GENERAL ECHO

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our June session we're bringing some proper international flavour to Walthamstow with two guest selectors playing a diverse but brilliant array of sounds. 

LADY KAMIKAZE means Lady of the Divine Wind. She is a DJ & Promoter who collects and spins vintage music from the 30’s ~ 70’s on original 45rpm & 78rpm, playing genres such as jazz, blues, R&B, soul, funk and gospel, plus African, Latin and Caribbean sounds. The passion for this style of music stems from her involvement with her late husband and co-pilot, the legendary DJ El Nino, who was the founder of the popular Lady Luck Club and The Black Cotton Club. Her eclectic mix of vintage music takes you on a whirlwind musical dance experience.

GIO ONE STOP was born and raised in Rome, moving to London in 2004. He has played tunes all over the capital at events such as Reggae Cookout, The Flower of Kent and The London International Ska Festival. He's also a promoter, and his much-loved One Stop night at the Ridley Road Market Bar, recently ended after an amazing 10 year run. You can also catch him now and again on Voices Radio. Expect some treats from his box full of Jamaican sounds from the golden era.

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school social club.

£3 members

£5 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For the May session, we're truly honoured to welcome a proper legend of UK Sound System culture to Walthamstow, the mighty Gladdy Wax. Renowned for his consummate skill as a selector, his knowledge of all genres of Jamaican popular music and his commitment to Britain’s black communities, Gladdy is an esteemed figure whose sound system has been a perennial highlight of the Notting Hill Carnival, attracting a diverse crowd.

Born Gladwin Wright in Jamaica in 1951, Gladdy spent his formative years between the countryside and Spanish Town, where his mother held weekly sound system dances at her grocery store and bar; one of his uncles was a guitarist at Studio One, the renowned recording facility often referred to as Jamaica’s Motown. Gladdy moved to the UK as a teenager, settling in Birmingham before moving to London in the late 1970s.

Active in the business for over 40 years, it's impossible to sum up all his achievements in a few sentences, but he's done it all, from managing reggae superstars such as Dennis Brown and Gregory Issacs, hosting a popular radio show on BBC Radio London, running the Gladdy Wax Unlimited record shop in North-East London, cutting records as a singer, DJing for Bob Marley (!), he was even in the Air Force for a short time. His is the definition of a life well-lived.

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made, played by a master of his craft, in a beautiful old school club.

Friday 12 May 2023 at Walthamstow Trades Hall, 61-63 Tower Hamlets Rd, London E17 4RQ, 8pm til 1am 

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For the April session, we're excited to welcome Naoko The Rock to select tunes for us for the first time! From four years old, Naoko Itami trained as a classical pianist and steadily absorbed a wide range of music which eventually came to include the reggae genre. By the age of 19, Naoko regularly organised reggae events such as Oldies But Rudies, Carib Soul and 7UP! in her native Japan.

In 2001, she moved to London and joined a band as a percussionist gigging around the capital whilst still getting her obligatory reggae fix via Jah Shaka’s legendary sound system. The dissolution of her band prompted Naoko’s return behind the decks and to the city’s skanking scene. Since that time she has built a stellar reputation as a top selector, having played at established nights such as Roots Vibes, Dub Me Always and Tighten Up, been part of deejay collectives Ska Lavin' and Sisters Of Reggae, and also toured internationally, with appearances at festivals such as Reggae Geel (Belgium), Rototom Sunsplash (Spain) and Woman of the Ghetto (Italy).

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club. £3 members £5 Guests and non-members Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Lovers Style Mix! 

Cover star: the great Johnny Clarke

Background texture: the great Althea McNish

Listen: https://soundcloud.com/generalechosound/love-in-an-echo-chamber

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master". 

For our March session we’re excited to welcome Gaffa Blue to select tunes for us for the first time. 

Gaffa Blue was raised in Battersea, South West London in the mid-60s, born to Jamaican parents he was raised in a household with a vibrant cultural mixture of reggae and ska music. His earliest memories are of his Mother and Father hosting dance parties on weekends, where his adoration for reggae music was first born. 

As an adult, he honed this passion working for the legendary Dub Vendor record shop in Clapham Junction, and later went on to establish his own reggae distribution company, GB Distribution, still going strong today.

He has been a DJ/Selector for Young Diamonds Sound System, Killer Watt Sound, First Class Sound and Nasty Love Sound System. Throughout all of this, Gaffa Blue has maintained his love of vinyl records; with a collection numbering over 20,000. We can’t wait to hear what he is going to play for the dancers of Walthamstow!

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

£3 members

£5 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

We're kicking off 2023 in fine style by welcoming back a DJ duo containing at least one bona fide punk rock legend! "Bassie" is the pairing of Tessa Pollitt (The Slits) and Soft Wax (Deptford Dub Club). They last selected tunes for us at the much-missed Victoria in April 2019, and really looking forward to hosting them in the Trades Hall.

During her time in The Slits, Tessa provided the bassline for classics such as "Typical Girls" and "In The Beginning Their Was Rhythm", not to mention their masterful deconstruction of "(I Heard It Through The) Grapevine". Her lifelong passion for reggae started in the 1970s and she is a truly fantastic selector.

Her partner in Bassie, Soft Wax, has been putting on popular roots reggae, rocksteady and ska nights in South-East London for years, as well as promoting the much-loved Deptford Dub Club since 2014.

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

£3 members £5 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our December session we're very excited to welcome back the legendary Oxman! This will be his second appearance at General Echo but his first since we've moved from The Victoria to the Trades Hall. An institution on the London reggae revive scene, whether behind the counter at Dub Vendor, on the mic at the 100% Dynamite parties that Soul Jazz used to throw, or presenting his regular show on Soho Radio. D'Oxman has a long and deep history, from running his own sound, producing, record collecting, to hosting dances. Whether selecting or MCing, he is one of the best in the game. When he plays tunes it is full on showman vibes, juggling 45s and expert toasting throughout. Do not miss!

On warm up duties we have another return booking, the wonderful DJ Laura Dagger Deb, who stepped in for us short notice at a session last summer but we're delighted to promote her set properly on this occasion! Laura has a great ear for Jamaican R&B nuggets, mento, jump-up, ska and rocksteady, so expect a set of crackly but beautiful vintage sounds.

Come and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

£3 members £5 Guests and non-members Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our November session we're very pleased to welcome back a pair of selectors who have played for us in the past: Sistren Shirley and Vital Sound, both of whom have shows on Real Roots Radio. They always come packing a box of quality tunes, including some one off dubplate specials!

On warm up duties we have Jeb Loy Nichols - Jeb Loy Nichols is a musician, writer and artist who has, for the past twenty years, lived on a remote smallholding in the Welsh hills. Born in Wyoming and raised in Missouri, he went to New York City at the age of seventeen where he worked in a record store and fell in love with the emerging hip-hop culture. In the early 1980s he moved to London where he shared a squat with Ari Up from The Slits and made the acquaintance of Adrian Sherwood, at that time starting his record label On-U Sound. He sold second hand Black Ark 12"s on Portobello Market with Pete Holdsworth who went on to run the Pressure Sounds label. In the 1990s he formed the country-dub band Fellow Travellers, and has since gone on to record fifteen solo records. He has also published three novels and exhibited his distinctive woodcut artwork internationally. The night after General Echo, he is playing a launch show for his new album on On-U Sound, 'United States Of The Broken Hearted', at the What's Cookin' night in neighbouring Leytonstone.

We're also celebrating 7 (!) years of putting on our little reggae disco so come down, raise a glass with us, and enjoy listening to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

£3 members £5 Guests and non-members Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our October session we're very pleased to welcome back Nabihah Iqbal to General Echo, having last spun tunes for us at our lovers rock special at the much-missed Victoria in February 2020.

Nabihah is a musician, producer, curator and broadcaster from London. As well as a recording artist who has made records for Ninja Tune and other labels, Nabihah is a renowned DJ who has presented numerous shows on BBC Radio, played clubs around the world, been an artist-in-residence at Somerset House, guest edited an issue of Mixmag, been commissioned to compose music for the Turner Prize, and much much more. Check out Nabihah's website to discover more: https://nabihahiqbal.com/. 

Nabihah is always packing a box of killer tunes for the right occasion and will no doubt be rocking the Trades Hall dancefloor with a fine selection of roots, reggae, dub and more.

Come down and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

£3 for Trades Hall Members

£5 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our September session we're very pleased to welcome Masai Judah to play tunes for us for the first time. Forming half of East London Reggae label Mas-Ski Productions, Masai Judah is of Jamaican heritage and started out with Magic Touch Sound who were the resident sound (along with local veteran Daddy Al G) at the 77 Club on Dalston Lane in the early to mid 80s. They also played in house parties around London. As a qualified electronics technician he worked his way into the hifi, pro audio and music technology industries, designing his own sound system pre amps, sound fxs and syndrums. He also carved out a name on community radio starting out on Sweet FM hosting the ‘Reggae Show’ then moved onto Klimaxx Radio then finally Supreme FM Radio. He also used to be a music retailer with a stall in Walthamstow Market and a shop in South Woodford under the name Reflective Records. Phew! With an eclectic mix of Ska, Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots, Dub, Old School Dancehall and new school he is passionate about keeping the roots and traditions of Reggae alive as well as being contemporary.

Come down and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

Free for Trades Hall Members

£3 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our August session we're very pleased to welcome DJ Melvina Moves to play tunes for us for the first time. Melvina is a resident DJ at the Chip Shop in Brixton, she also selects regularly at other South London joints including Dub Me Always, Deptford Dub Club. Upstairs at the Ritzy and The Vinyl Meltdown. She recently selected at an official after show party for the mighty Jah Shaka! Melvina will be gracing the place with a vinyl selection of roots, rockers & rocksteady.

Come down and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.Free for Trades Hall Members

£3 Guests and non-members Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as “Drunken Master”.

For our July session we’ve got something slightly different to the usual dance, this month we've got something to feed your head AND your feet when we welcome writer and researcher Edward George to Walthamstow. 

Edward’s radio show The Strangeness of Dub on Morley College Radio is a truly essential listen - it dives into dub, versions and versioning, drawing on critical theory, social history, a deep and broad musical selection, and live dub mixing.

Edward will be in conversation with Paul Rekret about these topics and more at the start of the night, before taking to the decks to play some of the selections discussed.

The Strangeness Of Dub show is described as follows: 

"Dub is strange. A musical process and a sub-genre formed in the early 1970s and pioneered by Clement Dodd, Sylvan Morris, Lee Perry, King Tubby, Scientist, Jah Shaka and The Mad Professor, dub takes place through a kind of violence, an act of reducing archival audio documents to fragments and traces, yet is associated, in its sound system context, with communal reverie and meditative states.A marginal music and a music of margins, first and most enduringly located on the ‘b side’, the underside, of phonographic recordings, dub is a sub genre of reggae music, subordinate and secondary to song-writing, musical performance and recording. And yet more so than reggae song writing, vocal or musical performance, dub’s influence reverberates across other genres of electronic music, even while never quite comprising a genre of its own."

Check out the Strangeness Of Dub archives here: https://morleyradio.co.uk/series/the-strangeness-of-dub/

Edward George is a writer and broadcaster. Founder of Black Audio Film Collective, George wrote and presented the ground-breaking science fiction documentary Last Angel of History (1996). George is part of the multimedia duo Flow Motion, and the electronic music group Hallucinator (Chain Reaction).

Paul Rekret is a researcher and teacher in political and cultural theory. He is associate professor of politics at Richmond American International University, London, and is author of numerous publications including Down With Childhood: Pop Music and the Crisis of Innocence (Repeater, 2017), as well as being a contributor to The Wire and London Review Of Books amongst others.

Doors 7.30pm

Talk 8pm

DJ sets 9.30 - 1am

Monthly reggae disco in North-East London. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our May session we're very pleased to welcome Mistah Brown to play tunes for us for the first time. An established selector on the London scene, he is well known as one of the main people behind Trojan Jukebox (the official Trojan Records club night celebrating one of the most iconic UK reggae labels of all time) and as part of the Tighten Up crew, who describe their musical policy as the hottest ska, the coolest rocksteady, the ruffest reggae, the tuffest roots and the hardest dub!!

I've been fortunate enough to witness Mistah Brown on a few occasions before and can assure you that you're in for an evening of truly excellent selections by someone with deep knowledge and love for what he's playing. 

Come down and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school social club.

Free for Trades Hall Members / £3 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.A

lso please note there are no advance tickets, we just have to put a weblink to stop FB displaying this as a free event.

Regular reggae disco in North-East London playing dub, dancehall, roots, rockers, ska, rocksteady and other bass transmissions on two turntables and a space echo. The night is named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson, the voice behind classic deejay tunes such as "Drunken Master".

For our April session we're delighted to welcome back our friends the Camberwell Connection, aka Dubplate Pearl and Mr Swing Easy. Dubplate Pearl is originally from West London: born in Notting Hill, grew up in Shepherds Bush, now lives in East Dulwich. Musically influenced by her parents who liked listening to jazz, soul, calypso, pop and reggae. She has previously played out solo and as part of the Sisters of Reggae collective. Mr Swing Easy makes up the other half of her current partnership, and as well as his noted skills on the decks, has also written an acclaimed book on his experiences in the reggae scene, ‘Englishman’.

We've hosted this duo on a few occasions before - both at the Trades Hall and at our old home The Victoria (r.i.p.). It's always a joy to have them and they always give us a very entertaining musical education with classic tunes and lost gems, running the gamut from rocksteady to dub to lovers rock. We're going to let them do their thing but also have a bit of tune-for-tune soundclash planned for the end of the night!

Come down and listen to some of the greatest music ever made in a beautiful old school club.

Free for Trades Hall Members £3 Guests and non-members Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

So we *usually* run a monthly reggae disco playing dub, dancehall, roots, rockers, ska, rocksteady etc, called General Echo, named after sadly departed MC Earl Anthony Robinson. 

For this session we're doing something slightly different though. Our January guest was Don Letts, a figure who straddles the world of punk and reggae, having played heavy dub at The Roxy back in the day, and produced films on The Clash, managed The Slits, and took Johnny Rotten on that infamous trip to Jamaica to sign artists for Virgin's Frontline label. Of course there's numerous other examples of crossover between the genres, from Bob Marley's "Punky Reggae Party" to Two Tone.

For one month only we're leaving the reggae records at home therefore, and digging out our dusty boxes of punk rock 45s. We may well still sneak the odd dubwise selection in, but for the most part this is is going to be an evening of buzzsaw guitars, barked "1-2-3-4" introductions, ripped & torn sentiments, pogo anthems, untypical girls, spiral scratches, and other thrills.

Come down and listen to some great 45s in a beautiful old school club with affordable bar.

Free for Trades Hall Members / £3 Guests and non-members / Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

This is a just a one-off special, it will be back to dub next session and the rest of the year!

FRIENDS OF ECHO 

So we were supposed to be hosting a one-off punk rock special this month but the curse of covid has struck so we've had to postpone that until 11 March. 

Instead, some friends with great records have kindly stepped in at short notice and will be spinning some ace tunes to soundtrack your Friday night. This will be reggaecentric as per usual General Echo dances, but might go off on a few musical tangents as well! Rest assured you'll be in safe hands with DJ sets from:

- Dolores Rocket (You Should Be Dancing) - Dolores Does Dub! 

- Sean Price (Fortuna Pop!) 

- Animal Space (It's Her Factory) 

Come down and listen to some great music in a beautiful old school club with affordable bar.

Free for Trades Hall Members £3 Guests and non-members

Please help the trades staff by bringing the correct money for entry.

Event link: https://www.facebook.com/events/671613227308434

Next sessions after this will be:

Friday 11 March - Major Trauma - a punk rock disco