The nine piece band, known as 'SkaNation' is made up of members from in and around Leigh who got together three years ago through a mutual love of the music of Bad Manners, The Specials and Madness.



Lead singer and band founder Ross Williams said: "Even though we're all from around Leigh, we've never played a show here, which is disappointing, and we keep getting friends and relatives badgering us to play at home.
"We decided it's about time we obliged, and now that we've found such a great venue and finally have a date sorted out we're all really looking forward to it.
"I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't love ska music, it's just so infectious.
"There's a good reason why The Specials and Madness stole the show at Glastonbury this year, and it's because the music is
fantastic. It's impossible to be miserable at a ska gig, and it's impossible to stand still!"


The band plays a selection of songs by Madness, The Selecter, The Specials, Bad Manners and The Beat, and they bring along a full four-piece horn section which gives them a truly huge sound. Saxophonist and singer Claire Bannister
confessed: "Before I joined the band I'd never really come across much ska music apart from the obvious Madness songs that everyone knows.
"But the more I've got to know the music, the more I love it, to the point where there's now a ska cd whenever I go anywhere in my car.
"I used to play in soul and funk bands, and the gigs were great fun, but there's something extra special about these SkaNation gigs – we just set out to enjoy ourselves and have a really mad night out, and I think that comes across."


Ashley Ramsden, proprietor of Leigh Sky Bar, which is hosting the show said, "I'm really pleased to be involved with the band, and am looking forward to getting the club really rocking.
"We have the big screens for showing sports, but the summer is often quite quiet for us, which is a shame because the main room is a fantastic space.
"If the people of Leigh respond well then we plan to get involved in staging more events of this type, as the town as a whole deserves to have its name on the map when it comes to live music."


The show takes place on Friday, July 24 at the Sky Bar on Railway Road, Leigh. Doors open at 8pm and tickets are £5 in advance (from www.SkaNation.org or in person at Sky Bar) and £7 on the door.