ARIA-winning orchestra brings the party to San Remo

San Remo will be visited by nearly 20 members of the Melbourne Ska Orchestra next month, who will perform at the Westernport Hotel.

The two-time ARIA Award-winning collective will bring its ‘Monte Loco Rides Again’ tour to town on Saturday, October 10.

Band leader Nicky Bomba spoke with the Sentinel-Times, saying the orchestra had not performed in the area often, but wanted to give local audiences the chance to see the performance without travelling.

“We want to share the music,” he said.

“It’s a pretty special and unique explosion of joy and fun.

“The regionals were something that we wanted to concentrate on this time.”

Bomba said regional audiences embrace visiting acts from Melbourne because large bands don’t regularly perform outside the major cities.

“There’s a real appreciation of, ‘Hey, thanks for coming out here, guys’,” he said.

“They appreciate you bringing the party to them, instead of them having to head into the city and possibly get accommodation, petrol and that type of thing.

“And I think because of that, people get into the gigs more. There’s that sense of, ‘We’re ready to party’.”

Formed in the early 2000s, Melbourne Ska Orchestra can comprise up to 26 members, with Bomba expecting about 18 to 20 musicians to share the stage during a live performance,

The group blends ska with influences including reggae, funk, dancehall and Latin music.

For those unfamiliar with the genre, Bomba described ska as music created to get people moving, originating from Jamaica.

“Essentially, it’s dance music,” he said.

“I’ve seen grandparents dancing with grandchildren, and they both get what the vibe is about, which is joy, fun and celebrating life through dance.”

The orchestra’s latest work combines ska with the music and atmosphere of spaghetti western films.

Its 2025 album, ‘The Ballad of Monte Loco’, recently earned the group yet another ARIA nomination.

But the orchestra is far from conventional.

“We run amok,” Bomba said.

He described the live show as a “ramshackle train that threatens to fall off the tracks, but never does”, with audience interaction also shaping each performance.

“There’s a lot of interaction between the band and the audience,” he said.

“People tell us they love the fact that we really connect with the audience and become like friends.”

The 18-plus show will be held at the Westernport Hotel on Saturday, October 10. Tickets are available through Oztix.