Music / Reviews
Review: Jamaica Rum Tings, Lakota
Wray & Nephew presents Jamaica Rum Tings made a welcome return to Lakota with a host of big name DJs and MCs joining forces for the all-day celebration of Jamaican culture.
Proceedings got underway in the courtyard with rum punch keeping punters well oiled and refreshed in the Saturday afternoon sun. Also on offer was an authentic jerk BBQ serving up traditional Caribbean fare.
London collective Reggae Roast took control of the outdoor sound system, pumping out the finest dancehall and dub to a growing crowd of skankers there to dance way on into the night. Those looking to pace themselves for the evening could be found playing dominoes around the beach shack-styled bar.
Day soon turned to night and with Lakota getting busier and busier by the hour, the club’s main room opened up to make way for the evening’s headlining acts, including Rinse FM’s Uncle Dugs and Louis Slipperz of Taskforce.
Keeping the crowd moving and hyped up were UK hip hop mainstays Skitz and Rodney P who played an impressive back-to-back reggae set with Curtis Lynch and well-known local favourite Buggsy, who received a loud hero’s welcome from the crowd upon taking to the stage.
Outside cocktails, punch and Jamaican lager continued to flow. This year’s St Paul’s Carnival may have been cancelled but the annual celebration was there in spirit. The queue continued to snake around the venue with latecomers hoping to get in on the action just in time to catch drum & bass legend LTJ Bukem.
The London DJ, who is no stranger to the Lakota crowd, did not disappoint either – playing an exclusive reggae set packed with rarities and grooves.
The performance was followed by Bukem’s fellow Londoner Congo Natty, who true to form raised the Lakota roof, with bone-shaking dub pumping through the club’s speaker stacks.
With the clock hitting 2am and the audience showing no signs of tiring it was down to another one of Bristol’s own to close Rum Tings as Krust stepped up picking up where the Rebel MC left off before crashing into a masterful Future Bass Reggae set.
Rum Tings provided a fitting appreciation of the Caribbean island which will celebrate its independence on August 6. Carnival may be off but thankfully Wray & Nephew’s bash helped to ease the pain.