Roots reggae from Hawke’s Bay

The Rude Boyz

A green lion with red mane, yellow crown and ferocious yellow eyes features in roots reggae band The Rude Boyz logo. Designed by drummer Patrick LeGeyt’s lead guitarist and fine arts student son Aaron, the logo epitomises the seven to eight piece band’s sound.

“We play some old school Jamaican rock songs but most of our originals are in-your-face with confrontational lyrics,” says Patrick LeGeyt. “That’s why we adopted the name The Rude Boyz. You think of the movie The Harder They Come. It’s about the street and gangs.”

Starring musician Jimmy Cliff, the 1972 Jamaican crime film is famous for its soundtrack which The Los Angeles Times said “brought reggae to the world”.

“We grew up in the same neighbourhood in Maraenui in Napier,” says LeGeyt. “It’s like your Kaiti.”

The Rude Boyz have loved roots reggae music since Bob Marley’s historic visit to Aotearoa in 1979, he says. But as part of the band’s heavy bass, one drop signature sound, The Rude Boyz repertoire includes original titles such as Spiritual Poverty and Bring the Roots Back.

“The sound is built around bass and drums. You have the chink of the guitar but it’s built around the bass as lead instrument."

Purists have described a lot of New Zealand reggae as “barbecue reggae”, a generic sound to chill to but The Rude Boyz sound is a long way from that.

“We play a lot of old school, ‘golden era’ reggae from the 1970s,” says LeGeyt. “We try to stick as close as possible to the traditional reggae sound. We play ‘conscious reggae’ which has more of a message to the music than just ‘baby, baby, I love you’.”

Although he has family in Gisborne, the Saturday night gig at Smash Palace will be the first time the Hawke’s Bay band has played here. Wairoa is as far north of their home turf they have been as a band.

“We know reggae is popular there.”