Keyword Ska

Outlines the history of 40 years of the skinhead subculture, beginning with the most recent versions of the culture.

Urgh! A Music War is a British film released in 1982 featuring performances by punk rock, new wave, and post-punk acts, filmed in 1980. Among the artists featured in the movie are Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), Magazine, The Go-Go's, Toyah Willcox, The Fleshtones, Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, X, XTC, Devo, The Cramps, Oingo Boingo, Dead Kennedys, Gary Numan, Klaus Nomi, Wall of Voodoo, Pere Ubu, Steel Pulse, Surf Punks, 999, UB40, Echo & the Bunnymen and The Police. These were many of the most popular groups on the New Wave scene; in keeping with the spirit of the scene, the film also features several less famous acts, and one completely obscure group, Invisible Sex, in what appears to be their only public performance.

Rocksteady to both a visual and musical documentary of the big shots of the English 2-Tone movement of the late 1970s that has the exhaustive, high-energy performances exploding onto stage. Jump, shout, twist and crawl and dance to the tunes of Ska and its anthems of its rough riders and three-minute heroes captivated in the moment of a generation of England's concrete jungles and razor blade alleys. No longer on your radio but now on stage, together, with the likes of Madness, The Specials and The Beat et al, this concert footage of an era is a must-see, rare and fascinating look into a once vibrant youth culture of working-class England and its musical dance craze.

Autobiographical account of the cult 80's British pop group 'Madness (II)' , with members of the group playing themselves, charting their rise from humble beginnings as pub band The Invaders to chart success and their first overseas tour. The film follows the ups and downs of individual members of the group, and features all of their early hits including "The Prince", "One Step Beyond", "Baggy Trousers" and "Night Boat to Cairo"

Don Letts examines the history of this notorious subculture in a fascinating documentary, which features interviews with members of different skinhead scenes through the decades. Beginning in the late 1960s, Don fondly recalls a time of multiracial harmony as youngsters bonded over a love of ska, reggae and smart clothes as white working-class kids were attracted to Jamaican culture and adopted its music and fashions. But when far-right politics targeted skinheads in the 1970s and 1980s, an ugly intolerance emerged, and Don reveals how the once-harmonious subgroup has since struggled to shake this stigma.

The Specials don’t just write memorable songs - they soundtrack moments in history. This film explores how the band’s music was influenced by social, economic, and political events and how they have continued to shape contemporary music and popular culture internationally, with their message of unity and harmony in the face of ongoing political and social challenges.

This is Ska is a Hi-Energy documentary on JAMAICAN dance music from 1964

Documentary about skinheads.

After an unsuccessful attempt at establishing himself in the early 1970s music scene, Jamaican-born reggae legend Stranger Cole opens a record store, the first Caribbean business in Toronto's Kensington Market.

The DVD release of the band's performance at Madstock 1998 (Sunday 12th of June) in London's Finsbury Park, which was attended by 75,000 people.

A concert film & documentary about the current US Ska Punk scene, following the 2023 Bad Time Records Tour

Live at the U.S. Festival, ’82 and ’83, a DVD featuring both years’ concerts in their entirety, compiling the best performances from each year. It stands as a fine tribute to a legendary ’80s/ska band and the only representation of their fantastic live show.

Southside Festival 2013, Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany

Through humor, anecdotes and their songs, mythical Venezuelan ska band Desorden Público tells their story and that of three decades of their country.

An extended family and four young people are drawn into the world of ska and two-tone music, which exploded from the grass roots of Coventry and Birmingham in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, uniting black, white and Asian youths.