Gentleman's Dub Club

Pre-event review (21st November 2010)

Gentleman’s Dub Club is a 9-piece dub band hailing from Leeds, whose extensive touring since 2006 has earned them some serious recognition as a result of playing alongside such big names as The Streets, Roots Manuva, The Wailers and Finlay Quaye.

My own experience of their performance at Bestival 2010 (Isle of Wight) was a phenomenally exciting hour of insight into a style of music so entirely different to the often misconstrued umbrella term ‘dubstep’ that it’s a wonder anyone ever got dub and dubstep confused at all. With aspects of ska rolling through the sounds of alto sax, trumpets, swinging guitars and melodic keyboards, GDC’s appearance onstage after several hours of (some say) repetitive drum & bass was refreshing.

Employing a mixture of old-style reggae beats and vocals with modern day digital sampling and scratching, their 2009 release ‘Members Only’ did not exhibit a step back into 1960s dub music, but instead a step forward, incorporating all these factors and finding a new niche.

Their 2010 November/December tour looks set to bring this new combination sound to all corners of the UK; from Bath to Cardiff, via Oxford, Brighton, Nottingham and Liverpool, to name but a few. Introducing their many members to Oxford’s very own close-fitting underground venue The Cellar this Sunday the 21st November will certainly be a sight to see after their festival appearances. In this gentlemanly fashion, the tour’s generous outreach will surely enlighten many unknowing souls by introducing them to the art of authentically heavy yet cheerfully melodic dub-ska-reggae sounds.

Gentleman’s Dub Club is a nine-piece band with a style based in dub, ska and roots in reggae. They release their first single ’Emergency’ this November amidst a hectic UK tour. GDC burst onto the UK circuit in 2006, after meeting and forming at Leeds University. Combining tight grooves and a heavyweight sound, Gentleman’s Dub Club bring the party to crowds of all ages hungry for a dance floor workout, with their gigs often ending in a frenzied mosh pit reminiscent of a mid 80’s ska night. Live effects and mixing make for a crystal clear sound, and the band’s larger than life stage presence makes for a mesmeris-ing experience.

New single ‘Emergency’ is a fast-paced, energetic first offering from the band who give dub music a fresh makeover, introducing new audiences to their eclectic sound. ‘Emergency’ contains all the ingredients you’d expect from the GDC: razor sharp horns, pumping bass lines, an anthemic chorus, and a groove straight from the gutter. Currently working on their first studio album, and spurred on by the recent surge in sound system culture, the GDC are concentrating on translating their explosive live sound onto record.

http://www.myspace.com/gentlemansdubclub
- Music Vita