Daddy G (The Wild Bunch / Massive Attack) DJ

+ Anthropologist Approx running times: Anthropologist DJ 8.30 – 9.30pm Daddy G 9.30 – 10.45pm There are very few people in this world who can legitimately claim to have influenced a generation, but Grant Marshall, a.k.a Daddy G, is most definitely a member of that elite group. Proudly born and bred in the south west of England to West Indian parents, this Bristolian is a founding father of the incredible blend between hip hop and electronica that became known globally as ‘Trip Hop’ and went on to soundtrack many lives throughout the 1990s and beyond. This unique and new genre came straight out of Bristol with not only Massive Attack flying the flag but also other, now industry heavyweights, such as Tricky and Portishead.

In 1982 alongside Miles Johnson and Nellee Hooper, Daddy G set on a path that was to see him explode onto the worldwide stage as one of the cornerstones in the evolution of dance music. The trio joined forces and later invited Robert Del Naja (3D), Claud Williams (Willy Wee), Andrew Vowles (Mushroom) and Adrian Thaws (Tricky), forming the ‘The Wild Bunch’ sound system – a sound system that became part of the foundations of an entire musical movement, a movement that still influences today. The Wild Bunch were a key part of the fusion of black and white music and culture, bringing together communities wherever they landed.  Infamous for their warehouse and free party events –  alongside their famous residency at The Dugout Club in Bristol.  Their sets. as with St Paul’s Carnival, are still talked about today.

The Wild Bunch soon signed 4th & B’way Records.  After a 1986 tour of Japan and an iconic sound clash with Soul II Soul at St Barnabas crypt in Bristol, the collective had begun to morph into something much bigger for Daddy G, 3D, Mushroom and Tricky. While Nellee and Milo were busy working with The Wild Bunch and DJing in Japan, Daddy G set up Massive Attack in 1988 with fellow Bristol producers Smith and Mighty. They released “Any Love” as Massive Attack’s first single featuring Carlton McCarthy and Daddy G on vocals, which were recorded live at a Wild Bunch event and sampled back into the track. With the return of 3D, Mushroom and Nellee, alongside the help of singer-songwriter Neneh Cherry and her singer-songwriter and producer husband Cameron McVey, Massive Attack’s launch went stratospheric and by the release of their debut album ‘Blue Lines’ that came out on Circa (part of Virgin Records) in 1991 with Daddy G on vocals, guitar, keyboards and as a producer, they had become a household name.

Having an instantly recognisable voice after narrating the lyrics of ‘Five Man Army’, he’s undeniably an integral part of dance music’s DNA. Daddy G’s deep and rich tones became an invaluable layer in the fabric of Massive Attack’s infamous sound, almost like an instrument in itself. With each year that went past, more and more accolades rolled in.

Labelled “Greatest Album of All Ti...