Ok so I don't really know exactly what I was expecting, but the crusty crowd certainly turned out in force for some white buoy dub at Fiddlers last night. Jah Tubby's Sound System tested the resonant frequency of the building, which I'm sure they came close to finding and they also tested the patience of the crowd as it drew near to midnight (maybe it was just me). Good music though, no real DJ-ing, just tunes with a bit of shouting when the DJ changed the record.
So eventually the 'band' turned up, complete with female bezzer who nicked their towels and water… no-one seemed to mind much. The singer was amazing, and just after I'd realised she was regurgitating old Bob Marley lyrics and was about to get all cynical, she announced that at least three of the songs we'd had so far she had never heard before.
I only wish they had a real bass player. I mean, it's all clever and stuff using a couple of decks, a Kaos Pad and an Alesis Air FX thingy (ideal for all that echoey stuff dub is made of). But with a 'puter, it all gets a bit much… when it's all about the bass lines, a bit of interest wouldn't go amiss! The horn section were pretty effective, but really it was a one man show. If this is the UK dub scene, it needs a bit of an update, if indeed it's possible - maybe they want to stay neck deep in the 80's for ever...
The bezzer got a bit upset when having realised that she wasn't part of the band, some other members of the audience jumped on stage and joined in towards the end...
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