Dennis Alcapone

African Arts Centre, Glasgow 31 October 2015

Scottish audiences have moved on since the polite bewilderment that greeted Dennis Alcapone's ground-breaking performance at the Edinburgh festival in 1973, and he was hailed like an old friend by the enthusiastic Halloween revellers gathered together on a rainy night in Ibrox. The mighty Bass Warrior and encyclopaedic ska-master selector Peter Bro...wne had done a great job in bringing the atmosphere of a 1970 Kingston street corner into the hall, festooned with Jamaican and St Andrew's saltires, rampant and Rasta lions - this may not be uptown Jamaica, but we were in for a treat. One good thing about having a venue on an industrial estate in the shadow of a football stadium is there is no danger of disturbing the neighbours, as the stage was set for an all-nighter to shake up Broomloan Road through to 6am. Dennis Alcapone is recognised as one of the original deejays, alongside U-Roy, who were able to bring the energy, fun and charisma of the dancehall into the recording studio. He also quite possibly gave us the first ever rewind/pull up on record in the Keith Hudson produced 'Spanish Amigo' version of Ken Boothe's 'Old Fashioned Way' and with fellow deejay Lizzy, invented the combination style that has inspired numerous ragga and rap duos. Strolling into the hall just after midnight, looking dapper in trademark white suit and trilby, he had plenty of time to pose for photos and sign records for the crowd before taking up the microphone. Recording over a hundred singles in the first few years of the deejay revolution, he had version like rain to choose from, and scattered lyrics over countless Studio One and Trojan favourites from 'Love I Can Feel' to 'Cherry Oh Baby'. Unperturbed by the zombies and skeletons skanking in the hall (obviously he has been to Ibrox before), he livelied up the crowd before a short break, then stepped up the pace with yet more versions, and cast his magic spells, entrancing the audience to dance all night. Dennis Alcapone showed us he has still got it, and why remains one of the world's most wanted deejays, and long may he continue toasting in his inimitable style. Hook, line and sinker! One love