9-PIECE DUB, SKA, ROOTS AND REGGAE BAND, GENTLEMAN’S
DUB CLUB ARE CAUSING A STIR WITH THEIR HIGH-POWERED
LIVE SHOWS AND ZESTY TUNES. EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW
THE BAND WELL, YOU’VE PROBABLY HEARD ‘HIGH GRADE’,
‘EMERGENCY’ AND ‘RIOT’. HAVING SUPPORTED THE LIKES OF
MADNESS, ROOTS MANUVA, THE STREETS AND BOB MARLEY’S
OLD BUDDIES THE WAILERS, THE BAND SHOOK UP THE SUMMER
2013 FESTIVAL CIRCUIT – UK AND BEYOND – AND WENT RUNNING
KNEES-UP INTO THEIR AUTUMN 2013 UK TOUR.
GENTLEMAN’S DUB CLUB
AFS: Hi Johnny, thanks for talking with
us. First, as a band you guys met at
university didn’t you? Can you tell me
how it was being students together and
what you got up to.
Johnny: Yeah, we all met while studying
in Leeds; half went to Leeds College
of Music and the rest to study various
courses at the Uni. University in Leeds
was all about the music. It’s such a
great place for new music, house parties
and the selection of clubs. All of course
dwarf’d by the mighty Subdub; that’s
were our unquenchable love of dub
music come from.
F: When I went to the open day,
everything the lecturer said answered
my questions in detail, and the classes
were smaller and more intimate than
other universities I had looked at, which
appealed to me.
AFS: You’re a nine-piece band which
must be tricky to manage at times. Do
you think the fact you were students
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www.accommodationforstudents.com
together has helped you stay so tight?
Johnny: I suppose we’re just very
fortunate in that we met at that time
in our life when we were at uni. Then,
you make very strong connections with
people and you can’t just sack that off.
It’s part of you. If someone annoys you or
a situation annoys you, you just remind
yourself that you’re there because of
that person. Ultimately we are one pretty
happy family.
AFS: Name me one horror story from
being a student.
Johnny: One particularly big night I
ended up physically sick after drinking
the beer I had been using as an ashtray for the last two hours...
AFS: Your debut album ‘FOURty
FOUR’ recently hit shelves (strongly
recommended!). Why did you call the
new album ‘FOURty FOUR’?
Johnny: It is the number of the house
we first started rehearsing at. I guess