Tuesday 3 December 2013

‘The Clutha Tragedy: Ska music world in mourning’ by David Leask

THE disaster struck in Glasgow but its echo was felt right through the world of ska music.

Many of the scores of people inside the Clutha were watching Esperanza, a nine-piece city band specialising in a genre made famous in Britain by 1980s groups like Madness.

They included musician and Evening Times journalist Fraser Gibson, the band's former trombonist, who was in the venue to hear his friends for the first time since he left the group.

Still stunned by events of the evening - Fraser was lucky enough to be one of the first people out of the Clutha when its roof came in - he has watched fans and fellow musicians rally round.

He said: "A lot of people in the ska community know each other - see each other at gigs and festivals - and ska fans will know Esperanza, which will really bring what happened home.

"The band has played as far north as Inverness and the recent Knoydart Festival and as far south as London and Dorset - where they have played at the Specialized charity festival for the last two years.

"People will know this group - even though this was the first time they had been at the Clutha they had played practically every other venue in the city."

Support has poured in to the band's website, from ska fans as far away as America.

Horace Panter, bassist with Two Tone ska legends The Specials, was among those sending best wishes.

"Thoughts are with Esperanza, who were playing when helicopter dropped through pub roof and some of their mates injured," he tweeted.

Fraser said: "They made a lot of friends on their travels. The messages of support are coming from all over, from the ska community."

Glasgow Ska Train, a hub for the city's scene and the organiser of a monthly gig at pub Pivo Pivo, led tributes in its own inimitable way.

The group posted a picture of a white polo shirt, button-up, on its Facebook page.

On the shirt were the words "Good night friends, until we dance again".

Fraser said: "Ska is a unifying genre. It brings together people of all nationalities and all ages. The Clutha on Friday had students and it had mums and dads.

"Lots of people were up and dancing and I remember saying just how well Esperanza were playing.

"This is music designed to make people happy. It is upbeat, bouncy, happy good-time music to get people up to dance and have fun."

The contrast between the music played by Esperanza and the events of Friday night couldn't be greater. The band issued a statement through Facebook, saying it had woken up to realise the disaster had been "horribly real".

It spoke of its deepest sympathies last night as names of the dead and missing were confirmed.

One was Mark O'prey, a stalwart of the ska scene, who was well known on the gig and festival circuit, always willing to share a trademark curry.

Fraser saw Mr O'prey, a friend, on Friday night in The Clutha. The 44-year-old hasn't been seen since.

Fraser, 34, who plays with Glasgow ska band Capone and The Bullets, had joined his brother Scott, 30, in a far corner of the pub.

He said: "I was probably in the safest place in the bar just because my brother happened to sit there. I still feel that what happened was like a movie, the roof folding in on itself, it hasn't hit home yet.

" I just acted on autopilot and walked out with my brother. We had no idea what had happened other than a big bang.

"We just went to hear some ska on a Friday night."

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