Congos in Dumfries

As a hardcore reggae fan who, in my youth, endured many long hours of waiting in dark smoky venues for reggae bands to make their appearance - including the notorious Misty in Roots gig at the Edinburgh Playhouse in 1980 (?) when they eventually turned up at 2am (and yes, in the days when you could still stand, and smoke, in the auditorium) - I should have expected nothing less from the mighty Congos when they played the Venue in Dumfries last Wednesday.

If you can call 10.45pm ‘late’, that is. Now a 40+ yr old parent and obliged to get home for the babysitter by midnight, it was late enough to mean that I had to slope off before the reggae legends had completed their set. But hey, it was still worth it!

Recorded in 1977 and produced by infamous genius Lee Scratch Perry, Heart of the Congos was, and still is, one of the all time No. 1 reggae albums in my over quarter-of-a-century old collection, the track Solid Foundation containing one of the most breathtaking ‘breaks’ ever recorded on vinyl. For sure, I had never imagined that I would ever enjoy the privilege of seeing them play live. So you can imagine my intrigue when I spotted the black, gold and green posters shouting the news that this trio of original Jamaican reggae maestros were coming to town. A tribute band, surely!  How old are the Congos?

http://music.brynovsky.co.uk/

It is to the most excellent Brynovsky it seems, that I owe thanks for having booked this gig. The Dumfries & Galloway dub reggae quintet’s supporting set, fused by the compelling synergy of Anders’ drum and Chungerbie’s bass - reminding me of early Sly and Robbie - was a fine way to start the show. 

Then what turned out to be a couple of hours delay ensued, while the ancient Rastafarians were located, for they had clearly left the building. When a number of fit dreadlocked black men loped in through the door heading for the backstage room, things started to look hopeful. Meantime strong loud Studio One tracks provided by Samson Sounds held our anticipation, kept us dancing. But it was still another half hour before the wizened snowy-grey locksmen were spotted threading across the room, slightly rocky on their feet. Back from their walkabout in Dumfries town centre, the Congos had finally reached.

A few trial runs to get the mikes right while the two most elderly of the four singers struggled to be heard and the bassie tripped onto autopilot, but with technical hitches smoothed out, the Congos did not disappoint. Cedric Myton’s unique falsetto still held strong, and with exquisite harmonies intact, they set a cracking pace through every classic song. While the hardcore sound of the 80’s had maybe lost some of its original subtlety and finesse, the overall effect was still powerful. For me though, the star of the show was Ashanti Roy who of the original trio, appeared to have weathered the years rather more sedately than his fellow singers, standing calm and focused throughout the show, he engaged with the audience and seemed genuinely happy to be there. Respect!