The Courettes, Prince Albert, Brighton, UK. Fri 24th Aug, 2018

Support comes from The Cretins, a band from Worthing who’s youth belies an appreciation and  knowledge of bands like The Small Faces, The High Numbers and The Kinks. They’ve brought their own group of fans, suggesting a scene of some sort in their town and its a fantastic way to kick off this evening of retro Sixties sounds.

The Courettes are a duo comprising Martin Couri from Denmark on drums and his Brazilian wife Flavia Couri on guitar. They play a blistering mix of Garage Rock with plenty of pounding drums and surf guitar. Martin bashes at his drum kit providing a double time frenzied back beat, sometimes with maracas or a tambourine in place of a drumstick while Flavia plays a vintage Vox Phantom guitar with an array of pedals providing distortion and feedback, singing, crooning or screaming depending on the song.

The songs themselves are like The Ramones, The Ronettes, MC 5 and The Shangri- La’s melded together to crank out scuzzy adrenaline fuelled boy meets girl meets alien Garage Rock with a healthy pop sensibility.

The small but vocal crowd are well up for the energetic vibe coming off the stage, responding enthusiastically to songs “The Boy I Love” from their 2015 EP “Here Are The Courettes“, “Boom Dynamite” and the slower paced “Time Is Ticking“.

Operating with a similar DIY aesthetic to that more punkier couple The Lovely Eggs, The Courettes would make a dynamic addition to any festival line up. Definitively one to catch live if you can.

Peace

The Courettes

Ozomatli, Concorde 2, Brighton. Thurs 23th Aug, 2018.

Support comes from The Meow Meows, a seasoned Brighton band made up of boys and girls who love all things Ska. They play an exuberant, bouncy set that perfectly warms up the crowd for the main event.

The L.A. based multi-racial band Ozomatli are in town to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their eponymous debut album.  They’ve even got Chali 2na from Jurassic Five back on rap duties and it’s a decent sized crowd at the Concorde 2 here to witness their return  visit to Brighton. It’s been a while.

Comprising drums, bass, percussion, lead guitar, trumpet and trombone with all of them contributing to background or lead vocals, they play a lively mix of Salsa, Reggae, Hip Hop, Funk, Latin and Soul music, with songs sung in Spanish and rap vocals in English. This leads to a danceable hybrid of tunes that sound as fresh as they did when I bought the album back in 1998. Opening track “Como Ves” is an energetic statement of intent that soon gets the Concorde crowd jumping.

All the band members are great at interacting with the crowd, at one point the whole band improvise a new track complete with lyrics and crowd chants based around the fact that they can’t find which instrument is feeding back on the stage (it was eventually traced to Will Dog’s bass).

Other classics from the album “Super Bowl Sundae“, “Cut Chemist Suite“, “Cumbia De Los Muertos” (Listen to the Dead) and “La Misma Cancion” (The Same Song) go down really well, a perfect mix of pop and politics, humanitarian vibes and good time music.

They end the show with their customary percussion and horn based encore played in the middle of the dance floor while the crowd dance around them and follow pied-piper style out of the venue into the street.

Entertaining, vital, lively, danceable – all things good music should be.

Peace.

The Meow Meows

Ozo

David Rodigan & the Outlook Orchestra. Somerset House, London. Sun 8th July, 2018

Support comes from Holly Cook and the General Roots band, comprising drums, bass, keyboards and lead / rhythm guitar. They breeze through a set of mellow rootsy Reggae led by an ever smiling Holly Cook. They’re a tight band and Ms. Cook’s gentle lilting voice is perfectly suited to their mid tempo rhythms. A good way to kick off this open air Summer jam.

Celebrating 40 years as a Reggae DJ, David “Ram Jam” Rodigan is here tonight to showcase and celebrate the music that has come out of Jamaica for the past fifty plus years.

He’s backed by a full 25-piece orchestra made up of two vocalists, two drummers, a six piece brass section, a large string section, bass, guitar and keyboards. They’re led by composer and musical director Tommy Evans and the whole orchestra begin the evening by playing a short instrumental.

David Rodigan then strides onto the stage looking dapper in a white shirt, black trousers, black and white checked waistcoat with matching cap. He introduced the evening by remembering the days when people talked to each other without WhatsApp, Facebook or Google before telling us about the early days of Ska in Jamaica.

That’s the cue for Birmingham Reggae veteran Bitty McLean to sing The Wailers’ “Simmer Down“. He used to be a studio engineer for UB40 before emerging as one of the UK’s best Reggae vocalists of the early Nineties and his enthusiastic rendition of the classic song gets the sold out Somerset House crowd dancing and singing along.

Hollie Cook then comes back on to perform the classic Millie Small song “My Boy Lollipop“. Released in 1964 and produced by the King of Ska Guitar, the recently retired Ernie Ranglin, it’s an evergreen song that still sounds fresh today.

Bitty McLean then returns to sing one of his own hits “Walk Away From Love” before launching into Delroy Wilson’s “Dancing Mood“. The Rocksteady era was also perfectly   represented by the female backing singer taking centre stage to perform a gutsy rendition of Phyllis Dillon’s “Perfidia“.

Rodigan then moves us swiftly into the era of Roots Reggae, introducing Irish singer Maverick Sabre who comes on to sing spirited and heartfelt renditions of Junior Murvin’s “Police And Thieves” then “Sun Is Shining” by Bob Marley. This section of the show then closed with Bitty McLean coming back on to sing the stone cold classic “Satta Massagana” by The Abyssinians.

Rodigan then says it’s time for Dancehall and introduces Island Records artist Kiko Bun, who starts with the instantly recognisable “I Can’t Wait” by Sanchez before moving into “Dangerous” by Conroy Smith. UK Reggae veteran Tippa Irie comes on to enthusiastically lead the crowd through rousing renditions of “Head High” by Mr Vegas and “Who Am I” by Beenie Man as well as showcasing some of his “fast chat style” from his days with the Saxon Sound System alongside the great Smiley Culture.

A fantastic night of Reggae classics came to an end with a sing-along version of Dawn Penn’s “No, No, No” with everyone back on stage and Hollie Cook taking the lead vocal. A great way to celebrate 40 years of broadcasting and supporting Reggae music for David Rodigan and the Neoclassical surroundings of Somerset House was the perfect venue to hear such great music.

Peace.

Somerset House

Hollie Cook

Bitty McLean

Tippa Irie

Kiko Bun

Maverick Sabre

Rodigan

 

 

Carleen Anderson – A Change Is Gonna Come. Brighton Dome. Tue 22nd May, 2018

Tonight’s show takes its title from the 1964 Sam Cooke song and as might be expected is a presentation of protest songs from the civil rights era.

The show opened with saxophonist Nubya Garcia playing John Coltrane’s “Alabama“, a haunting and mesmeric piece that evokes the racial tensions prevalent in the South at the time, it was written in response to the bombing of an Alabama church in 1963. Garcia is part of the Jazz Re:freshed stable of young artists who have injected some dynamism into the current UK Jazz scene, and her playing here does the Coltrane piece justice.

Halfway through the song, Garcia is joined by drummer Rod Youngs and bassist Renell Shaw along with musical arranger Nikki Yeoh, the British composer and Jazz pianist.

Acting as host and main vocalist for the evening, Carleen Anderson takes to the stage and sits at a keyboard. The daughter of Vicki Anderson, step-daughter of Bobby Byrd and with James Brown as her godfather, her musical family tree is impeccable but she has the skills to live up to the reputation. She’s a diminutive woman but possesses a rich voice and huge vocal range, as evident on her opening number “Ain’t No Going Home” by Woodie Guthrie.

Next up is former Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle who launches into Gil Scott-Heron’s classic protest poem “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” which is well received by the seated audience. She then launches into “No War No Peace” from her 2017 album “Tantil Before I Breathe”.

Next, Anderson performs “The Joke” by American Folk singer Brandi Carlile, layering her voice with digital effects to create a harmonising crescendo of sound. She uses this device on some of the other songs but it doesn’t add anything that a backing vocalist couldn’t do, probably just a way of making do without one.

Renell Shaw then takes centre stage to rap while Rod Youngs accompanies him on drums, both men livening up the crowd and getting shouts of encouragement. Worth checking out is Renell Shaw’s visual EP for his own tune “Bass Monk” which you can find at the end of this review.

Next up Carleen Anderson performs “Freedom“, a song on the 1991 debut album “Road To Freedom” from her old band The Young Disciples. She then launches into “Four Women“, the Nina Simone classic describing the lives of four very different women. The song ends with Nikki Yeoh playing increasingly louder before repeatedly banging the piano keys and slamming the lid, a gesture that gets huge applause.

The last song is the show’s title “A Change Is Gonna Come“, a perfect ending and a great showcase for Anderson’s vocal range. Tonight’s show had a fine cast of musicians who all do fantastic creative work in their own right and together put on a fantastic evening of enjoyable music.

Peace

Rod Youngs

Renell Shaw

Nubya Garcia

Speech Debelle

Nikki Yeoh

Carleen Anderson

The Last Poets, Theatre Royal, Brighton. Tues 15th May, 2018

Formed in 1968 and an inspiration to that other great spoken word artist Gil Scot Heron, The Last Poets have a new album out “Understand What Black Is“, produced by Brighton resident Mike Pelanconi aka Prince Fatty and Nostalgia 77. It’s an album worth checking out as the Reggae backing provided by the production duo marks  an interesting departure for The Last Poets, but their words blend effortlessly with the music.

They’re here tonight in this seated venue to perform poems from that album alongside some of their more classic words, the seated audience completely quiet as the uncompromising political words emanate from the stage. Comprising Abiodun Oyewale, Umar Bin Hassan with additional vocals and percussion from Baba Donn Babatunde, the trio captivate the audience with words and rhymes that are as vital as they ever were.

Depending on who wrote the poem, they take it in turns to be the main narrator, accompanying each other with rhythmic chants and shouts. Support act Zena Edwards come on during the performance to narrate an emotional poem about her grandfather and the Windrush generation accompanied by Babatunde’s percussion then Sea Sharp, an American “refugee of Kansas” now residing in Brighton performs a version of “The Wizard Of Oz” from her book of poetry.

The Last Poets return to perform rousing versions of “N*ggas Are Scared Of Revolution” and “This Is Madness“ which gets a standing ovation. Masters of uncompromising verse and still providing an unrelenting critique of America and the world, The Last Poets are still as vital as ever.

Peace

 

Ken Boothe, Thames Ska Cruise, London. Fri 30th Mar, 2018

It’s the Easter weekend so that means the annual London International Ska Festival is on and with it comes another cruise on the River Thames on board the Dixie Queen.

As we sail away from the Tower pier near the Tower of London, the crowd is warmed up by a great direction of vintage Ska and Rocksteady records from the DJ’s.

This year the live entertainment is provided by Ken Boothe, a genuine legend of Jamaican music who’s still going strong at a sprightly 70 year’s old.

The ship is packed with Ska fans of all ages and Boothe seems genuinely delighted to be playing to such a raucous and devoted crowd.

He’s in great voice, playing a set that includes “Playground In My Mind” and “Artibella“. He then plays the two biggest songs he had on Trojan records. “Crying Over You” got to number 11 in the UK charts and his monster hit “Everything I Own” got to number 1 in 1974. Not surprisingly, both these songs get the biggest reaction.

A great day out and the chance to hear a bona fide legend of Jamaican music, the Ska Festival Thames cruise is always a gig highlight.

Peace

London International Ska Festival

The Bellrays, The Prince Albert, Brighton. Thurs 15th Mar, 2018

The Bell Rays are a band from Riverside, California who can best be described by the title of their latest album “Punk, Funk, Rock, Soul“. This is volume 2, their first new album for a while and a follow up to volume 1 which was a four track EP released in 2017.

The been around since 1990 and are made up of an ever changing bass and drum line up anchored by Robert Vennum on lead guitar alongside his wife Lisa Kekula on vocals. Live, they deliver a powerhouse set of loud riffs ably match by Kekula’s bluesy shouts, punky growls and straight up soul.

They’ve definitely got a dynamic show, living up to the often used label of “The Stooges meets Aretha Frankin”. Hard Rock songs like “Junior High” and “Bad Reaction” get the sweaty crowd jumping while the more bluesy and R & B type songs like “Brand New Day“,  “Love And Hard Times” and “Every Chance I Get” have plenty of riffs and grooves on them to keep people moving.

They played four songs from their 2010 album “Black Lightning”  before ending the set with Bob Vennum on lead vocals for a racous version of “Johnny B. Goode. Dynamic, powerful and absolutely fantastic live. The Bell Rays are one of my favourite bands of all time.

 

Peace

The Bell Rays

The Selecter & The Beat, Brighton Dome. Fri 2nd. Mar, 2018

Almost 40 years in and both The Selecter and The Beat are still rocking stages all over the world, bringing energetic Ska vibes to fans of all ages.

First up is Ranking Roger’s version of The Beat (his former band mate Dave Wakeling fronts a different line up of The Beat based on the US). Roger’s version includes his son Ranking Junior aka Mini Murphy sharing vocals and the make for dynamic front men. The set list is composed of a few new songs, as the band continue to release new material, but it’s the classic tunes that gets this all ages crowd moving. So we get to hear “Mirror In The Bathroom“, “Ranking Full Stop“, “Tears Of A Clown” and the anti fascist anthem “Two Swords“. It’s a fantastic set that goes down a storm.

Co-headliners on this tour, The Selecter are fronted by Pauline Black and Arthur “Gaps” Hendrickson. Like The Beat they continue to release albums so the set is a vibrant mixture of old and new tunes. “The Big Badoof” and “Daylight“, (the title track from their latest album) are poppy Ska numbers in the vein of their older material but it’s the classics like “Three Minute Hero” and “On My Radio” that get the biggest receptions. When they play “Missing Words“, Pauline Black reminds us that the video nwas shot in a phone box on Brighton seafront during the Two Tone tour of 1980 that also included Madness and The Specials.

Both her and Gaps make a great tag team fronting the band. Both still clearly enjoy playing with this vibrant band that also includes Will Crewdson on guitar who also plays with Adam And The Ants as well as fronting his own band Scant Regard.

For the encore The Beat return and both bands perform a rousing rendition of “Too Much Pressure” which morphs into “Train to Skaville” originally recorded by The Ethiopians. All in all a vibrant and energetic set from two bands who know how to rock the crowds.

Peace

The Beat

The Selecter

Roland Gift, Concorde 2, Brighton. Thurs 14th Dec, 2017

The venue isn’t full but there’s a vocal and enthusiastic crowd here to see Roland Gift and his band, comprising drummer Dave Barbarossa (Adam And The Ants and Bow, Wow, Wow), lead guitarist Dave Randall, a keyboard player and two identically dressed backing singers.

It’s a great set, comprising new and old material but it’s not surprising that his Fine Young Cannibals material gets the greatest response. They kick off with “Suspicious Minds”, Gift’s distinctive voice still sounding clear, smooth and strong. The band gel well together, particularly on a Reggae version of “Ever Fallen In Love” by Buzzcocks and other classic songs like “Johnny Come Home” and “Good Thing” get the audience singing along word for word.

Roland Gift and the band take a short interval to hold a meat raffle, a great tradition in pubs and working men’s clubs, one lucky punter winning a huge slab of beef and a chicken while a runner up gets a bag of potatoes.

Other song highlights are “She Drives Me Crazy” and “Not The Man I Used To Be” guitarist Dave Randall switching to acoustic guitar for this song. Former guitarist with Faithless, Randall has also written a book about the political power of music, his playing tonight perfectly complimenting Barbarossa’s assured and funky drum licks.

Hearing these songs again this gig is a great reminder of just how good the Fine Young Cannibals were. It’s good to see Roland Gift singing live again, he’s clearly enjoying himself on stage and with such a good band backing him up he’ll hopefully be around for a a good while longer.

Peace.