Symarip

Symarip is a United Kingdom skinhead reggae group that performs in ska and reggae styles. The group is known under earlier names including the Pyramids and Seven Letters, and it forms towards the end of the 1960s and into the early 1970s. Its line-up includes Roy Ellis and Monty Neysmith.

History and style

The group consists of musicians of West Indian descent and is widely regarded as the first skinhead band, in the sense that it is the first band to target skinheads as an audience. Its music sits within ska, reggae, rocksteady and skinhead reggae, with a strong association to Trojan-era reggae culture.

Notable songs and releases

Among its best-known songs are “Skinhead Moonstomp”, “Skinhead Girl” and “Skinhead Jamboree”. In 1985, under the name the Pyramids, the group releases Drunk and Disorderly, produced by Stevie B. After that period, the band quits. A best-of album appears in 2004 under the names Symarip, the Pyramids and Seven Letters, and it includes the new single “Back from the Moon”.

Later activity

Lead singer Roy Ellis continues to perform and record as Mr. Symarip. Former bassist Michael Thomas lives in Finland and makes reggae music with his band Saganor.