UK Underground Sound System Culture Flyers

The UK sound system scene started in the 1940s when hundreds of Jamaican and West Indies were invited to reinvigorate the country after World War II. In the 1970’s, reggae sound systems started participating in its annual block party. It was a rival battle between sound technicians and their crews and would become a distinctive music style in Britain. These systems would come in all shapes and sizes, with specialized MCs, singers, and dubs emphasizing the music's power and sound quality. These huge parties, inspired by Rastafarian culture, featured music from the past and present, including ska, dub, and roots music. The speakers would be 12 feet high and 12 feet wide, and they would include multiple amplifiers, turntables, and microphones for packed crowds. The vast positions of people in these parties made sound systems parties distinguishable from other genres like disco. You would have the owner and the manager handle the bookings and collect money. You had the operator who made sure the sound system worked correctly. The selector chose the music and put it on the records. Then, you would have the artist with the mic to entertain the crowd, making all these parts a team effort.  This style is also similar to hip-hop block parties as well. Sound system events started as illegal house parties in basements because new Caribbean immigrants coming to the UK felt that they weren't welcomed to pubs and other clubs. It was a way of relieving stress and allowed people to go and have a good time. London became the world's most prominent sound system location, sometimes bigger than Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, attracting Jamaican artists. The 1980s began the shift of a new generation of sound systems emphasizing MCs and singers in cities like Nottingham, Manchester, Reading, and Birmingham. Even though the history of these flyers is still unknown, stories from other MCs shed light on the speculated creation of MCs their concert flyers. Flinty Badman, a celebrated MC and part of the reggae group Sir Cruise, would print and hand their flyers at their school at 15. Other MCs like Smiley would also print their flyers while he and his brother were in college. In prediction, like the Underground Press, students would create newspapers, flyers, and other physical forms of media due to printing accessibility, and youth cultures would appreciate underground movements more.