Phoenix City!

Phoenix City!

This is a thread dedicated to the promotion of one of greatest ska tunes of all time and a dead-set, gold-standard, why-the-f**k-would-we-look-anywhere-else, completely obvious choice as the official theme song of the Wellington Phoenix...

Phoenix City!

Two home games so far this season and I don't think I've heard it even once? OK, so I'm mostly down the pub and don't always get there before kick-off, but I certainly haven't heard it enough.

What are we thinking? For the Wellington Phoenix and it's fans to not fully embrace Phoenix City and make it our own is just f**king with one of the most fundamental laws of the universe - don't look a gift horse in the mouth. You simply cannot mess with cosmic forces like that and not expect adverse consequences.

This club will never be as successful as it can be until we all step up and get down to the rockinest rock-steady sound of Roland Alphonso and his magnificent Skatalites.

Mash it up people and consider every post in this thread a vote for Phoenix City!


terminator_x2009-09-09 21:47:13

I'm not sure it will win us the A-League, but I vote for Phoenix CIty

Me Too!!!   C-Diddy2009-09-09 21:50:35

I  The Skatalites

Hell and Yes.

+1

According to Lloyd Bradley's excellent book "Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King" the song Phoenix City takes its name from a notorious 1960's Kingston street gang. It's not clear whether it was intended as a tribute or admonishment but given the celebratory nature of the tune it's fair to assume the former. What is clear is that over time the original inspiration for the song got forgotten and it become commonly accepted that the song was written about Phoenix City in Arizona. F**k knows why, perhaps the song's writer Roland Alphonso and the rest of the Skatalites were happy to distance themselves from the increasingly criminal and violent behaviour of the "rude boys" who had originally inspired the song.

Sadly very few of the original Skatalites members are still alive today but here's a very nice version of the song recorded around 1997 by a version of the band that still includes founding members Lloyd Knibbs (Drums), Lloyd Brevett (Bass), Roland Alphonso (Sax) and Lester Stirling (Sax).

The Skatalites - Phoenix City

I want to skank and sing Phoenix City before every home match......

If they let me plug my iPod into the stadium PA I can play for them.....

This would be good (so yes I vote thumbs up). BUT.

Considering how it is so hard to get the crowd doing something as simple as Stand Up properly, the instrumental passages leading in to the Phoenix City cry would be a bit of a stretch methinks.

Maybe if it was played over the PA a la the Dario-G tune (aka "Whooah song") the crowd would get habituated to it.

Yeah. Just playing it more often would be start.

It should definitely be the last thing played before the game starts (or if we are contractually obliged by the FFA to play Dario f**king G, then at least the second to last thing played).

YES for Phoenix City...LOVE the Skatalites.
Watch out for Phoenix City tshirts....coming soon hopefully!

Now THAT is a design worth shelling out for...perhaps the Retro Ricki wasn't the Tshirt equivalent of 'Bat Out of Hell' after all

Hopefully they can be made in the "not quite so figure hugging size"

Good news...the Phoenix City t-shirts should be done for Sunday! The inital run will have women's medium  (cos all of us girls like to think we're normal sized ) and men's small/medium/large (looked generous sizes though). BNUgrrl2009-09-15 21:08:38

This is Roland Alphonso, the composer of Phoenix City, one of Jamaica's greatest ever musicians and just a wonderful man.

You can read a fantastic biography about him here: Roland Alphonso - Something Special

I vote that we play the song at every home game  - Welly is afterall phoenix city!!!

plus we need to get next years yf tees with phoenix city all over them!!!!!

Wasn't Phoenix city played before the first home game sometime or am i confused?

Fair play to the club - I did hear Phoenix City playing while walking down the concourse on Sunday.

It's just a start though. As the result showed we need to do much more to fully embrace Phoenix City and rid ourselves of all the bad vibes...

Would be good if it was played before the start - apparently the players can hear the noise from the dressing rooms so hearing Phoenix City before they come out (well I mean come out for the game since they have already been out for the warm-ups) would be good to gee up our lads and let the visitors know where they are.

I heard it TWICE on Sunday. 

Nice work.

Yes - I heard it before the game this week. A bit muted though.

Wore my T-shirt - covered it with my jacket in the second half as the temp dropped.

YES YES AND YES.

I thought this fight was fought and won? They don't play it before games anymore? Would be great entrance music ala "Z cars" at Goodison Park.

The club has been showing a lack of commitment to it, that's all. Sometimes they play it, sometimes they don't. And they definitely don't promote the whole concept of Phoenix City as much as they could.

It's a bad situation, like when you first suspect your girlfriend of cheating on you but you're not quite sure and she's all like "I love you baby, he's just a friend..."

My dream is that Phoenix City will become as iconic and respected at Westpac Stadium as The Liquidator is at Stamford Bridge. Not that I'm a fan of Chelsea but it must be said - those boys do like their reggae.

And you're right about Z-Cars! Wtf is that about? If Everton can adopt something as mad as that surely we can adopt something as obvious as Phoenix City?

That song should be played loud and proud right before kick-off so visiting teams know where the f**k they are and that they are about to get a f**king hiding (or more likely pick up a handy point away from home, but whatever...).

Bump

Here's some good footage of Roland Alphonso and the Ruff Kut band playing a nice smooth version...

Roland Alphonso - Phoenix City

I want to hear Phoenix City today - before the game, half time, whenever.

Yeah I'm backing this as well, and you'll see from the other thread I started (should have added it to this one) that there's a logical support track by the Skatalites called Occupation that's an instrumental cover of 'Ring of Fire'. The two of them could be good package for the Phoenix.

It might be interesting to see if anyone could come up with a short lyric for parts of it - peaking with a big yell PHOENIX City! That would help make it our own....

And I'll ask a guy I know who in a ska band here in WElly (BattelSka Galactica) if they'd consider adding Phoenix City to their playlist - you never know - maybe a live option one day.

Note - they are playing a ska night with the OffBeats this Saturday night at the Tugboat from 9.00 on - could be a good night out after-match for those not going to Palmy. Just $10 entry - its on Facebook if you search Battleska Galactica

The OffBeats did a demo of Phoenix City before/during season one.  I may be the only person with a copy of it. 

I think they were off to talk to the club about it but it never went any further.

Yes, it's a shame that seeing the Offbeats play on the tugboat tonight means doing a Lundy-esque sprint back from Palmy.

Speaking of which, better dash...

Let's have it this Saturday night. A nice little skank right before kick-off. Come on Tony P, I can tell you are an original rude boy. Tell your DJ he must bring dat rhythm forward and mash up the town!
 

Rude Boy


or Rude Kid?

Yes, a big thumbs up for Phoenix City!

This Friday...

Phoenix City!

Let's have it...

Loud and Proud!

Great clip here

Ewww, the bass is so out of tune it's not even funny.

You need sh*tty PC speakers like mine.

Anyway, that's hardly the point.

We need more...

. BNUgrrl2010-02-12 16:17:14