FRIDAY 26th AUGUST
8pm – £10 adv
RHODA DAKAR sings THE BODYSNATCHERS
+ The Defekters

HAVING had sell out shows from The Beat and The Selecter, The Square is proud to now play host to the Queen of 2 Tone, Rhoda Dakar!

Following three packed shows at London’s Jazz Cafe, supports with Public Image Ltd and **** reviews in Mojo, Q, Classic Pop and Daily Mirror, lead singer of 2 Tone all-girl group The Bodysnatchers and Special AKA, Rhoda takes her ‘Rhoda Dakar sings The Bodysnatchers’ album on tour throughout 2016. Dates already confirmed at Glastonbury Festival, London’s 100 Club, This Is Ska festival (Germany), Reggae Geel festival (Belgium) and The London Intl Ska Festival 2016.

Rhoda joined The Bodysnatchers in 1979 after Shane McGowan introduced her to bassist Nicky Summers. After only their second gig the band signed to legendary UK record label 2 Tone. Nationwide gigs alongside Madness, The Selecter, The Specials,The Go-Gos and Toots & The Maytals followed, as did two UK chart hits; Let’s Do Rocksteady b/w Ruder Than You in March 1980 and Easy Life b/w Too Experienced (produced by label boss/The Specials founder Jerry Dammers) in July of the same year. These now much sought-after singles and their appearance on 2 Tone’s Dance Craze movie were to be The Bodysnatchers only commercial releases.

After leaving The Bodysnatchers Rhoda guested with The Specials on their More Specials album, and upon their breakup joined Special AKA as lead singer. She co-wrote their politically essential single Nelson Mandela as well as The Boiler, a harrowing tale of rape, which although banned still managed to attain UK chart placement. In more recent times Rhoda has guested with Madness on their Liberty of Norton Folgate album, Apollo440, Dr Robert of The Blow Monkeys, recorded successful solo albums and become a much in demand DJ.

After years of being asked to do so, and to celebrate The Bodysnatchers 35th Anniversary, Rhoda assembled an all-star cast to in effect record The Bodysnatchers debut album. 2 Tone label mates Lynval Golding and Sir Horace Panter of The Specials star alongside members of Pama International, The Sidewalk Doctors and Intensified, who admirably capture the spirit of the times.