It's become a bit of a cliche/increasingly trite opening (delete according to your disposition) for me to start off any post with an apology for not keeping my blog up-to-date. You'll be pleased to know I'm not going to go down that route today. Instead, I'll like to tell you a bit about what I've been up to over the past couple of months.
Those of you who know me in real life or from Twitter are probably aware that back in May I undertook a pretty major life change and moved with my girlfriend from glorious South East London to England's second city, otherwise known as Birmingham.
The Tipping Point
Sadly the South Circular did not offer any such reassurance
We decided to make the switch for a few different reasons but probably the biggest one was quality of life. For the past couple of years it has seemed as though every weekend has involved travelling the length of the country to visit friends and family who lived outside of London. After a particularly nerve-shredding trip back along the South Circular after a friend's wedding in Stockton something inside us clicked. Wouldn't we be better off finding a way of living (and working) that didn't so closely resemble planes, trains and automobiles?
It was at this point that we started to seriously consider the possibility of moving out of London. To galvanise ourselves we made a pact; whoever landed a job first would determine where we ended up and the other would hand in their notice. Seeing as I was working freelance at the time I'm not sure it was the fairest of deals. Still, who am I to quibble when it give us the push to start believing we really could get our act together?
By some miracle, in next to no time I saw (well, technically it was Sarah ) a role going at Groundwork, the community charity with the green heart. Located in Birmingham and with the suitably on-trend words Innovation and Collaboration in the job title, it seemed like the perfect opportunity. I'm pleased to say I was called for an interview and, on the day, managed to woo the panel with my experience of social innovation and my fondness for all things Web 2.0 (I'm afraid to say I may even have bandied about this term ). All of a sudden, our dream of starting a new life outside of London was actually happening.
Keep It Moving
Moving day in Forest Hill. Note the Sainsbury's elephant bag.
In the interests of brevity and out of respect for you the reader it's probably best that I gloss over the shenanigans of our move. Sufficed to say, I'm very grateful to my big sister, who also lives in Birmingham, for letting us stay with her while we looked for a flat. I'm even more grateful to Sarah for the amazing work she did researching and viewing flats.
Since I Left You
London 2012 fever hits Birmingham
So what's been happening since I bid farewell to SE23? Mainly, I've been focused on settling into my new role at Groundwork. I'm still settling in but overall I love working for an organisation which has such a positive impact on local communities. If you're not a regular Gardener's World viewer (and if not, why not?), I highly recommend you check out the award-winning work superstar horticulturist Chris Beardshaw has been doing with Groundwork, as part of our Urban Oasis campaign.
Cliff working the crowd at the Olympic torch relay in Edgbaston
Other than work, I've been settling into life in Birmingham and taking advantage of the fact that both my sisters live in the city to enjoy more family time. So far, I'm finding Birmingham agrees with me. I can walk to work in the morning rather than squeeze onto the Overground And after work, I'm but a stone's throw a way from any number of lovely bars and restaurants. And while I'm not going to suggest Birmingham can match London for cultural happenings, I've already been able to get along to see some great live music, attended a design expo and an abstract photography course, saw Cliff light the Olympic torch and, just last night, an amazing British Reggae evening featuring the likes of Dennis Bovell and Steel Pulse. Not bad for Birmingham, eh?
Part of the Art In The Dancehall exhibition at The Drum in Aston, where I also saw Steel Pulse, Dennis Bovell and Tippa Irie
Looking ahead, I'm hopeful Sarah and I will settle into life in Birmingham and will be able to enjoy a good quality of life while still doing rewarding work. Now that I'm feeling more settled in Birmingham I hope to blog more frequently about the work I'm involved with at Groundwork and life in England's second city.
Last Friday I was deeply saddened to discover that Adam
Yauch had died, aged 47, after a three-year battle with cancer. Readers in
their 20s and 30s might know him better as MCA, founding member of
groundbreaking hip-hop group the Beastie Boys.
The Beastie Boys’ music and their approach to life in general had a profound
effect on me.
I’d like to pay my respects to MCA and to express my gratitude to him and his
band for making the world a better place. As I began to write this post I quickly realised I had more things I wanted to say than would fit in a regular post. To make things more digestible I have broken this post into three parts (which is kinda fitting), with
parts two and three to follow later this week.
The New Style
King of Indie and gatekeeper and my one-time musical guide, Steve Lamacq. Photo: Guardian
I first became aware of the Beasties Boys in early 1999. These were the days
before broadband and Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq was the (not all that) Cool Ruler of the
post-Britpop Indie music scene.
The song which hooked me was Remote Control, off of the Beasties’ chart-topping 1998 album,
Hello Nasty. Listening to the song again following the news of MCA’s death I
can see now that it is a quintessential Beastie Boys song. Shouty delivery? Check.
Obscure pop culture references? Check. Funky instrumentation, including fuzzed
out basslines courtesy of MCA? Yes indeed, this song has it all. While I would
go on to discover other Beastie Boys songs that I am fonder of today, Remote
Control showed me that you could be true to yourself musically and still have
fun. In short, the Beastie Boys led me to realise there was more to life than
Indie music and its all-too-often musical conservatism.
After hearing Remote Control on the radio I made my way to
my local Our Price to pick up Hello Nasty. After stumping up paying nearly £20
for an import copy of the album, I set about getting my money’s worth by familiarising
myself in all 22 of the album’s tracks.
At the risk of sounding cheesy, Hello Nasty was a revelation. Even before
listening to the album I was drawn into the Beastie Boys world by the album’s
sleeve. On the front cover there’s a picture of the three Beastie Boys in a
sardine can, seemingly hurtling towards the sun. But it was the reverse and
inner artwork which really drew me in, with the retro design representing each
of the album’s 22 songs as studio sound channels and school textbook-style
illustrations of the Beastie Boys’ studio/space station helping create a
self-contained universe for the band.
The future of retro-inspired design, circa 1998. Photo: hhv
Out of this world music. The Beastie Boys at work/play recording Hello Nasty. Photo: Snurfer
The music didn’t disappoint either. Opening track Super
Disco Breakin’ sets the template, with lyrics chiefly focused on the importance
of rocking the party and dense, multi layered sounds in support. You’ve
probably heard of and danced to the hit singles off the album such as Body
Movin’ and Intergalactic but over the space of 67 minutes the Beasties also do
a nice job of instrumental jazz, Brazilian grooves and reggae (Dr Lee, PhD featuring
the legendary Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry). Re-visiting the album over the weekend, I
was especially struck by the Bossa Nova homage of I don’t know, which tenderly sung by Yauch.
There’s so much more I could say about Hello Nasty and the
world it opened up to me but I think I’ll take Ice Cube’s evergreen advice and check myself before I wreck
myself. I would like to end by once again thanking Yauch and the Beastie
Boys for opening my ears to a whole new world of music and helping me keep my
teenage angst in check. MCA, you will be sorely missed.
For more information about Adam Yauch and the Beastie Boys, visit the official Beastie Boys website.
There is also a thoughtful obituary and archive materials on The Guardian.
Sly and Jasper relaxing on the set of Sly and Reggie's Dub Save The Queen video shoot
Okay, so I realised today that it's been the best part of a month since I last blogged on Intensely Relaxed. Appropriately enough, my last post was about life being what happens to you while you're making other plans (to blog about stuff). True to form, just as things have gotten interested I've gone quiet on the personal blogging front. So what's been happening, I hear you ask?
'Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans'. Photo: Swerdlow
The other Lennon
I believe it was John Lennon who sang ‘Life is what happens
to you while you’re busy making other plans to blog about stuff’. Regardless of
who said it, it would seem a universally acknowledged truth that the more
blog-worthy stuff you’re up to, the less inclined you are to find the time to
blog about it. All of which is a very round-about way of apologising for
failing to keep this blog up-to-date in recent weeks. (What do you mean you
hadn’t noticed?)
I briefly mentioned in my last post that I had the pleasure of finally meeting up with reggae poet Roy Gunter last Friday. Roy will be performing at the Roots of Reggae launch event. Ahead of Roy's performance this Saturday, I would like to tell you a little more about Roy and the role reggae and poetry has played in his life.
First Impressions
I first met Roy around the corner from Brixton Town Hall. Roy had just driven in from his home in Camberwell after a day at work. At first glance, Roy did not initially match my expectations of a what a poet, or indeed a reggae poet should look like.
I’m not entirely sure what I had expected Roy to look like but in my limited experience of poetry (which extends to being made to read them at school and attending a few hipster poetry readings hosted by Pen Pusher) I suppose I had expected one or few poetic affectations. Clearly, Roy didn’t seem to favour the cravat look sported by my old English teacher. Nor was he was working the rasta-inspired style I had seen Blacker Dread in. Instead, Roy looked like much like any other early middle-aged person I would have worked alongside during my days at Lambeth Council.
The contrast between all the amazing things I had heard about Roy and the regular person I first saw on Friday on Friday intrigued me. I wanted to know more about Roy and how he had become a reggae poet.
A life in Reggae
As I chatted to Roy as he gave me a lift back to Forest Hill, I was struck by how significant a role reggae has played in his life. As a teenager, Roy explained, he had been involved with sound systems. This led to working with many of the pioneers of the London reggae scene, including sound system leader and Roots of Reggae guest star Lloydie Coxsone. Back in the day Roy would even be called upon to tune-up the trucks that transported Lloydie Coxsone's sound system all around the country. Roy proudly recalled the nickname he earned, 'i-chanic' (a rasta-inspired take on mechanic), and the excitement of receiving ultra-exclusive dub plates of the latest tracks in return for his services.
From a young age Roy has enjoyed writing poetry. Gradually Roy began to combine his love of poetry with his passion for reggae, recognising putting his words to a beat enabled him to connect with a much broader audience than would otherwise read his poetry. This realisation has led Roy to produce an album of his poetry set to music, as well as two printed anthologies.
Connecting through Poetry
Whilst reggae is central to Roy’s outlook, from speaking to Roy I discovered his true calling in life is working with disadvantaged young people. Over the course of our journey Roy told me that he is a Youth Worker for Lambeth Council. His work regularly takes him into Young Offenders Institutions such as Feltham. Roy described to me the important role poetry can play in this work, encouraging angry and frustrated young men to reflect on their situation and channel their energy in positive ways. Roy beamed with pride as he told me how by writing poetry that is authentic to his life he has been able to connect with even the most disaffected young person and get them to imagine a brighter future is possible.
Roy’s Work
With just one day to go until Roy performs at the Roots of Reggae FREE launch event I don’t want to give too much away about Roy’s work. What I can do, however, is whet your appetite.
From spending some time this week reading and listening to Roy’s work, two things struck me. The first thing that struck me was the positive and universal message Roy delivers through his poetry. One of Roy’s anthologies is called Poetry of the World and in it he speaks with a sense of hopefulness on everything from slavery to a subject close to my own heart, The Troubles in Northern Ireland.
Roy Gunter - Brixton Riots
The other thing that struck me is how Roy’s poetry is enhanced by the addition of musical backing. And this is not just because his heavyweight reggae connections have resulted in collaborations with reggae legends such as The Congos and the late Sugar Minott. Listening to Roy’s album, the musical backings he has selected enhance the emotional resonance of his message. Highlights for me are the chilling and hypnotic dancehall track about the Brixton Riots and the spiritual ‘Agony & Shame’, a lament about the social problems black youth experience over a mellow roots tracks.
Roy Gunter - Agony & Shame (Performed by Leroy Jones)
If you’re planning to make it along to tomorrow’s Roots of Reggae launch event make sure to listen out for Roy Gunter, a true local legend!
@JoeSmithDesign Roots of Reggae poster on display at Supertone's Store, Acre Lane, Brixton
It's been an enjoyably hectic couple of weeks or so since my last proper post so I thought I had better get another one written before my thoughts take on a rose-tinted hew and (to continue with the colour theme) my anger at the Coalition's plans to privatise the NHS simply becomes just another grey hair on my weary head.
So where to begin? Gainful employment seems a reassuringly sensible place to start so here goes.
Experience is Everything
A poster which caught my eye whilst on location at James Cake hospital in Middlesbrough
Last time I mentioned I'd picked up some freelance project work with thinkpublic. With much fanfare I can now reveal I've been leading on a piece of work with the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement. The project is looking at how staff and patients experience either delivering or receiving Ambulatory Care services and exploring with them how, in future, we can build better processes for capturing and understanding these experiences in order to improve how services are designed and delivered.
Exploring how staff and patients experience and feel about services is a really powerful way of involving them in identifying and co-designing service improvements. The project is still ongoing but already we have identified lots of new areas for improvement and, more importantly, got people believing that they have the power to improve health services. You can read more about the project, including an explanation of what Ambulatory Care actually means, in the blog I wrote for thinkpublic.
Guardianista Profiling
An ambition realised: my profile on The Guardian Website
Besides the work for thinkpublic, I'm also proud of the article on co-production which I recently wrote for The Guardian local government network. For the 90 per cent of the population who don't and should never have to know what the term means, co-production simply describes sharing the design and the delivery of public services with users. The article is based on my experience of attending a leadership network event designed to give officers of Lambeth Council the confidence to work in more collaborative ways with their citizens. You can the full piece here.
I am also pleased to have recently connected with the social enterprise Spots of Time, whose mission is to make it easy for all of us for volunteering our time in fun, bite-sized ways. Rather like the work I've been doing with The Amazings, my involvement with Spots of Time is strictly pro bono for now (and I HATE U2) but hopefully there will be more formal opportunities as the organisation grows and connects with different communities. Watch this space for how things progress.
Roots of Reggae
An even greater ambition realised: Roots of Reggae blowing up the spot at Sainsbury's Forest Hill
Those of you with the good fortune to have spent any time in my company or read my Tweets may well have heard of a little project I'm developing in my spare time called Roots of Reggae. I don't want to go overboard in this post but here are a few key milestones:
Age UK Lambeth have endorsed the project, which should help attract an older crowd than might otherwise get along to the Ritzy Brixton.
For the next week or so I'll be working hard to ensure the Roots of Reggae launch is a success. I'll look to write a separate post this weekend on my experiences of developing the project. Other than that, I'm looking to continue with the freelance work whilst looking for new opportunities.
You can follow developments with Roots of Reggae on Twitter @RootsofReggae but to really get what I'm talking about make sure to get along to the FREE launch event on the afternoon of Saturday 3rd December.
Hopefully a good few of you will know this already but I thought it would be worth confirming that my plans for Dub Revolution have really taken off and I am now holding the FREE launch event for the project in Brixton on Saturday 3rd December.
The event, now called Roots of Reggae, will bring people of all ages together to celebrate reggae music and culture. The event takes places Upstairs at the Ritzy Brixton on Saturday 3rd December, 3 – 7pm. Roots of Reggae is a FREE community event and has been developed with the kind support of Ritzy Brixton cinema and the charity Age UK Lambeth.
Brixton and reggae go hand in hand and Roots of Reggae brings this local scene to life. Older people are invited to come along, enjoy some great music and share their memories. For younger people, the event offers a unique chance to hear music from reggae’s golden age in the company of pioneers of the Brixton scene. Roots of Reggae offers an afternoon of live performances and DJ sets. Confirmed acts include: Sly and Reggie (Suburban Pirate), Mistah-Brown Selector (Tighten-Up Crew), DJ Keith Lawrence (Colourful Radio) and MC DaddyRanks and reggae poet Roy Gunter. We are also expecting sound system legend Lloydie Coxsone (Sir Coxsone Sound) to share his memories of reggae music. Guests will also have the chance to share their own memories of reggae music and Brixton’s past.
To find out how to get to the Ritzy Brixton, click here.
Roots of Reggae is designed to be accessible for all. Ritzy Brixton is an accessible venue.
For further information about the event please contact Francis Clarke on 07749374339 or clarke.francisg@gmail.com or visit ourFacebook page.
For latest updates and to share your ideas for future events, follow us on Twitter @RootsofReggae
It is fair to say there has been an explosion of interest in my Roots of Reggae project of late. Photo: jovike / Flickr
It was Harold Wilson who said 'a week is a long time in politics'. That was before Twitter, Facebook and this blog you're reading (or at least skimming out of a mistaken sense of obligation), however. And so with it approaching nearly two weeks since I last blogged, I think it's more fitting to reach for James Todd Smith (aka LL Cool J)'s memorable lyric, 'Don't call it a comeback, I've been here for years'.
Now that I've publicly aired the shame I feel for not having taken the time to blog, I suppose I ought to at least explain what's been happening to me when I've been busy making other plans. So as not to strat too far from structural convention, I'll break these up into three themes: paid work; personal projects; and my so-called life.
Paid work
As briefly mentioned last time, I was pleased to pick up some freelance project management work from my old full-time employers, thinkpublic. The project I have been working on is still under wraps so unfortunately I can't say loads about it here. What I can say, however, is that is has been great to be working again with old colleagues and gaining more in-depth of a new policy area for me. I've written a blog post for thinkpublic about this work and will include a link to this once it has been published.
Running alongside this work for thinkpublic have been a number of other positive developments on the work front. Last week I was offered the chance to become an Associate of an ethically-driven consultancy firm. I am very pleased about this as it should allow me to apply the ways of working I enhanced at thinkpublic within a more political/policy-focused environment. I also had the chance to attend a European conference on Social Franchising on behalf of an Associate of thinkpublic. Not only was this a chance to learn more about an increasingly talked-about subject, it also led to some new introductions which should hopefully produce opportunities to get involved in other projects.Again, watch this space for more on how these things develop.
Personal projects
As things have picked up on the work front I have made a conscious effort not to let my commitments to outside projects fall by the wayside. Most significantly, the momentum for my reggae and dub-centred community project is gathering apace. The project now has a name: Roots of Reggae, as well as its own Twitter handle (@RootsofReggae) and blog (Roots of Reggae blog). The Ritzy cinema in Brixton are kindly supporting the project. I also have a date and venue for the FREE launch event, which will take place at the Ritzy Brixton on Saturday 3rd December, 3-7 pm. I have even secured a live dub performance from East Dulwich's finest Sly & Reggie, no less. You can find out more and sign up to attend via Facebook at: Roots of Reggae FREE launch.
Jules and Katie manning The Amazings' stall on Chatsworth Road Market
Besides my work on Roots of Reggae, I've also continued to help out on The Amazings, the East London-based social enterprise that helps people who are about to retire or have retired create amazing experiences with the skills, knowledge and passion they’ve picked up throughout their life. It was through this connection that I found myself last Sunday morning on the newly re-activated Chatsworth Road Market, where we managed to sell two tickets and harvested a good number of sign-ups for the service's newsletter. As with Roots of Reggae, I've found working on The Amazings to be a really rewarding experience, even when faced with less than amazing early morning weekend starts.
My so-called life
That Viking sure was funky. The Band Plays On at Brockley Market
Although the past couple of weeks have been very exciting and rewarding, I have sometimes found it challenging to adjust to flexible and often home-based working. When I working full-time for thinkpublic there would be a clear distinction between work and home-life, give or take the odd early start or late-night deadline. Now the line between work and home is less sharp and I find myself working on my laptop when really I should be having some switch-off time. Don't get me wrong, I've still made time for the finer things in life, such as seeing a friend perform in the musical Bye Bye Birdie (oh yes) and even a trip to the new Brockley Market, but over the next few weeks I want to make sure I find the time to relax and enjoy life, whether that's in Forest Hill or the wider world.
Next steps
Sarah and I are off to Newcastle this weekend for a friend's a wedding. After that, I'll be briefly back in London before heading up to Middlesbrough as part of my work for thinkpublic. With a bit of luck I'll have the chance to write a blog next week and, who knows, I'll maybe even throw in a picture of the famous Transporter Bridge.
A Soundtrack to celebrate Roots of Reggae getting a confirmed date
To celebrate the progress I've made on my Roots of Reggae project I thought I would share with you an upbeat selection of tunes.
Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People.
Sure, it's at the very poppy end of pop-reggae but who cares? A song when things in life are going well.
U Roy & Lee 'Scratch' Perry - Double Six.
Ignore the iffy visuals and enjoy the nicely mellow toasting by U Roy over a surprisingly modern sounding synth line. Electro-pop reggae, anyone?
Wayne Smith - Under Mi Sleng Teng
This song is arguably the first all-digital dancehall track. Produced by Prince Jammy, it pretty much revolutionised Jamaican music. I normally stick to 70s roots material but this song is just so catchy you can't resist. If you like this song you should check out the Tighten-Up Crew's gig this Friday in Finsbury Park: Tighten-Up Crew gig.
Gloria (right) and other members of the Vida Walsh centre enjoying Solid Gold: Music from the 50s, 60s and 70s
One of the main reasons I set up the Intensely Relaxed blog was to capture my thoughts and feelings about the changes I am currently making in my career. I think Bowie may have hit the nail on the head when he said, 'every time I thought I'd got it made, it seemed the taste was not so sweet'. Nonetheless, I've got to say this past week has definitely been one of the sweeter ones of my life, and I'd like to use this post to explain why.
As part of a long standing in-joke, Natalie, a good friend of Sarah's will often ask, what's been your champagne moment of the weekend/holiday/trip to Sainsbury's?* (*delete as appropriate.) I'm not going to explain why she does this but, trust me, it can be a surprisingly entertaining line of questioning. If pushed to answer this question, my sensible side would probably say my champagne moment was contributing as an external expert to an event on co-production Lambeth Council had organised, as part of its work to deliver on its goal of becoming a co-operative council.
Returning to my old stomping ground of Lambeth Town Hall as a guest brought home to me how committed I remain to local government. Even more than this, however, it also confirmed how much I have changed and developed as a result of having the chance to work for organisations such as FutureGov and thinkpublic over the past year. This event, together with a a number of other promising developments on the work front this week, has given me renewed belief that I can turn the changes that I am currently experiences into positive new opportunities.
As important as today's event at Lambeth Town Hall was, from a purely personal standpoint, my champagne moment (or should that really be cava or even Lambrini, given the current parlous economic situation?) actually occurred earlier in the week, when I stopped by Age UK'sVida Walsh centre in Brixton to attend the Solid Gold: music from the 50s, 60s and 70s music afternoon. The session provided me a great opportunity to find out about how older people feel about music and find out what they make of plans to bring older and younger people together through the power of reggae and dub.
Situated just off of Windrush Square, the Vida Walsh centre provides a range of activities for people over 55. Upon entering the centre, two things struck me. First and most importantly was the warmth of the staff who run the centre. Erica Tate, the centre's manager, thanked me for visiting and immediately made me feel part of the team. I also greatly enjoyed chatting with Trevor, who oversees the kitchen, not to mention Joyce, who plied me with more patties than one person should ever eat in one sitting. The second thing thing that struck me was, the actual warmth of the centre. Age UK definitely like to keep the place toasty - check the thermostat if you don't believe me.
Keeping things toasty at Vida's
Once I'd acclimatised to the room, I set about testing out my plans for a reggae and dub-based project with members of the centre. Recognising I was a guest at members' music session, I did this in a low-key way, focusing on ensuring members were enjoying themselves and making the most of opportunities to informally discuss my ideas. To this end, I took on the role of DJ (or should that be selector?), asking members to suggest songs, which either myself or Erica would then find on YouTube and play via a surprisingly nifty set-up comprised of a laptop, video projector and portable speakers.
Centre manager Erica enjoying the music
While I had come along to the session with the intention of road-testing older people’s reaction to vintage ska, reggae and dub sounds, it soon became apparent that members’ tastes were surprisingly eclectic. So while Sound Dimension’s Real Rock instantly elicited some top skanking from Eric and even an impromptu toast from Trevor, Violet was just as pleased to hear Abba kick it it far from freestyle with Dancing Queen. Whether it was Gloria’s sweet singing along to Harry Belafonte’s surprisingly suggestive Jump In The Line or Joan doing Karaoke to Elvis’ The Wonder of You, it was clear how much music meant to everyone at Vida’s. And yes, I’ll admit it, after some initial trepidation over losing my carefully cultivated indie image, I found myself enjoying even the more syrupy numbers in the infectious company of the staff and members of Vida’s.
Violet, Joyce and Pat enjoy the tombola raffle
So what does my experience of Vida’s mean for my plans to use the power of reggae and dub to bring older and young people together? In pretty good shape, actually. In between lining up the selections I managed to have a chat with quite a few people about my plans and everyone was very encouraging about my ideas and expressed interest in attending a community-based event.
Some of the songs requested
While it is clear from the requests we received from Vida’s members that not everyone is a fan of reggae and dub, for those who had grown up with the music, my selections hit a nerve and sparked memories (to mix metaphors) of family life and good times. Although I do believe Erica is right to adopt an eclectic music policy for the Solid Gold session, I am not entirely convinced sure shots from the likes of UB40 and Shirley Temple would bring in the younger people I am also looking to engage through my project. Instead, I believe by deliberately focusing on reggae and dub I will be able to attract both older and younger fans of the music.
Thanks for sticking with me for what’s turned out to be a rather epic blog post. Still, how many other blogs do you know of that can turn you onto everything from David Bowie to Harry Belafonte and Shirley Temple by way of Sound Dimension? On second thought, maybe don’t answer that question ...
The sounds of Vida's
Sound Dimension - Real Rock. An absolute classic from Studio One. I used this as a statement of intent and it got Erica and Trevor moving and grooving.
Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line. Requested by Gloria. This really got members of Vida's going. The message of 'shake, shake, shake seniora' shows that pop music really hasn't changed all that much in the past 50 years.
Shirley Temple - On The Good Ship Lollypop. One of the more sugary numbers selected but, heh, what do I know?
Elvis Presley - The Wonder of You. Joan gave a great karaoke performance to this number.
UB40 - Red Red Wine. What can you say about UB40 that hasn't been said before? Yes, they may have have only recently been declared bankrupt but there was no sign that this affected their popularity at Vida's. For me, Red Red Wine is a true guilty pleasure.
Labi Siffri - Something Inside So Strong. A moving song and a Magic FM classic to boot. As requested by Pat.
Abba - Dancing Queen. Violet was keen to hear as many Abba songs as possible. Here's one of them.
John Holt - Mr Bojangles. A nice slice of pop-reggae as selected by Erica.
Theo Beckford - Easy Snapping. I learned from Erica that this song falls is technically blue-beat and not reggae. Apparently blue-beat is the link between ska and reggae.
Billie Holiday - God Bless The Child. Erica is a big jazz fan and enjoyed sharing with members three different versions of God Bless The Child. Two more to follow.
Stevie Wonder - God Bless The Child. This is more my cup of tea. Stevie smooths things out with his cover.
Jill Scott - God Bless The Child. A fresh, neo-soul take on a jazz classic. Gotta love Jill Scott.
I had originally intended to use this week's post simply to capture the solid progress I'm making on my Dub Revolution but after attending DJ David Katz' Dub Me Always last night Upstairs at the Brixton Ritzy I felt compelled to do something completely different. Luckily, the feeling soon passed so I am still able to provide you with an update on where things are at, project-wise. But before I do that, please indulge me a little as I share my thoughts on why Dub Me Always is such as special night.
Dub be good to me
The flyer for Dub Me Always describes the night as a 'reggae and dub extravaganza'. And for once a flyer delivered. After making my past the regular Ritzy crowd of cinema-goers we followed the low-key sign for the night and headed upstairs. There, we were greeted by the warm sound of vintage vinyl, with DJ David Katz sharing some of his rare and not-so-rare selections that stretched across rocksteady, reggae and dub. David delved deep into some heavy dub, all the while keeping things melodic and, dare I say it, infused with a jazz sensibility.
Besides the first-rate music being served up, Dub Me Always was notable for it's relaxed and friendly crowd. While I appreciate a gathering of people in the upstairs space of an independent cinema in the middle of the week is always going to feel more chilled out than a trip to Liquid on a Friday night, I was pleasantly surprised by the distinct lack of any hipster pretension that sometimes comes with specialist music nights. Instead, Dub Me Always attracted an unshowy crowd from a range of different ages and backgrounds who were clearly hear to enjoy some good music and good company.
Observing The Observer
(Left to Right) Bunny 'Striker' Lee, DJ David Katz and Niney The Observer. Photo: Louis Rougier
Whilst the music and mood clearly make Dub Me Always a great fixture on the London music scene, what made last night particularly special were the living legends of reggae and dub in the audience. After sitting down with a beer I couldn't help but overhear the conversation of a group of older men and the recurrence of the nickname 'Niney'. Surely that couldn't be the legendary Niney The Observer, producer of some of the finest dub alongside King Tubby? And who's that old guy with a yachtsman's cap on? He looks kinda familiar. And come to think of it, the nickname Tapper rings a bell too.
After catching up with David I subsequently discovered that the group we had been sat next to did include some bona fide legends, namely Niney The Observer, Bunny Lee (sporting the cap) and Tapper Zukie. Although I was too awed to introduce myself to them, it was still great just to see them hanging out and having a laugh with each other as old friends. Seeing how much these living legends were appreciated by the younger audience makes me even more committed to making a go of my own project, which aims to use dub to bring people from different backgrounds together.
Next steps for Dub Revolution
I'll look to provide a fuller update on my Dub Revolution in my next post but, for now, I just want to let you know that things are looking good.
Over the past week or so I've continued to build better links with the London reggae scene, most notably connecting with Sly and Reggie of The Suburban Pirate fame. I've also arranged to visit a music club for older people run by Age UK in Brixton, where I'm hoping I will get lots of valuable ideas on what older people think of my project. Lastly, I have also been exploring opportunties to partner with other organisations that are operating in a similar space.
All in all, I am really enjoying developing the project and have been blown away by the goodwill I have received from the people I have spoken with. Fingers-crossed I will be in a position to make some big announcements about the project within the next couple of weeks.
Watch this space ...
Every revolution needs a soundtrack
There were so many good songs at last night's event but, for me, the one that really stood out was Niney The Observer's cracking take on Sly and The Family Stone's Everyday People. Enjoy:
Mikey Dread selecting a track at Notting Hill Carnival, 2008. Source: Pyrere, Flickr
A couple of weeks back I used this blog to float an idea I had for using reggae and dub music to bring people from different backgrounds together to build a better society. You can read the post here.
I am pleased to say I received a positive initial response to my idea, with colleagues and peers in the social innovation sector expressing interest in helping me to develop it, and friends and family engaging with the idea in a way that extended beyond the polite, 'that's nice, Francis'. This has given me the confidence to actively work on bringing my project to life.
I recognise that a key factor in the success of the project will be gaining the support of people with credibility in the London reggae and dub scenes. To this end, I set about pitching my project to two individuals I greatly respect: DJ David Katz and Don Letts.
Unless you’re into dub in a fairly major way, the name DJ David Katz may not mean much to you. Fans of the music, however, will know him, amongst other things, as the acclaimed biographer of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, host of the Dub Me Always night at the Brixton Ritzy, and Guardian contributor. David wrote a great book called Solid Foundation, based on in-depth interviews with key figures in reggae. David’s strong relationships with many of the scene’s key players in London could play a key role in my project’s success.
The second name on my list, Don Letts, is probably more of a household name. You may have caught Don’s excellent Culture ClashRadio on BBC 6Music. Don has played a crucial role in bringing people from different backgrounds together through the love of music. Back in the day, Don is credited for introducing punks to the joys of reggae and dub, a move that helped foster Rock Against Racism, not to mention improving the danceability of a lot of rock music. He also played with Mick Jones in the 80s as Bad Audio Dynamite, a band which was pioneering in its fusion of musical styles. I would love him to advise on my project’s development.
Meatloaf once famously/infamously sang Two out of Three Ain’t Bad. While I can’t quite lay claim to this level of success from contacting David and Don, I’m pleased with the response I’ve received so far. David has been supportive about my plans and put me in touch with a person who has put on similar music-based project in the past. He has also offered to have a chat with me about the project at his next Dub Me Always night at the Brixton Ritzy on 12th October. I’ve not yet heard back from Don but I am hopeful I will receive a response from him shortly.
Now that I have established that there is interest in my project, the next step will be to work collaboratively to develop and refine my ideas for what the project should focus on. Right now, I am particularly interested in the possibility of bringing older reggae and dub pioneers together to share their first-hand experiences with younger fans of the music. As ever, I would any ideas you have for how reggae and dub music can bring people from different backgrounds together.
Project Development deserves a Soundtrack: Songs to keep a Dub Revolution Alive
Brent Dowe (produced by Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry) – Down Here in Babylon.
An inspiring song urging people to rise above the everyday struggles of life. Not sure I can sign up to the Rasta promised land but I can certainly relate to the social justice theme.
King Tubby – Dancing Version
A nice example of vocal dub. Nicely describes the experience of going to a King Tubby’sHiFi session in the 70s.
The Pioneers – Long Shot (Kick The Bucket)
Dub is great and all but sometimes it’s nice to mix things up and listen to an uplifting early reggae track. If this doesn’t put you in a good mood, nothing will.
