Why There's No Money In Ska

Quebec City, Canada, is a beautiful city, especially when you've got friends to visit and a few solo shows to do, as Nicky Bomba does.

"This year has been all over the place," he begins, "the life I live is that of a troubadour; it's an adventure. But I love being able to meet new people and experience the new sights, new sounds and new tastes that you get all around the world. It's a beautiful thing, and a big part of my personal journey."

And while today might find him in solo mode in the former home of the Nordiques [re-visit your 1980s ice hockey cards, kids], he's preparing for a Melbourne Ska Orchestra tour that's anything but. With 26 members playing at any non-Victorian show — "when we're in Melbourne, it can be up to 35" — things can get pretty hectic.

"Coming up with something new and it being relevant and singing about things that are relevant, though, is a much harder thing to do."

The band's size is one of Melbourne Ska Orchestra's strengths, and their new record, Sierra-Kilo-Alpha, makes the most of it. "What we did with this album was that we established a banner of 'international ska', and we really wanted to reflect that by sounding international and sonically strong. We wanted it to reflect the multicultural makeup of the band and offer something new in the genre.

"It's very easy for us to just play generic ska stuff that everybody's heard before, we can write that stuff in our sleep. Coming up with something new and it being relevant and singing about things that are relevant, though, is a much harder thing to do. It was definitely a concerted effort to take that step and offer something different to the genre."

Working to such a defined end goal can impact the success of any creative project, but if anything, Sierra-Kilo-Alpha's international flavour adds to its quality. "At the end of the day, that's the strength of the Orchestra; the brain's trust and creative minds that exist within the band. That gives us longevity; we're able to record quickly because we know what the formula is and what we're trying to achieve."

The record is solid but as Bomba, the Orchestra, their fans and the wider music industry are aware, the MSO is at their best when they're on stage. "Our playing, and our ability to put on good shows and connect with people; that's our calling card.

"We release songs, we create film clips and everything, but we haven't had the luxury of having that hit song that everybody knows. So we have to make sure that [our live shows] are killer."

As a punter, you sure get bang for your buck, because despite the number of band members on stage, tickets are relatively affordable. Of course, there's a downside to that from Bomba's perspective. "Y'know, we're trying to not lose money, to break even, and a lot of that just comes down to basic logistics and economics.

"In order for a band of this size to operate, you really need to watch every cent, so pretty much it works like a business that's being kept afloat by any means necessary. At times I'll contribute personally — sometimes I'll have to take the plunge and take funds out of my mortgage — but that's the way it has to function and I'm willing to do that. Until my bank manager tells me to stop."