29/05/2026
Most reggae fans will by now be aware of the passing of Steve Barrow at his Weston-Super-Mare home of emphysema. Tributes have been pouring in on social media over the last day or so but we at Dub Vendor felt we should offer our own salute to the man.
Steve’s greatest achievement would prove to be the establishment of the legendary Blood & Fire label set up in 1993 to reissue classic period roots reggae music on CD. Blood & Fire attempted to apply the same rigorous attention to quality to reggae that was generally afforded to other genres with great emphasis on sound reproduction, sleeve design and detailed and accurate sleeve notes. The label paved the way for the many such labels that followed and helped establish an audience for roots reggae music that remains strong today.
This followed the many excellent collections he put together for Trojan and Island. He also wrote alongside Peter Dalton the hugely informative Rough Guide To Reggae, still one of the best reference books on the subject. Drilling down to the fundamentals and enlarging our understanding of how and from where this incredible music emerged to take its place on the world’s musical map.
Steve will be remembered with great affection and respect from all at Dub Vendor. RIEP.
