Overview
The Hippo is Proud to Present:
DUB PISTOLS
http://www.myspace.com/thedubpistols
Tickets £8
Doors 8pm
Tickets available at Face Value From:
http://www.hippolive.co.uk
Bigga Records, Vibes Music, Really Good Records and RAW
The Dub Pistols 4th album, Rum & Coke, continues their journey, this time using grooves more as vehicles for a songwriting frenzy which has resulted in their most assured, mature and, yep, commercial album yet. With a startling array of guests, including cool ruler Gregory Isaacs, Beats International’s Lindy Layton, acid house pioneer Justin Robertson and Ashley Slater of Freak Power they’ve refined the multi-hued excursions of previous album Speakers And Tweeters and emerged as a cutting-edge modern pop group without losing the danger, humour and mania.
Renowned trombonist Ashley Slater, of Freak Power fame alongside Norman Cook, sings on the album’s opening track and first single ‘Back To Daylight’, a richly-melodic summer strut riding a smile-inducing bassline. He also lends his tones to the album’s most adventurous track, ’Song For The Summer’, a smokey ballad which closes the album as a necessary calm after the various storms and skank attacks which have gone before. Maybe an even bigger shock is veteran acid house DJ-producer Justin Robertson unleashing a sturdy singing voice on the buoyant 80s-recalling pop of ‘Keep The Fire Burning’. “Justin was a real cool guy to work with,” says Barry. “The boy can sing! He’s also done a remix of the first single from the album which is just fucking mindblowing: a full on in-your-face club anthem. He’s really easy to work with: good songwriter, good voice with that New Order Manchester feel to it.”
Lindy Layton, another former Cook cohort hitting number one in 1990 with Beats International’s ‘Dub Be Good To Me’, makes a surprise return on a sublime reggae-bedrocked romp through Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King’s heavenly disco-boogie classic ‘I’m In Love’, which will fulfil a sure-fire destiny as the album’s second single. Few bands can raise a roof or ignite a festival crowd with more rabble-rousing aplomb than this crew. Barry, who still DJs relentless with the Dub Pistols Soundsystem, predicts that the Specials shows will be, “some of the best nights of my life”. They then go on tour before facing a hectic string of festival dates, including Glastonbury, Bestival, Glade, Beautiful Day, Rock Ness and Bloom.
