Arthur Kay and the originals were formed in December 1979 after the success of their first single Ska Wars.

Arthur Kay was a teenager in the 1960s where he first heard Ska on the streets of Lambeth, South London.

The first gig the Originals played was the Cabin Youth Club Herne Bay in 1980 to a group of loyal youngsters who have stuck with the band ever since. Those with true ska credentials will remember this sublime track ‘Play My Record’.

the Originals were the first ever Ska band in East Kent and really hit the spotlight ten years later when their album Rare ‘N’ Tasty was released on Skank Records, they released a second album called Sparkes of Inspiration. The songs from both albums form the core of the band set.

The band went on to become a top international Ska band going down a storm everywhere.

The peak of the bands career was when they became Judge Dreads backing band which sadly ended when Judge Dread died on the stage of The Penny Theater on March 13th 1998.

Arthur has recently come back out of retirement with a string of fantastic life performances…