The first weekend of Celtic Connections is begun with Dub Inc at ABC and it’s this is the French-Arabian reggae collective’s first visit to Scotland, despite being a popular touring outfit for nearly twenty years.
Dub Inc are fronted by two singers with different styles; there is the cheeky and ever-smiling Aurelien Zohou who has a deep reggae tone that is more growling and satisfying than Shaggy or Buju Banton.
Also, Hakim Meridja who sings with real earnest, his impressive Arabic voice lamenting among the otherwise jaunty Jamaican style.
It is a great way to begin the festival, which, this year more than ever, focuses on fusing styles and customs.
Dub Inc have everyone dancing unabashedly from the start and play in a festival-mood; every party trick is pulled out from hollers of ‘Jump! Jump! Jump!’ to splitting the room in half for a sing-off.
By the end of the gig the audience is singing, “Glasgow is on fire (fiya)”, shaking their hips and, typically, one ‘rude boy’ has lit up a joint in the front row.
The band leaves the stage delighted and thanking locals Argonaut Sounds for supporting them.
The audience leave the venue happy, a little bit of summer injected into their January, faithful that Dub Inc will be back.
Words: Leonie Colmar
