Desmond Dekker / Irration Steppas

Ready for some Reggae? I was knackered but it’s so easy going you can just sway with minimal effort. I popped in and out of the room for Irration Steppas, as it was lacking atmosphere due to the absence of people. After their two hour set though the place had gained a few more bopping bodies.

The bass sound of the Irration Steppas is known to be phenomenal; it rattles your bones and insides. Tonight it was a little quite, which didn’t bother me, (or the crowd for that matter), just the DJ. He did spend a lot of time texting on his mobile and disappearing off into the back, but the sounds were enough to keep people interested. I was quite bored by the mixture of Reggae, ska and MC-ing, especially as it drew closer to 10pm. Desmond was to get a short set.

For a guy pushing 70, Desmond Dekker can flaunt his stuff. His talented band played an introduction, allowing the veteran Jamaican ska star to appear, clad in black leather jeans, medallion and the funkiest belt I have ever seen (though I wouldn’t wear one myself). Only so many people can pull off a bright blue scrolling LED belt that says DEKKER. Classic.


I have never seen a more diverse crowd at a single show before. Dreadheads, punks, chavs and people of all ages were dancing to the steady beats of Desmond and the gang. In fact everyone in the Met was dancing, even the people at the back. The king of ska could manage the packed out crowd easily, and rather than saying “sing with me” or “clap your hands” his instructions were sang in an amazing way, showing he definitely still has it.

His medley was great too, containing bits of ‘All I Have To Do Is Dream’, ‘Sugar Sugar’ and ‘Baby Come Back’.

Finally the last tune was the one I was waiting for (the only one I knew to be fair, apart from the fantastic ‘Day-O’). ‘Israelites’ was the perfect encore ending, with everyone clapping and singing along. I thought it would be a mediocre gig, but it turned out to be one of the best this year. Don’t stop flashing that chest, Des!

FUTURE GIGS

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