To prove that dub and reggae is more than just another brick in the wall, the Easy Star All Stars and The Original English Beat are bringing fresh beats to town…
With the sheer volume (sic) of music being made, it’s easy to be derivative; almost impossible to be definitive. Putting Pink Floyd on in the background is one thing; putting on a pair of red, yellow and green baggy pants and skanking slowly is another thing entirely. And putting them together? Derivative, definitive and more rub a dub dub than doobie doo. Coz let’s face it, freshly ground fusion is a post-modern pastime – it happens as much abroad as it does at home, and to prove the point, two of the first world’s finer exports are coming to Africa.
First up, The Easy Star All Stars. ESAS for short, they are instrumental (if you’ll excuse the pun) in getting lovers of reggae, classic rock, dub and indie rock in the same room. Or, at least, to buy the same CD. The band is better known for clever covers of Pink Floyd classics, however. The Dub Side Of The Moon is easy on the ear; the production replete with intelligent interpretations of the solid compositions. ESAS has since extended the friendly medium of reggae and dub to The Beatles. “Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band” (2009) hands Sgt Pepper the pipe, and twice entered the Billboard top 200 as a result.
Listen to their games, laughs and daisy chains live on Wednesday 10th November at The Assembly with DJ fletcher/7ft Soundsytem/ Mr Cat & the Jackal.
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Then, The Original English Beat. This act rose out of relative anonymity and economic obscurity from the working class suburbs of industrial Birmingham, England, in 1978 to become a cult icon . Their beats hit a chord with civilians coping with high unemployment and social upheaval at the time, building the band’s reputation as forerunners of the 2-Tone Ska movement. Album sales and spread underscored this, with 3 Gold and Platinum top-selling global albums ‘I Just Cant Stop It’, ‘Wh’appen’, and ‘Special Beat Service’ and sell-out shows in 2003.
Their socially conscious beats and melodies will be audible in the Mother City on Saturday 13th November. Welcoming them is The Rudimentals and the Lancastar Band at Mercury Live - 43 De villiers Street Zonnebloem Cape Town – 021 465 2106
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Limited tickets for both events available at Webtickets.
