Live Review: UB40 – Red Red Wine Tour in Perth 2024
20th of October 2024 at the Red Hill Auditorium in Perth Western Australia
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
The heavens reopened as fans were drenched in a downpour, with no shelter in sight apart from a tiny corner booth sitting high on the muddy hills. The wind was swirling, blowing rain in all directions, injecting chills into the spines of the revellers. A sea of ponchos sat on the canopy of heads, but that didn’t help. Opening act Eagle-Eye Cherry finally confessed, “I would like to apologise for the weather…it seems wherever we tour, we bring the rain.” Save Tonight, dude.
But the spirits remained high – not the kind that would cast Bob Marley into a dreamy state. Welcome to the Red Hill Auditorium – located about 45 minutes from Perth CBD on the meandering slippery road.
Thankfully UB40 didn’t bring the rain from Birmingham, for now. It paused by the time the 11-piece band (that’s right, 11-piece) graced the stage with Here I am. It seems they have expanded the bench from their last visit in February 2023. The “new lead vocalist” Matt Doyle arrived in his sunnies, which remained on his face throughout. The song touches on the longing for someone who makes everything right – “Here I am babe, come and take me”. Yet, the mood on stage was glorious thanks to the brass section that overwrote the desperation through the fun-filled sonic elements. Smiles were eliciting from faces, especially on the part time vocalists Gilly G and back up vocalist Matt Campbell – son of Robin, as they swayed to the rhythm.
But that’s UB40 – specialising in rendering sadness, desperation, nostalgia and poignancy into a sonic glitter of mellifluous soundscape. No wonder they’ve sold over a 100 million albums.
The proof of success was reflected across the venue that holds 5,000 – with bodies weaving to the groove from Homely Girl, Please Don’t Make Me Cry, Many Rivers to Cross and Cherry Oh Baby. Their latest album, appropriately named UB45 were re-introduced to the fans. It’s an album with 7 new songs where Home, Fool Me Once, and Gimme Some Kinda Sign were performed tonight – plus songs “that fans have been requesting” BUT at the expense of some of the biggest hits in the 45 years of UB40’s discography – I Got You Babe and The Way You Do The Things You Do. After all the Red Red Wine Tour celebrates 45 years of UB40.
Staying in one corner of the stage were the original members since their inception in 1978 – Robin Campbell on guitar, Earl Falconer on bass, and Jimmy Brown on drums, while the younger players injecting the physical energy and zest to the stage. Norman Hassan on percussion stood on the opposite corner.
The “new guys” played the fun role. There were face off amongst the brass section – a three-way battle between Martin Meredith and Ian Thompson on saxophone and Laurence Parry on trumpet in One in Ten. MC Gilly G revved the crowd with his swagger beat and super smooth tease in the familiar sound of Gimme Some Kinda Sign from the UB45 album.
Midway through the set, the heavens reopened as the night got colder and windier. The ponchos were out again. But that didn’t dampen the spirits as the summery vibe lingered throughout. The biggest roar came towards the end in Red Red Wine. The entire auditorium was painted…as you guessed it – in red. The smooth, relaxed, and groovy personification of Neil Diamond’s song was well captured by Doyle and the band. The song dwells on using red wine to water one’s trouble – which was brilliantly executed through the sonic landscape of one of the coolest bands in the world.
Perth was transformed into black, yellow and green mode in the next song, as the auditorium was lit with phone lights, substituting the “moonlight” and “stars shine” that were hidden behind the rainy clouds. The dreamy concoction in Kingston Town evoked a sense of place and emotion, despite of the summery appeal evaporated by the cold front.
Finally, love swept into the hearts thanks to the ultimate wedding song – (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love with You. The rendition of the Elvis song is a massive hit, peaking at number 1 on the US Billboard 100. The smooth reggae rhythm of the original version was upheld by Doyle through a romantic, relaxed vibe. Hands were in the air and a multitude of bodies becoming one as friends and lovers embracing each other.
Krystal Galloway, a Journalist on Sheldon Ang Media who was gridlocked at the pit barrier, succinctly summarised the performance – “Last night’s performance by UB40 was absolutely unforgettable. They’ve been a bucket list artist for me for years, and seeing them live, even in the pouring rain, was everything I hoped for and more. Their energy and sound were incredible, and the rain only added to the magic of the night.”
Yet, there is still the elephant in the room; about the new guy – how does he compare to old guy who left the band? The sunglasses on Doyle are a new thing considering this wasn’t worn in the last tour. It resonated the vibe oozed by the original singer, although we doubt that was the idea. Vocally they do sound similar – both with the nasally voice, although Doyle’s is less distinctive. This writer/photographer had an exclusive coverage of their last tour – sensing prior to that show there was a layer of cloud coverage in accepting Matthew Doyle as the lead vocalist, given the je ne sais quoi qualities of Ali. But given the venue – that holds twice the capacity of the previous Perth venue – was at 80-90% capacity (plus plenty of no shows), it’s fair to assume the old school fans have embraced Matthew Doyle as an integral member to the future success of UB40. The fans have spoken. Let’s move on.
Afterall, this is the official UB40.
Footnote: Drummer Jimmy Brown (and our mutual friend Skip Hollis) – if you’re reading this, thank you for inviting me again to the backstage afterparty with your legendary band. Alas, I couldn’t make it. Next time man.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Menard PR, TEG MJR and UB40 for the media accreditation.
About the Writer/Photographer: Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) have been accredited to more than 120 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), Knoftest (Melbourne), KISS, Iron Maiden, RHCP, P!NK and Robbie Williams with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, UB40, Delta Goodrem, The Wiggles and Toni Childs on social media. He has interviewed rockers Ian Moss, Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 60 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
