Desmond Decker

The Leadmill

07/03/2005

With me from the Tarn going to Sheffield to see a bloke from Birmingham who must be drawing his pension by now, we some how ended up in Jamaica?. Well almost!!

Now this is not something I'd normally do but after the BOM team got in touch and said that I'd won last months competition I found myself looking forward to the expedition. The bloke in question is none other than the great Ska and Reggae legend, Desmond Decker, with his band The Aces (who Gaia supported in Oxford back in 1998). After much waiting and queuing for the bar, The Aces took to the stage to set the mood, belting out a nice steady reggae groove before the man himself hit the lights. Enter Desmond Decker looking like a cross between Elvis and Huggy Bear, wearing his rudeboy cowboy shirt (complete with tassels and wildstallions), and a beret with a go-faster Air Wings badge that flashed (wow).

First tune is "Cherry Oh Baby" by Eric Donaldson. The place was packed and the crowd were going mad whilst Desmond put a whole new turn on the phrase Skanking. Next track up was Bob Marley's "One Love", then straight into " Rudy A Message To You" by Dandy Livingstone. By then I was well in the swing of it and took my chances and rolled up a fat juicy spliff to one of his greatest hits ?007 (Shanty Town)?.

Now this was an awesome track, nice and chilling at first then out of nowhere it turned into pure hard Ska. Groovy and fast it sure had me Skanking. Desmond was a great all-round entertainer and I couldn?t help but warm to him. I only managed to catch a few more tunes before having to go, due to the marvel that is public transport, and wished that I could?ve stayed around for his classic tunes ?The Israelites? and ?You Can Get It If You Really Want It?. Local spray-painter artist Tony Falkner was also there that night doing what he does best ? a canvass of Desmond Decker. Although I had to leave early on I still had a top night. Thanks to the BOM for a truly ?Skanking? experience. Keep up the good work lads!!!