Known as the godfathers of Australian ska, Strange Tenants, formed in Melbourne in 1981, will celebrate their
40th anniversary in November 2021, and will mark the occasion by releasing a remastered CD and digital download of their original vinyl albums Movin’ In (1984) and We Are Stronger (1985) and a 40th Anniversary Tour in December.
Ahead of their time, infusing ska, reggae, afro and soca rhythms, these albums stamped Strange Tenants as supreme musicians and innovators of their chosen genre. They went on to become the most prolific producers of original ska music on the planet, having released eight studio albums plus a double live album of their own songs through their own BlueBeat label.
Their album Take One Step, released in 1983, featured the hit single ‘Grey Skies Over Collingwood’, selling around twenty thousand copies – at the time the most ever sold by an unsigned independent band.
Between 1981 and 1986 the band performed over twelve hundred gigs, making them one of the most prolific and successful live bands of the 80s. Their legion of loyal fans, known as the Tenants Army, continue to flock to their rare performances to this day. They also toured with various international bands including U2, Paul Weller’s Style Council and UB40.
In 2013, the film clip for their song, ‘Who Mines The Riches’, won Best music video at the prestigious London Documentary Film Festival. In 2014 they toured the UK, performing with reggae legend Jimmy Cliff in London and at the famous Caribbean themed Notting Hill Festival.
In 2018 they were the subject of a book Strange Tenants: The Godfathers of Australian Ska, written by Lorann Downer (former communications director for then QLD Premier, Anna Bligh). In 2019, film maker, Fiona Cochrane released a documentary film Strange Tenants: Ska’d For Life, which has been winning awards at film festivals around the world.
Strange Tenants 40th Anniversary Tour
FRI, DEC 3 – UNI BAR, ADELAIDE
Special guests: Fistful of Trojans
SAT, DEC 11 – THE CURTAIN, MELBOURNE
Special guests: Fistful of Trojans (Adel), plus DJ The Professor (PBS).
Punkfest & QLD Ska and Reggae Festival presents
SAT, DEC 18 – THE ZOO, BRISBANE
Special Guests: Sunny Coast Rude Boys
Punkfest & QLD Ska and Reggae Festival presents
SUN, DEC 19 – SOL BAR, MAROOCHYDORE
Special Guests: Sunny Coast Rude Boys
Strange Tenants are releasing for the first time in digital format, a remastered CD of their original 1984 Movin’ In and 1985 We Are Stronger vinyl albums. They have combined them – all 16 tracks – on to the one new CD, which will be available thru strangetenants.bandcamp.com as well as thru iTunes, Spotify etc, from 8 November.