REVIEW: DREADZONE AT FALMOUTH PRINCESS PAVILION
On first glance, Dreadzone look like a band that wouldn’t be out of place at a wedding reception, releasing a World Cup football anthem, or on the sleeve of a cassette tape that’s been dug out from a collection of dust covered records that used to be played at your school disco. However, as they begin to play, and as front man Greg Dread works his magic with the crowd, you begin to understand why seventeen years on they’re still filling up music venues all over the UK.
An eclectic crowd gathered in Falmouth’s Princess Pavilion to first bare witness to the gospel of DJ Engine-Earz. Easing the crowd in with some tasty reggae nuggets, the atmosphere heightened with the addition of vocalist Lena Cullen and some fire starting Drum and Bass tracks.
Although Engine-Earz did his best to whip the crowd into a dancing frenzy, it was Cullen’s vocals that really upped the ante. With a voice as controlled as Kate Bush, with delicate hints of Roisin Murphy, yet as loud and proud as powerhouse singers like Jennifer Hudson, the applause was all hers.
As Dreadzone casually sauntered on stage, the heaving venue clearly had high hopes. They kick off with a classic from their 1995 album Second Light, “Life, Love and unity”. It is the perfect example of how they throw together reggae, dance and electronica to produce the music Dreadzone are best known for.
While their lyrics are often highly message driven, they preach it in a friendly ‘take it or leave it’ manner. Greg Dread is no Bono. You could have a pint with him down the pub and have a laugh. He’s a typical South East Geezer, a little reminiscent of that cool uncle that everyone has.
Dreadzone continue to deliver as the night progresses mixing old stuff like “Digital Mastermind”, and really old stuff like “Little Britain”, with plenty of new tracks off their latest album “Eye on the Horizon”, which are lapped up like warm milk. “Tomorrow never comes” went down a treat, a chilled out anthem with a big enough bassline to keep the crowd moving. The piano driven “Changes”, a mellow, nostalgic song, full of heart, demonstrates just how versatile, and genuinely gifted, Dreadzone are as a band. And “Gangster”, rhythmic, catchy and a little bit tongue in cheek, well, it’s Dreadzone in a nutshell.
There is a passion in Dreadzone that no CD could ever portray, an energy that can only be found in the experience of their performance. They played every song like their last, except their last, which had more guts in it than an abattoir’s gutter. It was a polished performance, with astounding vocal acrobatics from front man Greg, and literal acrobatics as guitarist Chris Compton scaled an amp tower for an electrifying guitar solo. They may be a little bit nineties, but with their dub bass, sweet reggae harmonies and electronic beats, Dreadzone know exactly what they’re doing. No comeback necessary.
Words: Hannah Giles
