Issue 82 / October 2017

Big Youth (Glyn Akroyd / @GlynAkroyd)
Big Youth And The Upper Cut Band
+ Levi Tafari
Positive Vibration @ District – 18/08
Positive Vibration’s latest offering in their quest to boost the
profile of reggae music locally, and indeed, to make Liverpool a
Mecca for the genre, sees legendary DJ and toaster BIG YOUTH
in town for his first ever Liverpool performance. District is fast
becoming the de rigueur venue for such events and with the
recent outdoor development of Yard adding to its ambience the
scene was set with a sizeable, good-natured crowd building early
on.
LEVI TAFARI is more than simply a performance poet, he is
an urban griot – consciousness raiser, story teller, musician and
political activist. Tafari is a skilful orator, you can tap your feet
to the rhythm of his words and though he tackles race (“If we
weren’t all some colour we’d be transparent!”), poverty and police
harassment (“Where were you when the Titanic went down?”)
his protest and polemic is laced with good humour. He feels
that, as a poet, he should write something romantic and drops a
tender love letter to his wife before leaving us with the upbeat
participation of Let’s Celebrate Diversity.
British reggae royalty THE UPPER CUT BAND (Horseman,
Derek Morgan, Luciano) take to the stage and immediately hit a
tight groove that bodes well for the evening. In the shadow of the
wings stands Big Youth, arms folded, staring in mock judgement
at bass player Ross Erlam. A grin splits his face and he makes
his entrance, stepping flamboyantly to the rhythm, silver teeth
flashing. When an artist hits the stage with this much swagger,
this much joie de vivre there is an instant connect and the crowd
sense immediately that this is going to be a special night. He
looks sensational – dark hat, brightly coloured headband atop
long dreads, sharp suit set off by a glittering leopard print
shirt, chains and rings glinting in the stage lights and a look of
righteous fervour in his eyes. That look is the look of the believer
and Big Youth is one of the original 70s exponents of conscious
reggae, the music a vehicle for his Rastafarian beliefs.
The lyrics of I Pray Thee run like a chapter from the Old
Testament and with fire in his belly Big Youth sets about this
cautionary tale for the unbeliever. His voice isn’t technically a
thing of beauty but his ability to deliver a spoken word flow is
arguably unmatched as he teases out he words, seeming to enjoy
each syllable.
The dichotomy of the spiritual and the secular is one that has
bedevilled many artists (Marvin Gaye, Little Richard, Al Green for
example) but it seems to weigh lightly on the shoulders of Big
Youth, and his ability to switch from fiery orator to arch crowd
pleaser in a trice is bewitching. Between songs he sends out love
for the victims of terror and brings down the wrath on Trump and
Kim Jong-un.
The Upper Cut Band are alternately rocking District to the
rafters or taking it down until the rhythm is barely audible, Big
Youth exhorting, the audience transfixed. Throughout the evening
his originals morph into a variety of leftfield classics: Bacharach’s
What The World Needs Now, Diana Ross’ Touch Me In The
Morning, Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams and most memorably when
House Of Dread segues sweetly into Heatwave’s Mind Blowing
Decisions, which the crowd seem to know word for word and
take up immediately much to Big Youth’s obvious delight.
“Liverpool is the teacher for the England school. Don’t be no fool,
it’s cool,” he responds, before thanking US for a beautiful evening!
It’s one of those occasions when people turn to look at their
neighbours and find their own happiness reflected back in smiles
of pure delight.
Big Youth has delivered his heavy dread message, but with
such passion, such elan, and with such a sprinkling of stardust
that right here, right now, we are all believers.
Glyn Akroyd
Conor Oberst
+ Big Thief
O2 Academy – 21/08
After a long, self-imposed hiatus from this venue, tonight I
am breaking my duck for a man who I met when I was twelve
and who guided me through the tantrums, broken hearts and
awkward moments of my teenage years; tonight I am here to see
CONOR OBERST.
The O2 is half full, and as more and more people begin to
filter into the building, tonight’s support act, BIG THIEF take to
the stage. The group quietly shuffle in front of their instruments
as if not sure where to place themselves or what to do under
the bright lights and expectation of this evenings event, but the
moment the first chord is strummed they transform. Big Thief are
a group full of quiet gusto, their songs are like forgotten dreams
that catch you off guard and take you places that make your
stomach bubble and fingers tingle. The band perform with the
delicacy of a feather but the tenacity of a tiger. Big Thief are a
band to keep an eye on and the perfect hors d’oeuvres for this
evening’s proceedings.
My feet start to get sticky as the lights go down for a second
time. The Academy is now packed and there is a nervous sense
of anticipation that lingers in the air. “Which Oberst will we
get?” I hear people mutter. Will the warm nostalgic bubble that
surrounds this evening’s proceedings be burst? Will we all be
disappointed and go home short-changed? We need not have
worried one bit. Conor Oberst swaggers onstage with confidence
and purpose. He sings with a gruff tenderness that consumes
the room and settles any early nerves. His full band amplifies the
rock and roll edge that has always lay under the acoustic guitar
strums of his work. There is real energy to Oberst this evening,
something that has often been lacking in his stage presence of
recent years. It feels that, as the world gets more chaotic and
helpless, Conor gets stronger and more invigorated, feeding off
the tragedy and uncertainty of modern day politics. Oberst treats
us to a wealth of music ranging from current offerings to old
classics. Bright Eyes Songs like First Day Of My Life silence the
room and evokes gasps and shudders. Newer tracks like Napalm
pull us back to the future with strength, anger and blistering fury.
As I count the lack of change in my wallet and eventually peel
my shoes from the floor, I am happy. I am happy because I have
remembered the past with a man that I have always admired
but I am also happy about the future. Conor Oberst is an enigma
who many can find overly sentimental or a little twee but it is
undisputable that he is an artist who deals in honesty and wears
his busted broken heart on his tatty flannel sleeve.
Paddy Hughes / @paddyhughes89
Conor Oberst (Mike Sheerin / michaelsheerin.photoshelter.com)
REVIEWS 39