Scratch

I went to see Lee "Scratch" Perry on Sunday night at Richards on Richards. The opening band, Dub Is A Weapon, who also were the backing band for Scratch, were excellent. I wasn't really sure how dub music, which relies heavily on studio effects would translate to a live show, but it worked well. After the opening set and a short break, the band came out again, started playing and then out came Scratch, wearing a crazy metal plated hat, carrying a sceptre with a plastic skull and tinsel on it, covered in rings and necklaces and bracelets, and with a shoulder bag that looked like a ghetto blaster. Oh yeah, if you don't know already, Lee Perry is bonkers. We're talking about a man who burnt down his own recording studio, the legendary Black Ark, because he thought it was jinxed. For the next hour and half or so, Scratch performed. I'm not certain, but it seems to me that he made up the entire show as he went along, often talking gibberish, other times less so, on subjects such as voodoo, bodily functions, politics etc. I even think he was making up the lyrics as he went along, which somehow makes his shows special as each concert is a one off experience. Scratch is now 70, so obviously not at the top of his game anymore, but seeing him perform live was still a treat. It was a pleasure to just stand and watch a man who has been such an originator and innovator with reggae and dub, music that has been so important to me.