The Forum is right in the town centre of Royal Tunbridge Wells, on a grass verge across the road from the upmarket shops in The Pantiles.  In fact The Forum used to be a public toilet.  Now, for those of you who have not frequented this fantastic small venue, it’s worth stating that, though the venue is small, it probably isn’t quite as small as the previous sentence may have you envisage, and on a packed night it can hold 250 people.

Gentleman’s Dub Club play a perfect mix of dub, ska, dubstep and lovers rock and live they are something very special.  The enthusiastic and excited crowd raised the roof when GDC took to the small stage.  Eight members all in white shirts and black trousers looking very dapper and ready to sweat!

Gentleman’s Dub Club was formed in Leeds in 2006 though singer, Jila, said as a local boy he used to frequent The Forum in his younger days.  Their website states there are nine members, but I only counted eight.  Accompanying Jila was a drummer, percussionist with a laptop, guitarist, horn section consisting of trumpet and saxophone, and two keyboard players, one in control of the deepest sub-bass rhythms I have heard from a live band.

There was a lively moshpit throughout the gig and plenty of movement from the Dub Club who certainly know how to make a great sound and an amazing party-like atmosphere as they fused dub reggae, dubstep, ska and lovers rock songs into one hell of a live show.

The place was dripping with condensation and sweat as the band danced as hard as the packed crowd.  At one point I thought the trumpet player was going to implode! Its great live performances like this that has helped GDC build a following all over the UK.

This was part of the Gentleman’s Dub Club High Grade UK Tour this month.  It was GDC’s first visit to Tunbridge Wells and on this show, it won’t be their last. “If the truth be told, I’m a sucker for the high grade!”

Below is a live video from Manchester 2010 to give you a flavour of how exciting GDC live!

For more information visit the Gentlemans Dub Club Myspace page.

Gentleman’s Dub Club High Grade UK Tour Dates:

3 May
Komedia, Bath

4 May
The Boiler Room, Guildford

5 May
Concorde 2, Brighton

6 May
Forum, Tunbridge Wells

8 May
Sumo, Leicester

9 May
Club Academy, Manchester

10 May
Mojo, Liverpool

12 May
Academy, Newcastle

13 May
G2, Glasgow

14 May
Leeds University, Leeds

16 May
The Duchess, York

17 May
Sheffield University, Sheffield

18 May
Rescue room, Nottingham

20 May
King’s College, London

21 May
O2, Oxford

22 May
Junction 2, Cambridge

24 May
Arts Centre, Colchester

25 May
Koko Gorlaz, Cardiff

26 May
Hare & Hounds, Birmingham

27 May
Thekla, Bristol

30 May
The Joiners, Southampton

Here is the video to the 2010 single Emergency.

For more information visit The Gentleman’s Dub Club Facebook page.

London International Ska Festival

The London International Ska Festival returns to London for it’s second celebration of all things Ska this April. Set over four days at London’s iconic Clapham Grand Theatre and featuring 22 bands and 10 DJ’s from around the world alongside some extra special exclusives.

The festival showcases the finest global talent from the Jamaican originators and the rhythm and blues sounds that inspired them through the progression into rocksteady & reggae, 2 Tone and right up to date with 21st century ska sounds. There is something for everyone.

Headliners include Jamaican legends Ken Boothe, famed for his UK No.1 hit ‘Everything I Own‘, one of reggae’s most influential singer/songwriters Bob Andy, who will be teaming up once again with the ‘Queen of Reggae’ Marcia Griffiths for a UK exclusive, their chart topping duets as Bob & Marcia included ‘Young Gifted & Black‘ & ‘Pied Piper‘.  Reuniting for the first time since the 1970’s will be Dave & Ansel Collins, who will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of their UK No.1 ‘Double Barrel‘.

From the 2 Tone era we have The English Beat, starring , the lead singer and songwriter of The Beat (or The English Beat as they’re known in the USA, where he now lives & tours). Expect their classic top 10 UK hits ‘Mirror In The Bathroom‘, ‘Too Nice To Talk To‘, ‘Hands Off She’s Mine‘, their 2 Tone single ‘Tears Of A Clown‘ and new material in this rare UK appearance.

Also gracing the festival is Grammy nominated sensation James Hunter, rightly described by Van Morrison as “one of the best voices in British R’n’B and Soul” and from Japan, playing their only European show, a band to rival The Skatalites, The Ska Flames.  Also jumping onboard will be  Sunday Best’s dancefloor killers, the Dub Pistols, Gaelic Ska adventurers The Trojans plus two bands that played the original London International Ska Festival in 1988 reforming for one offs; The Loafers and Hotknives.

As if this wasn’t enough from Italy a band that has released six gold selling albums, the highly stylised Giuliano Palma & The Bluebeaters. There will also be an exclusive show from the mighty US ska champions Bim Skala Bim, plus UK stalwarts Maroon Town, Intensified and The Amphetameanies.

Owen Grey is also confirmed as a special guest for Sunday. Owen is one of Jamaica’s true ‘Foundation’ singers and Alpha Boys School graduate his work spans the R&B, ska, rocksteady & reggae eras of Jamaican music.  He recorded for many of the greats: Prince Buster, Duke Reid, Leslie Kong, Clancy Eccles & Bunny Lee and was one of the first artists to be released on Studio One & Island Records, undeniably a true legend and pioneer of Jamaican music.

Added to all this is a stella line up of DJs, from club specialists to band cameos, radio disc jockeys to Jamaican legends including Clive Chin, boss of Jamaica’s vital Randys Records, celebrating the labels 50th anniversary, Lynval Golding (The Specials), Mark Lamarr, Gaz Mayall (Gazs Rockin Blues), Rhoda Dakar (Bodysnatchers/Special AKA) and many more.

From it’s birth in Jamaica, Ska has come along way, morphing and inspiring every generation and reaching all corners of the world to form a rich tapestry so important to our musical history. This April we will once again be welcoming back to London this celebration of the wonderful world of SKA in all it’s colourful guises.

London International Ska Festival

THURSDAY 21 April 2011 – 6PM-3AM

KEN BOOTHE (Jamaica)
JAMES HUNTER
GIULIANO PALMA & THE BLUEBEATERS (Italy)
MAROON TOWN

DJS:
CLIVE CHIN (Randys)
RHODA DAKAR (Bodysnatchers/Special AKA)
TOMMY ROCK-A-SHACKA (Japan)
TAKESHI OKAWA (Japan-The Ska Flames/Sun Shot)

FRIDAY 22 APRIL 2011 – 6PM-3AM

DAVE & ANSELL COLLINS (Jamaica)
THE TROJANS
THE LOAFERS (one-off reformation)
HOTKNIVES (orig.line up)
THE CAROLOREGIANS (Belgium)
SKAOS (Germany)
LES EJECTES (France)

DJS:
GAZ MAYALL (Gazs Rockin Blues)
JIM COX
GREEDY G

SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2011 – 6PM-3AM

THE ENGLISH BEAT with DAVE WAKELING
DUB PISTOLS
INTENSIFIED
NAPOLEON SOLO (Denmark)
THE AMPHETAMEANIES (Scotland)
JIMMY THE SQUIRREL

DJS:
LYNVAL GOLDING (The Specials)
WRONGTOM
FELIX HALL

SUNDAY 24 APRIL 2011 – 6PM-2AM

BOB ANDY & MARCIA GRIFFITHS (Jamaica)
THE SKA FLAMES (Japan)
BIM SKALA BIM (USA)
OWEN GREY
THE SIDEWALK DOCTORS
CARTOON VIOLENCE (Wales)

DJS:
MARK LAMARR
DUB VENDOR ALL-STARS
THE TIGHTEN UP CREW ft. CHAMPIAN MC

The London International Ska Festival will be held on 21-24 April 2011.

The Clapham Grand Theatre
21-25 St John’s Hill, Clapham Junction, London, SW11 1TT

London International Ska Festival Tickets

Day passes £39.50 + £7 booking fee
Full 4 day passes £129.99 + £7 booking fee
Royal box £1,850
(maximum of ten people) Best views in the theatre – beer fridge with complimentary 24 beers per day – waitress service

For more information visit www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk.

Boss Reggae Sounds: Reggae Popcorn Laurel Aitken Productions, 1969 – 1971

Lorenzo Aitken is better known as Laurel Aitken and often referred to as the ‘Godfather of Ska’.

Born in Cuba he was a successful artist in his own right. Laurel Aitken’s 1958 single “Little Sheila”/”Boogie in My Bones” was one of the first records produced by Chris Blackwell, who founded his Island Records label in the same year.  In 1960 LaurelAitken he moved to Brixton, London and released his own music for among others, the famous Blue Beat label.

But he was also a pioneering producer and one of the most popular British-based West Indian music producers throughout the Ska and early Reggae era. From 1969 to 1971, the quality of his work for the UK’s leading reggae companies, Trojan and Pama, was second to none and unsurprisingly sold well in both Jamaica and the UK, especially throughout the Skinhead movement of the day.

“A hole is a hole, as long as there’s a hole I’m going to ram me long pole” – King Horror, The Hole.

The very best of these highly collectable recordings form the basis of this, the finest compilation of Boss Reggae Sounds in years, with memorable contributions from some of the hottest acts including Pama Dice (Dice The Boss), Winston Groovy and the brilliant King Horror.

30 great ska and reggae tracks including the very wonderful Funky Chicken, Loch Ness Monster and Funky Monkey.

Boss Reggae Sounds: Reggae Popcorn Laurel Aitken Productions, 1969 – 1971
Tracklist:

Cutting Blade – King Horror
Zion I – Rico & The Visions
Leaving Me Standing – Winston Groovy
The Vampire – King Horror
The Worm – Pama Dice
The Hole – King Horror
I Can’t Go On – Winston Groovy
Funky Chicken Pama Dice
Loch Ness Monster – King Horror
Only You Winston Groovy
Funky Monkey – Dice The Boss
Funky Monkey (Part 2) – Dice The Boss
Funny – Winston Groovy
Funny Version 2 The Cimarons
Give Me Back Your Love – Trevor Lloyd
Real Collie – Dice & Cummie
Funky Duck – Dice The Boss
Frankenstein – King Horror
Reggae Popcorn – Pama Dice
Sin, Sun & Sex – Pama Dice
You Send Me – Winston Groovy
Nobody Else But You – Joe Lace
Election – The Freedom Singers
Tomorrow Sworld – Fleece & The Live Shocks
Standing On The Corner – Winston Groovy
History Of Africa – The Classics
Africa Arise (History Of Africa Part 2) – Laurel Aitken
Valley Of Tears – Cock & The Woodpeckers
Birds And Flowers The Groovy Beats
Guilty – Tiger

Boss Reggae Sounds: Reggae Popcorn Laurel Aitken Productions, 1969 – 1971 compilation has been released on Pressure Drop via Cherry Red Records.

lee perry-producers

Made at the Red Bull Studio in London, the six episode series of The Producers documents the progress of a top music producer when they collaborate with an artist of their choice in the studio.

The series includes top producers like Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, Diplo, Mark Ronson,Jamie Reynolds of the Klaxons, Gareth Jones and the series kicked off with Sheffield beatmaster Toddla T

This episode features Diplo and Lee Perry collaborating on a track in the studio, culminating in Perry preforming with Diplo and Switch’s Major Lazer at the 2010 Notting Hill Carnival.

The Producers is a co- production between Red Bull and VBS.tv, is a six-part documentary series showcasing a selection of the most innovative and exciting producers in the world, working in the Red Bull Studio London as their creative hub.

Florence & The Machine @ Latitude Festival 2010 photo: ryanmasonimaging.com

The Latitude Festival is much more than a music festival with a broad range of arenas, stages and tents offering theatre, poetry, film, dance, literature and music.  But for this review I will concentrate on my Latitude Festival 2010 music highlights.

As with previous years, many festival goers and keen campers began to arrive on the Thursday, but more so this year, possibly caused by the late additions of Nigel Kennedy and Tom Jones opening the Latitude Festival with Thursday performances.  Unable to attend I can only go on what I heard.  The festival was noticeably busy and Nigel Kennedy’s set on the Lake Stage was well received whereas many were disappointed as they couldn’t get near the small Sunrise Stage, set in the middle of the woods for Tom Jones’ midnight performance; and furthermore were bemused when the set introduced songs from his new album and did not include any of his classic hits.

With seventeen stages, tents, arenas and other impromptu performances over four days it was always going to be difficult to timetable seeing everything we wanted to, even for two reviewers; and some attractions were so popular, such as the Inbetweeners press conference and screening of Four Lions followed by a Q&A with writer, director and comic genius Chris Morris that we couldn’t even get into the Film & Music Arena to review!

Of the music stages I mainly frequented just three: the Obelisk or Main Arena, the Word Arena and deep in the woods, the Sunrise Arena.

The Obelisk Stage is big and open and on Friday night was headlined by Florence & the Machine.  It was their first major festival headliner and Florence’s performance, voice and stage presence was very warmly received.  At the same time The National headlined the Word Arena.  Set under canvas, in a more confined space the music was darker, deeper and altogether more compelling.  The audience was clearly divided between pop mistress and the broody baritone vocals of Matt Berninger and the post-gothic but surprisingly upbeat sound of The National.  For me, The National won the day with a great set including songs from their new album, High Violet.

One of the highlights of the whole festival was witnessing The National perform of their current single, Bloodbuzz Ohio.  More than merely watching or listening, this was all about ‘being there’. The sound, performance and atmosphere were perfect.

Before Florence & the Machine, Empire of the Sun gave a larger than life performance on the main stage complete with dance routines and various costume changes. While the Sunrise Arena hosted a lively performance from the wonderful Tokyo Police Club who were well received by a large crowd, many of which were familiar with songs from their 2008 debut Elephant Shell and the new album, Champ. They finished the set with a seismic version of Your English Is Good.  At times Tokyo Police Club remind me of Luna, The Pixies and The Strokes.  And yes, they are that good!

On Saturday the main stage played host to the return of Belle & Sebastian, though The Word Arena won the battle of the stages with performances from Noah & The Whale, The Horrors and The XX.  I was looking forward to seeing The Horrors after missing a low key show in June.  But I have to say the sound let them down; an engineer who had too much bass vibration and not enough vocal or noisy guitar in the mix.  That said The Horrors still put in a good performance.

The problem with the full-on bass was accentuated with The XX.  One of my sons decided not to stay for The XX.  He explained afterwards that he had left early because the bass was so loud it was stopping him from breathing!

The Word Arena was too small for The XX and the crowd was heaving and not helped by a constant stream of drunken teenagers constantly pushing through and treading on my toes.  As far as I saw, The XX played to the largest crowd in the Word Arena, while the biggest crowd for the main stage goes to Mumford & Sons for their massive performance on Sunday afternoon.

The Gentleman’s Dub Club played a late midnight set on the Sunrise Stage in the woods with a great energetic dub reggae set with some good time ska pick-me-ups.  It drew a large crowd of all ages. Teenagers’ pogoing to the up-tempo ska beats while middle-aged men reminded themselves of the skinhead moonstomp, from back in the day.  A great performance, coupled with a perfect sound.  Pockets of strange smelling cigarettes kept people smiling and dancing well into the wee small hours.  Loving dub reggae as I do, Gentleman’s Dub Club was a real highlight for me and a band I must go and see again, soon.

By Sunday I was becoming weary and needed something light and easy listening.  For that, Midlake performing their 1970s flavoured laid back country rock was a perfect anecdote; and was a pleasant surprise as this was an introduction to their music.  But before them were Mumford & Sons followed by Dirty Projectors.

I can only assume Mumford & Sons were booked to play Sunday afternoon way before their success blossomed.  I knew they would attract a crowd but the main arena was solid. They played songs from their Sigh No More album and the crowd jigged and sang along.  Their contemporary brand of English folk music was appreciated as much as the cider and was loved by pretty much everyone present.

Always looking like drawing the short straw, The Big Pink played the Word Arena while all but a handful of people crammed in to watch Mumford & Sons.  They were plagued by sound and technical problems and though they were making an impressive noise, the songs appeared lifeless and empty of quality.  Something was missing, and it wasn’t just an audience!

Following the folk and cider sing-a-long of the Mumford & Sons set was never going to be easy, but could not have been more of a polar opposite than the challenging anti-pop music of Dirty Projectors.  I have to be honest the album didn’t do much for me at all on first listen and so was not given a second; and I was only here as I was at a loose end and a friend was keen to see if they could pull it off live.  And they did.  The crowd may have dwindled to about a third of Mumford & Sons but that was to be expected.  They gave a stunning performance, considering.

Dirty Projectors are an experimental rock band from based in New York and led by Dave Longstreth. The music is best described as Captain Beefheart in its complexity and multi-faceted cacophony of simultaneous rhythms.  While the guitarist and main singer Dave Longstreth showed nervous twitching mannerisms of Tom Verlaine and the deranged stares of a young David Byrne, vocals also come from the three female voices of Amber Coffman (vocals, guitar), Angel Deradoorian (vocals, keyboard, samples, guitar, bass) and Haley Dekle (vocals).  The Dirty Projectors line-up is completed by bass and drums. Looking back on the weekend this performance, along with Midlake was two of the best for me as I had no expectations.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart didn’t disappoint.  I love this band.  Four young kids from New York who admit to have listened to jangly 1980’s British indie pop until they were able to perfect the sound of the debut My Bloody Valentine album.  Their set at the Sunrise Arena was another lesson in perfect pop. Three minute bubblegum pop led by thrashing buzzsaw guitars, manic drumming and sugar-coated twee vocals with boy- girl harmonies.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart mixed a couple of new tracks in with songs from their much-acclaimed self-titled debut album which appeared in many end of year ‘best albums of 2009’ lists.

They were my music highlights from the fifth Latitude Festival. I don’t have much to say about the other main stage headline acts Belle & Sebastian or Vampire Weekend.  I’ll leave that for someone else.

On reflection the festival was as good as ever if not at times too busy and soured by the constant stream of pissed teenagers that appear to have come with mummy and daddy, only to be left to wander round the music stages treading on toes and pushing through attentive crowds while their parents were probably in the literary or poetry tents sipping wine.  It was also shocking to hear while driving away from the festival that the police were investigating two charges of rape on 17 and 19 year old girls, felt not to be connected.

Each year Latitude is a success it becomes more popular.  But personally I believe the festival organisers, Festival Republic, should consider what will be lost if the best small festival in the UK outgrows that category.

This week sees the release of the latest album from Matisyahu,  Light,his first full length for three years.  Featuring the excellent single One Day, already a wonderful reggae anthem, the album takes the listener on a journey through a variety of musical genres  from reggae to dancehall, ska-inflected new wave, pop rock and acoustic folk.

While One Day is a stand out radio sensitive track, it also fits nicely into this powerful collection of songs. A deep and meaningful songwriter, Matisyahu is also a master of writing catchy melodies and infectious beats selling his heavier messages in lighter very acceptable bite size pieces.

The album content is about as diverse as it is possible to get from ballad to ballsy rock, R&B, pop and everything in between including of course some top reggae and ska-inflected tracks.

R&B star Akon is featured on the bonus remixed version of One Day, the final track on what is a remarkable album of strong songs, intricately produced with a message of peace, hope & understanding in a style that could only be Matisyahu.

Matisyahu – One Day

Dour Festival 2010

Dour Festival in southern Belgium has released its full line-up! This excellent festival for fans of alternative music in whatever genre you can think of has 200 bands over 4 days on 6 stages and music from 12am to 5am.

Recently awarded the prize for the best medium-sized European festival, the line-up this year really reflects its stock as one of the leading European festivals.

Band to particularly look out for include Faith No More’s reformation, De La Soul & Rhythm Roots All Stars, Simian Mobile Disco, Gwar, A-Track, Calvin Harris, The Maccabees, The Futureheads, Dave Clarke, Benga feat. Sgt Pokes, Skream, Archie Bronson Outift, Spoon, The Raveonettes, Devendra Banhart, Paul Kalkbrenner, Atari Teenage Riot Gui Boratto, Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip, Etienne de Crécy (Beats’n’Cubes), Brother Ali feat. Bk 1, Mayer Hawthorne, Third Wold, Mr. Vegas, DevilDriver, Shining, Fucked Up, The Very Best, Dum Dum Girls… the list goes on and on, so have a look here for more info.

Travel to Dour is easy either with Big Green Coach from London, to nearby airports or by Eurostar to Brussels or Lille, and for the price of the ticket (€93 + €17 camping) for 4 days of live music, even with travel it’s a bargain compared to UK festivals.

For those who don’t know the festival, Dour is in the French speaking part of Belgium. It is a very European, broad and open-minded festival that welcomes not only different nationalities, but a broad palette of different musical styles.  It has a capacity of roughly 40,000 people a day so is very humane in its size when spread over the six stages.

Here is the Dour Festival site.

Here is the Dour Festival Facebook group.

Here is the Dour Festival Twitter feed.

Follow me on Twitter.

Next Wednesday Depeche Mode will take a break from their current ‘Sounds Of The Universe’ World Tour to start this year’s special concerts to raise money and awareness for this very worthy cause.

With such a star-studded line-up, Teenage Cancer Trust concert tickets are going to be gold dust.  Supporting Depeche Mode are The Horrors.  No surprise then that this opening concert has already sold out!

Nine concerts will follow at the end of March, starting with John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl & Josh Homme AKA Them Crooked Vultures on Monday 22^nd March and ending with a performance by rock legends The Who on Tuesday 30^th March.

This will be the fifth time The Who has performed for the Teenage Cancer Trust which is not surprising as the annual concerts were the brainchild of The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey.

He said “When The Who first got together in 2000 to raise money for this brilliant charity, I had no idea we’d achieve so much from these shows. In the last ten years we’ve raised over £8.7 million and counting. Teenage Cancer Trust has come such a long way since our first gig and I’m extremely proud of this event.”

Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts @ The Royal Albert Hall, London

Depeche Mode
The Horrors
Wednesday 17 February

Them Crooked Vultures
Monday 22 March

Comedy Night: Jimmy Carr
Noel Fielding
Rhod Gilbert
Tuesday 23 March

Suede
Wednesday 24 March

Noel Gallagher
Thursday 25 March

Noel Gallagher
Friday 26 March

Arctic Monkeys
Saturday 27 March

JLS
Sunday 28 March

The Specials
Monday 29 March

The Who
Tuesday 30 March

You can buy and sell Teenage Cancer Trust tickets on viagogo.com

viagogo is an online ticket exchange that allows people to buy and sell live event tickets in a safe and guaranteed way.

fighting fiction

Fighting Fiction release their debut EP A Lesser Of Two Evils on November 16th through Dead Planet Records, a collection of songs written in anger and sung with passion.

Described as a powerful collision of indie rock guitar riffs, reggae tinged punk and socially aware lyrics the EP will doubtless draw comparisons with London Calling era Clash with the lyrical wordplay and vocal delivery of Billy Bragg.

Borne of a mutual passion for live music and energetic performance, Fighting Fiction formed in late 2007 in Bristol when the four lads met at University. Drummer, Rob Ballingall explains why the group clicked. ‘Going to gigs together when we were getting to know each other just got us talking about what we enjoy about music…  a massive part of it is crowd participation, we love hand-claps and sing-a-longs, call and response… It’s just a rush to get the audience involved’.

The band have completed a 30+ date tour across the UK this summer, supporting the likes of This Town Needs Guns, Laura Marling, The Automatic and securing slots at both the Isle of Wight and Isle of Man TT festivals.

The debut EP ‘A Lesser Of Two Evils’ is released on the 16th November 2009, available on iTunes and Limited Edition CD.

Fighting Fiction can be seen at the following venues:

October
29th London Kings Cross Cross Kings £5
31st Cheltenham The Walk the line festival £9.50/£14.50
November
09th Plymouth The skiving Scholar £5
11th Glastonbury The Riflemans Arms Free
14th Gloucester   Wired Showcase Guildhall   £6.50
16th Bath Weir Lounge Free Entry EP launch Party
18th London Shoreditch Bar Music Hall Free
27th Swansea Milkwoodjam £4

For more information check the Fighting Fiction mySpace page.