Concert Review

Asward
Soft Machine
Shakin' Stevens
ALEXANDRA PALACE

"AND HOW DO I know you are who you say?"
"Er, you might perhaps take my word for it."
"Can't you prove it?  For all I know, you might just be an individual."
We are just individuals!

This conversation was taking place on the steps of Alexandra Palace, at the instance of the People's Jubilee bash, organised by the Communist Pa-a-arty.  A CP jobsworth was denying my journalistic claim and insisting I purchase a ticket - all proceeds going towards his questionable cause.

"Haven't you got some form of identity?" he bleated.  "You must have a Press card."
"I don't carry ID, mate, you no see't," I returned.  "This ain't Russia, much as your delusions otherwise persist."

Later I encountered an Asward idren, who proved my existence, I was inside.  Not a minute too early, as things turned out.

Inside, well . . . Ally Pally has been transformed into a celebration of North West London liberalism. There were burly Indian women distributing tracks devoted to Grunwick; mucho devaluations of Brenda and Keith; "Fight Fascism", "Stuff The Jubilee" and "Save The Wales" buttons; tedious literature outlining the tenets of Marx, Lenin and Arthur Scargill.  There were representatives from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, reps from Tapper Zukie's Angolan MPLA movement, reps from Chile, Argentina, the CIA and the Palestine Liberation Organisation.

Onstage, Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets were loving up a storm.
They performed "I'm Ready", "Lights Out", "Blue Suede Shoes", "Honey Hush", "Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller" and B. Bumble's "Nut Rocker".  They were all drive - some nice rock music, but little in the originality stakes.
They said a hey yea yeah yeah.

Judging from the response, Soft Machine are an extremely popular group.  They bore little relation to the outfit I remember sighting at UFO some ten years ago, and, instead, seemed content to create a series of melodic tone poems.  The guitarist and drummer were particularly spirited; but the spartan clinicism of the group was enough to send me cruising the Solidarity With Caribbean Socialism stalls again for more laffs.

When Aswad took the stage, the West Indian contingent in the audience leapt to the front in their inevitable attempts to prove that they can appreciate music so much more than anyone else in the world.

"And now - from the ghettos of Ladbrokes Grove," came the patronising voice of the smug MC.

Unfortunately, Aswad failed to live up to their expectations.  In drummer Angus Gaye they have a talent who, ten years hence, is going to make men like Sly Dunbar and Carlton Barret look stupid; but at present he is hampered by an indifferent group, still unsure of their direction since being dropped recently by Island..

Opening with "Jah Love" - a successful execution - the group moved into "I Can't Stand The Pressure", "77 Rock Steady", "Jah Will Be There I-ternally" and "Jah Give Us Life", before I wandered dispirited into the streets of Stroud Green, looking for some Tottenham action.

Penny Reel
NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS

www.forevershakin.co.uk