Sunday 4 April – Sunday 11 April 2010
To celebrate the final week of its celebrated exhibition Afro Modern: Journeys through the Black Atlantic, Tate Liverpool presents L8 at Tate: Back to the Timepiece, a spectacular evening charting Merseyside’s deep rooted relationship with black music from 60s soul to funk, disco and beyond.
Internationally renowned Liverpool DJ Les Spaine, one of the UK’s most influential club DJs, will take to the decks alongside DJ Greg Wilson of Hacienda, Legend and ‘Electro-Funk’ fame. This exciting duo of Merseyside’s musical gurus invite visitors to ‘get down’ to the best soul and funk music ever created and share some of their own memories in an exclusive ‘in conversation’ event, From Freetown to Motown. Liverpool based Pidgin Productions will showcase film footage and archive material from the era, including Liverpool’s favourite funk and soul record sleeves lent by local music fans.
Liverpool’s music history is legendary – but the story of its thriving black music scene still remains untold. In the 60s, 70s and 80s, music fans on Merseyside were dancing to a different beat at The Timepiece and The Pun, The Mardi Gras and The Sink – and tuning in to Keep On Truckin’ on BBC Radio Merseyside. L8 at Tate refers to the L8 postcode of Toxteth, which played an integral yet little known part in the rich social and musical history of the city.
Toxteth-based DJ Les Spaine was resident DJ at The Pun and then The Timepiece before leaving the city to take up a position for Motown Records. The legendary electro-funk DJ Greg Wilson began DJing in 1975 and is regarded as one of the most important figures on the UK dance scene. He enjoyed popular residencies in the early eighties at Wigan Pier and Manchester’s influential Legend and Haçienda clubs.
Featuring incredible tunes, memories and art inspired by black culture, L8 at Tate promises to be an unforgettable celebration of Liverpool’s untold relationship with black music.