We’re halfway through the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and Team Jamaica is out in force. It’s not often the term “legend” is used properly but in the case of the former Wailer it’s thoroughly deserved – though many may be present for that couple of degrees of separation, taking them within touching, and selfie, distance, of reggae royalty and thus, Bob Marley.
However, to view Neville Livingston as solely a sidekick to the greatest reggae star of all does him a considerable disservice. Indeed, the sideman was responsible for an album arguably better than anything produced during his time alongside Marley, in 1976’s Blackheart Man. For me, he made some of his best work when back home in Kingston and releasing material like ‘Conqueror’ and ‘Boderation’ on his own indie Solmonic label in the late 80s (purchased at Glasgow’s Ital Riddims, a shop now long since buried under the Buchannan Street Vigrin Megastore),
So, an air of anticipation in the ‘big’ room at the ABC – would the 67-year-old singer deliver? Initial signs are promising, a 10-piece band file onstage, as the twin backing vocalists warm up themselves and the crowd. And then it comes – a mighty “Jahhhhhhhhhh” from somewhere behind the stage. Resplendent in white and a massive, Dr Who-style rasta-coloured scarf, Bunny Wailer returnseases his way onto a Glasgow stage for the fist time since the 1970s.
Showing some moves for a man of his years and still possessing a smooth yet powerful voice, he immediately wins over a crowd who have, to be fair, come to worship.
The set order is a little curious in places – the classic Blackheart Man is dispensed with early, in a three-song mega-hit segue – the title track plus ‘Amagideon’ and ‘Rastaman’ are followed swiftly by ‘Dream Land’ – which on record is 2’47”, so we’re I suppose we’re not really being shortchanged.
With well over 20 studio albums there’s a lot to get through – we get ‘Cool Runnings’, ‘Liberation’ as Wailer rolls back the years.
There’s a couple of expertly executed rewind/breakdowns, and following their recent spat, on ‘Rootsman Skanking’ (I think) a toast / rap that would put Snoop Dog / Lion / Donkey /whatever he’s calling himself this week to shame.
There’s also what must be the contractual obligation section – a small segment of Marley songs, ‘No Woman No Cry’, ‘Trenchtown Rock’, as well as the self-penned ‘Pass It On’ and ‘Keep On Moving’ (if memory serves), plus, for some kind of balance, Peter Tosh’s ‘Legalise It’.
Close on two hours later, he finally winds up after asking the call-and-response “Do you love reggae music?” OK, we didn’t get those Solomonic singles, but still, the answer must be a resounding ‘yes’.