Bob Andy

The Garage, London 25th April 2016

Springtime in the capital only means one thing – the London International Ska Festival; a celebration of the music that has flowed for six decades from this fountain of everlasting talent, its many tributaries and the various streams it has created all over the world. And who better to headline Day Two this year than Bob Andy, a man who has stood firm for over fifty years, refusing to bend or bow in the face of changing winds, staying true to his masterful blend of love songs and conscious messages, maintaining the highest quality output of albums while supporting and inspiring countless other artists www.bobandy.com . Originally due to attend five years ago, but unable to perform due to illness, it was an absolute joy to see his name on the bill again. I had originally bought a ticket to see Johnny Osborne, and must admit I was disappointed to hear he had pulled out, but the news that was he was to be replaced by Bob Andy was honestly even better. Massive thanks to Sean Flowerdew and all the crew who have made this happen for the past 28 years, bringing together the whole spectrum of ska stars, struggling against the obstacles posed by the inevitable passage of time and Home Office visa problems on the original Jamaican generation. Pork-pie hats off to Peter O’Toole as well this year for giving us the best T-shirts/posters ever http://www.londoninternationalskafestival.co.uk/... Friday night comprised the original Skatalites-style sound of The Indecision, followed by the The Defektors, who took us to the punky, dubby side of skatown. Then came Pama International, featuring Sean himself on keyboards and a new line-up harnessing the spirit and sound of the sixties girl groups to ska interpretations of reggae and soul classics such as ‘Man Next Door’ and ‘Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow’. All the while, the Tighten Up Crew kept the pace going during the quick changeover between bands, playing favourites from Alton Ellis, Ken Boothe and many more as the Garage filled up with anticipation. I don’t know how long this band have been working with Bob Andy, but as soon as they took the stage it was clear they had the talent and dedication required to support one of the undisputed champions of Jamaican music, running through classic Studio One instrumental ‘Swing Easy’ with aplomb.

Bob himself was introduced to a rapturous welcome, only in England for a few days and apparently feeling the cold but warmed to the bones by the enthusiastic crowd. Resplendent in white and gold African dashiki, he was soon persuaded to take off his beanie hat and let his still impressive silver dreadlocks fly free. ‘My Time’ is something of a signature tune, and sounded perfect as ever, even though he said he only got the strength to keep on performing from the love of the audience. ‘Sun Shines For Me’ is another beautiful anthem that cannot fail to get everyone smiling and singing along. Bob introduced some of his most early work with a wry smile, such as ‘Crime Don’t Pay’ a message to the rudies of Kingston, but acknowledged time has told him it probably does after all. These songs recorded for Coxsone in the late sixties, collected on the Song Book, remain as fresh as ever. ‘Unchained’ is a roots classic far ahead of its time, covered by so many and with a powerful riddim re-used by Garnett Silk and many more. He went on to perform for the first time some of the hits he has written for fellow legends, ‘I’m Gonna Tell You Goodbye Babe’ (Ken Boothe) and ‘Impossible’ (Delroy Wilson) which was a continuing education in reggae music for me. The lyrical masterpieces of ‘You Don’t Know’ and ‘Life’ still get your brain working as well as moving your feet. Of course, this of all shows had to include ‘Too Experienced’, a great favourite of the Two Tone era from the Bodysnatchers sassy version, here restored to its original heartfelt pain with delicate flute and muted trumpet accompaniment. ‘I’m Going Home’ still made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up, with its echoing harmonies, originally of course provided by Marley, Tosh and Livingstone, which according to legend, made Bob Andy himself think it was a Wailers tune when Coxsone first dropped it in a dance. It remains my favourite tune and inspired the penultimate chapter in my humble account of where an obsession with reggae can lead you, ‘Black King’ – the novel. Sadly there was not enough time for some of Bob’s more recent songs which stand up well to the classics, such as ‘Love Is Sure’ and ‘Send Someone To Meet Me (I’m Coming Home)’. He was persuaded to come back on stage with another Africa-tinged paean to exile and return, ‘ I’ve Got to Go Back Home’ and with that we wished him well and hope he comes back soon as he will always have a home in our hearts. One Love!