The False Dots’ Roger Tichborne at the 100 Club on Friday night

DAVE was a bit older than the other members of the band and, as the song goes, he wasn’t up to much – but he owned a car. And for The False Dots, owning a car gave Dave special rights: he might not be able to play an instrument, might not be a good dancer, but he could drive them to and fro.

The story of Dave, his car and his role in the early years of the band was one of a number performed by The False Dots at the 100 Club on Friday night – part of the London Intern­ational Ska Festival, and a tell-tale sign of how lyrically informed the band are. The song Dave The Roadie is full of London wit and humour. Imagine Chas and Dave had taken a left turn in the mid 1970s, dropped the Rockney and headed into Punk.

The False Dots are a remarkable stage show: Fil Ross drives it forward with his energetic bass and the trumpet of Tom Hammond offers an angle, taking the music from purer punk to ska. Drummer Graham “Rambo” Ramsey’s aggressive, rat-a-tat-tat rhythms lay the foundation to each rebel yell of a tune they conjure up.

Lead singer and guitarist Roger Tichborne’s vocals and stage presence demand your attention – and their original material is warm, funny, and with a genuine punky edge.

The Ska Festival’s set piece gig was Southall legends Misty In Roots at the Electric Ballroom on Saturday night. Founded nearly 60 years ago, they brought the house down with Ghetto and the City – its soaring organ lead and rim-shot percussion was stunning, laying the foundation for a jazzy sax solo. It all sounded beautifully bassy on the Ballroom’s thumping sound system. They ended with anthem See Them Ah Come. Lead singer Walford Poko Tyson vocals are as fresh as ever.

This was a genuinely moving performance by a band with a catalogue that is a veritable journey through British reggae music.

They were backed by Harlesden’s The Cimarons, who lay claim to be the first British musicians to play reggae. They have a presence to be more than a warm up act – an overflowing of riches for the Ballroom stage. New lead singer Michael Arkk lead chant-like and mesmeric vocals. You can get completely lost in their work: hypnotic and enchanting, this was a cele­bration of rasta music traditions.

With two bands boasting over 500 years of collective performance experience, you’d expect nothing less than polished instrumentalists. These two legendary line-ups reminded why they remain premier acts.