CHRIS CONNELLEY

Some musicians start early. Mozart, for example, is rumoured to have composed his first piece at the age of five, while Prince mastered the piano by the tender age of seven. Others take longer to get started, and join the party much later.

Hastings-based rapper, Noah Rockett, 20, sits firmly in the second camp. He spent his teenage years stuck in his room playing video games, but that all changed when he started listening to the old school hip hop so admired by his dad. It intrigued, then snared him, and led to his exploring more deeply, and getting passionate about epic performers like Wu Tang Clan and A Tribe Called Quest.

From here, it was just a (hip) hop and a jump, from listening to others to rapping along himself. This in turn led to him writing his own material, sharing it on social media and releasing five EPs (under different names) in short succession.

Like any new starter, it took time and effort to hone his craft and find his authentic voice, and reflecting back with ruthless honesty, Noah describes his early efforts as “pretty bad”. But, having gotten the bug, he kept at it, listening, learning and developing. Now, after a period out of the public gaze, he’s back with a new incarnation, Sun-z, and a stack of new material on a brand new EP, Who Am I? It’s been a year in the making, but he’s confident that the time is right: he’s now ready and “good enough to go back out there and go for gold”.

Against the backdrop of this summer of intense heat, he has pushed his new EP relentlessly on social media and has started performing live, which he admits has been a surprise highlight of his year and that he really enjoys.

Over recent weeks, he has formed part of the bill at the Kofi Stone gig at the De la Warr Pavilion, performed a short set on the overhead walkway at the intimate St Andrews Mews, and rapped to a sizeable audience of around 300 at the Oval as part of Remi Vibesman’s feted Hidden Beach Festival.

Looking forward, he is hoping to build his profile on social media, having recently notched up over 2,000 followers on Instagram. He would of course love to secure a record deal, and is busy making contacts with that end in mind. As an accomplished wordsmith, he’s also contemplating dipping his toe into the burgeoning local spoken word and poetry scene, recognising the potential for exciting collaborations and crossover in a town that oozes culture from every pore.

As he puts it: “The great thing about Hastings is that there are loads of cool, creative people and everyone is trying to build something for themselves and each other, with lots of support out there.”

Heading towards autumn, Noah is in a confident mood, in it for the long run, and clearly enjoying himself. All of which comes across clearly in his new tracks. If you haven’t encountered him yet, it’s time to check him out. So prepare for something sassy, soulful, authentic and grown up. And expect to be delighted.

To find out more, hear some of his tracks, and details of how to buy the new CD, go to Solsun-Z on Insta or to his website, sun-z.co.uk.

Aba Shanti-I brought deep Dub Reggae joy to the crowd at St Mary in the Castle last night. I felt what Remi Vibesman, the event’s promoter, described as “the glee and excitement on everyone’s face as they approached the box office. This is a long overdue tonic. A wellness and spiritual session like no other. “

Aba Shanti-I is a sound system operator and producer who has played throughout the UK and Europe for over 30 years. His spiritual home is the annual Notting Hill carnival where he has been a regular highlight since 1993, the year in which DJ magazine dubbed him the No. 1 DJ in the world.

To see Aba ply his trade is to witness a master at work. He wasn’t up on the stage hidden behind a desk fiddling with CDs or sound files, he was down amongst us, dancers on 3 sides, vinyl decks at his eye level – seamlessly changing records on one deck at the same time as toasting, before quickly gliding his fingers over a vertical stack of amps to skilfully adjust faders, crank up the reverb or apply delay. 

The levels of bass that flowed from monolithic columns of speakers were seismic. Those low-end frequencies moved through your body via every route and rearranged your internal organs. Discard spurious conspiracies, this felt like the only real and very nourishing ‘Great Reset’.

The impact of dub reggae’s influence on every genre of electronic dance music is inestimable. The great pioneers of this art form like King Tubby and Aba himself literally transformed music and the role of the producer. Clearly, club culture would not exist at all in its present form without sound systems such as Aba Shanti-I.

St Mary in the Castle is a deconsecrated church and, some may think, an unusual venue for such an event. The prominent photograph of Haile Selassie up on the stage above Aba’s head had a ‘sign of the times’ poignancy given its context.

We have the great Remi Vibesman to thank for this amazing event. Beautifully organised, the light show was so sympathetic to the venue and one can’t help but be impressed by Remi’s attention to detail and work ethic. Currently in his last year of a degree in Nursing, and at a time when he is driving ambulances three days a week and enjoying the new life of his recently arrived son, he still finds the reserves to host events like this under the moniker of Hidden Beach. More than that, he determinedly focuses on emphasising well-being and spirituality. Thank you Remi.

I was lucky to catch up with the man himself briefly after his set and he extolled the special vibe that Hastings has. On the venue he said, “It is always a joy to work in the house of the Lord.’’

What’s in a name? If it’s Montague or Capulet it may be obvious but when it comes to musical genres it quickly gets confusing.

The band Yabba Funk, who recently gave a storming performance at the De La Warr café in Bexhill, have been variously described as Afrobeat, Hi-Life, Dub, Blues and Soul. Their influences descend from James Brown, Fela Kuti, Sun Ra, Parliament Funkadelic… indeed I thought I heard faint echoes of Bob Marley and Reggae in the mix … so the list goes on and on. Such are the dangers of trying to pigeonhole their distinctive sound.

Left: Remi Vibesman, Right: Richmond Kessie and Helen McDonald
CREDIT: Phaldane Photography

What can be said for certain is that Yabba Funk, who formed in the late 1990s in Brixton, have since been performing to a steadily growing group of fans; have produced two albums – ‘Afrobeast’ and ‘My Vote Dey Count’ – and have performed at ‘Womad’ and, now, Bexhill-on-Sea.

One can also say without too much fear of contradiction, that the band is fronted by two people clearly of African descent who rejoice in the rather British names of ‘Richmond’ and ‘Helen McDonald’. Though it is true that Richmond’s second name, Kessie, does rather hint at his West African, Ghanaian, background. For those into the nuances of Afrobeat, it’s apparently the influences of Accra rather than Lagos in nearby Nigeria, that gives Yabba Funk their USP – though ironically – and confusingly – Yaba, the town after which they are presumably named, is part of Lagos.

But how, you may reasonably ask, was the gig? Exciting, visceral, stomping… all of the above and more. Yabba Funk usually present as a ten piece, but in Bexhill on Hastings’ bonfire night, only eight showed up. It was more than sufficient. A keyboard, guitar, sax, drums, congas, a fabulous trumpet (with Mariachi undertones) and the extraordinarily energetic singers – Helen and Richmond had the audience rocking all evening. 

With current concerns about cultural appropriation there was, perhaps, the faintest surprise that all, except the duo fronting this Afrobeat band, were caucasian. Promoter Remi Vibesman who booked them says simply that it reflects the global world we live in. It was he who put on the Tribute to Fela Kuti on the lawn behind the De La Warr earlier in the summer and is working with DWP on a World Music event next July, under the title of United Colours of Rhythm. If Remi can spirit up such acts as Yabba Funk and Saxon Sound System for the current Black Music Month, and curate world music festivals, the De La Warr have got themselves a really valuable asset, and someone who knows a bit about African music. “We moved back to Lagos when I was twelve,” he says, “and the music we now call Afrobeat was everywhere. Not just in the clubs, but on the street and in peoples’ homes. I was raised on it.” We
are fortunate he’s now bringing it to us.

I remember the first ‘pinch me’ moment about my decision to settle in Hastings (St Leonards actually) after moving back to the UK from Hong Kong in 2017. It was my first Sunday in the Old Town and I was sitting with an old friend having an early evening drink in Whistle Trago on George Street when we both became aware of a live band playing an incredibly funky version of Deee-Lite’s Groove is in the Heart at The Albion next door. I left my drinking buddy to go and investigate. 

I peered through the pub’s window and saw what was reminiscent of a Camden club at midnight on a Saturday, rather than a coastal pub at 6pm on a Sunday. The place was rammed, people’s hands were in the air
and the place was buzzing. I hurried back to relay what I had seen. We drank up slowly assuming the band were there for the evening. 

By the time we finally made our move to relocate for some live music, things had changed. The Albion was now sparsely populated with a few small groups of drinkers. Crew were coiling leads amongst a few skeletal mic stands. I asked one of the bar staff what was going on and they said, “Everyone’s gone down to The Standard for the reggae!” That was an amazing evening, beautifully rounded off by Los Twangueros’ late set back at the Trago.

The Sunday live music scene in the Old Town is like a weekly festival. Well-coordinated by venue owners to minimise clashes, it is a key indicator that the town’s music scene is in great health. Since first realizing that the scene here is like no other, I am still of the same opinion, but my view has been tempered by the sneaking suspicion that despite being dynamic and vibrant, music in Hastings has some blind spots. 

Is the scene here as diverse and vital as it possibly could be or as we would like to think it is? For instance, why is it that in a town which dines out on legendary gigs such as Hendrix’s show on the pier in 1967 (I believe you can still purchase reproductions of this gig’s poster), it is rare to see bands gigging here from outside Hastings? 

Is the scene here as diverse and vital as we would like to think it is?

When I first felt the urge to write this, and after discussing it with friends who are in various capacities active in the Hastings music scene, I assembled a tentative longlist of 638 people that I should probably speak to in order to arrive at a balanced and representative discussion piece. So, from the outset I need to make it clear that, whilst the impressive number of potential contributors is in itself a strong indicator of the current health of music in the borough, the article was never going to represent everyone’s opinions. Neither would it be conclusive in any way. It is merely intended to be a conversation starter.

Rather than planning a series of ‘one to one’ interviews with a range of people, and after speaking with Mike Willis, we decided to assemble a discussion group at ‘Ramshackle’, Mike’s shop in Norman Road, throw out a few questions and see what happened. A few people that were approached were unable to attend. Others were reluctant to go on record, some were self-isolating and, to be frank, some just didn’t respond. So who was there?

Left to right: Sister Suzie, Remi Vibesman, Mick Whitnall, Gareth Stevens, Haydn Ackerley, Mike Willis

Remi Vibesman – A promoter and DJ who moved to the town from London in 2007. Remi has been very busy providing us with great ‘feel good’ soul, funk, jazz and disco and, in his heart, is committed to a more rounded and community-led spirit in all the events he has put on. He has tried to bring us music from outside the borough under the moniker of ‘Hidden Beach’ and is known for his efforts to see things a little differently.

Sister Suzie – Suzie is a well-loved, powerful and passionate rhythm and blues singer who is also currently booking original artists for a new online music platform called ‘Audiotrope’, a side-line of the Coastal Currents Arts Festival.

Mick Whitnall – Mick has lived in St Leonards for the last four years. He formed the ska and rocksteady reggae band One Hundred Men, was in Finlay Quaye’s band, played guitar and was co-songwriter with Pete Doherty in Babyshambles, and was working with Amy Winehouse on her third album when she left us.

Haydn Ackerley – Haydn produces under the pseudonym ‘Itch Iker’ and is also a multi-instrumentalist and composer with the Jung Minds. The median age of the discussion group plummeted suddenly once he agreed to be on board as he is enjoying the last year of his teens.

Mike Willis – Mike is a singer songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee. He has also formed a music promotion company in the US. He moved to Hastings five years ago and is currently exploring ways of supporting the local live music scene, not least by developing a music streaming software.

It seems that my first experience of live music here was not unique. All but Haydn, who was born in the town, told similar stories of how the ‘New Orleanian’ spirit that is front and centre of the town’s approach to live music and best exemplified by Fat Tuesday was one of the most important reasons why they ended up living here. 

We discussed what were the best features of our local musical culture. Suzie was keen to applaud the people here for the way they actively support local bands. The fact that a range of local bands can play several times a week across the borough and still draw loyal crowds is startling. She went on to comment on how the diversity and enthusiasm of people here gave her confidence and impetus. 

Why is it that people here are generally unwilling to pay over a fiver to hear live music?

We all agreed that whilst “Salt and Pepper” rock bands are in abundance, audiences are not defined by age or sub-cultural groups. Beyond that, all concurred that the capacity of local venues to offer such a diverse range of musical genres was a hugely positive thing. Haydn, too, talked of the open mindedness of audiences. “An early set the Jung Minds did was, in part, wholly improvised and the accepting and appreciative response to it from people genuinely helped build my confidence as a young performer.”

Remi loves the fact that the Hastings music scene “doesn’t always take itself that seriously”. He loves that he can play cheesy goodtime tunes here without being faced with snobbery. 

Mike said that when he plays here he feels he is in the presence of genuine music lovers – “even in Nashville it is hard to find a real music appreciator”. 

Mick expressed the view that there is an authenticity to music in Hastings and said the scene here is a far cry from Camden’s where at times some spindly “snake hipped” wannabe has an entitled view about getting a record deal without being able to comfortably find their way around a fretboard.

So are there any less positive things about our music scene? Whilst the town’s loyalty to its homegrown talent is inarguably a good thing are there any downsides to this? 

Well, not because people are loyal, but maybe because the musical menu in town can appear a little repetitive at times. Haydn enjoys being in the audience at gigs in Hastings, but also thinks it is a hard scene to penetrate and the group as a whole agreed that there was a degree of insularity that unwittingly excludes younger upcoming bands. To some degree this has prompted the Jung Minds to think differently and to develop music that is beyond the obvious. 

Perhaps the most intensely discussed issue of the evening was, why is it that people here are generally unwilling to pay over a fiver to hear live music? Remi thought that “you can’t develop local talent if people are not prepared to pay to support it. It’s easier for venues to convince bands to play for shit money than it is to persuade customers to pay an entrance fee.”

Mike was quick to qualify this by saying that no venue owners are getting rich on the back of the live music they offer. “It is a pervasive problem across the whole music industry. Musicians are manipulated and coerced because they have an innate will to be creative” – and to find audiences for their music. 

Whilst I can’t fully reflect the two-hour conversation in this short space, the main wish list that emerged that the group felt would make our scene even stronger would be that it would be great if:

• there were more medium-sized dedicated music venues in Hastings;

• these venues routinely booked bands from outside the borough;

• more local bands and musicians played outside of Hastings in order to spread the word about the Hastings musical spirit;

• bands were paid reasonable fees and people were prepared to pay money to see live music sometimes;

• we could build a culture of writing ground-breaking songs that was exemplified by John Martyn;

• we could develop more infrastructure to support the writing, recording and releasing of music;

• there were more promoters who were prepared to take creative risks to broaden our musical offer.

I think it is fair to say that whilst we were a little bit concerned that our individual opinions might be different to others in the group, overall there was consensus. All of us were hugely positive about the music scene in Hastings, yet we all agreed that we should be careful not to rest on our laurels, nor to collectively drop the ball, and that we should invest in ‘filling the gaps’. It is so important that we have our eyes on sustaining and developing Hastings’ musical future… that we preserve all that is good and great and continue to grow.

• Mike and I are planning more discussions on questions and ideas that have come out of our first session. Please contact me with feedback or expressions of interest if you want to be involved garethwstevens@gmail.com

PICTURE: Dave Young

The council explained its instruction to MFE to cancel its remaining programme by reference to the lack of social distancing among attenders at a music event at the previous weekend, 12th/13th September. A spokesperson said: “As a result of this, and the fact that infection rates have increased nationally and also to some extent across East Sussex, our environmental health team suggested that as a precaution the operators of the pier should reconsider the type of events they are staging, and how they are managed. The operators have responded positively to this suggestion, and have decided there will be no more live bands/DJs for the foreseeable future.”

First cancellation was of last Thursday’s HiddenBeach On The Pier gathering, due to be fronted by local DJ Remi Vibesman. A wholly ticketed eight-hour Queer on the Pier festival was allowed to go ahead two days later on the Saturday (19th September), presumably because the MFE were able to persuade the council that they had hired sufficient numbers of marshals to ensure that rigorous distancing controls would be maintained. 

But all subsequent events have been cancelled.

According to the council spokesperson, its environmental health team “continues to support businesses, including event organisers, to ensure they have access to and understand the guidance and how to operate safely according to it”. However, any application of rigid guidelines to outdoor gatherings on the pier arguably runs counter to scientific studies relied upon in the formulation of general government policy, which suggest that the risk of Covid-19 infection in well-ventilated outdoor environments is minimal. 

Jonathan Van-Tam, the Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England, told the daily Downing Street briefing back in April that “there is a definite truism across all of the science literature that ventilation is a most critical part of reducing transmission from respiratory viruses”. Normal breezes and air currents appeared to quickly disperse any kind of plumes of breath exhaled, he said. 

Dr Chris Smith, clinical lecturer in virology at the University of Cambridge, previously told the BBC that the chances of Covid-19 transmission outside were “vanishingly small” because “the amount of dilution from fresh air is so high”.

No mainstream scientists in the field are known to have argued to the contrary. As for ventilation on the pier, enough said.

The Bier Garden on the pier will remain open until 4th October with slightly reduced hours: 1pm to 7.30pm Sunday to Thursday: 1pm to 10pm Fridays and Saturdays.

NB The pier will now close at 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays in line with the government regulation announced this week

Many of you will already be acquainted with the perpetual smile and warm heart of Remi Vibesman. You may have unwittingly attended one of his musical events or might remember how much his plein-air DJ sets brought another dimension to your balmy summer Sunday afternoons on St Leonards beach. Any which way, keep him in mind as he is developing a unique vision for how he might contribute to music in the borough. 

Born in Hendon, North London Remi unexpectedly relocated when his parents decided to move back to their native Nigeria when he was seven years old. Ajegunli is in the heart of Lagos and its name means “A place where riches dwell”. When Remi tells me of his five young years there it is clear that he did indeed find a kind of wealth there. “It was whilst I was a kid in Lagos that I saw the potential for music to enrich and transform communities and uplift people.” He tells me how music ran through everything there; that it was not just a recreation, but was front and centre of everything. In Nigeria, Remi not only found the power of rhythm and dance, but he experienced how music can bring unity and strength to communities and individuals that were experiencing deep hardship.

Sadly Remi’s mother died when he was fifteen, but her legacy to him still runs deep. She left him a ‘can do’ mindset that he says is part of his DNA. Remi cut his musical teeth during the halcyon days when London acid jazz, hip-hop, funk and soul was going through an incredible growth spurt. By the time he finished sixth form he was organizing music parties and bussing crowds down to coastal weekenders. Shortly after he started a mail order record company, opened a record shop, started several influential record labels and put out some trail blazing cuts that fused jazz and hip-hop, anticipating artists like Guru’s Jazzmatazz and A Tribe Called Quest. He also continued to hone his craft as a DJ.

Remi tells me that he recognised in Hastings some of the musical spirit he had experienced in Nigeria and that this was the main reason for him moving here in 2007. Intending to hang up his headphones, his indefatigable enthusiasm wouldn’t allow him to and he has been very busy since his arrival. He has started a regular Monday jazz night at Oscars which features live bands across the jazz, funk and soul spectrum, and has begun to promote events that stretch the town’s musical offer under the moniker of HiddenBeach promotions. 

“I want to plan events that engage all six senses, bring people together and that allow music to increase the wellbeing of all who attend,” he explains. Look out for future Hidden Beach events, which include a NYE party with the internationally renowned DJ Severino of Horse Meat Disco at Oscar’s and DA Fest, an all-day festival to raise awareness about depression and other mental health issues next Summer, on St Leonards promenade. Here is a man who is going beyond the usual remit of a music promoter to do something intrinsically good for our community.