BIG CHILL SUNDAE presents SCRATCHY SOUNDS - 2pm-6pm
Sun 14th February
No-one throws a dj party like Scratchy. The renowned dj who toured with the legendary Clash, Scratchy still has his finger on the rockin' dance pulse, bringing together an irresistible blend of rock'n'roll, reggae and roma, a true mestizo mix of the greatest music on the planet, from and for all times.
At a time when everyone claims to be a dj, Scratchy stands out as a genuine, independent and free-thinking phenomenon.
It was a consciousness and love of rockin'n'rollin roots music, a formidable reputation from his ongoing club and concert work at major venues and events in London, from Dingwalls to the Roundhouse and the Lyceum plus an initial couple of tours with Dr.Feelgood, that led to two years as the on-the-road tour dj with his favourite band the Clash. He accompanied them throughout the UK and was an essential feature of their first three US campaigns. Meanwhile, between tours, he continued to play London concerts with stellar acts like Iggy Pop, Blondie, the Ramones, the Cramps and Black Uhuru.
Excited by how the punk sensibility had spread across the globe, combining with different local musical traditions to bring about fresh musical forms, in the new millennium he hooked up again with Joe Strummer, himself a great adherent of the new global music. This provided Scratchy with the perfect arena to further develop his own fascination with both roots music and the contemporary and, thus, take ‘The Rock and The Roll of The World' back onto a larger stage.
Scratchy had bypassed so-called ‘DJ culture' and remains to this day relatively and refreshingly beats-free. He is an unrepentant rock'n'roller. It is that spirit which he still seeks today, in the music of the wider world.
Now, it is not unusual to hear Selecta Scratchy segue from the honking horns of the Skatalites into the pumping brass of Fanfare Ciocarlia. The frantic sounds of New Orleans' Zydepunks might give way to some classic cajun, whilst the loping bass and accordion stabs of a Colombian cumbia may hand over to Mano Negra's jumped-up mestizo-punk. One thing is for sure, his mixes are unique. They are neither predictable nor are they one-dimensional. No two sets are alike. In pushing his audience, Scratchy is always pushing himself. Scratchy passionately believes that whilst being there to entertain, his role can also be to open minds whilst, of course, having fun.
He continues to look forward whilst also delving into the past and plays to wild and enthusiastic crowds in clubs and at major festivals from Sziget to Glastonbury, across Europe and beyond. Since being back on the road with Joe Strummer's Mescaleros, Scratchy has also teamed up with the Pogues, played at home and abroad with the Dead Brothers, covered Europe with Groundation and, throughout 2006 & 2007, he toured extensively with Gogol Bordello.
In 2004, he compiled the highly praised ‘Scratchy Sounds: Ska, Dub, Roots and Reggae Nuggets' on Trojan and was also invited by Piranha Records in 2007 to select the tracks for one of their downloadable Jubilee releases, ‘Rockin' the Barricades'.
gypsyNYE2009smallEver with a sharp eye and a highly-tuned ear for emerging talent, he often works in conjunction with the popular London combo, The Urban Voodoo Machine. Together, with Scratchy as resident dj, they set up London's hot monthly club night, the Gypsy Hotel, which celebrated the completion of its third successful year in October 2009.
Always seeking fresh outlets and audiences that are ready to party and be amazed, in 2008 Scratchy added to his long list of triumphs by shaking clubs from the Boulevard in Rimini to the Scala in London. He rattled festival tents and stages from Rock for People and Trutnov in the Czech Republic to the Wig-On Casino at the UK's Endorse-It and he rolled ships from le Bateau Geneve in Switzerland to la Dame de Canton in Paris. Scratchy was a Womex showcase artist in 2005 and showcased at Popkomm 2008.
With new and exciting adventures still ahead, 2009 has seen Scratchy captivate audiences at le Festival des Giboulees, the United Islands of Prague and the Gypsy Hotel special at the Hackney Empire. As the end of the first decade of the millenium approaches, The Bring On 2010 Tour has seen Scratchy debut in Athens and Zaragoza, return to Barcelona for the first time in his own right since playing there with Gogol and will premiere in Tirana, Albania and Cosenza, Italy. He will enter the new decade in the company of The Urban Voodoo Machine at the The Gypsy Hotel.
Scratchy has been described by one of his listeners as a Music Shaman. Whether on his weekly internet Scratchy Sounds radio show, on wirelessfm, or in the flesh, Scratchy's legendary and vibrant selections will delight, make you want to dance to some of the greatest music on the planet and take you places where others fear to tread.
