Dub

UB40’s Ali Campbell: Reggae Rebel with a Cause

Roberto Angotti1 Comment
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Original UB40 lead vocalist Ali Campbell is taking reggae and dub music to new heights.
Ali Campbell has been avid supporter of human rights worldwide.
Ali Campbell has been a big supporter of human rights in South Africa and worldwide.

In an effort to promote reggae music while exemplifying unity among various races and cultures in England, UB40 became a politically-charged entity when the group began in 1979. Original UB40 lead vocalist Ali Campbell said, “We had something tangible to speak out against then. Now England is worse than it’s ever been. Politically, reggae has always spoken against the establishment. It’s synonymous with protest. We supported South Africa’s struggle against apartheid, and you can see the effect the entire movement had when the whole world stopped when Mandella passed away. It was felt around the world and that legacy is something South Africans can be proud of.” Approaching his 57th birthday in February and having sold more that 70 million records worldwide, Campbell has the same sense of urgency that the late and great Bob Marley had in spreading “Rebel Music” and “Positive Vibration”. Campbell explained: “We started out on the streets of Birmingham as kids wanting to make reggae music. I set UB40 up years ago when I started the band to travel the world promoting reggae and dub music. That was my mission back then and it still is today. We have been flying the flag for reggae basically.”head_bg

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Ali Campbell is happier than ever to be reunited with UB40 bandmates Astro and Mickey Virtue.

After 30 years of fronting UB40, Ali resigned from the band due to “intolerable management difficulties”. Original UB40 keyboardist Mickey Virtue followed Ali’s lead shortly thereafter in 2008. Having become disillusioned with the band’s creative direction since Ali’s departure, UB40’s dreadlocked MC and toaster Astro left the band in 2013 to reunite with Ali and Mickey. The trio have since reclaimed the name UB40 as their own to preserve the integrity of the band’s original signature sound and vision. Reggae Rebel Ali Campbell elaborated: “We feel that we can try and save the legacy of UB40 by touring and playing internationally. I still make reggae for the fans who love and supported us over the years. I still love my original influences like Peter Tosh and Stevie Wonder. I love dub since the music sometimes says more that lyrics can. It’s a great unifier. I still hold myself as being responsible for the continuation of reggae, and that’s what I will do for as long as I live.”

UB40 at OC Fair
Catch UB40 live at the OC Fair in Costa Mesa on July 31.

Having recently performed a series of sold-out concerts in Hawaii and celebrated his 57th birthday, reggae ambassador Ali Campbell returns to Southern California with UB40 original members Astro and Mickey Virtue for an exclusive appearance at the OC Fair Summer Concert Series at the Pacific Amphitheatre on July 31st. All reserved seats include free admission to the OC Fair. Purchase your tickets today by clicking HERE. Based on last year’s sold-out shows in Cerritos and San Diego, it is highly advisable to act fast to avoid disappointment.

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MLBblogger Roberto Angotti shares quilt made from his UB40 t-shirts with Astro, Mickey and Ali.

From Costa Rica to Costa Mesa, Perro Bravo rocks!

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Perro Bravo lead vocalist/guitarist Michael “Miguel “Happoldt, drummer Greg “Mudd” Lowther and bassist Mike Long
Guitarist Michael “Miguel “Happoldt, drummer Greg “Mudd” Lowther and bassist Mike Long
Cover art for Perro Bravo's 3 on the tree CD by Opie Ortiz
Cover art for Perro Bravo’s 3 on the Tree CD was produced by Sublime graphic designer Opie Ortiz, who serves as Long Beach Dub Allstars frontman.

Long Beach Records is pleased to announce the release of Perro Bravo’s new 3 on the Tree CD, which is now conveniently packaged with the band’s 2013 Smoking Scorpion Tales CD in order to double your listening pleasure. Perro Bravo is the manifestation of reggae rock/dub innovator Michael “Miguel” Happoldt of Skunk Records, who most music lovers remember as the producer who brought Sublime, Slightly Stoopid and Long Beach Dub Allstars into the limelight. Coupled with seasoned and accomplished musicians Greg “Mudd” Lowther on drums and Mike Long on bass, this power trio has fast become fan favorites in some of the best surfing towns in Costa Rica and California. Find out what the buzz is about and purchase their double CD by clicking HERE.

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Perro Bravo’s Smoking Scorpion Tales CD cover art was illustrated by renowned LBC tattoo artist Opie Ortiz.

Perro Bravo will be among the 27 bands performing at the One Love Cali Reggae Fest on February 13, 2016 at the Observatory in Santa Ana. Some of the other headliners at the all-ages festival include Pato Banton, KRS-One, Rebelution, Iration, Pepper, Tribal Seeds and Fortunate Youth. Purchase your tickets by clicking HERE. Perro Bravo recently performed at a benefit concert for former LBDA family members Ikey and Aaron Owens at LA’s El Rey Theatre, where they also backed LBDA. Perro Bravo turns up the heat when backing other artists and welcomes surprise guests onstage on any given night. Since anything can happen live, one must catch the band while on tour or miss a potential once-in-a-lifetime moment.

A favourite of Pro Surfer Kelly Slater, The Beautiful Girls from Australia tour Canada and fast become more popular than BC starlet Pamela Anderson

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Although these are gorgeous girls from Australia, Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls are playing five live concerts in British Columbia, Canada.
The Beautiful Girls are an Aussie band led by Mat McHugh (center), an internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter who also tours solo while not surfing the break
at Sydney's world-class beaches.
Move over former lovers Tommy Lee and Kid Rock because Mat McHugh and The Beautiful Girls have arrived at Pamela Anderson’s old stomping grounds. Whether it be at one of Kelly Slater’s secret surfing spots on the rugged West Coast of Vancouver Island in Tofino or at the site of Shawn White’s 2010 Winter Olympic brilliance in Whistler, The Beautiful Girls are playing there. Weaned on punk rock, reggae and hip hop while growing up and surfing in Sydney’s Northern Beach community of Dee Why, frontman Mat McHugh has filled his cup with a cornucopia of influences after spending extended periods of time away from his peaceful Aussie abode in such diverse places as New York, India and Nepal. A lover of dub and dancehall with an ear for wicked riddims, McHugh has his pulse on the international global beat. The Beautiful Girls’ 2010 “Spooks” release showcased the group’s signature sound of folk, reggae, rock, and roots. Mat said, “Our albums tend to sell over time. they never seem to come out with a bang. We rely on word of mouth and like the feeling of people discovering our music for themselves, which I guess is the opposite of how the media-driven music industry would tend to operate. We are just an independent band that
The Beautiful Girls are bassist
Pauly B, guitarist Mat McHugh
and drummer Bruce Braybrooke.
has to find a foothold with every release. By choice we don’t have a major label budget or marketing plan to help us be established. The only way we can even compete in the circus that is the music industry is by having something to say and saying it as honestly as we can. It’s a constant battle, but I wouldn’t have it any other way because, for the most part, the music industry and it’s style of hyping every ‘next best thing’ makes me sick.” The long drought for a new release from The Beautiful Girls is by design. Mat McHugh has been busy touring nonstop as a solo act after releasing an EP and two full-length efforts, including the new CD entitled “Love Come Save Me”–which is available as a FREE DOWNLOAD at www.lovecomesaveme.com.
McHugh said, “My only goal is to spread love and give something back to the Universe. I would love for anyone that the music reaches to share it and send it out into the World. The power of ‘word of mouth’ is almighty.” In the spirit of giving, all net profit of CDs sold will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation.

The Beautiful Girls enjoy some positive beach vibes.
Currently on tour solo supporting Sublime with Rome in Australia, Mat McHugh is an Aussie one man punky reggae party. “I love the really early dancehall and rocksteady stuff. It’s as crusty and weird as early punk to me. King Tubby, Johnny Osbourne–that’s the more influential side of reggae to me–the originators, who led to the punky stuff like The Specials, The Clash, The Beat,” McHugh said.
World Surfing icon Kelly Slater (center) sang and jammed on traditional Hawaiian ukulele with
The Beautiful Girls at the 2007 Pro Music Festival at Duranbah Beach on Australia's Gold Coast.
Kelly Slater and Eddie Vedder surfing together.
Mat McHugh, Kelly Slater and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam are passionate about surfing and music. So it would come as no surprise to see the three of them onstage singing about the sport they love and the special connection they all share with the ocean. Slater and Vedder have been friends for 15 years. Vedder also was very close to the late legendary punk rocker Johnny Ramone. Pearl Jam paid tribute to the Ramones by covering the classic “I Believe in Miracles”, which is one of Slater’s favorite jams.
Born on Vancouver Island and "discovered" after being shown on the BC Lions big screen,
Comox Valley native Pamela Anderson welcomes The Beautiful Girls to her childhood digs.
The Beautiful Girls are happy to be returning to their huge loyal fan base in B.C., Canada.
Dressed in a Labatt beer T-shirt, Pamela Anderson was “discovered” at a football game when her image was transmitted on the British Columbia Lions stadium’s big screen. Fans fell in love with the 22-year-old blonde bombshell, who was signed immediately to become Labatt’s Blue Zone Girl. The Beautiful Girls have had a tough act to follow in swaying the Blue Zone vote their way, but they are well-known for giving their ever growing BC audience intimate sold-out shows like no others. The Beautiful Girls Canadian show schedule is as follows: April 18th from 2:30-5:30 pm with Ash Grunwald opening @ Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival-Skiers Plaza and later that night at Kokanee FreeRide @ Moe Joe’s Nightclub;
April 19th @ Club 9one9 in Victoria; April 20th @ The Legion Hall in Tofino; and April 21st 7 pm with Ash Grunwald opening @ The Venue in Vancouver. The prolific and bona fide McHugh said, “I want to take this opportunity to deeply thank everybody that has supported me and my music, whether solo or with The Beautiful Girls, throughout the years. You’ll never know how much it means. Please accept this music how it was intended, with love…”
Net profit of Mat McHugh's "Love Come Save Me" CD will be donated to the Surfrider Foundation.