Long Beach Dub Allstars

›Long Beach Dub Allstars›Overview

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AboutDotted with oil rigs and neighborhoods past their prime, Long Beach, Cal. is a gray, gritty port town that rises up to meet a matching overcast sky. But Long Beach is also a thriving, sun-drenched coastal community. Tourist developments along its sparkling shoreline complement the upscale foot traffic of a booming, revitalized town. In a way, it makes sense that a city of such jarring contrasts would give rise to the eclectic collective known as the LONG BEACH DUB ALLSTARS. The seven-member ensemble thrives on the common grounding of its hometown roots. Still, one might wonder how the Allstars' mish-mosh of reggae, punk, hip-hop, jazz and more merges so seamlessly on their DreamWorks Records debut, Right Back. The first clue is right there in the heartbeat of the group. Drummer Bud Gaugh and bassist Eric Wilson formed the rhythmic nucleus of Long Beach legends Sublime, whose mix of skanking rhythms and loose-limbed rock won over millions of fans. When Sublime frontman Brad Nowell died from an accidental overdose in May, 1996, weeks before the release of the band's self-titled major label debut, Gaugh and Wilson sought refuge amid a circle of their oldest and closest friends. Gradually drawn back to music, they assumed the Sly and Robbie roles in an expanding crew whose foremost love of roots reggae helped shape their emerging sound.So the Long Beach Dub Allstars were born. Most of the players enlisted had been friends of Wilson and Gaugh since their school days. Thanks to these close connections, good vibes and a mutually supportive atmosphere attended the early stages of the group. Rather than filling Nowell's spot with a single substitute, Wilson and Gaugh found that surrounding themselves with Brad's friends diminished both the pain of his absence and the pressure to replace him. The late Sublime frontman does, however, retain a key spiritual role in the Long Beach Dub Allstars. "When we're playing a show and doing an old Sublime tune," says Gaugh, "all of a sudden I get tingly all across my back and I know Brad's spirit is right there, smiling on us. His heart drives the band."