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 Mikey Dread "Dread at the Controls" on tour in Europe, 2004.
Mikey Dread, one of the inventors and innovators of reggae music from Jamaica, will be touring Europe this summer. Preliminary dates are already fixed for England and France, and hopefully he will also be extending the tour to other cities in Europe.
In other words, the legend is back on the road in Europe. Michael Campbell, a.k.a Mikey Dread, or better known as "Dread at the Controls" will be touring Europe all through June and July.
Mikey Dread - in short. Courtesy Monkeybizmanagement
Michael Campbell, a.k.a. Mikey Dread is one of the most influential performers and innovators in reggae music. His abilities, technical expertise, and unique vocal delivery combine to create a unique sound that tells the listener emphatically that it is the "Dread at the Controls." Perhaps Mikey's work with The Clash has garnered him with the most recognition, but his credentials and resume started long before his eye-opening production on several releases with the renowned Punk Stars from London. His work and interaction with The Clash was a significant event in the integration of reggae into popular music throughout the world. The album, "Black Market Clash", is a brilliant fusion of late 1970's punk rock and a heavy reggae bass and drum line. The reggae aspect of The Clash's album distinguished their sound from the other punks that emerged in the 1970's.
Soon thereafter, it was a must for just about every punk band to have a reggae cover song on their album. Mikey was the first Producer ever to produce a UK chart hit for The Clash" Bank Robber" and later produced several reggae cuts on their internationally recognized Album "Sandinista."
Mikey's avid interest in reggae music led him to acquire an immense collection of crucial vinyl, which he used to gain notoriety as a young DJ and audio engineer with the Jamaica Broadcasting Corporation (JBC) where he began his broadcasting career in 1976. There he developed his own unique broadcasting style, which has been adopted by virtually every reggae radio show in Jamaica and the world today. His radio show, which became known as "Dread at the Controls," was firmly established as the Number One Radio Show in Jamaica. Mikey was awarded Top Radio Personality of the Year in 1977-1978.
In 1979, having resigned from JBC, Mikey decided to expand his career by getting more involved in the actual production of not only his own music, but also the work of others such as Sugar Minott, Junior Murvin, Earl Sixteen, Wally Bucker, Sunshine, Jah Grundy and Rod T Taylor. His activities attracted the attention of The Clash, who asked Mikey to work with them. They produced "Bank Robber" and the already mentioned "Black Market Clash", which sold over 3 million copies. His work on The Clash's most famous album "Sandinista" is internationally recognized.
Mikey studied at the National Broadcasting School in London where he perfected his media production/radio broadcasting skills, graduating with special commendations in 1980.
Mikey Dread has used his great and refined engineering talents to further reggae music in the United Kingdom and the world. He believes in a multimedia approach to publicizing reggae. Some of his works in the United Kingdom include narrating reggae documentaries, hosting series such as "Rockers Road show" and the ever-popular six-part Channel 4 reggae documentary series "Deep Roots Music". "Pave the Way" did what the title suggest for Mikey's career by appealing to a broad audience with catchy numbers like the track's "Reggae Hit Shot", a dance song on the Hustle rhythm. The album "Happy Family" is another step in the evolution of Mikey's upbeat sound. He later recorded "The Source (Of Your Divorce)" for Warner Brothers Records USA, which obtained regularly rotated video airplay on BET as well as on MTV's hip-hop/rap program"Yo MTV Raps". MTV's Sunsplash Special, which was shot in his native Jamaica, featured Mikey's video in 1990.
Mikey released "Mikey Dread's Best Sellers" (Rykodisc, 1991), a stunning compilation of Mikey's best known songs including "Barber Saloon" (#1 on Jamaican and British Reggae charts in 1979), and the classic "Roots and Culture". Mikey then went on to record "Profile" and "African Anthem Revisited" (RAS Records, 1991). He toured in Europe and the USA with Freddie McGregor, Lloyd Parks and We The People Band and also the Roots Radics Band.
Mikey Dread - tour dates
June 23- Cargo Club (UK)
June 24- 26 Free
June 27 - Glastonbury Festival (UK)
June 28-30 Free
July 1 and 2 Free
July 3- Bristol Carnival (UK)
July 4-8 Free
July 9- London with Sly and Robbie (UK)
July 10- Wales (UK)
July 11-Free
July -12- Cardiff (UK)
July 13-16-Free
July 17- Lambeth Festival Brixton London (UK)
July 18-29 - Free
July 31- Ja Sound Festival - France
August - Free
September - Free
ENQ: Donald Deans
TL: + 44 20 8683 9373
M: + 44 7930 128 190 - Any Time.
website: http://www.monkeybizmanagement.com
concert pic: courtesy www.mikeydread.com
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