It's taken nearly 25 years, but Britain's premier dub poet Linton Kwesi Johnson finally made it to the Midwest. Johnson -- who with his first recordings released in the U.K. in 1977, virtually invented the dub poetry genre, which features strong-voiced wordsmiths chatting their rhythmic verse atop a bed of powerful reggae music -- performed Thursday night at Madison's Luther's Blues club, to a crowd that included a number of Milwaukee musicians who are die-hard fans, including Paul Cebar, Eric Blowtorch and others.
In tow was Johnson's long-time support combo, Dennis Bovell's Dub Band, which features landmark British producer, engineer and musician Bovell (aka Blackbeard) on bass, leading a crack band that also includes long-time LKJ cohorts like guitarist John Kpiaye and keyboardist Nick Straker. Also on hand were violinist Johnny T and keyboard player Fabio Marchioni. A guest drummer joined the band for the tour, LKJ's longest ever in the U.S. and the first to venture inland from the coasts.
The large crowd (although the show didn't appear to be sold out) was treated to a two-hour-plus performance that included material from all of LKJ's six studio LPs. The Jamaican-born Johnson, who moved with his mother to England at age 11, has consistently been one of England's most outspoken and talented musicians, matching his take-no-prisoners verse, which addresses specific acts of racism, violence and other injustice, with Bovell's hard-hitting and inventive rhythms.
In a performance that was for the most part chronological, Johnson opened with ."All Wi Doin' Is Defendin'" and "Five Nights of Bleeding" from his debut LP, "Dread Beat An' Blood." A slew of fan favorites followed: "Want Fi Goh Rave," "It Noh Funny," the exceptionally powerful story poem "Sonny's Lettah," "Fite Dem Back," "Reggae Fi Peach," about slain activist Blair Peach, "Reggae fi Rodney," about the murdered historian and political leader Walter Rodney, "Making History," "Forces of Victory." As the set progressed, Johnson --who read one or two poems without musical accompaniment, much to the delight of the crowd -- mined more recent discs.
From 1991's "Tings An' Times" the dapper Johnson, in trademark hat, recited "Mi Revalueshanary Fren" and from 1999's "More Time" he played "Hurricane Blues," "License Fi Kill," with its plaintive violin, "Reggae Fi Bernard" and the title track.
Taking time to explain the significance and inspiration for most poems, Johnson educated and entertained, all the while looking deadly while delivering his verse and dancing as if in a trance during musical interludes.
Bovell's Dub Band performed a short warm-up set that included material from his career, including "After Tonight," the biggest hit scored by his former band Matumbi, and the single "Oh Mama, Oh Papa." Bovell has been present as a performer, engineer or producer for most landmarks of British reggae and has also performed with and produced records for The Slits, Bananarama, Wet Wet Wet, Marvin Gaye, Boomtown Rats, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Edwyn Collins, Orange Juice and countless others.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
