HISTORY...

In December 2004, Giel Mulder, a Dutch Reggae trombone player, decided to form a new band. Since Giel was a young boy, he had dreamt of starting a group influenced and sounding like early Old School Reggae. Not just to copy the sounds of the Jamaican sounds of the late Sixties and early Seventies, but to take them by the hand and use them in his own way.

Giel knew a singer-songwriter by the name of Boss van Trigt. Boss had just quit the famous European Ska-Reggae group RUDE RICH AND THE HIGH NOTES and was looking for new adventures in Ska music. After Giel phoned him up, Boss couldn't help but be heavily inspired and impressed by Giel’s enthusiasm, and started to write songs immediately. Giel, in the meantime, searched for the right musicians for this new band. In came Stijn Verhagen, a great piano-organ player, who also shared Giel’s love for early Reggae and Ska music. Stijn brought in a top ranking drummer, Ron Rotteveel, at that time playing in THE SECOND HAND SNEAKERS. When Ron heard about this new band....The Upsessions, he decided he had to come along. Giel also knew a guitar player, Bart Izaks, who had great picking techniques and loved to play in Reggae-Ska bands. Giel invited him for the first session...and the rest as they say is history After a long search for the right bass player, Ron decided to bring his brother Peter Rotteveel to a rehearsal and his great lazy bass timing sealed his fate. With Boss van Trigt as the singer-guitar player, THE UPSESSIONS were officially born In January 2005 THE UPSESSIONS at their first rehearsal.

March 2005: The first Demo

As the music was in place The Upsessions were ready to get the party started. Their first show was on the 23rd of April in a club in Noordwijk, simply called ‘Join’. It did turn out to be a great party, making it clear that this band just wanted to play, no matter where, no matter when. In March 2005 The Upsessions made their first demo. Six songs recorded on an eight trackrecorder. After mixing and mastering the songs with the help of a good friend Patrick Tukker, the result was a true fabulous representation of the early JA Reggae-Ska sound...and thus the demo did NOT sound like a 48 track studio recording, but like a Reggae band playing in a garage, just like it should be, and just how The Upsessions wanted it to be.

June 2005: Jackie Miller Down

On the 19th of June The Upsessions played their second gig, at the Amsterdam Roots festival in the famous Oosterpark. Once again it was a great show, with the audience starting to dance immediately, and again ending in one big party. The Upsessions sent their demo out to record labels and booking agencies, and was as some well known faces on the Reggae and ska scene where it won recieved rave reviewes with one excited new fan describing the song ‘Jackie Miller Down’, about the tragical life of boxing legend Jackie’ the killer’ Miller, as a new surefire underground Reggae hit. By now the record companies were now showing their interest in The Upsessions, resulting in the band were invited to to play dates in Switzwerland in February 2006.

December 2005: recordings and the radio

The Upsessions started to record their debut album. They bought a fostex 8-track tape recorder, and started recording their songs during free weekends in an old school hall in Zaandam. In the meantime the demo was be picked up and played on several specialist radio shows in and outside Holland.

January 2006: Upsessions go international!

The Upsessions have their first international gig on the 28th of January in Reims, France, as guest on the farewell show of the French Ska band WESTERN SPECIAL, with over a 1000 people in to watch the show. Some two weeks earlier The Upsessions played in the P60 in Amstelveen together with SPECIALS legend NEVILLE STAPLES and his new band... and they were getting noticed.

February 2006: Luzern and the Dutch ‘breakthrough’

The Upsessions head for Luzern in Switzerland to do a gig in the Sedel, organized by Rudeattack records featuring a hallll full of Reggae lovers and Skinheads who were all won over, followed by an appearance on Holland’s biggest Skafestival -The Dutchskafestival in the Melkweg, Amsterdam....another party atmosphere and that song ‘Jackie Miller Down’ was becoming a new underground Reggae hit!

March 2006: Germany and the mixing process

In March the Upsessions started the mixing process for their debut album, together with the famous engineer Patrick Tukker. Also they perform their German gig in Mainz with Skarface from France.

June 2006: This-is-Ska festival

The Upsessions played on the big Tthis-is-Ska festival in Rosslau. And spend the rest of the month putting the finishing touches to their debut album. ‘ the new heavyweight champion’.

September 2006: Moon Ska Upsessions!!

In september 2006 The Upsessions played on the SUMMER SAFARI in Germany, together with The Aggrolites. In that same month they proudly signed a contract with major Ska label Moon Ska World from England to bring out their debut album ‘The New Heavyweight Champion’.

October 2006: CD-presentation

The Upsessions had their CD presentation in Amsterdam in September. In a full ‘ Bitterzoet’ in Amsterdam The Upsessions played a legendary show placing themselves in Skinhead Reggae history. The new album "The New Heavyweight champion" is now available but only at upsessions gigs!

December 2006: the Upsessions on vinyl

Rude Attack Records from Switzerland produced the first Upsessions vinyl in December 2006 featuring the track "Yamamutsu". The limited edition red vinyl 7" split single with the Basement Brothers is hand numbered and becomes an instant became a must for the real Skinhead Reggae collectors.

February 2007: Conquering Rulers!

German label Conquering Ruler Records in conjunction with Moon Ska World to release a 7" single featuring "The Chambermaid" from The Upsessions stomping debut album "The New Heavyweight Champion" together with the previously unreleased rough ska version of "Hold your Wining". Although CR Records is normally strictly dedicated to early Reggae releases.

March 2007: All good in the Kingdom!

The Upsessions sell out their show at the Winston Kingdom in Amsterdam, Holland.

May 2007: The REAL new Heavyweight Reggae champions!

The excellent "The New Heavyweight Champion" gets it's officially released on the Moon Ska World label... Watch this space!