DON Letts is probably best known as the DJ that in the late 1970s turned a generation of punks on to reggae.

DJing at London’s legendary punk haunt, The Roxy and working at Acme Attraction, a fashion outlet down the road from Malcolm McClaren’s Sex boutique, Don is credited with bringing the punk and reggae scenes together, eventually working extensively as videographer and director with The Clash on acclaimed films Westway To The World and The Punk Rock Movie and directing more than 300 music videos for a diverse mix of artists ranging from Public Image to Bob Marley. Don also made documentaries on the likes of Gil Scot-Heron, The Jam, Sun Ra and George Clinton. One of his most recent is 2017’s Two Sevens Clash: Dread Meets Punk Rockers for SkyArts, shot, directed and narrated by Don, an archive based film that looks at the myth and the reality of the ‘punky-reggae party’ using unseen footage shot on Super 8mm 40 years ago.

Don’s also a hugely popular fixture on BBC Radio 6Music with his Don Letts’ Culture Clash broadcast over the nation’s airwaves on Sundays, from 10pm until midnight.

This Friday (June 14), the Rebel Dread himself brings his sounds to Barrow Underground Music Society, another cracking coup for the BUMS team. BUMS manager Rob Dunphy says its such an honour to have a legend of Don’s status coming to their humble venue: “We have all watched his films and religiously listen to his Radio 6 Music radio shows. The excitement is palpable from our members and we cannot wait to meet the man himself and deliver another event that will be a long lasting legacy for Barrow’s music scene.”

Support acts for the 2 Carlisle Street gig will be Natural Selectas, Dom (Blood and Fire) and DJ Gripper.

Natural Selectas are DJ and production duo Pat and Tom, who run a Dubwise sound system and events in their hometown of Ulverston. Dom, meanwhile, has been DJing across the north since 1987 and since 1992 on the scene internationally; he has toured as part of the Blood and Fire sound system with reggae stars such as Horace Andy, Dillinger, Trinity, U Brown, Ranking Joe and Joseph Cotton.

Finally, BUMS resident DJ Gripper is up there as one of the finest DJs around. Gripper is as comfortable spinning seven hour sets of house, deep house and disco in the mix at BUMS as he is mixing up the jazz, dub, broken beat, electronica, left field and world exotica at his monthly residency at Amsterdam’s Kashmir Lounge.

Tickets online at www.undergroundmusicsociety.com.