Music in Suits

The Gentleman's Dub Club (GDC) describe themselves as a live dance music outfit, and it is these performances that have gained them popularity the world over. In the dub act, there are nine men on stage, in suits , playing music and dancing using every inch of the space available to them. They come with an energy so contagious and dub/reggae/ska tunes that demand to be danced to. This weekend (February 2-3), the seven-year-old act from Leeds, United Kingdom, will play their first gig in India at the India Bike Week in Goa.

The members of the band choose to attribute the success of their live shows to their audiences. "If the audience didn't respond to our energy on stage we would probably stop doing what we do, so they deserve as much credit as us," says Niall Lavell, percussionist and samples. "This is perhaps why the 'club' element of our name works so well, because a GDC show is very inclusive."

The headlining and only international act at the two-day festival — that focuses mostly on bikes and bike-related activities, but will not disappoint those looking for music either — GDC will play the final slot at the main stage on Saturday, the first day of the festival. The GDC performance will however only be open to people who are attending the India Bike Week. The venue will have two stages for these musicians to perform on — the main stage and the EDM tent — but what is likely to be of more interest to those going for the bikes is the stunt zone, the dirt track and the various exhibits.

Having started out small in early 2006, GDC have played at some of the biggest festivals around the world — including Outlook in Croatia and Glastonbury and Latitude in the UK — and opened for various established artistes including The Wailers, The Streets and Finley Quaye. "We started in a small, damp basement in Leeds, with just a few members and some massive speakers," says Lavell. The festivals, he says, have undoubtedly been fun, but sometimes the smaller venues win.

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