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Dub War | |
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| Origin | Newport, Wales |
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| Spinoffs | Skindred |
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| Website | www.dubwar.co.uk |
Dub War are a four-piece metal band from Newport, Wales. Formed in 1993, the band's musical style is a mix of metal, punk, and reggae.
Dub War formed in 1993 in Wales. [1] The band released two albums, via the metal label Earache Records; Pain, released in 1995 and Wrong Side of Beautiful in 1996. Dub War split in 1999 after disputes with their label. [2] After a short stint with the supergroup Mass Mental, lead singer Benji Webbe went on to form Skindred with Jeff Rose and Martyn Ford.
In 2010, Digby Pearson of Earache Records approached Webbe with the idea of releasing a DVD of the then last Dub War show and previous video. The DVD was released as a box set including a CD of rare recordings. [3]
The band performed a low-key show in Newport in 2014 in a one-off reunion, using Mikee Gregory on drums, replacing Martin 'Ginge' Ford. However, in May 2015, after Ghost Town withdrew their spot, Dub War were announced for a special half-hour set on the 4th Stage at Download Festival. [4] This was followed by the announcement that they would appear at the 2015 Velvet Coalmine Festival in south Wales, along with acts like Meat Puppets and Nicky Wire. [5]
In March 2016 the group released a new single, their first since 1997, called "Fun Done". The track premiered on TeamRock on 2 March 2016. [6] The song is the first of a planned set of 12 singles to be released on a limited 500 copy vinyl every time the band performs one of their sporadic shows over the next 2–3 years, before being released together on CD and digitally. [7]
On March 2, 2022, Dub War announced that they would be releasing the new album Westgate Under Fire - their first album of all new material in 26 years. [8] [9] Westgate Under Fire also marks a reunion with their original record label, Earache Records. [10] It was released on August 5, 2022 on coloured vinyl, signed CD, cassette and digital download. [11]
Their first single from Westgate Under Fire was also released on March 2 - “Blackkk Man”. [7]
Benji Webbe said of the song:
“This song is exactly how I was feeling at the time of Mr George Floyd's murder. This is a cry from my heart for equal rights and justice – and the other boys in the band feel the same as I do. No one chooses the skin they're in - should the skin you're in help you to win? It’s a question we all need to think about!
This racist injustice has been going on way too long and, unfortunately, even with all the cries and the pain, it still continues.” [7] [9] [12]
'Westgate Under Fire' features multiple guest musicians, including Stone Sour’s Roy Mayorga, Faith No More’s Mike Bordin, Snot's Mikey Doling and Jamie Miller, In Flames' Tanner Wayne, Ill Niño’s Dave Chavarri, Killing Joke’s Spike T Smith, and ska musician Ranking Roger. [10] [9] [8] [12]
Westgate Under Fire is named after an event in the band's hometown's history, the Newport Rising: "An event which would play a role in transforming democracy in Britain and the world, the uprising in 1839 saw the Chartist movement [see Chartism] march through south Wales, seeking social reform, including the right for men of all classes to vote. The marches ended in a bloody battle at the Westgate Hotel, which saw many of the Chartists dead or wounded. ‘Westgate Under Fire’ aims to embody the empowerment that Chartists took upon themselves all those years ago and coincides with the local community resurrecting the derelict Westgate Hotel into an exciting new venue." [9] [12]
| Year | Title [13] |
|---|---|
| 1994 | Dubwarning (mini album) |
| 1995 | Pain |
| 1996 | Wrong Side of Beautiful |
| 1998 | Step Ta Dis |
| 2005 | Demos 1998 |
| 2010 | The Dub, the War and the Ugly |
| 2022 | Westgate Under Fire |
| Year | Single | From the album | UK Singles Chart placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | "Respected" | Dubwarning | - |
| "Mental EP" | Pain | - | |
| 1995 | "Gorrit" | 85 | |
| "Strike It" | 70 | ||
| "Enemy Maker" | Wrong Side of Beautiful | 41 | |
| 1996 | "Cry Dignity" | 59 | |
| "Soundclash EP" | Remixes taken from Wrong Side of Beautiful | - | |
| 1997 | "Million Dollar Love" | Wrong Side of Beautiful | 73 |
| "Dreams & Illusions" | Standalone Single | - | |
| 2016 | "Fun Done" | Westgate Under Fire | - |
| "Making a Monster" renamed Mary Shelley | - | ||
| 2022 | "Blackkk Man" | - | |
| "War Inna Babylon" | - | ||
| "Vibes In The Place" | - | ||
| "Get Back Up" | - | ||
| "Coffin Lid" | - | ||
The Westgate Hotel, Commercial Street, Newport, Wales is a hotel building dating from the 19th century. On 4 November 1839 the hotel saw the major scenes of the Newport Rising, when 3,000 Chartists, some of them armed, led by John Frost marched on Newport to attempt to secure the release of five of their number who were being held under arrest at the hotel. In the fighting between about 60 soldiers of the 45th Regiment of Foot and police on one side, and a larger number of Chartists on the other, 10-22 Chartists were killed and more than 50 wounded. The hotel is a Grade II listed building.
Earache Records is a British independent record label, music publisher and management company founded by Digby Pearson in 1985, based in Nottingham, England, with offices in London and New York. The label helped to pioneer extreme metal by releasing early grindcore and death metal records between the late 1980s and mid-1990s. Its roster has since diversified into more mainstream guitar music, working with bands such as Rival Sons, the Temperance Movement, Blackberry Smoke, Scarlet Rebels and the White Buffalo. The company also hosted the 'Earache Express' stage at Glastonbury Festival in 2017 and 'The Earache Factory' at Boomtown 2018. The label's logo is a homage to Thrasher magazine, as Pearson was a skateboard culture enthusiast.
The Newport Rising was the last large-scale armed rising in Wales, by Chartists whose demands included democracy and the right to vote with a secret ballot. On Monday 4 November 1839, approximately 4,000 Chartist sympathisers, under the leadership of John Frost, marched on the town of Newport, Monmouthshire. En route, some Newport chartists were arrested by police and held prisoner at the Westgate Hotel in central Newport. Chartists from industrial towns outside of Newport, including many coal-miners, some with home-made arms, were intent on liberating their fellow Chartists. Fighting began, and soldiers of the 45th Regiment of Foot, deployed in the protection of the police, were ordered to open fire. About 10-24 Chartists were confirmed killed, whilst reports of perhaps a further 50 injured. 4 soldiers were reported as injured, as well as the mayor of Newport who was within the hotel. Subsequently, the leaders of the rising were convicted of treason and were sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered. The sentence was later commuted to transportation.
Skindred is a Welsh band that fuses heavy metal with other genres, most notably reggae. Formed in Newport in 1998, they are well known for their energetic and involving live performances and have won several awards including "Best Live Band" at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the "Devotion Award" at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.
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Clive John "Benji" Webbe is a Welsh singer, best known as the lead vocalist and synthesizer player for the reggae metal band Skindred. Aside from his main project, he is also active in Diamond Spider, Dub War, Mass Mental and his own solo project. He has featured on albums by Bullet for My Valentine, Soulfly, The Alarm, and Punk Rock Factory.
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