London-based all-star dub/reggae band Gentleman’s Dub Club have built a reputation as one of the most respected names in the British sound system culture. From Leeds house parties to festival stages all over the world, GDC radiate stages with their positive and infectious energy. We caught up with lead vocalist Jonathan Scratchley to discuss the sound system culture and the growth of the group over the years.
Formed in 2006 in Headingley, Leeds, Gentleman’s Dub Club are an eight-piece group that provide a unique take on dub music and exudes true musical awareness on stage. Starting with only three members at university, GDC started as a band playing at the Sub Dub nights in Leeds where the high-powered energy of their music was born. Scratchley mentions that, “the feeling of the room in Sub Dub was really unique. It was hypnotic, immersive and powerful. There was a real sense of community and an aspect of great human interaction, and that was the main thing I enjoyed about it”. Leeds is the home of GDC, with “loads of students at the start of their journey who are starting to find themselves, and that environment fuelled the creativity in the music scene. Leeds has a sense of newness and the scale to support smaller artists, it is so special to us“. The group then grew over the years and later introduced percussion, trumpet and sax which helped deliver the riotous energy at their phenomenal live shows.
Jamaican music culture is integral to the sound of GDC, where they truly speak from their hearts without limitation. “There is strength in the music from Jamaica. For me personally, it brought out a lot of truth, passion, pain and realness; it gave a feeling of inclusion and connection to something bigger. Music is a platform for expression and communication and I became aware of the importance of rebel music…there is a liberty within Jamaican culture that really attracted my love of music.” The group oozes genuineness and passion for Jamaican music, hybridising styles of music from reggae to drum and bass, creating uproarious dub/reggae shows with emphatically contagious energy.
Their latest album ’On A Mission’ was just recently released on June 9th, produced by The Nextmen’s Bradford Ellis (a.k.a Brad Balloo) and featuring artists such as Hollie Cook and Eva Lazarus. New levels of innovative consistency shine through this album, bringing more thumping energy to the reggae/dub scene. Now regularly performing at the UK’s leading festivals such as Glastonbury and Boomtown, Gentleman’s Dub Club have paved their way into the reggae/dub sound system scene and are continuing to flourish. Having worked with the likes of Mungos Hi Fi, Nextmen and Horseman, GDC bring forward a musical melting pot of sound. They have released nine albums and EPs to date and recently finished their tour with punk/reggae band, The Skints. With their upcoming tour for their latest album ’On A Mission’ starting later this year, we are looking forward to what the band will bring this summer. Gentleman’s Dub Club are true connoisseurs of genre-bending music and will be frequent names on the festival circuit this summer.
Written by Raabia Haq
GEM Magazine 