Live Review: Melbourne Ska Orchestra, The Auskas

It's a crime that the Melbourne Ska Orchestra are not more popular. The Metro was full, but it didn't seem there were many more people out there lining up for tickets – and that's a damn shame. The MSO put on an outstanding show that lit up the room and they wrung every ounce of enjoyment out of a crowd that ignored any specific demographic and who were all there together to skank Friday into oblivion. Mission accomplished.

Local ska outfit The AuSkas brought a rough-edged sound in to open the night and, while it ticked all the relevant boxes musically, it never really peaked. There was a same-same quality to their stuff for the majority of the set and it didn't offer much more than perfunctory ska music. There was more personality in drummer Dave Rowe's drunk-angry-old-man-from-the-RSL banter than their music. Regardless, the dance floor was jumping. Ska music is a powerful thing, even when “bland”.

Over ten years the Melbourne Ska Orchestra have honed their craft under boss man Nicky Bomba to become a flawless stage ensemble. It can't be easy wielding 30 (!) people and getting maximum rock star effect out of each of them, but Bomba does it. They marched on stage in single file, filling up the entire space, almost on top of each other. Their timing was impeccable, their energy was electric and by the time their second song (a swing version of the Get Smart theme) hit its straps, there was no stopping them. Bomba swayed and jived and danced, tugging at each performer with invisible strings and snapping his fingers to make things happen. He was a force to witness and his band was fantastic. The horns were explosive and the rhythm section was the vibrant, beating heart. Latin rhythms, Jamaican rhythms, '50s American malt shop rhythms – you name it, they nailed it.

The crowd was one of the liveliest in recent memory and they matched the band with their zeal and exuberance. It was a total party. Band and crowd finished up sweaty and dazed and left the place a glowing mess.