You would have to have been living under a rock to not know this legendary band. My memories of UB40 go so far back that I still get images of my older sister’s 45’s being thrashed on the old record player. Needle comes up, needle goes back down, repeat, repeat again. Try not to scratch it, can’t risk this precious 45 getting damaged… Even my migrant parents knew them, and other older migrant relatives, which is no easy feat as most older migrants of that generation barely gave anyone in ‘popular music’ a pass. But when that cover of ‘Red Red Wine’ was released, it was like a wave of ‘oohs and aah’s’ amongst the uninitiated. Who would have thought that singing about Red Wine could have turned even the most hardened of critics? But it did.
Cutting across genres, even though they are reggae, they have always been multigenerational and multicultural. Just so damn good that their appeal has permanently been borderless. UB40 in every shape and form will always be timeless, and it’s very difficult to think of my music collection without them for all these years. A 40 year, and still going strong, legacy is just a phenomenal achievement. Congratulations to everyone in the UB40 family!

It was no surprise at last night’s Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion gig that the coolest cats in town would all come out to play for a great night of song and dance. We had the most perfect support act in ‘Caravana Sun’. I had no idea young Aussies played reggae over here, and from Cronulla too! Such a talented and happy band, all that was missing were rays of sunshine beaming through the roof. We could have been outdoors on the beach, chilling and soaking it in, the sound of summer and fun. Thanks guys, you were great and the perfect start to our evening. What a match made in heaven for you to be touring with UB40, and what a thrill, we hope to see more of you out there in the scene.
Just watching the UB40 stage prep before the set always gets me excited. Multiple saxophones, trumpet, bongos, drums etc, close to a dozen band members on stage. Then that unique reggae sound kicks in with ‘Food For Thought’. The crowd is already very well warmed up, drinks are flowing and butts are moving left, then right, to that well known beat. A UB40 gig is always a non-stop dancing fest and this song so reminds me of my youth, just those first bars, spine tingling. Then once those beautiful harmonies of our next song ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ conclude, it’s ‘Come Back Darling’ and ‘Cherry Oh Baby’. With so many tracks to choose from over the decades, you never know which delights will make it on the set list. By this stage the Hordern is already just one big bouncing floor.
© MARINA KNEZEVIC 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
See our CARAVANA SUN PHOTOS here
Photography by Anna Bartle at rockchique.net
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