Dub Pistols

by John Bush
The continuing ascendancy of big-beat techno with punk-rock attitude continued unabated with the Dub Pistols, a lager-swilling quintet headed by ex-club promoter Barry Ashworth and featuring guitarist John King, bassist Jason OBryan, programmer Bill Borez and turntablist Malcolm Wax. Ashworth, who had been turned on to the vibes of Ibizan house in the mid-80s, began promoting clubs in Britain later in the decade. He went overground by 1989 with Deja Vu, a much-loved club night for Madchester bands like Happy Mondays and the Stone Roses. After a bust-up with police during another of his events, 1991s Eat the Worm, Ashworth and several friends decided to form the band Deja Vu, a London-centric band with Madchester influences. After signing with Cowboy and releasing a couple of singles, the group released one album (Gangsters, Tarts & Wannabes) but broke up by 1996.
Inspired by the Chemical Brothers and Jon Carters Heavenly Social club night, Ashworth began DJing himself. He was recruited to remix Blow the Whole Joint Up by Carters Monkey Mafia, and got his new group Dub Pistols signed to Concrete Records as a consequence. The band debuted in late 1996 with the singles Theres Gonna Be a Riot and Best Got Better. By the time of their 1998 debut album Point Blank, big beat appeared to have run its course. Dub Pistols remained an infectious live draw, however, startling audiences in Britain and around the world. The groups second album, Six Million Ways to Live, appeared in 2001 and was followed a year later by the mix album Y4K: Next Level Breaks.