Living in Brighton: Don Letts
Diana Frangi meets a man with more than a bit of reggae in his soul, punk legend Don Letts
London born, and a frequent visitor to Brighton, DJ, film director and musician, Don Letts is very much one of those people where the sum of the parts counts for a lot more than the parts themselves.
He was the driving force behind the punk-reggae fusion of the late 70s, with his ground-breaking DJing at the The Roxy, and managed the seminal band the Slits before moving into film directing. His long list of rockumentaries include the Punk Rock Movie of 1978 and most recently the Grammy-winning Westway to the World about The Clash, a group which have always been closely wound up with Don’s influence (he was featured on the cover of the Super Black Market Clash album).
His other credits include documentaries on The Jam, Elvis Costello, Franz Ferdinand, Sun Ra and The Pretenders.
Don’s visit to Jamaica with Richard Branson led directly to the formation of Virgin’s Front-Line reggae label. “Little did he know that the closest I’d been to Jamaica was watching The Harder They Come at the Classic Cinema in Brixton.”
Don is still an influential presence in the current music scene presenting a weekly Saturday night radio reggae show Culture Clash on BBC 6 Music. Last year saw the publication of his fascinating autobiography Culture Clash: Dread Meets Punk Rockers. Don is often a guest at the Latest Music Bar.
How did you get your big break?
Didn’t know I got one! But the explosion of punk rock in the late seventies with its DIY ethos was an awakening.
What would you be doing had you not become a musician and film director?
Always fancied acting but not a lot of call for a leading man with 6ft dreadlocks! Actually I have done a bit of acting.
Which famous person would you like to be?
No thanks…
What is your biggest regret?
Don’t really have any other than not being able to play a musical instrument.
Which song do you like to sing when you are in the shower?
‘Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.’
If I gave you £20,000 tomorrow, what would you do with it?
Check if it’s counterfeit.
