Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers: Sound systems back in da day

Post-war Caribbean migrants (now conflated to the Windrush generation) were often barred from British pubs and clubs, and consequently entertained themselves at home with the ‘Bluespot’ (after Blaupunkt) radiogram in House parties (later Blues parties and Shebeens). As mobile custom made high powered Hi Fis, sound system culture was brought to the UK by Jamaican migrants and famous sound systems (sounds) include Count Shelley, Duke Reid, Duke Vin, Sir Coxsone, Jah Shaka, Fatman, Quaker City, V Rocket - there were 500 sounds across the UK at one point. They emerged in towns and cities wherever there was Black settlement, and provided an alternative multi-racial space where Black people could free up themselves; drink a stout, eat a pattie, and listen and dance to music that was familiar to them from ‘back home’.

Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers was a multi-media installation-based exhibition curated by McMillan in collaboration with Dubmorphology (Gary Stewart & Trevor Mathison), which drew on his lived experience as a raver as a Black British youth during the 1970s and early 1980s and extensive research into local sound system cultures in Nottingham and London. It took place at New Art Exchange (NAE), Nottingham, and 198 Contemporary Arts & Learning (198), London (2015-16).

Leaflet for Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers at NAE:

The publicity used Chris Steele-Perkins’ photograph, “A Little Island of Energy” young black women dancing in a youth club in Wolverhampton’ courtesy of Magnum Photos. Other archive images were courtesy of Vanley Burke, John Goto, Autograph, Norma Gregory, Mrs Danby, Louise Garvey, Veronica Barnes, Neville ‘Ted’ Campbell

Blues party opening of Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers at NAE. Photos courtesy of Bartosz Kali 2015.

Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers consisted of two installations: firstly, at home with the radiogram, vinyl records, and the material culture of dressing up and grooming to go out raving. Photos courtesy of Bartosz Kali and Hesham Helmy 2015:

The second installation was a sensory recreation of the dancehall with Tip A’ Tone’s sound system ‘set’ loaned from John Collingwood, and two films shown on three large screens based on oral history interviews with sound system pioneers, practitioners and ravers from Nottingham and London. Photos courtesy of Bartosz Kali and Hesham Helmy 2015:

There also an map of Nottingham where visitors could locate the dance spots they used to rave to:

Exhibition guide for Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers at 198:

Blues Party opening for Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers at 198. :

Visual documentation of Rockers, Soulheads & Lovers installations at 198. Photos courtesy of Michael McMillan: