THE STRIDES… one night only!
Sydney’s international nine-piece reggae band The Strides make their Illawarra Folk Festival debut, wrapping-up the opening night with an energetic, get-up-and-dance set.
Fronted by singers Ras Roni from Barbados, LTL GZeus from Fiji and Blacker C from Sierra Leone, The Strides will strut their heady brand of hip-hop infused reggae on the main stage, the Slacky Flat Bar on Friday night.
The Strides trumpet player Nick Garbett said he’s looking forward to playing at the Illawarra Folk Festival. “I grew up in the area, in Otford up the coast, so I've been to the folky many times over the years and I've always wanted to play there,” he said. Though they now hail from Sydney and surrounds, the band’s origins are closer to home. “The Strides kind of grew up in Stanwell Park, actually, so it's kind of a second home for the band playing in the Illawarra, it's going to be great,” Garbett said.
“Back in 2008, we started as a sort of five piece jazz reggae band. We'd do little tours up and down the coast of Byron Bay, and then we met Ras Roni at Peats Ridge Festival. He’s now our lead singer and we’ve been touring as a nine piece now for 10 years or more.”
“I feel like the band is probably feeling the best it ever has, musically and the camaraderie in the band too, so it's in a good place,” he said.
In 2024, The Strides spent some time touring up and down the coast, as well as at The Nest Studio in Surry Hills, recording new music to be released early this year. “We're recording it at a great friend of ours’ studio, Declan Kelly, who's also a really good drummer that plays with The Strides a lot. He's pulling some really good kind of crunchy, old school reggae tunes,” said Garbett.
There’s talk of a new album or ‘at least a couple of tracks’ to look forward to this year from The Strides, so keep an eye out for their discography of unique, fresh blends of dancehall and reggae pop.
“We're looking forward to a big 2025 and the Folky will be our first gig of the year,” Garbett said
“The band's really excited about it, and excited about touring a lot in 2025.”
The Strides are playing one night only at the Illawarra Folk Festival, so make sure to grab Friday tickets and your dancing shoes, The Strides are one powerhouse outfit you don’t want to miss!
You can find tickets and festival information here.
Story by Illawarra Folk Festival Publicity Officer Skyla Yorke.
