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Hitchin Priory Summer Series 2025
Appearing:
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell
UB40 are Britain's greatest reggae artists and have survived more than 30 years in the music business and have clocked up more than 40 million record sales worldwide with songs like Kingston Town and Red, Red Wine. The summer of 1978 saw the eight members of the Birmingham band, soon to become UB40, drawn together by their love of Jamaican reggae. Taking their name from a notorious British unemployment form, the band played their first local gig in Birmingham in 1979, and spent the rest of the year performing at pubs and clubs around the UK. British radio legend John Peel was so impressed with the group's first demo tape that he invited them to perform on his Radio One show in 1980. At the same time, the band were also asked to support The Pretenders on their triumphant national tour. They released a Top 5 single in the UK in February 1980 and, in 1981, released a brace of albums, 'Present Arms' and 'Present Arms In Dub'. Their breakthrough came with the hit single, 'Red, Red Wine'. The song topped the British singles charts in 1983 and, after renewed promotion following the 1988 Nelson Mandela Concert at Wembley, the single reached the number 1 spot in the US. Only with Ali Campbell, the legendary voice of UB40, can audiences get to experience the closest thing to the sound of the hugely successful original line-up of UB40 as all the hits are played.
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Aswad
After two decades on the music scene and fifteen albums under their belts, 'The Lions of Ladbroke Grove' remain one of the country's best loved reggae bands. Formed in the late seventies their early hits include "Warrior Charge" and "Three Babylon", which established the band with a massive following culminating in a UK number one hit "Don't Turn Around" in 1988. The band continued their assault on the UK pop charts with tracks such as "Shine", "Shy Guy", amongst many more.
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David Rodigan
If Rodigan were ever quizzed on Mastermind, his chosen subject would be reggae. Just check his selection of special guests for proof.
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Don Letts
The legendary Don Letts introduced reggae to punk, managed the Slits, played music with former Clash member Mick Jones in Big Audio Dynamite and has directed videos for everyone from Jimmy Cliff to S'Express.
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rated excellent
Hitchin Priory
Tilehouse Street
Hitchin
SG5 2DL
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on Sun 31 August 2025
