IT'S been 20 years since Steel Pulse formed in Birmingham's Handsworth Wood, and only three original members guitarist/vocalist David Hinds keyboardist/vocalist Selwyn Brown and drummer Steve Nisbett, still remain the current eight piece line up, however, is well up to the demands of the band's rocking, rootsy, dance reggae. The crowd is well up to it, too, and the venue flows to the rhythm as the band revives early hits like Handsworth Revolution, Soldiers and Drug Squad.
The band's penchant for theatrics is still in evidence the flags of peace are brought out for Rally Round, while the inevitable three foot long Camberwell Carrot is thrown into the audience during Drug Squad presumably, this giant "spliff" contained nothing of interest to that august law enforcement body.
There's plentiful supplies of music to keep the spirits high right into the early hours of Saturday morning, and individual performances by guitarist Clifford "Moonie" Pusey, trumpeter Kevin Batchelor, saxophonist Gerry Johnson and bassist Alvin Ewen provide some particular flavours. While songs like Steppin' Out are no nonsense Rasta round the flag classics, newer songs like Back To My Roots are weighed down by too many contemporary pop reference points.
