Lee Scratch Perry at Beatherder Festival 2017. (Photo by Bill Borez)
Some of you might wonder what happened with the Dub Pistols, the band I was a member of for over six years between 2011-2017. Last summer, just before I released my album Disturbed, I quietly left the band and passed the torch back to the living legend that is Jean Claude King, better known as Johnny Rockstar -the original guitar player in the Pistols. Johnny had had time off the road, working on his solo album with the Jap Sluts and was ready to get back into the battlefield. I, on the other hand, was feeling more and more that I was compromising my own music by spending so much time on the road: in travel, on planes, in hotel rooms and backstage at gigs….just waiting…..waiting for that one hour of music per night. I didn’t feel there was enough time in my year, or hours in the day, to be creative. The Dub Pistols is an extremely busy band and as with any ambitious band on a roll, time off (or sleep) is also not really a priority, which really can drive you mental at times. I felt it was time for a big change. Simply put I needed to follow my heart, move on and focus on my own thing. Not that my heart wasn’t in the Dub Pistols, it definitely was -it’s one of the best live bands I have ever played with- but I was never really a part of the creative process and I have always really enjoyed songwriting and producing, and I see that as that being one of my strongest suits. I also write a lot of songs that could never have been used in that context anyway.
It was mid July, we where once again halfway through a year with another amazing festival season. We had been playing around 35 festivals every year since I joined the band, had won several awards, the band seemed to be going from strength to strength and it had all been a fantastic journey to be a part of. But this year all my energy and headspace was filled up with the release of my own album. It had been building up over the previous years while I was working on my album -this feeling that I needed to be brave and step out with my own thing. You can continue to be a member of peoples bands your whole life, and it’s great to be a band member….but if you have something you strongly feel for and you want to go for it, you need to be brave, step up, and step out.
It was mid July, we where once again halfway through a year with another amazing festival season. We had been playing around 35 festivals every year since I joined the band, had won several awards, the band seemed to be going from strength to strength and it had all been a fantastic journey to be a part of. But this year all my energy and headspace was filled up with the release of my own album. It had been building up over the previous years while I was working on my album -this feeling that I needed to be brave and step out with my own thing. You can continue to be a member of peoples bands your whole life, and it’s great to be a band member….but if you have something you strongly feel for and you want to go for it, you need to be brave, step up, and step out.
Electric Castle, Romania 2017.
This summer I felt pressured and stressed and was probably not being completely reasonable to the people around me, which also resulted in some unreasonable arguments with members of the band and after a long hectic weekend, guided by sleep depravation, I sat down and wrote an email to Barry, drew a deep breath and pressed Send. I quit !
With the Cuban Brothers, Lagos, Portugal 2017.
Beatherder 2017 was my last gig as a regular member. It was a nice one to go out on. As always the festival had a great lineup and it was amazing to be sharing the stage with: Sugarhill Gang, Kelis, Trentemoller, Stereo MC’s and Adrian Sherwood etc. I was standing on the side of the stage when Toots and the Maytals went on. I smiled to Lee Scratch Perry, who later that day was performing with his own band and who was standing right next to me. The band started out and the crowd went wild. However, I wasn’t really feeling the vibe. There was something that wasn’t right, something that wasn’t grooving, it was sort of ok but not fantastic. I glanced over at Mr. Perry and caught his eye. He looked like he was feeling the same way. He hesitated for a second, but no longer than that, then he walked out on the stage and straight up to the bass player, whispered something in his ear and walked back to the spot next to me. The moment Lee had turned his back to the bass player the song just started grooving like MAD ! -I can’t put my finger on it, I’m a bass player myself and couldn’t hear any change in the notes….just in the swing. And I really can’t describe it. I leaned over to Lee and shouted over the music: “whatever you just said to him really did the trick”, and a big smile appeared on Lee’s face. -It was fantastic to see a master in action ! I regret I didn’t ask him what he had actually said.
Toots and The Metals, Beatherder 2017.
It was a hard to take the decision to leave the Pistols. Perhaps one of the hardest in my life. All I ever dreamed of was playing those big festival stages, the back stage craziness, the travels and the good vibes. But I have been lucky to have had a good long stint in the music business, and been up and down many times, and I know that sometimes it’s just time to move on from a situation…..
My highlights with Dub Pistols include: Beatherder Festival (I have played it five or six times, so can’t really decide which ones was the best), Glastonbury (especially the time we played Shangri-La Saturday at 2AM), headlining Splore Festival in New Zealand and Electric Castle in Rumania (again can’t pick which year was the best), Exit Festival in Serbia, Mumbai and Bangalore, Snowbombing in Switzerland, and of course some of those great, great nights at the smaller festivals and clubs all over the UK and Europe where magic just happens… -Oh yeah, the best gig might in fact have been that night we played at at a workingman’s club on the Isle Of White (The Legioneers perhaps….), on two (differently branded) floor monitors with one send and to small Mackie speakers as PA, performing to a double full 150 people capacity that went absolutely mad on the dancefloor! We could barely move on the tiny stage, we couldn’t hear our own instruments, but the vibe was amazing and it was so hot that the condensation of sweat from the crowd was dropping down on us like rain. The funniest thing was that after the gig Ben Elton (!) comes up to me, shakes my hand and says “I love you work mate” !!?….Like a spoof writer, straight out of a movie.
Of course I can remember many other great Dub Pistols gigs……but honestly, a lot of it all blends in to one after a while. You just move on to the next one.
My highlights with Dub Pistols include: Beatherder Festival (I have played it five or six times, so can’t really decide which ones was the best), Glastonbury (especially the time we played Shangri-La Saturday at 2AM), headlining Splore Festival in New Zealand and Electric Castle in Rumania (again can’t pick which year was the best), Exit Festival in Serbia, Mumbai and Bangalore, Snowbombing in Switzerland, and of course some of those great, great nights at the smaller festivals and clubs all over the UK and Europe where magic just happens… -Oh yeah, the best gig might in fact have been that night we played at at a workingman’s club on the Isle Of White (The Legioneers perhaps….), on two (differently branded) floor monitors with one send and to small Mackie speakers as PA, performing to a double full 150 people capacity that went absolutely mad on the dancefloor! We could barely move on the tiny stage, we couldn’t hear our own instruments, but the vibe was amazing and it was so hot that the condensation of sweat from the crowd was dropping down on us like rain. The funniest thing was that after the gig Ben Elton (!) comes up to me, shakes my hand and says “I love you work mate” !!?….Like a spoof writer, straight out of a movie.
Of course I can remember many other great Dub Pistols gigs……but honestly, a lot of it all blends in to one after a while. You just move on to the next one.
With Dub Pistols Barry Ashworth, Bosnia 2016
I would love to play with the Dub Pistols again, if just for a one nighter, a short string of dates, a tour or whatever. I’m sure it will happen one day as we all are on good terms…… But I’m in no rush, these guys will be family forever.
Lots and lots of love to my amazing amigos and pistoleros in the Dub Pistols: Barry Ashworth, Dave Budgen, Jack Cowens, Seanie T, Tim Hutton, Bill Borez, Johnny Rockstar, Steven “Saxby” Cracknell, Marcel “Sir Real” Atteen, Rodney P, Dan Bowskills, Dave Medland, Tom Bone etc etc.
Lots and lots of love to my amazing amigos and pistoleros in the Dub Pistols: Barry Ashworth, Dave Budgen, Jack Cowens, Seanie T, Tim Hutton, Bill Borez, Johnny Rockstar, Steven “Saxby” Cracknell, Marcel “Sir Real” Atteen, Rodney P, Dan Bowskills, Dave Medland, Tom Bone etc etc.
With Dub Pistols and friends, backstage 2017.
My next gig with my own songs will be in Copenhagen on April 26th at Zeppelin Bar on Vesterbro. Tickets can be bought at the door (50kr) or online at Billetto (+booking fee).
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