Master dub reggae coverists Easy Star All-Stars rework Michael Jackson’s classic Thriller live at Concorde2 for a hazy jam of backbeats and Billie Jean.
The reggae collective are famed for their covers of classic albums, having previously reworked seminal Radiohead, Pink Floyd and The Beatles albums with reggae signifiers budged into titles as forcibly as in many of the most pastiche moments of their music (see Dub Side of The Moon and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band highlights.) Having previously featured the likes of Toots & The Maytals and Frankie Paul, their Jamaican inflected covers span genius breaths of new life (Thom Yorke actually preferred their version of “Let Down” on Radiodread) and some hilariously mismatched reggaefication, but at every stage are the covers rife with unmatched musicianship and a fully utilised dub reggae wisdom that touches knowingly upon every tradition of the genre imaginable.
Live, their reggae stripes really show, the deep basslines a reminder of the sheer brilliance of successfully affixing a groove to resolutely white, academic prog and thereabouts. It remains to be seen how this will apply to the distinctly funky masterpieces of Quincy Jones and The King of Pop – how deep can a groove go?
£16 adv + BF, 19:00-22:00
For more information visit www.concorde2.co.uk
