Mykal Rose
It was my first visit to The Waterfront this year and what better way to start than with the great Mykal Rose – the voice of Black Uhuru between 1977 and 1985.
Arriving to the sound of Rebel Lion DJs put me in a receptive mood from the outset which meant that by the time Skipyard Rockers came on I was ready for some reggae. Unfortunately the venue was still a little sparsely populated which meant losing myself in the music was somewhat difficult. To be fair though, by the end of their set, with the room fuller and migrating away from the bar the 8-piece had created a nice vibe about the place. It was a particular treat to have a three-piece brass section on stage as it gave the music that bit more warmth. Props too for the delicious guitar solos which were scattered amongst latter tracks in the set. It would be wrong to say I was fully convinced by the entirety of the performance but after leaving the stage to great applause it’s clear to see that they had made a good impression.
The 30 minute gap between the support leaving the stage and Mykal Rose beginning flew by as the Rebel Lion DJs played through some huge tunes. The crowd had filled out considerably and were dancing and swaying away as Rose’s band appeared and began to play. It was immediately apparent how tight they were and the groove created was seemingly effortless and utterly infectious. As Rose appeared so too did the cheers. He looked seriously cool in trench coat and bright white jeans and as soon as he launched into ‘What Is Life’ we were immediately sold. He, much like his band, was just utterly in control and commanding on that stage. The crowd were in good form grooving away and greeting each passing song enthusiastically with ‘Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner’ standing out particularly for the response it received.
There was an understated excellence that ran throughout the entirety of the show. Sure, each player had a chance to shine individually, but it was when playing in tandem that the real magic happened. The loose precision of each strummed, keyed or hit note was utterly enchanting and I for one was very quickly lost in the music. The deep bass thuds were the only thing keeping me aware of what was going on around me. Looking around, I think most felt the same. All too soon the show was over and despite repeated calls for ‘more’ there was no reappearance on stage. The cold air of outside was a rude awakening from what had been a hugely warming experience. Whilst perhaps not always spectacular, it was a great show and it really felt like we had seen a legend of the genre at work.
