African Head Charge playing a gig in a town set in the Cotswolds Hills seems the stuff of fantasy. Yet, it wasn't a fever dream and I was one of a few (hundred) lucky people that got to experience Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah and his merry band live and direct at The Subscription Rooms in Stroud on Saturday 12th October.
The Sub Rooms, as it's more commonly known, has fast become a favourite venue, not just for it's proximity or free parking nearby, but it's a lovely building with a external grandeur that surprises with the almost village hall layout of the performance space.
Most of all though, there's been a positive, embracing vibe at every gig I've seen there and, if anything, even more so when the headliners came on.
I'll mention the support first, though relatively briefly as I'm going to post more about them next week. I'd never heard of the Ink Project collective formed by Jez Lloyd before now, but my curiosity was well and truly piqued by an energetic set, that got the early arrivals shuffling approvingly.
Jez was joined on stage by Coreysan aka Bristol-based singer songwriter Corey Atheleny Wallace, crammed into a space about three square metres left of African Head Charge's set up. Boy, did they make the most of it!
Jez was switching between instruments, Corey was dropping to the floor and springing back up and throwing all kinds of shapes. Feeding The Fire, a collaborative single from 2011, was a highlight, although it was an exhilarating ride from start to finish.
Ending with a David Bowie cover may not seem unusual as of itself. However, the choice of song was. I'm Deranged was written with Brian Eno for 1995's album 1. Outside and has rarely been covered. Suffice to say, it was a delight, not least to hear Corey's vocals soar. An epic ending to an uplifting performance.
After a break of roughly the same length as Ink Project's 30-minute set, it was time for the main event. The band came on, one by one and took their positions and...hang on a minute, was that Gaudi bringing up the rear?! It sure was! A surprise and a delight, to say the least.
The band eased into a groove for a few minutes and then Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah came onstage to rapturous applause. A sign of the times - and the passage of time - but this was the third gig this year where one of the lead musicians had required a walking stick to assist. Once positioned behind the twin drums that gave the man born Burnell Ralston Anderson his performing name however, and there was no holding back.
"Good evening..." started Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah, before a pause and a glance to his fellow musicians on his left. "STROUD!" the audience heartily finished for him. What did it matter if he'd forgotten which town he was playing in tonight? He was here! With African Head Charge! And Gaudi!
I've been a fan of African Head Charge for a very long time, I've enjoyed their experimental material as much as their more accessible music, 'accessible' by no means meaning 'conventional' or 'safe'. 2023 'comeback' album A Trip To Bolgatanga was a stunning return. So, I was going to be a happy chappy whatever was played.
Even so, it was something of a surprise that this was a vocal-heavy, uptempo selection, bursting with joy and - dare I say it? - as 'poppy' as African Head Charge were ever going to get. I was dancing (well, my approximation of it anyway - lots of energy, little coordination) from start to finish, pausing only to clap and cheer my appreciation.
"Yaaah maaan!" was the common call-and-response bridge between songs, Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah himself perhaps taken aback by the sheer energy and love emanating from the crowd (by then including Coreysan, getting in the groove a few metres from me).
Bonjo came on stage to Run Come See Me, originally released as a limited edition single in 1993 and eventually more widely released on 2005 album Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa.
Stebeni's Theme, one of the first songs I heard by AHC in the early 1980s and a lifetime favourite, was performed near the end in an uptempo version, fizzing with joyous energy.
There were tracks from A Trip To Bolgatanga, and deeper cuts too. At least, I think so. My head was bursting with thoughts and happy memories so that the song details were being lost even as I made the short walk back to the car.
Apart from a stern word from the guitar player, asking the front row not to leave their drinks on the stage after a number of tips and spills - hello guys, liquid and electrcity?! - the mood was up, up, up for nearly two hours. Then finally, sadly, it was time to say goodbye and goodnight.
I'm still pinching myself, as it's hard to believe that this actually happened. What a fantastic night.
Even without a record of the setlist from last Saturday, this post would be incomplete without a Dubhed selection. What I've created then is a 12-track playlist of rhythmically uplifting and vocal driven songs, spanning 1981 to 2023. Many of these will have been played on the night, some won't, either way I think it hints at the joy and energy of the show itself. Enjoy!
1) Run Come See Me (Single Version) (1993)
2) Drumming Is A Language (2005)
3) Asalatua (2022)
4) My God (1990)
5) One Love, One Heart (Version) (1993)
6) Hymn (Remix) (1994)
7) High Protein Snack (1982)
8) This And That And The Other (2011)
9) Heading To Glory (1993)
10) Dub For The Spirits (1990)
11) Stebeni's Theme (Cover of traditional song) (1981)
12) I'm A Winner (2023)
1981: My Life In A Hole In The Ground: 11
1982: Environmental Studies: 7
1990: Songs Of Praise: 4
1993: In Pursuit Of Shashamane Land (limited edition LP + 7"): 1, 9
1994: Touch I EP: 6
2005: Vision Of A Psychedelic Africa: 2
2011: Voodoo Of The Godsent: 8
2020: Churchical Chant Of The Iyabinghi: 5, 10
2022: Pay It All Back Vol. 8: 3
2023: A Trip To Bolgatanga: 3, 12
As a bonus, I've reactivated links to both sides of my previous AHC selection, Dub Bazaar.
All photos are mine, with the exception of the last one, which was lifted from Gaudi's Facebook page.
