Father and son share a love for all things dub

It's a family thing for a musical father and son who are bringing the best of dub to a new club night in Lancaster.
Steve and Samson JarvisSteve and Samson Jarvis
Steve and Samson Jarvis

DJs Steve and Samson Jarvis are launching the First Friday Dub Club at The Apothecary on December 2.

The event is born out of a passion for dub and reggae music styles, which they have travelled up and down the country to experience over recent years. Steve, 53 – stage name Daddy Jah.Vis – said the time is right for a dub reggae revival in Lancaster.

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He said: “Everywhere we’re going we’re seeing young people packing out reggae and dub gigs, getting themselves educated. So we thought Lancaster needs it’s own night.”

Lee Scratch PerryLee Scratch Perry
Lee Scratch Perry

Steve has been buying records since 1980 and set up Lancaster’s One Love Soundsystem in 1991.

He said: “One Love used to have a residency at The Alex in Penny Street every fortnight, after we first set it up at Misfit City in King Street. It was a real reggae town and then it just sort of stopped.

“So I crossed over to doing funk and soul nights and I still do them at The Golden Lion, but I now feel it’s time for a little reggae revival.

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“Samson has grown up loving it as much as I do, and now he’s into the more modern digital side of it. I’ve got all the original dub from the late 60s and 70s so I’d love to see a cross-generational dance floor, with Samson’s age group mixing with all my lot in their 50s.”

Lee Scratch PerryLee Scratch Perry
Lee Scratch Perry

Samson, 20, AKA Swassy J on the stage, said: “All my life I’ve had music around me because of my dad.

“He used to take me to the One Love events, I had the bass running through my chest and I fell in love with it.”

Samson is also involved with the Base Race club nights based at the university.

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Historically dub comes from the reggae soundsystem in Jamaica.

The first pioneers were Lee Perry, King Tubby and Coxon Dodd who used production studios to remix and reinvent reggae songs, often with stronger bass and sound effects.

The monthly Dub Club kicks off on December 2, between 10pm and 4am. Entry is £5 before midnight.

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