The summer of 1980. A time when Bob Marley and John Lennon were still on earth for a bit while longer, the last summer they’d both see, a time before Reagan was elected, a time when Thatcher should have aerated England in order to avoid the kind of thatching that stifles growth. All science fiction is basically ‘Forward To The Past’ because as soon as the future it envisions arrives it turns out it’s not one that’s been viewed from before. Listen to the amazingly hopefully prescient song by Basement Five, heard here on a scarce 7″ single, entitled “Silicon Chip” which speculates the coming robot revolution & video gaming will give us more leisure time echoing ahead Linton Kwesi Johnson’s classic plea from years later “More Time”. Alas we end up with Harshness 2.0 instead. Lost jobs just mean more misery, even idleness is on the dole. Sons of Jah sing about “Fooling The Children”, Bob replies “Babylon System” is the vampire, Gregory sports a “Hand Cuff” in solidarity. I talk about Bob Marley’s new album already out in Jamaica. Earl Zero does a spot for Matumbi. Mikey Dread beefs up The Clash versions of “Bank Robber / Rockers Galore / UK Tour” and best of all, right in the opening set after Desmond Dekker remakes “Israelites” & The Beat blasts “Rankin’ Full Stop”, the San Francisco Bay Area’s Fabulous Titans are captured in all their swinging glory, live at Berkeley Square just a few days before, on June 17th 1980, uncorking “Don’t Look Back” with a verve & vengeance that puts Motown & Peter Tosh on notice. “Hey, we’re dubbin’ here!”
Here’s a scarce poster of a show from 1984, also in Berkeley, California, birthplace of the ‘free speech movement’:
Dreadcasting & streaming liquid audio gems with daily 21st Century Midnight Dread programs at 12am including deja views often heard in Wendt’s Best of All Worlds slot when noon is high. Become conscious with the indigenous sounds of Native Son Rising curated by Doug everyday at 6am (all Pacific Times). Explore more Midnight Dreadness here.
