The Hotknives

The Hotknives

The Hotknives are a ska group from Horsham, United Kingdom, active since 1982. They form around a group of friends with interests in ska, dub, reggae and Northern Soul, and they are associated with ska, 2 Tone, two-tone and ska revival.

Early recordings and first albums

The band records two live albums before its first studio album, The Way Things Are, which appears in 1989. Their live releases are Live at the Boatman and Live and Skanking. The group reaches the top of the third wave ska scene and is banned from UK radio.

Breakup and reformation

The Hotknives stop in 1993, then reform in 1994. At that point Marc Carew of Long Tall Texans joins, along with Richard “Bosky” Allen from Too Many Crooks. After reforming, the band tours Europe regularly.

Later line-up and releases

In 1996 the group releases its second studio album, Home. In 2000 it follows with Screams, Dreams and Custard Creams, which reaches the top 10 in the Zoom charts in Germany. In 2003 the line-up changes again with Stuart Brown added on guitar and Marc Carew moving to lead vocals.

Style and activity

The Hotknives are described as drawing on The Clash, The Specials, The Cure, Madness and original 1960s ska. They continue to build a following in Europe, headlining ska and rock festivals, and the line-up at this stage is Marc Carew on vocals and bass, Richard “Bosky” Allen on vocals and keyboards, Stuart Brown on guitar and backing vocals, and Clemmy on drums and backing vocals.