Salmonella Dub

Berlins Café and Bar (not in Germany, but in the beautiful Buller Gorge on the good ol', honest ol' West Coast

Easter Monday, 17^th April 2006

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Steel Magnolia, Armagh Street, Christchurch, circa 1993 - Dayglo and Nightglo stand-in stopped in for a drink or three... between segments of scintillating conversation our combined senses were alerted to a new, fresh sound emanating from a dark corner of the bar. Three fine youthful blokes ('tree fellers' for those with Irish heritage) named Andrew, Mark and Dave were pushing out reggae rythyms wrapped around and threaded through some very odd songs that seemed out of place on this otherwise quiet Saturday night. Electric currents ran up and down Dayglo and Nightglo's respective spines... "Hey, they're really good... I wonder who they are?"

Over the years the band grew in size and original repertoire. Several sightings later Dayglo, Nightglo and the whanau took their confirmation vows as die-hard Salmonella Dub fans. One such sighting, circa 2000, included the Rainforest Action Group's gig at Berlins Hotel, with its nearby orchestral accompaniment, the mighty Buller River. Energising performances from S/Dub and Paddy Free remain firmly implanted in our memory banks. Aw, yeah... and the power going off for two hours.

Teleport to Easter Weekend 2006... we were once again the bearers of electrified spines as Samonella Dub were going to make a housecall at the since revamped, rebuilt and re-branded Berlins Café and Bar along with Wicked Draw on the South Island leg of their Aotearoa Provincial Roots Tour. Armed with plenty of Easter eggs and other delightful treats, Samira's Crew and the 'Glo whanau converged at Berlins for a 2pm start. Tagged as New Zealand's premier live dub/drum 'n' bass dance act, several hundred people were more than ready to be soaked to the skin to soak up the sounds and dance in the mud.

Did I mention the rain? I guess I should have. It rained and it rained and then it rained some more. However, it would have taken more than a West Coast downpour to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowd that had gathered in the Gorge, albeit a smaller crowd than the bands would have liked. Those who don't like getting their toes wet stayed at home and missed yet another great gig from a great bunch of talented and and incredibly generous guys. We moved to the music, pushing and pulling ourselves (well, some might have been engaged in the latter, in the murky muddy paddock next door...) , feeling the drum and bass cos that's what they do to us...

Salmonella Dub proves that local lads can be world class. Salmonella Dub is not a bacterial stomach disease, nay, it's a surefire tonic for all that ails ye. Doctor Dubsters, we love your medicine...