Any concert titled “the greatest reggae show on earth” is going to have to work hard to live up to its own hype. Thankfully, the line-up of Beres Hammond and Tarrus Riley – returning to London after well received visits the previous October, this time with Romain Virgo – represented greatness and hard work in equal measure.
Despite being one of the most heavily flyered shows of the summer, the event was not a sell-out. Perhaps this could be explained by the video announcement a week before that Jamaica’s expat Sicilian Alborosie wasn’t appearing (the usual “You never booked me” he said, they said). Yet while the sides of the giant shoebox that is Wembley Arena – more aircraft hanger than arena – were part empty the floor area was nice and full.
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