Review | The Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea: 'A great evening with a great band'
Having just listened to yet more disturbing news reports from Ukraine and with lingering concerns about Covid, I wasn’t sure an evening at the Wedgewood Rooms watching the Dub Pistols was such a good idea.
However, the band’s frontman Barry Ashworth must have had similar thoughts as their opening song, Alive, included the echoing lyrics: ‘You are alive, and you will survive,’ which helped put things into context.
In fact, the entire evening had a particular resonance for Barry and the band, as they went on to explain that the Wedge was the last gig the Pistols played before lockdown in 2020, ‘and tonight folks, we are going to have one BIG party’ added Barry.
The band didn’t disappoint, delivering its energetic concoction of reggae, ska, dub and even a touch of punk thrown in for good measure.
Although Barry and Jason O’Bryan formed the band in 1996 in Leeds, the Pistols have a strong connection with Portsmouth, having played around the city on numerous occasions, they are also very involved with the local mental health charity, Tonic Music for Mental Health.
In fact, band members had spent that afternoon officially opening Tonic’s new headquarters at The Frank Sorrell Centre in Prince Albert Road.
According to a Tonic spokesman: ‘Barry and the band have raised a great deal of money and awareness, they are very much part of the Tonic family’.
Barry, not known to do anything by halves, has even taken part in several ‘wing walks’ – standing on the wing of a flying plane, in order, to raise money for the charity.
Despite so much negative news, it was a great evening with a great band who also provide a lot of positivity in the city.
A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron
Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.