Having waited over 25 years since first hearing the honey soaked tones of Scritti Politti's Green Gartside... I found myself standing in the warmth of an August evening in the ground of the Tate Britain, clutching a modest glass of Chablis and hoping and praying that a) I hadn't missed them, b) they'd turn up and C) the previous poor review I had read was not a true reflection of what was to come. To my absolute delight; I hadn't, they did and it wasn't.
Double G & The Traitorous 3 + 2, not so much hit the stage but found themselves there having been ushered on by some sweet reggae grooves. A brief hiatus ensued whilst Green tried to get his foot peddles working and then Boom! Into a set mainly plucked gently from White Bread, Black Beer. In particular E Eleventh Nuts and After Six sounded even better live. The band fell into a solid natural groove and the evening just sped by as shooting stars flew overhead.
The Boom Boom Bap, a corking couple of Hip Hop covers then The Sweetest Girl as a lovely little skank (with the sweetest girl on bass - I believe the word is YOWSAH!). A beautiful red flag drenched Robin Hood, all the way through to finishing off with Woodbeez (Pray like Aretha Franklin). And above it all that voice, maturing over the last 25 Years - A sweet tender thing of real beauty. As the final ker-ching of Woodbeez echoed out across the Thames, the crowd gently slipped away into the swirl of a beautiful evening and the last sip of Chablis washed down a truly fantastic night. Another 25 years, I think not. I think not indeed.
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