Heartland Reggae have to borrow the headliner's drum kit as there isn't enough space to put both on stage before the show starts. The band get the front of the crowd skanking and through out their set they generate a tight danceable dubby beat with additional keyboard noodling.
Heartland Reggae play with Radiohead visuals in the background, it's a reggae beat eith floaty sweet rock guitar scrambled over the top, lots of fretboard work up near the whammy bar.
Songs about bankruptcy and reggae warriors are played to a large contingenet of local fans and the blues reggae gets heads bopping, which is the intention we're told. Final song 'Reggae To The Rescue' was their first single and the best track showcased here tonight. I have to confess to not having seen these South West legends before and actually enjoyed the rock, metal, dub mix, it's an interesting musical combination I'd not heard before. They bring a big local fan following, and even those just here for tonight's headliners also enjoy their music, with old school 'west coast' rock making a resurgence this reggae infused version bring a different slant to the genre.
Outside the arena in the bar another band are playing ska and two tone songs in the small space beside the bar. The Scavenger Type get the crowd going with a few decent singalong covers and their own material isn't bad either.
The main act tonight, at this event hosted by Future Sound Of Exeter are British reggae legends Misty In Roots and they're terrific. It's a great dance about to them, they get much of the crowd dancing, always a good sign.
Rasta vibrations, and a lithe looking bunch of rather old looking guys these days, the veneration just adds to the strength of the reggae message. The message of unity, African culture, respect and love is just given more gravitas when delivered by men who have spent a lifetime spreading the rock against racism message.
The music and delivery is almost religious in it's paricipatory gospel style, with arms aloft and much nodding of heads as more and more of the crowd began to dance. Beside me a middle aged man stood in a collared shirt arms folded, as more and more people around him gave themselves up to the pounding reggae beat of Prince's drumming and the Jah bass lines, five songs in and the arms unfurled as he surrendered to the beat.
The same was true throughout the auditorium as the music touched us, the roots had us all and we danced and sang along as the time flew by. Suddenly they were leaving the stage, I couldn't tell you the songs they'd played, tonight wasn't about songs it was about dance and celebration and some of the best live reggae music I've ever heard, an incredible night where we all gave thanks and praise to a wonderful reggae band.
Lead singer and songwriter Delbert "Ngoni" Tyson and his band delivered a fantastic gig - it's so good to see old school reggae at festivals again, so much better than indie pap and this reached all ages and made us all feel good. This was a festival experience that every festival should have, one of those magical moments which makes you feel good to be alive and puts smiles on faces, as we left strangers were making friends and the world had become a better place.
WeGotTickets.com sells tickets for many of the smaller UK festivals (including Wychwood, Trowbridge, Towersey, Truck, Priddy, & more), as well as tickets for Oxford's Zodiac & Brookes Student’s Union, & Reading's Fez Club, Hexagon & Student’s Union. more >>
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