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Reggae Nights in Bristol

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Bristol's Reggae & Dub Scene

Is Bristol the capital of reggae & dub in the UK?

With the return of the community led St Paul’s carnival (getting national coverage in the Guardian), Bristol has always had claim to be the capital of the Jamaican diaspora sound. Reggae and dub can be heard on the streets of St Paul’s and Stokes Croft, on the airwaves of Ujima and at venues like Cosies and community-centred nights at Kuumba Centre and the Malcolm X centre. While smoking bans and rapid gentrification have murdered the nightlife of London, Bristol has it’s own problems that are impacting the reggae and dub communities. The recent sale of the Rastafari Cultural centre poses a threat to the beating heart of this vibrant scene in Bristol.

While it's still possible to see reggae legends like Lee Perry and Horace Andy at Bristol's large venues (ie Colston Hall and the o2 Academy), live reggae in Bristol is fewer and farther between. Dub and 'soundsystem culture' on the other hand, are literally huge. For the big dub and roots soundclashes, keep an eye on whats on at the Trinity Centre in Bristol, most notably Unity in Dub who's guest soundsystems have included Irration Steppas and the mighty King Earthquake.

On a much smaller scale look at Cosies listings for their weekly roots and reggae night and check whats on at the Attic (attached to the Full Moon on Stokes Croft). Pure ragga, bashment or dancehall events in Bristol are pretty rare, instead a reggae room is a pretty common fixture at big nights at venues like Lakota.

The rapid growth of dubstep in Bristol has brought with it a rekindled interest in modern dub (aka digi-dub aka future dub) and has led to some unlikely dub bookings like Mad Professor at Shit the Bed in the Motion listings.

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Our recent reggae & dub recommendations

Sell out warning! Thee mightiest Holy Tongue incarnation cometh! Adding Bristol raw improv icon Dali de Saint Paul to an already-flawless unit hellbent on historical On U Sound punk-funk destruction - all leylines lead to Brew for this sacral homecoming of mystical post-punk heritage, from Pop Group to Skull Disco to EP/64 to bold and future lands... Schwet with Holy Tongue and Ladr Ache at Strange Brew.

Sell out warning! Seize your chance to see Falmouth’s finest Lost Map-approved carnivalesque psych-folk collective. Blind Yeo are gonna carry the Jam Jar to new cosmic heights with wonky, motorik-tinged pastoralism (and a goblin outfit or three) – this one’s set to ignite fans of: Tunng, The Beta Band, Melin Melyn, Gong. Blind Yeo + Baby Deltic at The Jam Jar.

Globally adored for dialling up the kosmische with 21st century fusion GOATs The Comet Is Coming, Danalogue steps out to the fore in this dazzling analogue synth journey through all known galaxies. Timelessly distilling everything from 60s Moog stargazing to 80s acid house to 00s chillwave, this is the birth of a brave new world FFO: Wally Badarou, Lone, Legowelt, Space Dimension Controller. Danalogue AV Show at The Jam Jar.

Sell out warning! "I AM THE BLACK JAMES DEAN!!!!" Falle Nioke shouts over Peter Hook-style post-punk bounce, in a truly insane cocktail of driving 80s motorik and warped afro-futurist disco vision. Pigeon are seriously hot, Soundway says so, and this is one outernational space station your ass really needs to dock at. The crest of a big big wave FFO: William Onyeabor, Talking Heads, Joshua Idehen, ESG. PIGEON at Strange Brew.

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What our editors say

“The Skabratts are a high-energy seven-piece band from London bringing the unmistakable sound of 1960s Jamaica to stages across the UK. Blending authentic ska, rocksteady and boss reggae, they deliver the timeless music of Studio One, Treasure Isle and Trojan Records with passion, style and respect for the genre's roots.”
From: The Skabratts

“Known for classic reggae songs such as '54-46 Was My Number', 'Monkey Man', 'Pressure Drop', 'Funky Kingston', 'Broadway Jungle', 'Bam Bam', 'Time Tough' and 'Reggae Got Soul', Toots and the Maytals are now fronted by Toots' daughter Leba, who has released her own recordings and worked with Sly & Robbie, Jimmy Cliff and more.”
From: TOOTS AND THE MAYTALS featuring LEBA

“Accomplished singer-songwriter, Shniece, is no stranger within the world of top reggae artists. Her powerful vocals bring the soul to so many Prince Fatty productions, perfectly encapsulating the sounds of 70s funk with roots music.”
From: Shniece & Run Come Down

“A four-act showcase of one of our absolute favourite record labels around: South of North (Amsterdam / Paris). Founded by Marathon Man in 2018 whilst working at the legedary Amsterdam record shop / Radio Station Red Light, the label has since been exploring the far reaches and hidden corners of music, spanning ambient, dub, electronic, garage rock, and noise, from artists such as Ronald Langestraat, Nicolini, Brokenchord, CV Vision, Devon Rexi, and Jacob Dywer. While the label doesn’t champion a particular genre or sound, its foundations are built on a sense of curiosity and constant experimentation.”
From: Magic Pony Productions, Elizabeth Davis & more

“Curbside Lambsear is Annabelle Mödlinger and Magdalena McLean. The collaboration explores rough textures and soft intentions, weaving together elements of pop, folk, and improvisation with influences of drone, dub, and post-punk.”
From: Curbside Lambsear