It’s a testament to a instrumental
artist’s talent when they can headline a major festival. This was no
more apparent than when Sly and Robbie, the legendary reggae rhythm
section formerly of Black Uhuru, took the stage at the 16th Reggae on the
Rocks at Red Rocks Amphitheater Saturday, August 24, 2002. Taking the
stage just after sunset, with a near full moon peeking out of the clouds
just as they started, Sly and Robbie proceeded to give a
performance worthy of thanks and praises.
It was as if it was a reggae
symphony, with Robbie Shakespeare playing the conductor using the
bass guitar as his baton. With every instrument playing their part, and
very few words, Sly and Robbie took the crowd from one mood to
another with ease, with playful keyboards, or with killer bass rhythms
that reverberated into your bones.
Dressed in Long Black Trench coats,
they hit the crowd with classic rhythm after classic rhythm from their
extensive repertoire. Had they played 10 minutes, or 10 hours, it would
not have been enough as they played some dubful beauty for the crowd.
Opening up for Sly and Robbie, Grammy
Award winner Michael Rose came out and played the typical set of
old Black Uhuru hits (starting with ‘Stalk of Sensamillia‘, going
through ‘Sponji Reggae’ to ‘Guess who‘s Coming to Dinner‘ and
‘Party in Session‘) and mixed with some of his newer music. After
overcoming a slight sound problem in the beginning with professionalism
and style, he proceeded to give a stellar performance, if not a bit flat
at times. There is no doubt that Michael Rose can command a stage
like no one else, and his presence is felt from the moment he steps onto
the stage to the moment he steps off. Also, the drummer never
stopped smiling from start to finish.
His rendition of ‘Youths of
Eglinton‘, with it’s hypnotic rhythm, seemed to have the crowd in a
good groove. The back up singers for Michael Rose are especially
entertaining with their movements in unison, and no more so than that this
point.
As one was walking up the steps after
these two spectacular acts, one might have thought that over half the
crowd had left in the middle of the show. However, the fact was that no
one had come, including one of the legendary performers billed to play, Marcia
Griffiths. Leading up to the Sly and Robbie headliner was a mix
of interesting concepts, and it’s not sure whether or not this is
isolated to this year’s lineup. Reggae on the Rocks reputation has been
on the slide over the past few years from heavy to casual reggae fans, and
it seems the organizers have
little interest in doing anything about it.
The day started out perfect in terms
of weather. With partly cloudy skies, 80 degree temperature, and a slight
breeze, one could hardly find a single complaint in the days
weather.
Action Figure Party came out
first and played an entertaining set of funky, American reggae. Not
looking like your typical reggae band, they played some good, but
different reggae. The drummer was playing the one drop, and the singer
used some interesting vocal techniques that interested everyone who was
there. Overall, not a bad set at all.
Reggae, or Ragga Soul-Jahs hit
the stage as the second act. They featured a good backing band which
provided some great rhythms and grooves. They were also accompanied by a
host of three singers. One of which every song he sang was about smoking
pot, another one inna dancehall style who was exuberantly chaotic in
everything he did, and one guy who was tone deaf. Above a great bass
groove provided by the band, They went threw ‘I Puff a Lot’, ‘Wake
and Bake’, and a host of other pot related songs. There was some
qualities to these tunes that kept the crowd interested, but when the
other singer (in the white) hit the mic, it was very painful to watch. It
was like Karaoke with a great backing band. If they would stop smoking the
herb every minute of the day, they might have the judgment to see this
rather than making more songs about smoking the herb. They did have a
sweet bus, though, if anyone happened to see it outside the venue.
It should be noted, about this time,
on the importance of a good MC during a day long festival. The MC’s job
is to inform the audience and to keep them interested. Today’s MC,
Postman Roger, provided none of this. At one point, waiting 5 minutes
after Michael Rose ended to come out and address the audience, and
speaking in monotone, lackadaisical style which neither encouraged nor
sparked the crowd to do anything but sit back and relax. Each introduction
was bland, monotone, non descript and provided no expectations for the
crowd.
David Lindley and Wally Ingram came
on about 3:00pm, band number three. Advertised as 'Our Friends' by the MC,
it’s easy to explain to why there is a folk act at a reggae show? There
is no denying the great talent these two possess, for anyone watching
could detect, but one can also not deny the mood
kill this set provided. After the Reggae Soul-Jah, there was
detected a slight good vibe in the crowd, and any and all of this momentum
of the day was purged with this hour long set of Folk music at a reggae
festival. During the set, there was a sense of blandness and lackluster as
people lied around, milled around, and checked out the scene.
Checking out the scene at red rocks, one would find a host of vendors and
eateries up top. Up top, you could find everything from Louis Viton Purses
to Stylish Sunglasses to shirts playing words on corporate products and
pot. Unfortunately, gone was the concept of additional entertainment
upstairs. Last year, there was a crowd all around the DJ and the Singer
accompanying him, dancing and having a great time. This year, nothing but
a DJ stuck in a back corner away from everyone. K-Nee, the DJ, was
spinning some great records, but largely went unnoticed except for the
people passing by to relieve themselves.
The Reggae Revolution came on
about five in the afternoon, band number four. The Reggae Revoulution was
a tight band with great talent, but needed some spark to inject some
energy into the audience.
Reviewed
for the Reggae Movement by Larry Leiber