Sometimes you have to go through the mill to realise why you were put on this Earth. So it is with the Dub Pistols, the reggae-breaks-jungle mashup, the gangster-swaggering festival stalwarts whose rollercoaster story reads like a rock’n’roll cautionary tale on a grand scale. When big beat ruled the clubs the Pistols were snapped up by Interscope magnate Jimmy Lovine and anointed Geffen Records’ priority act for America. But Geffen put their album out the week that 9/11 happened, so the Dub Pistols ended up broke and label less instead of US superstars. This is how it happens. They get knocked down – but they get back up again.
Over an 18-year career the Dub Pistols have worked with heroes like The Specials, Busta Rhymes, Horace Andy, Madness and Gregory Isaacs. They’ve burned through different members and hundreds of thousands of pounds on assorted capers and hedonism and done — in the words of dapper frontman Barry Ashworth, a ducking, diving South London graduate of the ‘Summer of Love’ generation who started a band because he loved Happy Mondays and never looked back — “more fucking drugs than we knew what to do with.”
Barry Ashworth, frontman of Dub Pistols (and Patron of the charity Tonic Music for Mental Health) is the brains behind the TNT awarded ’Best UK Festival’ Mucky Weekender.
The festival is named after one of the band’s biggest and best-selling singles ”Mucky Weekend”. Having achieved huge success in the charts, with 8 albums under their well-styled belts, party loving decided to create and host their own festival in 2019. It is a self-funded independent festival, no sponsors, no corporate backers.
Mucky Weekender launched in 2019 at a different location for 2 years then had to move, this will be their 5th year at Vicarage Farm, their spiritual home. It’s 28 acres of private parkland, rolling countryside near Winchester. It’s a celebration of creativity, dance culture and community set across 4 themed stages and a large bar venue – the location has a capacity of up to 5,000. We got to catch up with Barry for this exclusive interview, hope you enjoy!
HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO DJ’ING?
It all started back in 1987, I was a club promoter at the Funk Club and The Gardening Club in Covent Garden, then I went to Ibiza and never looked back! I was unable to mix records properly at first, so I got pals to scratch and play horns over the top of my sets!
WHAT MADE YOU START THE DUB PISTOLS?
We got bored with the generic house sound and were inspired by the anything-goes attitude of the late 90s’ genre that came to be called big beat in the UK acts like The Chemical Brothers, Fatboy Slim and Propellerheads.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU WHEN MAKING MUSIC?
Everything! Dub Pistols are a mix dub, reggae, punk, jungle, ska, breakbeat, hip-hop and a whole lot more so literally anything goes!
YOU HAVE PEFORMED WITH MUSICAL ROYALTY OVER THE YEARS – WHO WAS THE BEST TO PEFORM WITH & WHY?
We got to perform with The Specials at Guilfest 11 years ago, that was a special moment being on stage with Terry Hall. That was a hilarious festival as Johnny got locked up the night before for being a bit too pissed and we also ended up crashing the minibus into the stage. Johnny joined us on stage halfway through the set! We can’t wait to perform there again this year, so many good memories.
YOU HAVE BEEN PERFORMING FOR 4 DECADES NOW – WHAT IS THE SECRET TO YOUR ONGOING SUCCESS?
We’ve got a saying in the band, that whatever can go possibly wrong, will go wrong! We had a £1.5million record deal with Geffen Records in the US and toured everywhere, 6 weeks on each time. We were just about to release our new album and then 9/11 happened. The album was all about guns, explosions and buildings falling down, so it was understandably shelved by Geffen!
After that year in the US, I came home thinking I still had £150,000 in the bank, but I’d spent so crazily, I was £16,000 overdrawn!
I call us the most successful unsuccessful band of all time and the hardest working lazy bastards in the world! My limited company is called, ‘What The Fuck Can Possibly Go Wrong?’
YOU ARE HUGE ON THE FESTIVAL CIRCUIT AS WELL AS OWNING YOUR OWN -MUCKY WEEKENDER – HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?
We always wanted to do a Festival and started Mucky Weekender 6 years ago, but back in 2019 we only had 900 people turn up. Now we have a capacity of 5000. It’s a great festival with a bunch of really cool people. I’m a strong believer that the crowd are just as important as the performers.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT MUCKY WEEKENDER?
Apart from a fantastic line-up of acts including Norman Jay MBE (who will be headlining the new main stage Riot Noise on Thursday 11th September) Leftfield, Groove Armada and Alison Limerick, everyone has a smile on their face and are full of love. I always say it’s the kind of festival you could go to alone and then leave with 1000 friends.
IF YOU HAD TO TAKE 3 THINGS TO A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT WOULD THEY BE?
My wife, my daughter and my cat.
WHO WOULD PLAY YOU IN THE MOVIE VERSION OF YOUR LIFE?
Paul Kaye, the comedian who played Dennis Pennis!
WHO WOULD BE YOUR IDEAL CELEBRITY DINNER PARTY GUESTS? (ALIVE OR DEAD)
John Lennon, Bob Marley and Ricky Gervais.
WHAT’S THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING FAMOUS?
Free clothes!
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU HAVE EVER BEEN GIVEN?
Don’t take yourself too seriously.
WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE GROWING UP?
Peter Pan (cos I’ll never grow up!) Although I was quite a good footballer when I was younger and could have turned pro – but my first trip to Ibiza in the eighties changed all that!
MOST EMBARRASSING THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO YOU?!
I was at Bestival and there were loads of kids there, I did a star jump and got a hole in my trousers exposing my pants to the whole festival.
WHATS YOUR BIGGEST FASHION FAUX PAS?
See above!!
BEST CHARACTER TRAITS?
My sense of humour.
WORST HABITS!?
Talking over people.
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE A FRIDAY NIGHT OUT OR SUNDAY DAY IN, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Well it always used to be a Friday night out but getting a bit old now so should really say Sunday day in!
WHAT´S THE BEST THING ABOUT SURREY?
It’s a beautiful area. I grew up in the Surrey countryside so always love coming back here.
YOU CAN CATCH BARRY ASHWORTH AND HIS BAND THE DUB PISTOLS AT GUILFEST ON SUNDAY JULY 6TH 2025
FOR TICKETS SEE: WWW.GUILFEST.CO.UK
OR AT MUCKY WEEKENDER – HOSTED BY BARRY & THE DUB PISTOLS WHICH RUNS FROM THURSDAY 11TH TO SATURDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER 2025
FOR TICKETS SEE: WWW.MUCKY-WEEKENDER.CO.UK
PHOTOS BY: JULES ANNAN CONCERT PHOTOGRAPHY & DEAN CHALKLEY
