Ska Vendors, was included on the Birth of the Fourth Wave of Ska compilation album, released by Angel City Records in 2018. Another eight-track EP, The Ska Vendors, was released on Nicky Bomba’s Transmitter Records in 2008. After a year’s break, The Ska Vendors re-emerged in 2009 at Ska Nation, an annual festival run by The Resignators’ frontman Francis Harrison. Over the next several years, in between a steady roster of gigs, The Vendors produced another seven recordings. Another live performance on Blue Juice was recorded and released as a five track CD, Arrivederci, and their contribution at a benefit for the Melbourne Crusaders Scooter Club in 2010 was turned into a short-run release titled Just The Tonic Live. This was followed two years later by another six track EP. In 2014, The Vendors’ first full album, Feelin’ Fine , was produced by musician and recording engineer Paul Coyle and released on Transmitter Records, with originals making up nine of the 13 tracks. The Ska Vendors played as the backing band at Jamaica Jump-Up events, moonlighting as The Jump Up Allstars, run by PBS between 2015 and 2017, and at major events like the Jamacia Music and Food Festival, and the Newport Ska, Reggae and Rocksteady Festival . In 2013, The Vendors joined Strange Tenants and The Caribs for a ‘Celebration of Melbourne Ska’ as part of the Melbourne Arts Festival. They’ve had a long association with touring Jamaican musicians including backing Carlos ‘Bonanza Ska’ at an unforgettable Morning Star gig, sharing the stage with celebrated guitarist Eugene Grey, and supporting reggae star Richie Stephens and rocksteady duo Keith and Tex. And they were honoured to be asked to play four dates with Jamaican ska and rocksteady legend, Stranger Cole, during his Australian tour in 2022. Stranger was so impressed with The Vendors that he wrote a tune especially to record with them. More Ska was backed with a cover of Singer Man, with both tracks recorded straight to tape. After a two-year hiatus while Stevie was working as a teaching principal in Qatar, The Ska Vendors returned to the stage and the recording studio in 2024. The single, Good Love Bad, was released in 2024 and an album of the same name in 2025. The Ska Vendors are beloved for their distinctive sound, a blend of foundation tunes and originals written by multiple band members. Stevie is the principal song writer but several others have contributed tunes including Steve Phillips, bassist Chris Rogers, trombonist Russell Roberts, saxophonist Robert Calvert, and Blues Music Victoria’s Hall of Fame inductee Kerri Simpson. “I write some daft things and some serious things,” Stevie said. “I used to go to a local café, Pludo, that made great BLT so I wrote a song about that, bouncy and fun. I also wrote songs like More Than This, Feelin’ Fine and Happy Man about love, my wife, my kids, about being grateful for what I have. There’s a lot of optimism.” Mixed in is a bit of what he calls dark ska, like the tune Tumble Down from The Ska Vendors, which calls out corporate greed. And, while Stevie is the main singer, he shares the mic with Steve, Kerri and vocalist extraordinaire Pat Powell. A classy lineup, a playbook of cracking tunes and an irresistible exuberance have earned The Vendors a loyal local and interstate following. “I think there’s a joyousness for the music,” Stevie said. “We enjoy playing together and we want people to feel good at our gigs. Because sometimes the world can be a bit shitty and we want people to have a bit of soul food.” The Ska Vendors with Lowell Morris on congas (centre ) playing at Williamstown RSL. Photo by Wendy Rowe 2010. Poster of Pat Powell's first appearance with The Ska Vendors at Williamstown RSL 15th June 2012. The Ska Vendors. Back row L-R. Dean Hilson, Steve Phillips, Chris Rogers. Middle Row L-R John Holmes, Michael Havir, Sarah Heffernan, Russel Roberts. Front row L - R Kerry Simpson, Steve Montgomery. Photo by Wally Maloney 2016. Kerry Simpson and Stranger Cole. Photo by Ross Schnioffsky 2022 Members Past & Present Steve Montgomery. - L ead vocals. Steve Phillips. - Drums . John Holmes. - Guitar. Kerry Simpson. - Vocals. Michael Havir. - Keyboard. Chris Rogers. - Bass. Russel Roberts. - Trombone. Dean Hilson. - Saxophone. Pat Powell. - Vocals. Dan Kerr. - Guitar. Ed Farrar. - Trumpet. Baz Turnbull. - Guitar. Stuart Ferguson. - Trumpet. Adrian Reeves. - Keyboard. Tim Webb. - Bass. Lowell Morris. - Congas. (RIP) James Majernik. - Guitar. Luke Walsh. - Bass. Gus Kenny. - Keyboard. Eoin Pehm. - Trombone. Greg Middleton. - Guitar. Michael Sinclair Miller. - Bass. Anthony Murphy. - Guitar. James Thompson. - Bass. Sarah Heffernan. - Trumpet. Dan Worsop. - Saxophone. Robert Calvert. - Saxophone. Justin Forster. - Saxophone. Sammy Valentino. - Saxophone. Players Past & Present Conor Healy. - Drums Luke Collins. - Drums. Nicky Bomba. - Vocals and Drums. Jeff Denny. - Drums. Shannon Yates. - Guitar. Rodrigo Pino. - Guitar. Pete Ryan. - Keyboard. Paul Coyle. - Vocals and Trumpet. Pat Cronin. - Trumpet. Wally Maloney. - Trombone. Kynan Robinson. - Trombone. Peter Slipper. - Trombone. Jason Jennings. - Saxophone. David Williamson. - Saxophone. Paul Williamson. - Saxophone. Discography 2004: Live @ The Dan O'Connell Sept 2004 2005: Live At PBS CD EP 2005: The Corner Hotel August 17, 2015 Live 2006: Vendors Stew CD EP 2008: The Ska Vendors. CD (8 Tracks ) 2009: Arrivederci. CD Recorded live to air on PBS 2010: Just The Tonic CD Live 2012: The Ska Vendors. CD EP (6 Tracks ) 2014: Feeling Fine. CD Album 2022: More Ska. 7" Single. Stranger Cole and The Ska Vendors 2025: Good Love Bad. 7" Single 2025: Good Love Bad. CD/LP Just The Tonic CD - Live Acknowledgement & Sources Researched and written by Lorann Downer. October 2025. Additional Sources [i] David Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs, the unlikely Australians who shaped ska music,” Factmag, 2015. HOME BANDS ARCHIVE

A brief history of Jamaican ska band The Caribs and ska music's connection to Australia. THE CARIBS The Caribs, including Australian-born musicians, helped shape early ska in Jamaica.[i] They were at the forefront of the evolution from Jamaican rhythm and blues to ska from the late 1950s.[ii] But The Caribs’ story actually began in 1958 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. That’s when guitarist Dennis Sindrey, drummer Lowell Morris, pianist Peter Stoddart, saxophonist Max Wildman, and Haitian-born percussionist Albert Laguerre became the house band at the Paradise Hotel.[iii] ,[iv] Max, also the band leader, gave The Caribs their name in a nod to their largely Latin repertoire and the palm trees lining the club’s stage.[v] Max subsequently accepted the position of manager at the famous Glass Bucket nightclub in Kingston, Jamaica and invited The Caribs to become the house band. And so in November 1958, the young men left Australia for Jamaica on a one-way ticket. Dennis said: “We had no contract, no idea of where we would play, what we’d be paid, or anything like that. But we wanted to travel, so we took a chance.”[vi] The Caribs were joined by stand-up bass player Lloyd Brevett, who would later help found legendary ska outfit The Skatalites.[vii] The Caribs quickly became “the pre-eminent group on Kingston's burgeoning hotel circuit in the early 1960s”.[viii] When the Glass Bucket closed in 1959, The Caribs began a three-year residency at the upmarket Myrtle Bank Hotel followed by a residency at the Sheraton Hotel.[ix] Their playbook extended to calypso, mento and rhythm and blues, as they performed with local singers and dancers.[x] The Caribs, without Max, also worked as a backing band for recording sessions, starting at Ken Khouri’s Federal studios.[xi] They went on to record at Clement Dodd’s Studio One – where they worked alongside another Australian, engineer Graeme Goodall – and for producers Chris Blackwell, Prince Buster and Duke Reid.[xii] Dennis believed he was the first to play ska on a recording. Clement Dodd requested a heavy off beat and Dennis responded by playing the upstroke on his guitar. “They said, ‘Yeah! That’s it! Ska!,” he recalled. “Now, I don’t know whether that was the first time, and obviously they knew what they wanted, but I do claim to be the first guy that recorded ska, if not the guy that invented it.”[xiii] The Caribs featured on many of the first records made in Jamaica, including Laurel Aitken’s hit Boogie in My Bones. They contributed to early ska recordings like Roland Alphonso’s Hully Gully Rock and Don Drummond’s Schooling The Duke.[xiv] They also recorded Taboo, with “hints of early ska, reggae, surf and exotica”[xv] , which was backed by Matilda Cha Cha,[xvi] a shuffle version of the Australian bush ballad Waltzing Matilda.[xvii] In addition, The Caribs recorded under the names of Starline Troubadours and The City Slickers.[xviii] The Caribs worked alongside and became friends with some of ska’s best-known musicians, producers and sound system operators. They also played with visiting US acts including The Impressions and Ben E. King.[xix] When The Caribs broke up in 1962, Dennis and Peter joined Byron Lee and the Dragonaires. Dennis went on to a solo career, billed as “the Calypsonaire with the blonde hair”[xx] and released a number of recordings on the Federal label. He and Peter re-formed The Caribs – with drummer Billy Dean, bassist Lloyd Mason and vocalist Carl Reynolds – and they became the house band at the Sheraton in Kingston.[xxi] They also contributed three tunes to Let’s Have A Red Stripe Party, a 1963 compilation album featuring popular hotel bands in Jamaica, and recorded the 12-track LP Caribbean Capers in 1964. Dennis went on to record three calypso albums and a single before moving to the United States in 1968. Afterwards, Peter kept The Caribs going as a hotel band. Meantime, Lowell formed a short-lived soul-jazz group before joining the Kes Chin and the Souvenirs showband.[xxii] In 1962, he moved to New York for a time before returning to Australia. He played with touring artists including Millie Small[xxiii] and Wilfred ‘Jackie’ Edwards, with whom The Caribs recorded in Jamaica in the early 1960s.[xxiv] Despite their contribution to early ska, The Caribs were almost unknown in Australia until Lowell contacted Melbourne-based radio presenter, music promoter and DJ Lloyd ‘Mohair Slim’ Dewar in 2003. An aficionado of Jamaican music, Lloyd interviewed Lowell to capture the band’s story for an article[xxv] and a documentary that’s a work in progress. Lloyd also helped organise gigs showcasing The Caribs and local ska bands. In 2008, The Caribs reunited to play a gig in Richmond, Melbourne to mark the fifth anniversary of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra. The mixing was done, appropriately, by Graeme Goodall.[xxvi] Five years later, The Caribs performed at a ‘Celebration of Melbourne ska’ where they celebrated their 50th anniversary while Melbourne bands Strange Tenants and Ska Vendors marked 30 years and 10 years respectively. Finally, thanks to Lloyd and Melbourne’s ska community, The Caribs were given their due in Australia. The Caribs were also under-appreciated in Jamaica until 2012, when the band, and Graeme, were honoured at the annual Tribute To The Greats awards. Organiser Kingsley ‘King Omar’ Goodison began the awards to acknowledge unsung heroes of early Jamaican music – musicians, producers, engineers, studio owners and even former Prime Ministers – who weren’t financially compensated at the time or recognised in the years since.[xxvii] Over the past decade, Peter, Lowell and Dennis have all passed away, leaving a rich catalogue and an extraordinary legacy as pioneers of ska. Image of The Caribs live at the Kingston Sheraton Hotel. Circa 1964. Taken from the Album Caribbean Capers with. Photographer/Artist unknown. The Caribs - Caribbean Capers with. 1964 Album released on Trade Winds Records. Early image of The Caribs live. Image used on the poster for A Celebration of Melbourne Ska 18th & 19th October, 2013. Photographer/Artist unknown Key Members Dennis Sindrey. Guitar. Lowell Morris. Drums. Peter Stoddart. Piano. Max Wildman. Saxophone. Albert Laguerre. Percussion. Lloyd Brevett. Bass. Billy Dean. Drums. Lloyd Mason. Bass. Carl Reynolds. Vocals. Lou Sparkes. Vocals. Ainsley O'Reilly. Bongo. Steve Louz. Bass. Discography [xxiii] 1960: We're Gonna Love/Your Eyes Are Dreaming 7" single. Released as Wilfred Edwards & The Caribs Taboo/Matilda Cha Cha 7" Single Far Love/Please Let Me Go 7" Single. Released as Owen Gray & The Caribs Lovers Line/To Wap Up Tu Woo 7" single. Released as Jiving Juniors with The Caribs Honey Girl/Drinkin' Whisky 7" Single. Released as Laurel Aitken with The Caribs One Kiss For My Baby/Caldonia 7" Single. Released as Lord Lebby with The Caribs 1961: I Know/Tell Me Darling 7" Single. Released as Wilfred Edwards with The Caribs Wherever You May Go/A Thousand Teardrops 7” Single. Released as The Rhythm Aces with The Caribs It's Only A Pity/Never Leave My Throne 7" Single. Released as Keith & Enid with The Caribs Slop 'N Mash/My Sweet Angel 7" Single. Released as Jiving Juniors & The Caribs Mash It Pt.1/Mash It Pt.2 7" Single. Released as Owen Gray and The Caribs 1964: Down In Virginia/Hey, Little Schoolgirl 7" Single. Released as Trevor, The Caribs Caribbean Capers Album 1967: Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow/Silent Night "Single. Released as Archie Lewis with The Caribs 19??: Silent Night/God Bless America 7" Single. Released as Archie Lewis with The Caribs Orch. Four Aces Ska/Four Aces Ska 7" Single. Released as Dennis Sindrey and The Caribs/ Tommy McCook and The Ska-Ta-Lites The Caribs "Live" At The Sheraton Kingston Hotel Album Acknowledgement & Sources Researched and written by Lorann Downer with thanks to Lloyd 'Mohair Slim' Dewar. February 2025. Additional Sources [i] David Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs, the unlikely Australians who shaped ska music,” Factmag, 2015. [ii] Roy Black, “Vintage Voices | Jamaican music and the Latin connection,” The Gleaner, September 1, 2019. [iii] Mohair Slim, “The Caribs Story,” Scribd, October 15, 2008. [iv] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [v] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [vi] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [vii] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [viii] Patrick Donovan, “A Jamaican journey relived in Richmond”, The Sydney Morning Herald, June 28, 2008. [ix] Black, “Vintage Voices | Jamaican music and the Latin connection”. [x] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xi] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xii] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xiii] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [xiv] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [xv] The Listening Blog Post, “”SONG OF THE DAY The Caribs – Taboo ’ April 11, 2021. [xvi] Brent Clough, “Reggae Downunder”, in World Music: Global sounds in Australia, ed. Seth Jordan. (UNSW Press, 2010), 45. [xvii] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xviii] Clough, “Reggae Downunder”. [xixi] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xx] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xxi] Katz, “The incredible story of the Caribs”. [xxii] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xxiii] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xxiv] Roy, Black, “Wilfred ‘Jackie’ Edwards, an unsung hero of the 60s”, The Gleaner. May 21. [xxv] Slim, “The Caribs Story”. [xxvi] Donovan, “A Jamaican journey relived in Richmond”. [xxvii] Roy Black, “Tribute to the Greats more than just an award show”, The Gleaner, July 24, 2017. [xxviii] Discogs - The Caribs releases HOME BANDS ARCHIVES

Whether they have been on the scene for many years or only managed to play a hand full of gigs, this section has been created to ensure that we capture the history behind the bands that have helped keep ska alive in Australia. The Bands This area of the Australian Ska Archives will be an ongoing endeavor and requires your help. The concept for this section of the Website is to record a brief history of all the Australian ska bands that have helped keep the ska scene alive over the decades. Below is a breakdown of what is required to ensure that each band has its own place amongst the Archives. At first, I will be keeping it quite simple with three main areas of focus which should build into a comprehensive record. Over time, I will look to build on the information where possible. At the bottom of the page are links to the bands that are currently on the site. 01 Band Photos Image is important, so the Australian Ska Archives is after photos of bands. Publicity photos and live photos. This will allow people visiting the Website to see what each band looks like. It also helps to show the changing image of ska over the decades, as well as show the diversity in the range of people who have been involved. 02 History If you can provide a brief history of the band with the initial focus being on - Where the band is from. What years the band has been, or was active. This information will also assist in building a time line of Australian Ska both by state and by era. 03 Members Past & Present. A listing of all the members that have come and gone from the band over the course of the bands existence. Also, what each members roll was within the band. 04 End Goal The end goal of the band section of the Australian Ska Archives is to ensure that all the bands who have played a part in keeping Australian Ska alive, are given their rightful place in history. The only way this section can be completed is with your help. This is why I am reaching out to the wider audience for assistance in building this section of the Archives. If you can help in any way please contact via the home page. THE CARIBS IGNITERS Back to Home