Tenderness

I love ska music. From wikipedia:
Ska ( /ˈskɑː/, Jamaican [skja]) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae.[1] Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. It is characterized by a walking bass line accented with rhythms on the upbeat. In the early 1960s, ska was the dominant music genre of Jamaica and was popular with British mods. Later it became popular with many skinheads.[2][3][4][5]






Music historians typically divide the history of ska into three periods: the original Jamaican scene of the 1960s (First Wave), the English 2 Tone ska revival of the late 1970s (Second Wave) and the third wave ska movement, which started in the 1980s (Third Wave) and rose to popularity in the US in the 1990s.[6]

I have a confession to make: I was a better Rude Girl than punk.

For one thing, I have had a thing for the bombshell look (still do!)

 and especially the clothes of the late 50's and early 60's. I just have an affinity for that era-the clothes, the music, the movies. I am an unabashed Audrey Hepburn fan,

and she is the personification of that era. Or Jackie Kennedy.

Mad Men.

I was telling a former co worker about this years back, and she said I was probably reincarnated from someone from that era.
Whatever.
Rude Girls are ska chicks.

There is a definate look to it, and its actually a lot less oppressive than the punk look.
One of the biggest ska bands in the 80's were the English Beat,

who of course, broke up at the height of their popularity. Two of the "stars" in the band went on to form General Public.

At the same time, there was a rise of androgynous British musicians-like Boy George, Annie Lennox, Marilyn, Limahl, etc. Capitalizing on that were Gene Loves Jezebal,

who looked like those synth popstars, but were closer musically to the Cult.
So, Gene Loves Jezebel tours with General Public.

 I dressed in my grandmother's leopard print shawl, a 50's style dress I had thrifted, and really killer pumps.

http://www.shabbyapple.com/

 I went with my best friend Jeninne, who is still my best friend 30 years later. She also was a Motley Crue fan. She did, however, liked ska after the concert.

General Public really only had a handful of songs, and because of some sort of dispute, couldn't do any of the English Beat's songs. They did, however, do some of the most famous first wave ska songs, and there was much dancing and tenderness.