The Wailers / Andreya Triana / MC Testament

Leaving the lovely warm day behind and crowding into the cellar venue of Leeds University, everyone here is looking forward to some summer sounds. Andreya Triana is the first artist I catch, helped along with guitar and a huge double bass. Her sweet tones do well to travel over the rowdy crowd, who are constantly talking over her music. The fact that she kept repeating "Thanks for listening" says it all. If you wanna talk get to the back, so that people who appreciate the sounds emitting from the stage can do so without listening to your quite frankly crap and pointless conversations. And... breath.



Triana's debut album is due out soon and should be an amazing mixture of soul, jazz and folk. She has a similar sound to Corrine Bailey Rae, yet more soulful (more like Nina Simone). She also uses techniques to change her vocals, simple things like turning your hand into a trumpet and blowing through it gives a remarkable lifelike and classic sound, like a trumpet with a mute. I was transfixed; it's a shame many others were not.

They are for The Wailers though. Before them we have music from host and local DJ Testament, mixing reggae beats to get the crowd in the mood. His vocal comments are quite amusing, saying that Triana "Has a sweet, sweet voice; sweet dumplin's!" As the lower pit area in front of the stage gets increasingly busy, it's time for The Wailers to take to the stage to play the original roots rock reggae music. Many of the original band that backed Bob Marley in the Seventies are sadly not with us, but legendary bassist Aston Francis Barrett (aka Family Man) is still the backbone of the band. An injection of fresh ideas comes from singer Elan Atias, pumping up the vocals without changing too much. There's Keith Sterling on keyboard playing the little sounds that everyone notices in these everlasting songs, with the talented brass section and vocal section holding it all together.



This gig would be ideal outside on a sunny day. However inside this sweaty, crowded venue the atmosphere is still the same; that of happiness when these age old songs are played. The slight MC twist that Atias adds in makes it more modern, without taking away it's solid heritage. The band are here as part of a bill to celebrate the fifth birthday of the New Bohemian club night at Leeds Stylus. The university must have got a scoop, as they are here to play the entire 'Exodus' album in full; what a treat!

'Jamming', 'Waiting in Vain' and 'One Love/People Get Ready' are obvious sing-a-long tracks, as the journey through the album seems to get better and better. Hailed as one of the best albums of the 20th century, and rightly so, the music tonight sounds as fresh as it did on its release in 1977. Part way through 'Waiting In Vain' Atias encourages an odd bit of singing the chorus to Tina Turner's 'What's Love Got To Do With It'!

The show does not end when album does though, as for the encore we get to hear Atias' solo track 'Together As One' from his debut album of the same name, plus a bigger beat version of the classic campfire track 'Redemption Song', ending with 'Is This Love'. Although I could not see a thing and the whole place was rammed, I would not have missed this show for anything; it was one of the most uplifting events I have been to. Watch out for more from Atias and Family Man, as they are to record a new compilation with The Wailers featuring vocals from some very well known names in contemporary music, plus other releases under their label in the future.



Natural Mystic
So Much Things to Say
Guiltiness
The Heathen
Exodus
Jamming
Waiting In Vain
Turn Your Lights Down Low
Three Little Birds
One Love/People Get Ready

Together As One
Redemption Song
Is This Love

FUTURE GIGS