DON LETTS Q&A AT EXETER PICTURE HOUSE
Legendary filmmaker, DJ and musician, Don Letts is The Don. There’s so much to say about him, here’s just a few things for starters: He won a Grammy for his documentary on The Clash, Westway to the World. He was the DJ at London’s legendary Roxy club in 1977, playing records at the early British punk gigs and turning punk rock audiences on to reggae: “The Punk kids liked it. They liked the obvious anti-establishment vibe, they liked the BASS lines and they didn’t mind the weed either.” He has directed countless videos for important names in music history, including Bob Marley. Don Letts was also a member of Big Audio Dynamite in the 80s, featuring Mick Jones of The Clash. They blended dance music, film samples and rock & roll before anybody else, and scored a few chart hits in the process.
Tonight at Exeter Picturehouse, Don Letts was there in person to answer questions, between a double feature screening of Superstonic Sound: the Rebel Dread, a documentary about himself (but not BY himself!), and also Strummerville, directed by Don himself, which charts the legacy of the Joe Strummer of The Clash and the charity named after him, which supports aspiring musicians.
Also present, was Ed Dallal, co-director of Superstonic Sound, whom alongside the film’s director, Raphael Erichsen, first met Don by approaching him at a bar. “A few months after that, we were making the documentary.”, said Ed, “It’s a totally DIY film: we directed, produced, edited and distributed it all ourselves. It’s all done on favours, mainly by Don. It’ll be out next year” Don Letts said “My instinct is to try and help young filmmakers out”, said Don, “They stroked my ego, which helped. They’d ready my book, Culture Clash”
Superstonic Sound is a fascinating look at some of the highlights of Don’s career, with a strong focus on his present. The film also examines the fact that music is in 3 generations of Don’s family, starting with his dad’s soundsystem in the 60s, through to his son, Jet’s career as a dubstep DJ and producer.
Strummerville looks at the legacy of Joe Strummer, including interviews with Billy Bragg. Its focus was mainly on Strummerville, the charity that helps young musicians, with in-depth interviews with the people who have benefited from it. It was extremely touching to see how effective this organisation really is: Strummerville is making a real difference to people’s lives for the better, including teenagers who have had problems with crime, who are now turning their focus to music instead.
The questions and answers session included a heated debate on music and its effects on society and culture, with input from a lot of the members of the audience from all ages. Don proved himself to be extremely witty, articulate and quick to respond. He understands today’s approaches to music, with a philosophy that’s steeped in punk rock ethics. He’s a true gentleman with a fascinating knowledge of music, and his punk rock credentials are strong and unshakeable. He is The Don.
Words: Arash Torabi
