On 5 October 2024 Dresden band “Tighten Up” will be playing a gig at Coventry’s Two Tone Village (Knight’s) as part of a double bill with Coventry band / DJs “Sisters in Dub”. Here Nikolai tells about his interest in their music.
Tighten Up play what they call “rocksteady / early reggae”, which is the type of music that was popular in Jamaica in the second half of the 1960s. Via Jamaican immigrants coming to or already living in the UK (often referred to as Windrush generation) this type of music became popular in the UK.
Jamaican music and culture from the 1960s had a profound impact in the UK, specifically on youth culture and music (Mods, Skinheads and Two Tone.)
For some reason Two Tone Music (developed and conceived mainly in Coventry) found its way behind the Iron Curtain in the early 1980s. When I moved to our twin city Dresden in March 1993 I was surprised when I noticed a thriving and established Two Tone scene there with young people listening to bands like Madness, The Selecter, The Specials, The Beat and others.
When I set out to develop the cultural relations between Coventry and Dresden a few years ago I decided to explore this link first. I came across the band Yellow Cap in Dresden, who play a type of music heavily influenced by Jamaican Ska and British Two Tone. I was also impressed by their profound knowledge of and appreciation for the Jamaican musicians of the 60s, Derrick Morgan, Alton Ellis and others.
In November 2019 Yellow Cap played a gig at the Tin in Coventry together with Coventry band Barbd’wire which I had arranged. The same month Yellow Cap played support for the legendary Coventry band The Specials in Dresden.
A few years later Yellow Cap’s lead singer Kay Natusch founded Tighten Up (named after a song by the Jamaican band The Untouchables). Whilst Yellow Cap focusses more on Two Tone, Tighten Up go back to the music’s roots in Jamaica.
Kay and Tighten Up are very keen to play in Coventry, partly of course because the city is one of the centres of the music they love and play and we are delighted that we managed to secure a gig for them in the Two Tone village, heart of Two Tone in Coventry, on October 5, 2024. We hope to see you there.
Here is a little “teaser” – Tighten Up’s version of Desmond Dekker’s song “Sabotage”. Dresden’s beautiful Old Town is in the background!
If the link does not work then go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub1K3O2jRC0
Nikolai Press
**To buy tickets for 5 October concert go to
Coventry Association for International Friendship 