DUB PISTOLS head honcho interview ahead of the bands return to Electric Castle

The West London party-rockers, pioneers that successfully combined Dub, Ska, Hip Hop and Big Beat (Electronica), have given us a bit of their time for an email interview prior to arriving at the sophomore edition of the Electric Castle Festival (@ Bonțida, in Transylvania, Romania).

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Barry Ashworth is a big fan of the multi-racial 2-Tone ska band The Specials (being quite instrumental in reuniting them during the past decade).

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Never takes a day off, loves to try local food when traveling abroad, and visited the World Trade Towers the day before 9/11… here is the ClickZoomBytes interview with Barry Ashworth of the Dub Pistols.

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RiCo for CZB: When did you discover your passion for music and when did you first get the idea of combining ska and reggae with hip hop and electronic beats?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): I’ve always had a passion for music ever since I can remember, but I never believed I could make a career from it. It was the beginning of theacid house scene in 1987 and going to Ibiza that I started to get involved in running clubs from there; I started to promote bands and DJ’s… From there I thought maybe I should start my own band, so that’s what I did.

I always had a love for reggae music and electronic music as well as punk so the idea of fusing the 2 styles just seemed a natural thing to do.

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RiCo for CZB: How did you meet and team up with Jason O’Bryan?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): Jason was working with a DJ called Derek Da Large on theWall of Sound label, doing a project called Ceasefire. They had just made a track I loved called Trickshot, so I tracked Jason down, phoned him up, said I love your last track, dude – let’s make some music together, and that’s how it all started.

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CZB: You’ve gotten to work personally with Terry Hall and more recently with Neville Staple. Was working with The Specials what you expected?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): I never expected to be a musician, let alone get to work with my heroes and that’s what the Specials were to me – my heroes. They were my favourite band when I was growing up – so no, I never expected it – but it’s been an amazing journey and an honour to have worked with Terry Hall, Lynval Golding and Neville Staples who now features on our new album.

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CZB: This year you’ve been to India, Dubai, Thailand with your music… How much sightseeing to you get to do while on the road promoting your music?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): It really depends how long we are in the country for, sometimes it’s just fly in – do a show – then fly out, but places like India, Thailand etc… the journeys are long, so we always get a few days off and try to see as much as we can – we try to hang out with the local people and always try the local food.

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CZB: Do you enjoy playing on your birthday or do you usually take the day off to celebrate with friends?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): I never really have a day off, so playing on my birthday is just normal – but in the last 2 years I’ve been lucky enough to have shows in London @ The Jazz Cafe on my birthday so I’ve been able to work and celebrate with my friends at the same time.

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CZB: How important is the socio-political message for you in your music?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): It’s very hard to combine music and politics but sometimes you have to say something rather than stand on the sidelines – if you feel strongly about something.

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CZB: You’ve mentioned in an interview that you especially liked playing in Ucraine; how do you feel about the Russian takeover of Crimea?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): I’m never happy when one nation invades another; I have many friends in The Ukraine and it saddens me to see their country on the verge of another civil war.

It’s more worrying that 

the rest of the world has just stood by and let it happen.

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CZB: You were in the States during the 9/11 incident? What were you doing when you find out about the tragedy and how did you feel about the situation?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): I was on top of the World Trade Towers the day before the attacks took place… I then flew to L.A. to start a two-month tour to promote our new albumSix Million Ways to Live.

I was watching the TV in L.A. when the attacks started.

I, like the rest of the world, just stared at the television and could not believe what I was seeing.

I was shocked and saddened at what was happening – but I knew even then as I was listening to the US commentary – that nothing good would come out of this.

The US used it as and excuse to invade and topple Saddam (Hussein of Iraq) but it’s only made the situation in the Middle East worse and it cost thousands of lives.

There are no winners in war.

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CZB: Why did you name your most recent album Worshipping the Dollar?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): It was around the time of the global banking crisis, when the greed of the Bankers had once again brought the world to its knees. No Bankers lost their jobs but many working class people lost their homes, jobs and everyone has had to pay through Taxes and service cuts to bail out the banks. It’s their Worshipping of the Dollarthat has caused all this suffering so that’s what I was thinking of when I came up with the title.

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CZB: I read that you’ve been working on a band autobiography, What Could Possibly Go Wrong? …when will this be released?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): It’s being turned into a documentary which we have been filming over the last 3 years… I think another year and it should be finished.

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CZB: How did you enjoy the pilot edition of the Electric Castle festival and in what sense was it better than other festivals you’ve played at?

Barry Ashworth (Dub Pistols): The Electric Castle festival had one of the best atmospheres i’ve ever experienced at a festival anywhere in the world, the crowd was just amazing. It was one of the best shows I’ve ever played; I can’t express just how special it was, we have been lucky enough to be invited back again this year and I just can’t wait to walk out on that stage again. Romania should be very proud of what they have achieved. This festival could grow to be one of the best festivals in the world

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Interview conceived by: RiCo for CZB.ro

Thanks going out to Barry Ashworth, the Dub Pistols

and Edmond Lenarth and Andi Vanca from the Electric Castle festival

for their time and cooperation.

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The DUB PISTOLS have been confirmed to play the most famous festival in the world GLASTONBURY 2014.

The Pistols are due to preform on The Glade stage Friday evening around 6pm. Dub Pistols frontman Barry Ashworth will also DJ in the Glade at 1:30am Saturday morning.

The Festival takes place between wed 25th June till Sunday 19th June at Worthy Farm, Pilton

For full details go to http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Dub Pistols have been announced as friday night headliners in the Big Top at the Larmer Tree festival.

This is the bands 3rd appearance at the festival and their first headline spot in the Big Top.

The Festival takes place over 4 days from the 16th till the 20th July and the dub pistols will preform on Friday 18th July.

this is what the festival had to say on their official website

We’ve just announced a whopping 31 more acts who’ll be joining Tom Jones, Squeeze, Staff Benda Bilili, Tom Odell and Frank Turner, completing the Larmer Tree 2014 line-up.  Well, what are you waiting for? Check them out now >

After storming our festival Launch party in March, the infamous Dub Pistols are headlining the Big Top on Friday 18th July.  Since we last saw them, they’ve toured Europe, including dates at Snowbombing in the Austrian mountains and Barasti Beach Bar in Dubai, and now they’re gearing up for festival season. These guys seriously know how to party, so if you’re in the Big Top on Friday night, make sure you’ve had your Weetabix – front man Barry Ashworth can’t resist a crowd surf!  Dub Pistols info >

For more info go to the Festivals official website http://larmertreefestival.co.uk/news/

Dub Pistols main man Barry Ashworth is to attempt a Sky Dive in aid of Tonic Music for mental heath Charity, if you could spare a few pounds it would be gratefully recieved

https://localgiving.com/fundraising/dubpistols

Concorde 2 presents…

Saturday 26th April @ Concorde 2 ,Madeira Drive, Brighton

A night of Bass heavy Dub, Reggae, Hip-Hop and Jungle with…

DUB PISTOLS (DJ set)
& RODNEY P
REGGAE ROAST
ARIES
JUNGALICE (RK Bass)
DAFFY

Room 2:
MA QUEST
DUB RIDER
KEEZEE
ALEX SLIME b2b ARCANE

£2 entry before 12 (NAME ON THE WALL)
£5 otherwise // More thereafter!

http://dubpistolsmusic.co.uk/
https://soundcloud.com/rodneyp
http://www.reggaeroast.co.uk/
https://soundcloud.com/aries-uk
http://www.concorde2.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/events/271857659656116/

Dub Pistols head to Dubai this week for a live show @Barasti Beach Bar, this friday April 25th. The boys will be  performing live at the  monthly Sugar Beach event!
Free entrance all day and all night!
Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina
Tel: 04 3181313 – 21+ / ID will be required

http://www.totallyemirates.com/event/detail.php?id=1805#.U1ZQglmNxmg.facebook

Dub Pistols have been nominated for best live act at the International Breakspoll awards 2014

Cast your vote in the 2014 Breakspoll Awards

Voting begins now – so cast your all important vote and help decide who will come top in this years International Breakbeat Awards. We’ve used “shortlists” for some categories to help people find their favourites from 2013, but if what you are looking for isn’t listed, select “Other” and you will be able to input your own choice.

Vote carefully – you can only vote ONCE. We use advanced techniques to catch any cheaters, and if you submit multiple votes, ALL your votes will be deleted. You have been warned!

Dub Pistols have been confirmed as headliners for this years Watchet Music festival to be held in West Somerset

Notorious party-rockers Dub Pistols head out on UK tour with ska legend Neville Staple and his band thru March 2014..

Thu 6th Newcastle: 02 Academy
0844 477 2000 www.ticketweb.co.uk

Fri 7th Reading: Sub 89
0871 220 0260 www.sub89.com

Sat 8th Cardiff: The Globe
0871 220 0260 www.globecardiffmusic.com

Fri 14th Lowestoft: The Aquarium
08444 771000 www.ticketweb.co.uk

Sat 15th London: Jazz Café
0207 485 6834 www.ticketmaster.co.uk/

Fri 21st Guildford: Boileroom
01483 440022 www.seetickets.com

Sat 22nd Leamington Spa: The Assembly
0844 8541358 www.leamingtonassembly.com

Thurs 27th Bournemouth: O2 Academy
0844 477 2000 www.ticketweb.co.uk

Fri 28th Colchester: Tribal
01206 571 763 www.tribalnightclub.co.uk

Sat 29th Leicester: Streetlife
01162 510785 www.i-want-tickets.com

There’s gonna be some serious skanking going down at all the dates of this twin-pronged ska-tinged tour. Party-rockers the Dub Pistols — who mash-up ska, punk, hip-hop, breaks, dub, drum & bass and more — are heading out for some UK dates in March with ska legend Neville Staple from The Specials.

As a slightly wayward teenager, Dub Pistols main man Barry Ashworth was heavily into multi-racial 2-Tone ska band The Specials. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that one day he would not only work with several key members of the band, but be instrumental in the reformation of The Specials in the late noughties too.

The Specials are one of the most influential bands of all time. Bursting out of Coventry in the Midlands region of England in the post-punk late seventies, their conscious ska tunes caught the imagination of disaffected British urban youth. They quickly had a top ten hit with “Gangsters’ on their own 2-Tone label, which would soon also put records out by The Selecter, Madness and The Beat. These 2-Tone bands — along with the label’s iconic logo, the skinny Walt Jabsco figure in black suit, white socks and pork pie hat — caught the imagination of the nation’s youth and 2-Tone was soon a bona fide movement.

The first Specials album in 1979 was a landmark release. Mixing up a couple of rocksteady covers of Prince Buster, Skatalites and Toots & the Maytals tunes with their own compositions, it’s still featured on many Best Albums Of All Time lists. Deadpan lyrics from skinny white vocalist Terry Hall were offset by the rudeboy toasting of Neville Staple and the animated antics of foregrounded vocalist/guitarist Lynval Golding. The whole ska-punk show was masterminded by keyboard wizard Jerry Dammers, who took the band’s sound into more of a cosmic, easy listening ‘muzak’ territory for second album, ‘More Specials’.

After their seventh consecutive top ten hit, the haunting tale of urban decay that was  ‘Ghost Town’, peaked at No.1 just as the UK was engulfed by inner city riots in 1981, The Specials broke up with Terry Hall, Neville Staple and Lynval Golding going on to found hit-makers the Fun Boy Three for a few years.

Barry Ashworth, meanwhile, formed the Dub Pistols in 1996 after previously promoting parties, singing in acid house band Déjà Vu and teaching himself to DJ. At first the Dubs surfed the big beat wave with block-rockin’ tracks like ‘Cyclone’ and ‘There’s Gonna Be A Riot’, but for their broader ‘Six Million Ways To Live’ album Barry managed to recruit a certain Terry Hall — one of his all-time heroes — to guest on Dubs ska tune ‘Problem Is’.

Terry began guesting with the Dubs at live shows, and soon they started performing ‘Gangsters’ too — the first ever Specials single. Hall contributed a number of tracks to the next Dubs album, ‘Speakers & Tweeters’, and Lynval Golding also joined the Pistols on stage a few times — at Bestival and the anti-racism festival Rise in London — to play guitar and contribute vocals to ‘Gangsters’. Terry Hall is on record as saying that singing live with the Dubs in the noughties made him realise how much love there was out there for his short-lived former band, and this was instrumental in one of the biggest reunions of modern times — The Specials reforming.

Indeed, the Dub Pistols were asked to support The Specials at some of their early reunion shows, and in the summer of 2013 Neville Staple asked Barry to sing ‘Gangsters’ onstage with him at his Glastonbury show.

Mixing up drum & bass, dub, ska, punk, hip-hop and electronics, the Dub Pistols are like a 21^st century version of The Specials. Their love of 2-Tone might only be one element of their sound, but their next single — the lead track off their forthcoming ‘White Lines’ album on Sunday Best — is a collaboration with Neville Staple himself. Seeing as Neville also has a new album out on Casablanca Records in March, it made perfect sense for the Neville Staple band to head out on tour with the Dub Pistols. Neville’s band performs many classic Specials tracks along with some choice ska, reggae and rocksteady standards.