[DOCUMENTARY] The Story of Lovers Rock

Although I don’t remember my parents playing Lover’s Rock in the house, whenever we’d go to parties of friends and family I always remember the bodies drawn close together and the exit of the living room floor of my young cousins and I as the ‘big people party’ ensued, lol. I believe there was a screening of the film at the ICA a few years ago, so it’s fantastic that it’s not being shown in select cinemas in the UK from September 30th.

“Lover’s Rock is a uniquely black British sound that developed in the late 70s and 80s against a backdrop of riots, racial tension and sound systems. Live performance, comedy sketches, dance, interviews and archive shed light on the music and the generation that embraced it. Lovers Rock allowed young people to experience intimacy and healing through dance- known as ‘scrubbing’- at parties and clubs.

This dance provided a coping mechanism for what was happening on the streets. Lovers Rock developed into a successful sound with national UK hits and was influential to British bands (Police, Culture Club, UB40) These influences underline the impact the music was making in bridging the multi-cultural gap that polarized the times. The film sheds light on a forgotten period of British music, social and political history.”

Official Website