Dub Pistols + Royal Dub Collective

Dub Pistols Brighton

Dub Pistols live in Brighton at Concorde 2 on 13th December  2024! Get tickets above, or from: SeeTickets

Not many acts stay together for a quarter of a century and still remain firing on all cylinders. But the Dub Pistols juggernaut rolls on, exploring fresh sonic pastures and accelerating into 2022 — their 25th anniversary, their Silver Jubilee — like there’s no tomorrow.

The Dubs may have had an easier ride of it if they’d been a cartoon band like Gorillaz. There wouldn’t have been assorted band member casualties along the way, for starters, as life on the road took its toll. The multi-cultural collective has involved dozens of artists and musicians over the years — some remaining for years, a few for the duration, and others just popping in for a guest appearance. Their sound has accordingly morphed a variety of times since their inception: taking in dub, punk, jungle, ska, breakbeat, hip-hop and a whole lot more, it’s been a long road travelled.

Throughout an eight-album career and literally thousands of shows, the band has rolled with the punches — enduring setbacks and fuck-ups before piecing themselves back together and morphing into one of the most loved and enduring festival bands on the circuit. Hardest-working band in showbiz doesn’t even cover it.

The genesis of the Dub Pistols began when former club promoter and Deja Vu singer Barry Ashworth started DJing in the mid-90s. Unable to mix records properly at first, Barry got assorted pals to scratch and play horns over the top of his sets. Inspired by the anything-goes attitude of the late 90s genre that came to be called big beat in the UK — acts like the Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and Propellerheads, labels such as Wall Of Sound and Skint — Barry was drawn to start making tracks for his DJ sets, alongside long-term cohort Jason O’Bryan. Polyrhythmic first offering ‘There’s Gonna Be A Riot’ was signed by Concrete Records, and a string of missives followed in its wake — ‘Best Get Better’, the explosive ‘Westway EP’, and then a chipper ‘Cyclone’, which dented the UK national charts.

As the noughties unfolded, Terry Hall started doing shows with the Dubs and featuring on new tracks such as ‘Running From The Thoughts’, ‘Peaches’ and their cover of ‘Rapture’ by Blondie. The rapturous reception Terry received when he appeared with the Dubs alongside his other former Specials bandmate Lynval Golding at the Rise anti-racism festival in London in 2008 was a major factor in The Specials reforming later that year.

Now signed to Sunday Best Recordings, the Dub Pistols by now had become adept at co-opting people into their collective, and for next album ‘Rum & Coke’ they recruited former Freak Power man Ashley Slater, Lindy Layton from Beats International, DJ/producer Justin Robertson and UK hip-hop pioneer Rodney P. Part-recorded in Barbados, where — like their friends Happy Mondays before them — “the wheels fell off the band” while they were out there, according to Barry, it captured the band at the height of their renegade hedonism.

Fast-forward to 2022 and the Dubs are celebrating 25 years of riotous mayhem and righteous marauding with a new album, a documentary, another festival, and a whole lot more. It’s their Silver Jubilee — 25 not out. But who’s counting?

+ Royal Dub Collective: Royal Dub Collective is the creation of producers Jon Austin and Brendon Faulknor, bringing a regal mix of reggae, dub, light drum & bass, electronica, hip hop and neo soul. They have worked on remixes from established artists including Dub Pistols, Dutty Moonshine, Dubmatix, ParlyB and more. The ten-piece collective includes lead vocalist and songwriter Zen Lewis with addition vocals from Ellie Jamison, Jon Austin on guitar, Brendon Faulknor on bass, Tom, Jago & Daniel providing classic brass tones, Ivan Cera on keys, Barry on Percussion and Ian on drums. This Brighton based band has a sound that ranges from laid back tunes to high energy floor fillers, combining influences from Fat Freddy’s Drop, Flox, Kingfisha, Gentlemen’s Dub Club, Dub Pistols and many more.

Each live show has a unique flavour with professionally recorded backing tracks adding an extra dimension to the sound. Royal Dub Collective are the perfect choice for festivals andvenues wanting to get the party started!

Fully accessible to wheelchairs, all on one level. Gendered toilets. If you require a carer at the venue, please contact us at info@lovethyneighbourmusic.co.uk for guestlist, with evidence such as a blue badge or access card. If strobe lighting is an issue or if standing for long periods of time is an issue, please contact us in advance. More information: https://www.concorde2.co.uk/faq 

Dub Pistols Brighton

Dub Pistols Brighton