Sublime

Californian rock outfit Sublime split opinion when it comes to their music due to the controversial manner of their lyrical content. Originally breaking up in the late 90s after lead singer Bradley Nowell died of a heroin overdose, the group now tour under the pseudonym Sublime with Rome after enlisting the help of vocalist and guitarist Rome Ramirez.

This group went on to have Billboard success with their original album 'Yours Truly' yet tonight's setlist is mainly focused on Sublime's original three albums. The crowd is enthusiastic and energetic and this is matched well by Rome's frontman style as he whips them into more of a frenzy for favourites including 'Santeria' and 'Doing Time'. The tongue in cheek lyrical stylings of 'Date Rape' are still rather cringe worthy even two decades later yet the majority of the crowds seems to enjoy singing and dancing along. It is fair to say Sublime were never known for lyrical intelligence however if this is your sort of thing, you won't be disappointed as the instrumentals are on point and all the 'classics' are played.

On the one hand, my gut reaction the concept of mixing rock and pop sounds with reggae and ska influences is a negative one; partly because they just sound as if they flat out shouldn’t go together, and partly because I’ve long considered Madness to be the worst band in recorded history. On the other hand, though, I loved No Doubt, who were proof that those types of styles were very much compatible with one another, and it seems as if Bedouin Soundclash have sought to follow in their footsteps. The Toronto outfit have carved out their own style of reggae-tinged rock over the course of a thirteen-year career to date, and have seen their second album Sounding a Mosaic go platinum in their home country; in the UK, meanwhile, their track ‘When the Night Feels My Song’ went to number twenty-four on the singles charts. They’re frequent live performers, too, having played at Reading and Leeds back in 2011; they delivered career-spanning sets on the Lock-Up stage, with the highlight being a ska-tinged cover version of Ben E. King’s classic ‘Stand by Me’ that they would ultimately mash up with ‘When the Night Feels My Song’. Another UK visit is now well overdue; their fans will be crossing their fingers for a return as soon as new material is ready to go.