Captain Stu has never had a full mention on these pages, and that is a great failing of ours. They are local Capetonians, and they’ve been going for around eight years. In that time Captain Stu have carved themselves a new genre, and a place in the hearts those of us who go to their shows, and find them sleeping naked on our couch.
They’ve done a live, unplugged recording, and here is a video of the performance:
From what you can see, Captain Stu deliver a melodious ska sound. But this doesn’t really convey the depth of variety that the band is capable of. Their make-up has shifted and changed as members came and went, with only bassist Ryan McArthur remaining of the original four who started Captain Stu and the Llamas in 2002.
Their style represents this, and listening to their latest album end-to-end you’ll find a range from mellow ska to new-school jazzy rock. Their live performances are electric, and very few bands inspire new listeners to dance around with the hardened fans.
Taking over on vocals after founding frontman Nick Key left for Korea, guitarist James Klopper adds a new dimension to Captain Stu’s sound. He claims that the band’s sound is in a constant state of flux, and that they all contribute their creative energies and influences, regardless of whatever those may be. James also drinks a shitload.
The Only Man Standing
Nevertheless, Captain Stu is The Business. They play awesome jams, have a great live presence and can be seen on just about any weekend in Cape Town. To give you a taste of some of their other music, check out the excellent video for ‘More Than Friends’:
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Haha, ‘More than friends’ is awesome! like it, like it alot =)
These guys are fucking awesome. Catch em at Zula On Thursday with Red Five Point Star(from Slovenia – Also ska)…
Amazing sound. Groupie for life yo!
Nice one! Thanks a lot yo.