The Thirst are an electrifying indie/rock band from Brixton who are emerging as one of the premiere live acts in the UK. Consisting of brothers Mensah (lead guitar) and Kwame (bass), alongside school friends Mark (rhythm guitarist) and Marcus (drummer), The Thirst blend together a vibrant sound and offer a refreshing and uplifting alternative to present youth culture. Inspired and influenced by old punk records, Hendrix, drum n’ bass and hip-hop, the result is uniquely their own.

From the first band rehearsals at Mensah and Kwame’s house to playing at local venues, The Thirst built up their strong fan-base the traditional way, gigging across London up to six times a week. Word soon spread of their talent and it wasn’t long before Ronnie Wood heard of The Thirst making waves in London. The Rolling Stone immediately sent his talent scouts down to one of their gigs. The Thirst blew the crowd away and as soon as Ronnie returned from tour, he along with his family went to see the band at their gig at The Half Moon in Putney. The Thirst was signed on the spot, making them the first band to be signed to Wooden Records.

Gogol Bordello is a multi-ethnic Gypsy punk band from the Lower East Side of New York City that formed in 1999 and is known for its theatrical stage shows. Much of the band’s sound is inspired by Gypsy music, as its core members are immigrants from Eastern Europe. The band incorporates minor-key accordion and fiddle (and on some albums, saxophone) mixed with cabaret, punk, and dub as well as multiple languages.

Santogold was lead singer of the Philadelphia-based punk rock/ska band Stiffed, whose 2003 album, Sex Sells, and 2005 album, Burned Again, were produced by Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. While in this group, she was offered a solo contract by Martin Heath of Lizard King Records. Her initial singles “Creator” and “L.E.S. Artistes” received attention from Internet media in 2007. White also appeared on Mark Ronson’s 2007 album Version, performing on a cover of The Jam’s “Pretty Green”.

Sublime was an American ska-punk and reggae band that originated in Long Beach, California. Sublime consisted of three members: Bradley Nowell (vocals and guitar), Bud Gaugh (drums), and Eric Wilson (bass guitar). Former members include Kelly Vargas (who played drums while Gaugh was in rehab) and Michael Happoldt for a very short time (guitar). The band achieved major mainstream success with their self-titled third album; however, Nowell died of a heroin overdose in his hotel room on the west side of San Francisco shortly before it was released, resulting in the band’s split in 1996. Worldwide, Sublime has sold 17 million albums, including about 10 million in the U.S. alone.