The third annual The Irish Soundsystem Gathering featuring sound systems playing reggae, dub, dubstep and drum & bass in a Jamaican-style Sound Clash will take place at Commercial Boatclub, Wood Quay, Galway on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th December this year.
Friday and Saturday evening feature a literary and pictorial “History of Soundsystem Culture” exhibition, record and merch stand together with freshly prepared, traditional Jamaican and Caribbean cuisine with an Irish twist.
Both nights will culminate in the Soundclash, “a pressure cooker” featuring custom-built high-powered soundsystems from across the country with the soundsystem’s equipment playing classics and exclusives, inspired by the original Soundclashes in Jamaica in the 50s that lead to the establishment of reggae and dub as going concerns that proliferated via migration to the UK and beyond.
Friday night centres around the Roots Soundsystems, powering up in a traditional style playing reggae, dub, ska and dancehall. The event climaxes on Saturday night, with the four Electronic music Systems focussing on the more contemporary forms of Soundsystem music – dubstep, drum & bass, and jungle, with some techno and electro featuring for the first time this year.
Tickets are available online for €17.50 for each night, a weekend pass is available for €30 from here.
The Irish Soundsystem Gathering on Facebook.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
