Arrested Development

Having only found out about this gig today, I was chuffed to make it into this one off intimate gig at the North East's best venue. The Grammy award winning American hip hop group only played at the much larger Stylus venue in February, but have come back to play this gig in Leeds. They are in the UK to play festivals, namely Wireless this past weekend, but they must love this place, and judging by tonight, this place loves them.

There's no support act, just great tunes pumping though the speakers until the band take to the stage at 9.15pm. Its axe players JJ Boogie and Za are onstage first, followed by drummer Smok and rapper and master of the sampler 1Love. Singers and dancers Tasha LaRae and Fareedah are the last on with singer Speech finishing the line up. The stage is again colourful with oranges and pinks draped from the microphone stands, and bright lighting. The lighting in here can sometimes be too dull, but this band are anything but dull. In fact from their first song the crowd are dancing and they do not stop. Every call back is answered; every sing a long raises the roof. This truly is a special gig to be at, where everyone is having a great time.

From the start of lively 'Give A Man A Fish', through the newer harsher 'Blood', the rap of 'I Know I'm Bad', the vocal harmonising in 'Natural' to the slower paced 'Ease My Mind' it's non stop dancing and joy from this group, who formed back in 1991 and have been at it for 23 years. They come across as a modest group, truly humbled to have this reception in Leeds, saying that we were a much better crowd than they had at Wireless festival yesterday, and actually seeming to mean it, not just saying it going through the motions like a lot of artists do.

The dancing by Fareedah is mesmerising, that girl has one toned body! Tasha's voice is something else; 1Love raps are amazing and get better the faster they go! Za and Smok make the rhythm you dance to throughout, JJ Boogie comes to the front to display his great guitar skills a few times, and frontman Speech is on top form for over 90 minutes. There are samples of Kriss Kross' 'Jump' and snippets of Bob Marley's 'Everything's Gonna Be Alright'. Normally I would say that a gig comes alive when it's time for a band's hits, but when 'Mr Wendal', 'Tennessee' and 'People Everyday' are played the crowd are dancing just as much as before, if only a few more people now know the words.

The band are writing new songs and have not yet come up with a title for the album, but say that it will be out in September. They tell us their website name is ADband, as the TV show stole theirs! Keep an ear out in the Autumn, and watch out for another live visit, as if you catch these musical luminaries, and I highly recommend it, you will find yourself dancing throughout.

Give A Man A Fish
Revolution
Dawn Of The Dreads
Fishin' 4 Religion
Bloody
Ease My Mind
I Know I'm Bad
Tennessee
Miracles
Mr Wendal
Natural

People Everyday
Raining Revolution