Following on from this year’s one off, never to be repeated, Battle of the Bass in Shoreditch, plans are afoot for another one. In Bristol.
Earlier this year Radical Dance Faction hosted an event that included a jam session with three bass players battleing it out on stage at the same time. Alongside RDF’s ‘Five Bands’ Dan, Youth and Jah Wobble took to the stage to shake the foundations of the Rich Mix in Shoreditch. Mark Stewart joined in to add some vocals.
We are now hearing rumblings that there will be a similar happening on 27th September in Bristol. No Jah Wobble this time; instead we get Segs from Ruts DC joining Dan and Youth to shake the walls of Babylon – and Bristol’s Fiddler.
Segs, along with Dave Ruffy, made up half of what many consider to be the greatest punk rhythm section of all time, The Ruts. Forty years on, Segs is still flying the flag with Ruts DC; a band that do not rest on their laurels and are still knocking out new original music. Much of it bass heavy dubs.
Youth’s relationship with RDF, which started many years ago, has been blossoming of late. Bass player with Killing Joke, for many years he has also been a DJ and producer, working with anybody who is anybody, including Pink Floyd. He produced RDF’s most recent album, Daydream Dystopia and was pivotal in making Chris Bowsher’s dream of a gig with three bass players come true, with the gig in Shoreditch earlier this year.
Dan Foster, RDF’s current bass man, has a bit of a pedigree himself. Dub the Earth, Pama International, the Sporadics are just three of the bands he has played with in recent years. If the Bristol gig follows the Shoreditch format, you will get a chance to witness him laying down bouncy rhythms for a full RDF set before doing battle with Segs and Youth to finish the night off.
Miss this, and miss a slice of history that will be talked about for years to come.