Toots & The Maytals

Back on stage after a three year hiatus following an onstage bottling incident, Toots Hibbert proved that his legendary status as a giant of Jamaican music remained intact with a crowd-pleasing greatest hits set. Opening with ‘Pressure Drop’ and ‘Broadway Jungle’ his husky lion’s roar of a voice was a force of nature as he involved the bouncing audience with call and response shouts. The backing singers sounded celestial at times, while the band added a James Brown flavour to the ska classics and the room erupted at the curfew-breaking finale of ‘Monkey Man’ and ’54-46 Was My Number’.

Concert Hall, Brighton Dome, 2 September 2016

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