UB40 at Wolverhampton Civic Hall

UB40

Wolverhampton Civic Hall

Concert review by Craig Birch

Wolverhampton came alive for UB40 as the band stopped off for a night at the Civic Hall on their 30th anniversary tour.

Just 24 hours after a reunion for the group at the Symphony Hall in their home town of Birmingham, it was the Black Country's turn to welcome reggae royalty last night.

They may be minus Ali Campbell these days but his brother Duncan is cut from very much the same cloth.

UB40 insisted when going on this tour that it wasn't about their hits - and a lot of the opening gambits were from their first album.

Signing Off may be a little raw for their conventional fans but their Number 4 hit Food for Thought was a track that would stand up in any time. It got the crowd worked up and the band really couldn't help themselves trotting out the classics after the interval to rapturous applause.

As second-halfs go, Rat In Me Kitchen, Kingston Town and Red Red Wine was as good as it could have got. Or so we thought - but out trotted UB40 for a superb encore.

Fans Tim and Ika Heard, of Hill Street, Heath Hayes, went to the show for their 26th wedding anniversary. Tim, 49, said: "Seeing them in smaller venues like this is much better."

Marcia and Karl Griffiths, of Darlaston Lane, Bilston, have been fans since they were teenagers. Marcia said: "It is part of our youth."