Soft Wax

Bassie is a performance in sound and multi-media installation. It seeks to provide insights into the sound system dances at the end of the 70s. Bassie also seeks to highlight the culture of resistance that grew up around a coalition of roots reggae and punk sub-cultures – exemplified in the Rock Against Racism movement.

The material installation flows seamlessly into the performative dimension that is central to Bassie. The performance takes the form of a club night that takes place within the installation on Saturday 2nd November. It will directly echo the events staged by Rock Against Racism locally in the late ‘70s – especially at the original Albany.

Bassie is an immersive, multi-faceted performance and installation, that is an interactive experience. The cultural life and fashions of this community of resistance that coalesced around these sound system dances in the late ‘70s will be recalled through this event and the memories of participants. People who were there back in the day and part of the events will be performing and on hand to discuss their experiences; we value your responses too!

Superficially the atmosphere at these dances suggested a systematic disorientation of the senses (“stop making sense”), however, these contexts have had a lasting influence on street culture and the development of cultures of resistance. The music at the heart of the performance is recognized as the root of much subsequent popular music

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