The Palace Hotel in Sydney introduces ‘Rastaman Fridays’ this week – we find out more from organiser Errol Renaud

Heading to left of field from their normal run of events and aiming for more heated, tropical vibe, Sydney’s Palace Hotel  is launching a live music night dedicated to dancehall, reggae and Soca with Rastaman Fridays. At the helm of the weekly event is Errol Renaud, who has been in the game for over two decades now, running similar events out at venues including Bondi’s Jam Gallery and coming to the table with a wealth of experience when it comes to this brilliant and unique music culture.

We find out some more about The Palace Hotel’s dip into the Rasta pool ahead of the launch this June 16th.

How are you anticipating kicking on with Rastaman Fridays next week? Couldn’t think of a better way to bring in the weekend – what type of vibes can people expect?

Yes we are looking forward to it because people has been hanging out for some every week. We know it will be successful; Rastaman Fridays [has] lots of good Reggae, Soca & Dancehall…

Can you tell us a bit about your background – who or what influenced you to get into music, and what has kept you doing it?

I was born in the Caribbean, Trinidad & Tobago and everybody there loves music. Most things we do include music; music has always been a way of life for me, it’s been my full time profession ever since leaving school.

What has been the best thing about this event night in Sydney, especially given the bad schtick live venues in the city has been doled in recent times?

This night will attract people who don’t follow mainstream music, real people who are staunch and dedicated supporters and they always turn up. They want to kill live music here in Sydney but we will battle on, music is love and will always find a way to live forever.

If you were selecting a ultimate playlist that represented your taste in music and the taste of music you share with punters every Friday night – what would be the top three tunes on it?

I am a recording artist with a few albums [too] so first on the list will always be my original songs and any Bob Marley [tune] will be next.

If someone was coming to this event with no real knowledge of Dancehall, Reggae or Soul affiliated music, where would you suggest they start?

Just come with an open mind and some dancing shoes!

Why are events like this one crucial to a city’s nightlife culture?

Yeah events like this one are very crucial for the live music culture; we bring a vibe that lots of people want. Not everyone likes commercial music, so our nights are for live music lovers who yearn for sweet riddims, a conscious  mood and happy music all in the same room.

Rastaman Fridays kicks off at The Palace Hotel on June 16th from 10:30pm. Stay up to date with the venue on Facebook here.

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