Three weeks ago ( this blog is nothing, if not current! ), Sarah and I went to our first gig of the year, and it was a belter! Our good friend Caz plays trombone for Gloucester's premier Reggae / Dub / Hip Hop outfit Dub Catalyst and we surprised her by turning up at this hot, sweaty gig in good ol' Bristol. ( Hopefully it was a nice surprise! ) The venue was Mr. Wolf's, a very hip 'n' groovy pub / nightclub in the St Nicholas area of the city. Support came from Yuzu Coulis, a Jazz / Soul three-piece who seemed very talented but whose music was just a little too laid back for my liking. I'd probably see them again but Sarah wasn't bothered. As they weren't the most exciting band to watch, we spent a bit of time catching up with Cazbo before she had to take to the ( extremely tiny ) stage...
Dub Catalyst somehow squeeeezed all ten band members ( including the probably superfluous tambourine player ) into the narrow space allotted them and proceeded to blow the roof off the gaff.
Their music is a red-hot gumbo of reggae/dub/hip hop/jazz groovyness, with positive vibes just beaming out of them. All incredibly talented musicians who clearly love what they do, Dub Catalyst instantly won over Mr. Wolf's clientele with their good-time dance music and mellow energy. Highlights were Coffee ( a hymn to staying caffeinated ) and the epic Return Of The Samurai, with some wonderful "rhyme saying" from rappin' / toastin' frontman JPDL. ( No, I don't know his real name, although Caz just calls him Dave. ) Pretty soon everyone was dancing, with Sarah and I bagging a spot at the front, until it got too hot for her and she had to duck out.
It was a fantastic gig to start the year and we're hoping to see the band again as soon as we can. In fact, only tonight the first bands were announced for this year's Wychwood Festival ( where we had such a great weekend last year ) and Dub Catalyst will be playing at that cool event in the Summer. Get your tickets now!
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