Your Queen is a Lizard

Mornington Crescent tube meeting Simon in the Lyttleton (now the one at the back of Koko nee Palace nee Music Machine etc. is closed) and as it's getting on a we have a film to watch we wander over to Koko. Thankfully the queue is a lot shorter than last time I was here to see Dave. In fact no queue. Soon in there's a lot of space as the place is half empty. Or half full depending on your viewpoint. First up there's an edit of a new film all about the father of reggae where he spends a lot of time faffing about and generally behaving very oddly whilst giving out about Rastafari, dreads, Bob Marley and the British monarchy. Very entertaining stuff and puts us in the mood for a bit of dubbiness. After the film no messing about and the curtain rises to show the backing band who entreat us to some steady reggae and then the living legend that is Lee Scratch Perry aka The Upsetter (he upsets people and pushes people up as we've found out earlier) takes the stage. He's in predictably weird and wonderful garb including his cap with mirrors. Cool dude. Musically the band are tight and start off with circa 70s reggae in a Steel Pulse / Black Uhuru style which I loved sometimes verging on Lovers Rock although Scratch is far from churning out romantic lyrics. He prowls the stage taking time to shake hands at the front which makes him laugh a lot. Most of the lyrics are Lee getting things off his chest about the ways of Babylon or about Jah Rastafari but in his roundabout way. He's a fantastic wordsmith seeming to rap on the vibe he builds up. He seems to have a particular beef with the monarch, as indeed he should, and spends a fair amount of energy telling us that our queen is a lizard. Can't argue with that on any level excepting insulting lizards as they generally have to sort themselves out and don't live on the ill gotten inheritance of their warlike ancestors. Ah well, I guess Perry don't like lizards. Refreshing to hear a bit of politics in music especially anti royalty as everyone seems to have fallen for their whiter than white bullshit. And of course follows on from my last gig which was Morrissey's Axe the Monarchy tour. There's hope at last although to be honest not a lot of kids at either gig. The audience are quite a mix of people of a certain age (mine) who would've been into reggae back when but also a range from 20s up. Long hairs, ageing punks, spivved up types. A few with dreads although given LSP bangs on about how he don't like them I'm not surprised they've boycotted him. Although his lead guitarist has dreads but there again Lee seemed to be encouraging to play bass lines not noticing the bassist back by the drummer. The music slowly slows and gets more of a pronounced back beat in a dub style at times morphing into trippiness. Then we're treated to a bit of samba style reggae which gets people moving around more than the usual skanking. By the end there's a fair bit of movement amongst the crowd and The Upsetter seems to be enjoying himself although the glasses of red wine his roadie brings him may be helping that (I thought he'd given up the juice). After another laid back rant and hand shaking our 80 year old here waves goodbye and leaves the stage although we can still hear him singing on his way back to the dressing room. The band play out the song then they're off to applause and the house lights come on and we're out in the street. Great gig and nice to see such a legend. Sure I've seen him before (answers on a postcard please) but can't picture where (seem to think some small place in south London but uncertain) and obviously pre this blog.

Magic hat

Roots

Plain backdrop which I'm surprised at