Strange Tenants: Ska’d For Life

Forming in the wake of 2 Tone bands like The Specials and Madness, Strange Tenants, the “Godfathers of Australian Ska”, were one of the most successful Australian live acts of the ’80s. They delivered around 1200 power packed performances between ’81 and ’86 and toured with international acts including U2, The Style Council and UB40. Their working-class roots, politically driven songs, energetic performances and determined independence earned them a passionate following of skins, punks, rude boys and rude girls. The loyalty of their fans – “the Tenants army” – over three decades has helped maintain their legendary status, almost unparalleled in the history of Australian alternative music. Three decades later the band are still political and their bonds remain strong.