Special Brew formed in 1837 in Vienna Austria. Its radical treatment of Mozart’s Caprice Symphony attracted critical appraise from certain of the avant garde. Performing in the nude, while juggling vegetables, however, failed to capture the public’s imagination, and the band drifted into genteel obscurity.

Some 25 years later they re-emerged in London, having completely modernised their act, creating a sensation with their hit tune “Waltz Around The Clock”. Crowds gathered from miles around, and Special Brew-mania was born, resulting in stampeding teenagers, horses and sundry livestock. Complaints from non-musical farmers again forced the band to disappear.

They repaired to the tiny village of Sotslvenia in Bohemia, where thanks to generations of inbreeding, the band was able to continue, refining its music all the time, concentrating on yodling and throat chanting. Then in 1956, gathered around the open fire in their log hut, frying fish and listening to their crystal radio set, they chanced on a stray broadcast wafting in from Kinston, Jamaica. It was a revalation as Special Brew listened spellbound to the early ska hit called "I Don't Give a F***K about rock, Just Don't Sh*t me when I'm feeling skanky, you fat B**st**rd", by the now sadly forgotten early ska band "Oliver and the Dickheads".

The die was cast, and Special Brew swore an oath they would forever-more play this new music. With the advent of global travel and mass communications, they emerged once more. From a slow base, and particularly after the vacuum left by the disbanding of the Beatles and subsequent tragic death of “Who” bassist John Entwhistle, they took the ska scene by storm.

This generation of the band, all directly descended from the original members, consists of Stanislav, Stanislav, Stanislav, Stan, Stanislav, Willhelm, Helga, Brisha and Stanislav.

To avoid confusion, they have adopted the stage names. Magnus Danger Magnu on vocals, Raving Pez Alexander (keyboards and dog-nuts), BB "Crazy Legs" Mann (Trom and supersonic humming), Foxy Graeme Fox (gaining unrivalled pleasure just hitting things), Sid “not Vicious” Hennesy (on vintage everything - but mainly bass), the delectable Shane Cook aka Des'man R. Rekker doing things with a trumpet that his mum would be concerned about, Jim Goldfingger Colvin blowing as hard as he can on sax, Endz (Mark) Endersby on rythm guitar and Tris "DJ Alpha T" Alfaro cooking beans on the decks.