Review: Toots & The Maytals @ Cardiff Uni
Toots & The Maytals
Great Hall, Cardiff Students' Union
14th September 2011
Absolute legends of reggae and ska, Toots & The Maytals, hit Cardiff University on their 50th Anniversary tour this week and gave an absolutely jammin’ performance in one of best gigs I have ever had the pleasure of attending.
The iconic band’s influence on the world of the skank is unprecedented - I mean Toots was the first artist to use the word ‘reggae’ on record - and I found myself in a state of uncontrollable excitement as I waited for his arrival on stage. Songs like 54 46, Pressure Drop and Monkey Man are up there at the very top and as the lead singer of the not half bad support band (whose name I couldn’t catch) kept reiterating, would be performed “right here on this stage. Right here!”
As the sixty-five-years-old Toots joined his band on said stage the room erupted and stayed at that level for the next ninety minutes, as hit after hit got fans old and young smiling, clapping, dancing and fist raising. Toots has called singing a “religion” and his voice was noticeably strong, sounding at times like a Jamaican Ray Charles. His roots can be found in gospel music - Toots’ father was a preacher in rural west Jamaica - and the band’s catchy choruses have a definite Praise the Lord quality. When combined with that classic ska feel, they make music that is as upbeat as sunshine and lollipops and all those other things that make you joyful and glad. Indeed, the whole band (minus the rather nonchalant bass player) grinned their way through each tune.
The gig attracted an extremely diverse audience of all ages; I chatted to middle aged teachers from my primary school as well as a lad from year nine and the overwhelming feeling was that of love and appreciation for this brilliant, timeless music. The band played all the crowd pleasers as well as a couple of recent songs that slipped in effortlessly with the classics. There were a few I was disappointed not to hear but with fifty years of material at their disposal that was always going to be the case. I especially enjoyed the rapid changes in pace during certain tunes which gave us all a good chance to bounce furiously, pre-dubstep style. Then, being such a polite crowd, subsequently apologising for any flailing limbs which inadvertently found a human target.
Summing up the effect that such guiltless, feel-good music can have on an evening I overheard one contented audience member leave with the words, “If you can't dance to that then God help youbloody hell I’m sweaty!” I’ll leave you with that.
Info Sport & Leisure Performing Arts Music
IMAGE: Toots & The Maytals Live by Kmeron
2 Comments – Postiwch sylw
dirty
Rhoddwyd sylw 56 mis yn ôl - 18th September 2011 - 14:47pm
what about the support acts?
Tom_Bevan
Rhoddwyd sylw 56 mis yn ôl - 18th September 2011 - 20:14pm
Yes, one support act- cardiff based- white reggae band whose name I couldn't catch. Decent enough, did a good jimmy cliff cover and woud be great to hire for a party as had lots of energy and all seemed like nice folks.