UB40
In the 36 years (incredible, but true) since UB40 performed their first gig at Birmingham's Hare and Hounds, their Labour of Love has resulted in the band notching up more than fifty hit singles in the UK, a mix of original songs, political protest, and respectful covers reflecting their passion for authentic Jamaican reggae. When a bust up in 2008 caused lead singer Ali Campbell to walk out, taking keyboard player Mickey Virtue with him, it was the band's first ever change in line-up. Brother Duncan was eased in as replacement vocalist, but then trumpet player Astro also jumped ship in 2003 and the UB40 story began to get complicated. Consequently, there are now two versions of the band, both now touring, and both locked in an as yet unresolved legal battle over the use of the name.
Tonight, at the Nick Raynes LCR, we have the Robbie and Duncan version, bulked out to a nine piece with another four original members including Jimmy Brown on drums, Earl Falconer on bass, Norman Hassan on percussion, and Brian Travers on saxophone. It is a sold out show, and whilst Ali Campbell's absence may not yet be apparent to some ticket holders, the rest of us are simply here for an evening of shared memories, and through a love of reggae music.
We are warmed up by Birmingham DJ and producer Gold Dubs, who deftly weaves a set that ranges from classics like Toots and the Maytals' 54-46 That's My Number to mainstream favourites including Shaggy's Oh Carolina. There may not be enough room on a crowded floor for any full-on skanking, but there's some definite bobbing and swaying as the daisy-flower spotlights enhance the illusion of movement from an audience that also seems in fine voice.
UB40's arrival on stage is preceded by a backlit stage and dramatic build up that is missing only the big booming voice of that announcer man from the X Factor, but one by one the band members appear and launch into their very first hit, the aptly named and famine-relief inspired Food For Thought, one of seven original songs featured tonight amidst the rich back-catalogue of Jamaican material. Duncan's voice is certainly not that of his wayward brother's, but he does a reasonable job, and bears a strong physical similarity. Having said that, the audience simply do not seem to care, as the band rip through classic tracks like Sing Our Own Song and Keep On Moving, as well as a medley of Tyler and King, songs dedicated respectively to Gary Tyler and the late Martin Luther King.
Versions of the Allman Brothers' Midnight Rider and the early Hank Williams hit Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain may seem uncharacteristic choices, but show that UB40 can still take almost any song and give it the reggae makeover. Bob Dylan's I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (recorded by the band as a duet with Robert Palmer in 1990) has everyone singing along, and Winston Francis' Mr Fix It appears irreverently on the set list as Mr Fist It. Bass player Earl Falconer takes lead vocals on Reggae Music and a rock-steady version of The Heptones' Baby, before percussionist Norman Hassan steals the show with a spirited Boom Shakalaka and some fancy footwork (although slightly akin to Pavarotti dancing across hot coals) during The Slickers' Johnny Too Bad.
The set ends with the stage bathed in red light for the inevitable rendition of Neil Diamond's Red Red Wine, before UB40 return for an encore of ord Creator's Kingston Town, and a phones and lighters aloft sing-along to the Elvis song that the band made their own via the soundtrack to Sliver in 1993, the beautiful (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You.
We drift out of the LCR with reggae beats still coursing through our blood and full of respect for the Birmingham boys' veritable Labour of Love, a passion for Jamaican music that remains as strong today as it was when they originally formed back in 1979. It's just a shame that those Campbell brothers can't sort out their own differences and once again share that love together.
