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Sheffield Puts The Stereo On

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Sheffield Puts The Stereo On

Sheffield Puts The Stereo On

By Angus Taylor on Monday, April 11, 2011 - Comment

David Rodigan and Gappy Ranks storm the Steel City in style.

Sampler

Two performers with personal connections to the city of Sheffield, UK - veteran selector David Rodigan and rising singer-deejay Gappy Ranks - played a triumphant double headline show at the O2 Academy on Saturday night. Organized by local sound Unitone (who promote the roots and lovers dance Big People Business) and Culture Music Events, the PA only affair filled two rooms with the area’s proud reggae community - including Unitone’s rivals, the Riddimtion and Dub Central crews.

Rodigan and Gappy Ranks in Sheffield Rodigan (who lived in the city’s Nether Edge district from 1974-75) was on at 2am giving a typically theatrical exhibition of some of his “most treasured dubs”. These ranged from classics like Satta Amassagana right through to recent favourite Protoje’s Wrong Side Of The Law. Yet “Sir David”, who is 60 this year, told young selectors not to worry about lacking his arsenal of vintage specials - before making them jealous anyway with a rare cut of Gregory Isaacs’ Night Nurse.

At 2.45 Gappy, who helped launch BBC 1Xtra from Sheffield in 2002, took the stage. He sang a fastcut selection from debut album Put The Stereo on as well as new tunes from repeatedly postponed followup Thanks and Praise - such as the title track and current single Tun Up. Gappy also paid tribute to the Japanese people with I Was There, his charity recording - voiced in Yokohama while on tour when the earthquake struck in March. Rodigan then returned for a second set leaving a well pleased and satisfied audience behind.

Support came courtesy of Unitone, Birmingham’s Gemini, Sheffield’s Desert Eagle, and Manchester’s Classique Sounds. David Rodigan's cd with Fabric, Fabric Live 54, is out now.