Misty in Roots,

African Caribbean Centre, Glasgow 7th October 2011

Reggae lovers, I have to confess I was not a huge Misty in Roots fan. Until last night at the African Caribbean centre, that is. Their 'Live at Eurovision' 1979 album may be revered as a quintessential classic of roots music, but I am prepared to admit that, at the time, I preferred Abba. Come on, I was only seven. Formed in West London in 1975, celebrating over forty years on the road, maths may not be their strong point, but original roots rock reggae certainly is. From the frontline of the Rock Against Racism movement in the seventies, to an African homecoming in the eighties, musical comment on the cover up of the murder of Stephen Lawrence in the nineties, through their own tragedies and tribulations, Misty in Roots have been a cornerstone of Black Britain. They are a real band of dedicated singers and players of instruments and have never sold out, never watered down their style, gathering a loyal international following as they burned a trail across the globe. The African Caribbean Centre in Glasgow was the perfect venue for them to keep the flag flying for Rastafari, with a new stage to comfortably accommodate all eight members, and a sound to give justice to their musical talents. Bass Warrior set the mood in the shebeen downstairs before the crowd gradually drifted upstairs as the atmosphere heated up in anticipation of the return of the roots controllers.

Once again, I have to take my hat off to the Glasgow crowd of people who packed out the place. I like to think I know a bit about reggae, but nights like this make me realise I am an absolute beginner and the best part is there is so always so much more to learn and discover about this music. The crowd welcomed Misty in Roots on stage like old friends and greeted every lyric and note with instant recognition and approval. They may be a bit grey around the dreadlocks,  but from ‘True Rasta’, ‘Musi-o-tunya’ and the sublime ‘Jah See, Jah Know’, they brought new life to old classics and I began to understand why they are so well loved. Enigmatic lead singer Poko keeps the crowd on their toes, never knowing whether he is going to crack a joke or chastise the heathen among us as he dips and nods. The pristine horns, powerful bass and uplifting keyboards produce a clear, quality ensemble you don’t always get at gigs these days. It is of course compulsory for reggae artists to include a tribute to Bob arley in their live shows, but how did Misty know ‘Rainbow Country’ is my favourite, and judging by the reaction of the audience, I was not alone (did Bob ever visit Scotland, is this rainbow country?). Anyone familiar with them will know Africa is at the heart of their music, but who knew they could turn ‘Wandering Wanderer’ into a true jit jive with infectious high tempo guitar playing worthy of the Bhundu Boys? From only a handful of studio albums, (now quite hard to find and sought after, so don’t give yours away), they never let their standard drop, and played a selection including ‘Ghetto of the City’, ‘West Livity’ and ‘How Long Jah’ for over an hour with consummate ease, persuaded to return for an encore but I got the feeling they could have kept going forever, and I know somewhere they will. Their brand of righteous roots reggae may not receive the attention it once did, but on a day when a vicious racist assault can happen in broad daylight in Glasgow, we need Misty in Roots’s message of unity, resistance and justice more than ever.