To the uninitiated, Friday night in the Dreadzone might not be the most appetising of prospects – dinner with the in-laws perhaps, working a late shift maybe or even taking on the unopened red letters in the kitchen drawer? Thankfully, an evening with this gaggle of Dread heads is a far more pleasurable experience...
In town to mark Thirty Years of Dread, the veteran Londoners, formed by drummer Greg Roberts from the ashes of Big Audio Dynamite, make for the perfect Friday night soundtrack.
Following a DJ set by Greg Dread himself and a mixtape soundtrack, the outfit take to the stage buoyed by bass-master Leo Williams and charismatic Jamaican reggae vocalist Earl 16. They hit the ground running and it isn’t long before a packed Metronome is moving in unison with punks, reggae heads and ska fans alike all singing from the same hymn sheet.
Williams’ basslines remain the crucial element guiding the music hypnotically and providing the foundations for the rest of the Dreadzone crew to build up upon as Earl 16 draws on all of his 65 years to flood the room with authenticity
Life, Love & Unity is an appropriate early number considering the warmth felt from either side of the stage, while Fight The Power and Music Army cement their counter culture, left-leaning stance.
Williams’ basslines remain the crucial element guiding the music hypnotically and providing the foundations for the rest of the Dreadzone crew to build up upon as Earl 16 draws on all of his 65 years to flood the room with authenticity, while Blake Roberts (Greg’s son) clearly relished taking on the guitar baton and doing his old man proud.
At one point, a giddy woman with a fluorescent pink mohawk is so overwhelmed with emotion and enthusiasm she finds herself on stage hugging band members – it was that kind of night.
Traditional set closer Little Britain brings things to a euphoric climax before the masses flood into a chilly Nottingham night suitable warmed.
Dreadzone performed at Metronome on 24 November 2023
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