Manchester Reggae, Blackburn Raves & Jungle | Dominic Sotgiu

Dominic Sotgiu joins Manchester Scene Stories to explore Manchester’s overlooked reggae history, the Blackburn warehouse parties, the beginnings of jungle and a lifetime spent discovering music. Dominic features as a chapter in my Manchester Scene Stories Book 3 - Soul to Jungle available on Amazon https://amzn.eu/d/03uhaTqa Dominic first became involved in Manchester’s music scene as a teenager, travelling from Farnworth to gigs at Band on the Wall, International 1 and International 2. His love of reggae led him to the PSV Club, Moss Side blues parties and the city’s sound-system culture. He remembers a Manchester where nearly every neighbourhood had its own sound system, alongside reggae shops such as Murray’s Music City and One Drop. We discuss why this part of Manchester’s cultural history is rarely documented, despite reggae being played alongside punk at venues such as the Russell Club before it became closely associated with Factory Records. Dominic also talks about presenting a reggae programme during the early days of XFM and why he believes Manchester is now missing the regular reggae nights, bars and live events that were once an important part of the city. Through his friendship with Jane Winterbottom, Dominic became involved in the Blackburn rave scene. He recalls Jane’s partner Tommy Smith, the wider group of people behind the parties and the remarkable lighting equipment used by Nathan and Barney Woodhead—vintage lights inherited from their father, artist Jeff Woodhead, who had worked with Pink Floyd during the 1970s. The conversation moves from Blackburn to London, where Dominic encountered Jamaican MCs performing over bleep techno at an early rave in Hackney. He shares his understanding of the Jamaican roots of the word “jungle” and explains how reggae, sound-system culture and warehouse parties helped shape the emerging music. We also remember the Haçienda, Flesh, the Filling Station diner, Home, Precinct 13 and the Thunderdome. Dominic describes Manchester club nights where security sometimes kept all the lights on to stop people using improvised flamethrowers, as well as an earlier dancing culture in which clubbers formed circles and took turns showing off their footwork. Dominic reflects on music as an invisible force that can immediately return us to a place, person or moment. Having travelled internationally as a reggae DJ and promoter, he has watched the music grow from a specialist scene into a worldwide culture. At the end, he recommends two records for me to explore: Burning Spear’s classic album Marcus Garvey and the twelve-inch *Five Man Army*. #ManchesterSceneStories #ManchesterReggae #BlackburnRaves #JungleMusic #SoundSystemCulture #TheHacienda #ManchesterMusic #Reggae #RaveCulture