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Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry

Below the illuminated Band on the Wall sign the crowd gathers to bear witness to one of the all time reggae and dub greats – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.

Lee Perry 1 His musical legacy is undeniable. As a producer for the infamous Studio One, his career hit a high in the early 70s as he worked in his studio - The Black Ark - with acts such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, Junior Murvin, The Heptones, The Congos and Max Romeo. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Perry on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

As the gig starts Perry arrives on stage with his long term five piece band –The Upsetters - wearing an Indian embroidered cap, dyed red hair and matching beard and a fist full of rings. He’s certainly the eccentric showman. Even at 75 he still knows how to charm an audience – he even grabs a member of the crowd to dance with him. She’s female of course! Lee Perry 2

As the set continues he asks the audience to ‘push up’ as we whizz through the set list. Each song blends seamlessly into the other. As the bass kicks in and Lee extols the virtues of ‘sexercise as exercise’ the crowd sways. As the gig continues it’s apparent that seeing Perry live is as much about the experience and the chat as the songs.

Band on the Wall is the perfect venue for this gig – it’s intimate, atmospheric and has a state-of-the-art PA. For such a colourful character only Manchester’s coolest venue will do!

http://bandonthewall.org