Jesse Royal & Mad Professor

Glasgow O2 ABC, 23 May 2014

The Wailers at the Greyhound pub in Fulham Palace Road, 1973; the Sex Pistols at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, 1976; a lot of people will say they were there, but in reality only a privileged few in the know were actually there to witness the birth of a new musical phenomenon.  And so it may be said in years to come of Jesse Royal at the Glasgow... O2 ABC in 2014. On a surreal night tinged with sadness and smoke from the neighbouring Art School fire, the show went on, the culture-loving people of Glasgow were undeterred, and new hope rose from the ashes.  I was only familiar with a couple of Jesse Royal’s tunes among so much great new roots music coming out of Jamaica now, but impressed enough to find out what the fuss was about. Let’s be honest, it’s also a rare treat to see a reggae artist in town who does not qualify for a free bus pass. Jesse was undaunted, lifting the mood instantly with his positive vibes and message of love. As soon as he invited the crowd in closer to create a warm, intimate atmosphere, he put on a show worthy of any stage. The clear sound of the band, stripped down to the basics of drum and bass and synthesiser, made it possible to appreciate his music, making many favourites on first listen, like the infectious ‘Butterflies’. The set, mostly comprised from his debut album, is a mixture of familiar riddims like ‘Up Park Camp’ used to great effect on ‘Greedy Babylon’, and original compositions with a strong lyrical message. ‘Modern Day Judas’ is perhaps his best known track so far, on the ‘Rootsman’ riddim also used by Chronnix on ‘Here Comes Trouble’. Throwing in some inspiration from Garnett Silk, the energy of dancehall with a burst of Supercat, alongside influences from the Impressions, Jesse Royal has the accessibility and classic reggae formula to win over any crowd, leaving everyone singing ‘the world is yours for the taking’.

It was then an honour to welcome legendary producer and dubmeister, the Mad Professor, on stage but sadly it was well past my bedtime so I could not stay long enough to fully appreciate his set, live mixing of Ariwa classics. All I had time for was a quick reminder that some of the best reggae in the world, from lover’s rock, roots, dancehall to dub, came out of his studio in south London. ‘True Born African’ by Sister Audrey and U-Roy was transformed into an independence anthem. And I really hope he played ‘Proud of Mandela’ in the first city in the world to honour him with the freedom of the city. One love Glasgow!