Reggae Roast Q & A
August 15th, 2008 by sparky
Reggae Roast has been running since December 2007 and has steadily built up a reputation as being one of the most vibrant monthly events in north London and best of all it’s free!
With a regular and loyal following, Reggae Roast attracts people of all ages, a varied crowd of music enthusiasts with one thing in common – a love of reggae music and good vibes.
Each month they pick a selection of heavy weight DJ’s from across London and beyond to keep the dance floor moving. Resident performers include DJs Moodie, Exel, Louis Slipperz (Task Force), Bustawidemove, Shep Dawg and Joe Lickshot.
Other guests who have already passed through include Dom (The Nextmen), Dasha (Rodigan Jnr) J-Star (Mash-up King) and the mighty DJ Harry Love blessing the wheels of steel.
They’ll be bringing more good vibes to The Big Chill House soon, so we collared the Reggae Roasters for a quick Q&A session…
Who are ya?
DJ Moodie, Exel & Daddy Chester.
What’s your night called?
Reggae Roast
What have you been up to, before this?
Between us we have been producing, MC’ing, DJ’ing and promoting a wide range of music for the past 30 years. All of us come fro a different musical background, each bringing differences and skills to the table.
What’s the music policy for your night?
We play a wide range of roots reggae, dub, ska, dubstep and dancehall. We play strictly vinyl, using a combination of live effects, such as delay and reverb as well as using a range of samplers / noise boxes. Each night is hosted by Daddy Chester and a host of other London based reggae singer /MC’s, which adds a dynamic and vibrant element to the proceedings. Interaction with the dance floor is very important in a reggae dance and our host singers bridge the gap between DJ and crowd.
Who has played, or is going to play?
Resident performers include DJs MOODIE, EXEL, LOUIS SLIPPERZ (Task Force), BUSTAWIDEMOVE, SHEP DAWG + JOE LICKSHOT. Other guests who have already passed through include DOM (THE NEXTMEN), DASHA (RODIGAN JNR) J-STAR (MASHUP KING) and the mighty DJ HARRY LOVE blessing the wheels of steel. Next month we have Brother Culture (Live) and DJ Nonnames (foreign Beggars) as well as a 2 hour live set from the infamous DJ Derek.
If money was no object, and you could book any line-up of DJ’s and bands living or dead, who would play?
Black Uhuru – Luciano – Fat Freddy’s Drop & Chuck Turner§
What are your current top 5 tunes?
Chuck Turner – Runaround Girl
Tenor Saw – Jah Guide and Protect Me
Reggie Stepper – Cu Oonuh
Alberosie – Guess who’s coming to dinner
Black Uhuru – Happiness
What three things would your ideal bar have to have?
Massive sound system
Jerk Chicken BBQ
Extensive Rum selection
And a See View
I’m just on my way to the bar – what I get you?
Double rum and coke with extra lime, Please
Ideal evening chilling at home?
Back doors open, BBQ blazing, nice music playing from the record player with a few friends, drinking and smoking, chatting away.
Favorite places?
Providence – An Island off the coast of Columbia
Jeri Cucuara – Amazing beach village in Northern Brazil
What are you reading these days?
Bass Culture – Lloyd Bradley
What are you working on at present?
Among a range other things we are working on a new single featuring our fantastic resident singer Ramon Judah. The track will be the first in a line of releases put out on the Reggae Roast label, produced and sung by Reggae Roast artists. Keep your ear peeled, our first single is set for release in November.
What would most like to achieve over the next five years?
Our main aim is to build on our sound system and Dj/Singer performances, bringing Reggae Music and good vibes to as many people, festivals and dancehalls as possible. We also plan to release a series of 7” singles, showcasing some of the amazing vocal talents of our three resident singer/Mcs: Daddy chester, Ramon Judah and Ishu.
Highlight of your life?
Reggae Roast
At a festival – tent, B&B, or hotel for you, and why?
Tent all the way, hotel is too detached, its all about being among the people, where the vibes are.
What was your best Big Chill moment?
Haven’t been Yet, playing an exclusive reggae roast set at Big Chill festival this year 2008, so will let you know.
Describe the essence of The Big Chill in a few words…
Big and Chilly
Reggae Roast residents Exel, Moodie and Louis Slipperz are joined by Brother Culture (Live) and DJ Nonames (Foreign Beggars), among others – Summer BBQ.