The Story Of Lover's Rock

QUAD is screening The Story Of Lover's Rock on Thursday 12 November, starting at 18:00. It's a 2011 UK documentary by Menelik Shabazz, running 97 minutes, and it traces the growth of lover's rock — sometimes called romantic reggae — in 1970s Britain.

If you're not familiar with the name, lover's rock blends reggae rhythms with passionate soul vocals. It developed among predominantly black communities in the late 1970s and early 1980s, a time of racial tension and riots across the country. While it often got overshadowed by the mainstream success of straighter reggae figures like Bob Marley, it was a movement that crossed cultural boundaries and influenced bands as diverse as The Police, Culture Club and UB40. Shabazz's film looks at how that sound took root and where it came from.

The screening is part of COLLATERAL ECHOES, a season of film, extended reality, installation and sound at QUAD that commemorates Black and migrant Britons killed after police contact since 1969. So the film sits within a wider programme of work on the venue, rather than standing alone as a one-off.

Entry is free, but you do need to book your place in advance. The screening is on Thursday 12 November at 18:00 at QUAD in Derby.