After a slot on New Year’s Eve’s Falls Festival and a successful run of headline shows not 12 months ago, Easy Star All-Stars return to Australia this October to showcase their reggae re-imaginings of some of the world’s most loved and important recordings.
After showing Australian audiences what they’re made of with their tributes to Dark Side of the Moon, Sgt. Pepper’s and OK Computer, New York’s finest Reggae Tribute Super-group return to once again wow crowds with their homage to the greatest selling record of all time – Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
Performing songs from Easy Star’s Thrillah in Australia for the first time, Easy Star All-Stars bring some of Michael Jackson’s most well known material into the world of reggae and dub. Transforming “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” into an eight-minute Afrobeat experience, making “Billie Jean” the reggae dance-hall track it cried out to be and turning “Beat It” into a grooving, minor-key roots dirge are just a few of the ways the band has turned the original into a new experience. As with their previous efforts, it’s a wonder to hear on record and even better to witness live.
The album itself – Easy Star’s Thrillah – brings back several of the reggae stars from previous tributes, such as Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Steel Pulse, Luciano, Mojo Morgan (Morgan Heritage) alongside the diverse roster of guests, including Yossi Fine (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Stanley Jordan), Joe Tomino (Dub Trio/Matisyahu), Andy Farag (Umphrey’s McGee), and horn tracks courtesy of Israel’s highly-acclaimed funk/hip-hop band Hadag Nachash. It debuted at #1 on the U.S. reggae chart and was called “…an imaginative tribute, and hands down, ESAS’ best album since 2003’s stellar Dub Side of the Moon” by Relix, while All Music Guide called it “…diverse, fun, and a very welcome return to form…There’s plenty of life left in this formula.”
The live band includes some of the world’s finest reggae players and its show has been critically lauded through the years (the band performed at Glastonbury 2009 on three separate days across three stages and was nominated for a UK Festival Award). Don’t miss Easy Star All-Stars when they return to Australia this October to play your favourite Thriller tracks along with plenty of the their previous hits that you’ve come to know and love!
Easy Stars Thrillah available as a digital download and at JB HiFi and all good record stores on CD (ES-1034) and 2LP (ES-1034V). Released on Easy Star Records distributed in Australia by The Planet Company. www.theplanetcompany.com
EASY STAR ALL-STARS AUSTRALIAN TOUR
Friday 26th October
The Hi-Fi
Melbourne, VIC
www.thehifi.com.au
Other shows:
Thursday 25th October
Rock Lily at The Star
Pyrmont, NSW
http://www.facebook.com/rocklily.live
Saturday 27th October
All Fruits Ripe
Fremantle Arts Centre
www.heatseeker.com.au
Sunday 28th October
Island Vibe Festival
North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah)
http://www.islandvibe.com.au
