Audio By Carbonatix
Steel Pulse with Fourth Dimension
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Revolution, Fort Lauderdale
The Review:
There is nothing like being in the presence of a vintage Rasta man, and David Hinds, Steel Pulse’s frontman, is an especially potent one. He’s been the driving, spliff-cheefing force behind the monster reggae act since it formed in the U.K. 35 years ago. Since then, the band has become globally respected for its politically charged, roots reggae, which earned them a Grammy and a huge following. On Wednesday night, the band brought its dreadlocks and love of Jah to Revolution, and as many ganjafied fans as the club could handle came to marvel.
At 8 p.m., the line for tickets snaked from the box office
around into the parking lot, and by ten, when local favorites Fouth
Dimension took the stage, the house was full. The crowd response to Jah
Steve and the boys was strong, which was great to see. For years, Fourth
Dimension has been holding it down in South Florida with various weekly
gigs, and the occasional opening slot for big acts that come to town.
What’s nice about the bigger shows, like Wednesday’s gig as opener for
Steel Pulse, is that it gives the group an opportunity to focus on
original material, rather than the standard Bob Marley covers they need
to play at Fat Cats to please the drinking crowd. Wednesday’s set
featured the 4D classic “Invasion”, their ode to herb smoking “Yes”, and
their ‘reggae en espanol’ jam “Muertos es Vida”. The only weak point in
the set was in the acoustic closer, where Steve didn’t quite deliver
vocally.
After the curtains closed on the opening act, people shifted around
in the packed club like a hive of extremely mellow bees in order to hit
the bathroom before Steel Pulse. By the time everyone was settled in,
the floor was stuffed fuller than the bongs backstage and it was almost
as thick around the perimeter on both the upper and lower levels.
When the curtain lifted, Steel Pulse dropped their Rasta anthem
“Worth His Weight in Gold (Rally Round)”, setting the tone for a
performance that would have the packed house grooving and chanting along
the whole way through. The band was locked in and joyful. The playing
was very tight and their stage presence was undeniably that of an
inspired bunch, doing it for something greater than fame or riches;
which is both rare in this age and inspiring, and exactly what roots
reggae is all about. Hinds was light on his feet as he played and deep
in his message as he sang. It’s hard to believe, while watching the
heavily-dreaded man float onstage, that he is in his mid-50’s.
The set featured lots of fan favorites spanning their entire
catalogue, and most of the songs were extended into long, steady
instrumental jams. Some of the highlights were “Drug Squad”, which
featured an unidentified guest rapper, the late set sing-a-long “Your
House”, and the closer “Stepping Out”. By the time the band broke into
the latter two, the crowd seemed to be so steeped in the smoke and
righteous vibe that no one seemed to care that they were pressed up so
closely against their neighbors. The people of Revolution became one
pulsating soul-creature.
Over the course of the night, there was more than one complaint
voiced over the lack of space, but over-all the good nature of the
people and the music seemed to triumph over the will to be a bummer.
Though it may have been nice to have some extra room, it was cool to see
so many people come out to a reggae show given that the genre as a
whole gets very little, if any, mainstream airplay. Reggae is important
and the love for it seems to be alive and well in South Florida.
Critic’s Notebook
Better Than: Buju Banton’s caustic lyrical topics
Personal Bias: When it hit me, I felt no pain
Random Detail: Just after the encore I received this classic text
from my ride home: “Youre going to kill me. We just made it home via
taxi. Stoney move brodda”
By the Way: Steel Pulse’s first new album since 2004’s African
Holocaust is due out this year.
