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Mikey Dread @ The Cubby Bear "The Dread in
Control Tour" , April 24, 2003
All pics by Carmen Maria, Review Below
click the arrows to scroll, click thumbnails for full size images
Steve Serpiente (Left) and Friends Drew Dilla, J Roc and Big Mike Carmen Maria and Mikey Dread Looks like "Mikey Likes!" Friend, Mikey Dread and Ras Winston Mobay One and Mikey Dread
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Mikey Dread @ Cubby Bear 4/24/03
By Steve Serpiente
CHICAGO - As he strutted onto Cubby Bear's stage wearing
a slick black pinstripe suit and matching hat, reggae innovater Michael
Campbell aka Mikey Dread surveyed the disappointingly small "crowd" and must
have wondered if he was at the right venue.
It seems Morgan Heritage, one of reggae's hottest acts, was
playing a block south at the Wild Hare, and the majority of Chicago's reggae
"massive" chose to attend that concert over Mikey's show. (I use the term
"massive" rather loosely here. Chicago's reggae followers are a devoted lot,
but is the scene so small that we can't support two quality shows on the same
night?)
With no disrespect to Morgan Heritage, one of today's top
roots & culture groups which is comprised of the sons and daughters of ska
legend Derrick Morgan, the group is a relative newcomer compared to veteran
Mikey Dread. While Morgan Heritage's debut album ("Protect Us Jah," VP
Records) appeared in 1997, Mikey began impacting the reggae landscape as a
radio DJ in 1976 with his landmark "Dread at the Controls" show on JBC, the
first radio show dedicated exclusively to reggae.
The radio show, which featured Mikey's catchy one and two
line jingles peppered over the wickedest tunes of the day, proved so popular
Mikey soon found himself in demand in the recording studio. His 7" "Barber
Saloon" scored Mikey his first #1 hit on the local charts. That track along
with some other 7"s were collected for Mikey's self produced debut "Dread at
the Controls" LP (Trojan Records, 1979).
But Mikey's studio time was not limited to simply voicing
over riddim tracks. He engineered at Treasure Isle, and he frequented King
Tubby's studio as well as Lee "Scratch" Perry's Black Ark studio. He fast
became a skilled mixer in his own right.
As the 80's were ushered in, Mikey began producing several
other roots singers such as Junior Murvin, Earl 16, Rod Taylor, Edi Fitzroy
and Michael Israel. Mikey's Dread at the Controls (DATC) record label reissued
the choice various artists compilation of early 80's roots "Rockers Vibration"
in 2002, but many DATC productions remain long out of print and highly sought
after by collectors, with some titles fetching $40 and more on eBay.
While based in London in the early 80's, Mikey linked up
with UK rockers the Clash, co-writing and co-producing five cuts on
the group's epic triple LP "Sandanista." Dread's dub injections legitimized
the Clash's meanderings into the realm of reggae more so than most rock
musicians' attempts at Jah music. Besides his association with the Clash,
Mikey also rubbed shoulders with other big names in the rock arena, appearing
on the same bill with Bob Dylan, Carlos Santana and the Mods.
A man of many mediums, Mikey's credentials also include
impressive work in the field of video. He created the much hailed "Rockers
Roadshow," a 10 part British TV series for Channel 4 in London in the
early 80's. He was presenter/researcher/narrator for "Deep Roots Music," a six
part series which also aired on Channel 4. In the 90's, he served a stint as
a TV news photographer, shooting and editing news stories for NBC in Miami.
On this night, Mikey kicked in some theatrics throughout
his hour and 25 minute set of conscious roots and lovers tune. Cast in the
role of underdog, Mikey perservered, putting forth a premium performance which
left the hundred or so fans with no regrets for picking Mikey over Morgan
Heritage.
Highlights included a showcase style (vocals followed by
dub) version of "Happy Family" (from the album of the same name, RAS Records,
1989); a dubbed out cut of "Break Down the Walls" (from "World War III," 1980
- recently reissued with bonus tracks on DATC); an appropriately militant
rendition of "Warrior Stylee" (also from "World War III); the aptly titled
"Roots and Culture" (the theme song from the aforementioned UK TV series
"Rockers Roadshow," included on the 1989 "Pave the Way" release on Heartbeat
Records); "Jumping Master" ("World War III"); and "Positive Reality" (from the
"S.W.A.L.K" album, Heartbeat Records, 1982).
On "Barber Saloon," Mikey's extra tight backing band
(featuring bassist Milo, drummer Junior, keyboardist Jawge Hughes and
guitarist Tony Garvey, who is a distant relative of Marcus Garvey) churned out
a gurgling gits-keys jam as well as a bounteous drum & bass groove at Mikey's
command.
From his 2002 DATC CD "Rasta in Control," Mikey performed
"Equal Rights" and "His Imperial Majesty." In a vein similar to Junior Reid's
"Man a Nuh Taliban" (JR Records, 2002), Mikey proclaimed "Natty Dread Not a
Terrorist" on a pleasingly upright new track planned for release in 2004.
Mikey's efforts were not wasted on the small core of
faithful fans, who Mikey drew in by sharing the mic with a few aspiring
vocalists at the front of the stage, as well as by taking song requests from
the audience.
Unfortunately, there were a handful of "fans" who
seemed more interested in watching the L.A. Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves NBA
playoff game on the various TV monitors. Some even turned their backs to the
stage to check out the game. (Were these guys "overserved" holdovers from the
Cubs game at Wrigley Field across the street earlier that afternoon?) Seeing
such disrespect reminded this writer of a Culture show at the Cubby Bear in
1990 when Joseph Hill abruptly halted the first song of the night to angrily
demand that the TV's, which were tuned in to an NHL hockey game, be turned off
immediately. Mikey should have done the same.
Mikey did call one club employee on the carpet for "reading
email" when he/she should have been attending to the show. Alluding to the
lack of showing, Mikey only half jokingly said he was "going to shy away
from Chicago" on future tours and said, "Maybe dem never seen Morgan
Heritage."
The opening act was a group of local rappers who elicited,
at best, an indifferent response from those awaiting Mikey's authentic roots
reggae music.
