Powerful and energetic electro-dub band delight their fans

REVIEW

Dreadzone, The Apex, Bury St Edmunds, Friday, March 1

It was a gig full of energetic, danceability and downright funky music from one of the country’s electro-dub pioneering bands.

A packed Apex thrilled to the unmistakeable sounds of Dreadzone as their fans filled the dance floor to shake, rattle and roll along with the music.

The five-piece outfit played a raft of tunes from their past and present albums opening up the set with “Life, Love and Unity” from their “Second Light” LP and ending the night with the unmistakeable track “Captain Dread” from the same album.

And mixed between them was a host of other familiar tunes to their beloved fans including “Little Britain” and “16 Hole”.

Since being formed in 1993 they have undergone various changes in their line up but they still retain their format as a the pioneers of electro-dub and reggae dance music.

Firm festival favourites, and seen by some as forerunners of today’s dub and bass driven music, Dreadzone are an intrinsic part of the UK dance heritage.

Moving forward as a five-piece, the band are focusing more on the electronic and dub elements of their stage show – a sound they developed in earlier years of Dreadzone.

Their old skool sound came bubbling to the surface on the 2017’s album “Dread Times” which stormed into the Top 40 UK Official Album Charts – the first time the band have charted in over 20 years – and made the Top 10 in the Indie and Dance Charts.

And they were supported by fellow electro-dub outfit Spacehopper.

Russell Cook