In Defense of Ska Ep 69: Pook (Pookout Records, Beat the Red Light, Redeemon, Lightyear, The Filaments)

In Defense of Ska

There was a big ska revival in the UK from around 2000 to 2005. Pook was playing music back then, but when the scene started to crater, he kept on playing. He would even fully realize his vision of combining extreme metal with ska, which you can hear in his groups Beat The Red Light and Redeemon. We're talking Sepultura and Lamb of God style metal mixed with ska.

Pook also runs a record label called Pookout Records. It started as a means to distribute records into the UK but has since become a proper record label and he's worked with bands like Andy B and the World, Filthy Militia, Glory Hunters and Roshambo.

On today's episode, we chat with Pook about his many bands, which also includes The Filaments and Lightyear. He tells us about recording "Send In The Clowns" with Beat The Red Light and finally realizing his metaliSKA vision, hearing The Best of the Worst and finding kindred spirits across the pond, and the warm up techniques he does before screaming. Big face, little face, big face, little face.

He also tells us the infamous Lightyear story that involves Ice-T's band Body Count and the band dressing up in a horse outfit. They were told, "Ice-T is not amused."

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If you like our theme song, go download the EP Lives by Slow Gherkin. They wrote the opening and closing songs for our podcast. You can get both tunes from their Lives EP. Also, check out Dan P and the Bricks two LPs. They provided the mid-roll ad transition music.

Support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition of In Defense of Ska will release in Oct 2024.

Co-host Adam Davis has a band called Omnigone. Their latest record, Against The Rest released on March 31, 2023.

The In Defense of Ska editor Chris Reeves runs a record label called Ska Punk International. They have new releases coming out all the time.

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