Fat Freddy's Drop

Beginning with Ernie, the familiar piano line and the booming trombone the crowd went silent waiting for the drums, the horn section and the big men on stage surrounded by so many kiwis. Impossible to skank in such a tightly packed venue instead bounching up and down the afros and dreadlocks to and fro and so many smiles. Temporarily South Pacific the low black ceiling lit from the stage like a bonfire party, instant friends as the drums hit and the screams and shouts filled the room hands in the air.

The sounds of DJ's Jesse I and Ras - RnB, Dub and Hip Hop, distinctive of the islands off our coast, perhaps a bit self-indulgent the real crowd pleasers coming later and the feet moving with the entrance of Rootbound and their real spaced dub. Seeming like an echo of a song and breaking through with bass so deep its like a pounding of breaking surf, the haunting beautiful voice cutting through and then again. The jostling beginning the anticipation and finding a very strong NZ accent hilarious next to me, shared spliffs and shouting conversation. Silence and then cheers as Fat Freddy's play out a long set with some amazing variations of songs from Based On A True Story, Roady being a particularly glorious event. A must see, their appeal goes far beyond fans of Dub, their music, like New Zealand is familiar yet wonderfully unique.

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