UB40 signs off
Feb 24, 2008
THIRTY years of musical magic came to a head on Saturday night as the English reggae band, UB40, put up its last concert as a full band at the Lugogo Cricket Oval. It was a long way for the eight lads from Birmingham but fate brought them to Kampala, just as it did 10 years ago another great reggae
By Kalungi Kabuye
THIRTY years of musical magic came to a head on Saturday night as the English reggae band, UB40, put up its last concert as a full band at the Lugogo Cricket Oval. It was a long way for the eight lads from Birmingham but fate brought them to Kampala, just as it did 10 years ago another great reggae band in the past.
One of the greatest reggae bands ever put together, Third World, played its last gig at the Nile Gardens on New Year’s Day of 1997, ending 20 years of what can only be called musical magic. It was a different band on Saturday night, but it was still magic, and we feel proud to have been there when it all ended.
Just how many people were there that night? MTN’s commercial officer Erik Van Veen said over 35,000, others said they had to close the gates because the crowd was getting out of hand.
But it was standing room only at Lugogo, and only two metal barriers separated the ones who paid sh120,000 from those who paid only sh20,000. They were the same distance from the stage, saw the same thing. But maybe there were much less of the Gold crowd.
Did anything go wrong? Maybe that brief loss of power, but very few in the crowd noticed; or maybe that sh25,000 crowd who got impatient at the beginning and threatened to overran the barriers (but security held firm, thank God).
And of course it was a terrible night for the photographers who were stopped from taking pictures after the third song, especially those who insist on coming late, they got off with nothing.
But UB40 came to perform, and they did, with barely a break. They did most of the songs the crowd knew (except Maybe Tomorrow, which only a few sang to), from Cherry Oh Baby, Sing our own song, Homely Girl and Rat In Mi Kitchen.
They also did a few songs from their new album 24/7, and the crowd went wild when Red Red Wine was played. But the defining moment came with Cant Help Falling in Love, when the whole crowd sang out each and every line. Even Ali Campbell seemed a bit taken back.
So, is this really Campbell’s last performance with the group he has been with for the last 30 years? He did not say. In fact, the band spoke very little to the crowd. They came, they performed, and the crowd loved it, what more can we say?
THIRTY years of musical magic came to a head on Saturday night as the English reggae band, UB40, put up its last concert as a full band at the Lugogo Cricket Oval. It was a long way for the eight lads from Birmingham but fate brought them to Kampala, just as it did 10 years ago another great reggae band in the past.
One of the greatest reggae bands ever put together, Third World, played its last gig at the Nile Gardens on New Year’s Day of 1997, ending 20 years of what can only be called musical magic. It was a different band on Saturday night, but it was still magic, and we feel proud to have been there when it all ended.
Just how many people were there that night? MTN’s commercial officer Erik Van Veen said over 35,000, others said they had to close the gates because the crowd was getting out of hand.
But it was standing room only at Lugogo, and only two metal barriers separated the ones who paid sh120,000 from those who paid only sh20,000. They were the same distance from the stage, saw the same thing. But maybe there were much less of the Gold crowd.
Did anything go wrong? Maybe that brief loss of power, but very few in the crowd noticed; or maybe that sh25,000 crowd who got impatient at the beginning and threatened to overran the barriers (but security held firm, thank God).
And of course it was a terrible night for the photographers who were stopped from taking pictures after the third song, especially those who insist on coming late, they got off with nothing.
But UB40 came to perform, and they did, with barely a break. They did most of the songs the crowd knew (except Maybe Tomorrow, which only a few sang to), from Cherry Oh Baby, Sing our own song, Homely Girl and Rat In Mi Kitchen.
They also did a few songs from their new album 24/7, and the crowd went wild when Red Red Wine was played. But the defining moment came with Cant Help Falling in Love, when the whole crowd sang out each and every line. Even Ali Campbell seemed a bit taken back.
So, is this really Campbell’s last performance with the group he has been with for the last 30 years? He did not say. In fact, the band spoke very little to the crowd. They came, they performed, and the crowd loved it, what more can we say?