On August 6th it was the 50th anniversary of Jamaican Independence Day, so we thought it only fitting to check out Dagger, Life’s night dedicated to celebrating half a century of rich Jamaican music.

Free jerk chicken from the Caribbean kitchen lured us there early to line our stomachs but we stayed to rock steady to the rocksteady of Desmond Dekker and the bubbly dub of King Tubby. Every genre gets a look in; you’ll be merrily skanking to Beenie Man before Sean Paul drops in and your lighter’s flickering above your head. From reggae to ragga, soca to ska, dancehall to bashment, the old school riddims are kept fresh by blending in a bit of hip hop, grime and funky. All of which do something strange to the crowd’s dancing as it becomes increasingly dutty and debauched as the night progresses.

Dagger’s tropical takeover provides the perfect carnival vibes to warm us up nicely for Notting Hill.

TOP 10 

Jimmy Cliff ‘Miss Jamaica’

Sizzla ‘No Other Like Jah’

Gappy Ranks ‘Money Out Deh’

Popcaan ‘Party Shot’

Lady Saw ‘Sycamore Tree’

Lutan Fyah ‘A Lie’

Shaggy ‘Bonafide Girl’

Errol Dunkley ‘Please Stop Your Lying’

JW & Blaze ‘Pelance’

Phyllis Dillon ‘Don’t Stay Away’

FYI

NEXT EVENT: Dagger presents Hot Wuk, Friday 28th, Concorde 2

WEB: facebook.com/dagger.brighton

RESIDENTS: Dagger Soundsystem, Flatline, Renegade Youth

Words By Zac Colbert
Photos By FreshToDeath.com