UB40 is a band with humble beginnings — the band’s name itself is a reference to a British unemployment form. After opening for The Pretenders in 1980 (and indeed, one of its most endearing songs is a cover of “I Got You Babe” with Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde), the eight-piece band quickly became a lively presence on the musical scene.
Their reggae-influenced songs often included heavy political undertones representing the struggling working class. The song “Food for Thought” (from 1980’s debut “Signing Off”) depicts the tragedy of third world poverty while “King” refers to Martin Luther King.
Although these noble songs stand up on their own merit, the band is best known for a cover of Neil Diamond’s “Red, Red Wine,” followed closely by a touching version of Elvis’
“Can’t Help Falling in Love.” Both songs were major hits on the radio, even if the band’s socially conscious messages weren’t always dominating the charts.
On Friday, the band set out to please fans by performing an extensive repertoire of songs during a 90-minute set. Opener Elan, the former lead singer of The Wailers who has a debut CD out in May, set the laid back mood of the night with his smooth reggae songs, even though they sounded somewhat muffled. Wearing a small cap, tan coat and green pants, Elan wanted the crowd to dance while he sang songs that recalled UB40’s earlier political work.
“There’s too much violence in these streets,” he sang. He’s a spiritual singer, so he keeps his eyes closed and keeps the mic close to his chest. But he wanted to interact with the audience, so he often called on the crowd to dance. This was a good idea when he played the trip-hop like song “Girl Feat Assasin,” which seems ready for air play on a dance station like B96. But showing there may be more to Elan than dance-rock songs, he also played the poignant “Together as One,” an acoustic Bob Marley-esque call for peace.
By the time UB40 casually strolled on to stage, the middle-aged crowd gathered closer to the stage and you could see rasta hats bopping in the air. Six of the band members toting guitars and brass instruments began an animated set heavy on a room thumping bass (the woman next to me told me that she felt like her heart was about to leap out of her chest). Often during songs, the band projected old videos of UB40 at its peak — a youthful band played around in a river for one shoot.
“They looked a lot better when they were younger,” the woman next to me laughed. My thoughts exactly, I said to myself, but when I looked up on stage and saw the band singing “Cherry Oh Baby” with the same joyful energy that made the song a hit, it didn’t seem to matter that the band had aged. Heck, they still sold out a show.
Awkwardly, the band included a “satellite” video of singer Terence “Astro” Wilson, who didn’t appear at the live performance, for a few of the band’s most popular songs. But the crowd didn’t seem to be bothered by the lack of one of the members. When they started “Red, Red Wine,” a woman excitedly took her drink in hand and screamed to her friend, “Just in time, Mary!”
“This is a good song,” a man insisted to me as he sang along with his wife.
Not about to argue with a herd of UB40 fans, I shook my head and sang along, letting the smooth reggae beat of the song thump in my head.
At the end of their set, the band projected a sign that read “Thank you for 25 fantastic years. . . Here’s to the next 25.”
I left wondering if they’d still be around when I’m old. They at least made it through the first 25.
* UB40 photo courtesy of Joe Roberts, 2005. Elan photos by Barry Becheisen.
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Rose
Written by Guest on 2006-09-14 15:27:58
 what instruments are in red red wine a and wat order do they start in???? |
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