Dennis Bovell Auckland Headline Show Announced

Barbados-born UK dub-reggae giant Dennis Bovell is touching down in Aotearoa for a pair of special events at Tāmaki Makaurau's Hollywood Avondale, sizzling up your Labour Weekend this October. A key figure in British reggae as guitarist for Matumbi in the '70s / early '80s, Bovell's production magic has graced classic records by I-Roy, The Thompson Twins, The Slits, Orange Juice, Fela Kuti, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Bobby Kray and Bananarama, working closely with Linton Kwesi Johnson for much of his landmark dub-poetry recorded output.

Bringing the party to Hollywood Avondale with special guests Logg, Empress Naima and Samuel Harmony on 22nd October (powered by the Reggae Rodeo Soundsystem), there will also be a special screening of director Franco Rosso's 1980 film Babylon – partly based on "Bovell’s false imprisonment for running a Jamaican sound system in the mid-'70s" — followed by followed by a Q&A with Bovell, hosted by Nabeel Zuberi. Lovers of bass culture best secure their spot pronto to catch the maestro in action, brought to you by F1 Team, Loggcabin and Sub-Depoy...

Dennis Bovell live-in-session
support from Logg, Empress Naima & Samuel Harmony powered by the Reggae Rodeo Soundsystem
Sunday 22nd October (Labour Weekend) - Hollywood Avondale, Auckland
Tickets on sale via UTR from 9am, Wednesday 20th September (with ticket to Babylon film screening option available)

Monday 23rd October (Labour Day) - Babylon (1980) film screening at the Hollywood Avondale, Auckland
Screening of seminal British soundsystem film Babylon followed by a Q&A with Dennis Bovell, hosted by Nabeel Zuberi
Tickets HERE

Hit play on Dennis Bovell's 1981 classic 'Heaven'...

Listen to Matumbi's 1976 version of Bob Dylan's 'Man in Me'...

Watch the official trailer for Babylon (1980)...

Here's Dennis Bovell's 2004 Red Bull Music Academy discussion...

Press release:

F1 Team, Loggcabin & Sub-Depot are delighted to welcome super producer, dub master & reggae legend Dennis Bovell - back to Aotearoa this Spring for a special set of events at the Hollywood Avondale

On Sunday October 22nd - Dennis Bovell will be live in session - Djing, toasting and hosting - for a very special celebration of dub, reggae, lovers rock and just about anything else that Dennis has been responsible for over the years (which is A LOT!)

Supported by Empress Naima, Loggy Logg and Samuel Harmony - this will be a beautiful way to kick off the warmer weather. So come bask in the low end pressure of the Reggae Rodeo soundsystem and have a few Hallertau #2s in the Hollywood’s newly refurbished back garden.