Birmingham roots, new chapter
Ali Campbell leads a version of the Birmingham reggae-pop institution, carrying the smooth lover's rock sound he helped shape. This lineup is the path he chose after the split from
UB40, and since the passing of
Astro in 2021,
Ali Campbell has been honoring his longtime partner's toasting parts on stage. Expect a relaxed tempo, buoyant horns, and easy skank guitar that made their covers feel like originals.
Songs you will likely hear
Likely staples include
Red Red Wine,
Kingston Town, and
(I Can't Help) Falling in Love With You, with
Here I Am (Come and Take Me) often used as an early set mood-setter. The crowd tends to be multigenerational, with longtime fans in vintage band tees standing alongside younger listeners who found the hits through playlists. You will notice neat button-downs and polos next to Rasta-color scarves, and a lot of friends dancing in small circles rather than facing their phones. Lesser-known note: the famous
Red Red Wine toast was improvised by
Astro during a 1983 radio session before they folded it into the single mix. Another tidbit: early on, the group named themselves after a UK unemployment form, and they still favor economical, workmanlike arrangements over flash. Consider this a forecast, not a contract, since setlists and production flourishes can swing with the room.
Style in the aisles
The scene leans casual-smart, with vintage polos, flat caps, and neat trainers alongside sundresses and denim jackets. You will see a few red, gold, and green touches, but most people keep it low-key and let the songs carry the color. Couples sway on choruses while friends clap the offbeat on the verses, and a cheer often greets the first sax riff.
Shared rituals
Many bring up
Astro during the
Red Red Wine toast, raising a cup or a hand as
Ali Campbell nods to his lines. Merch trends run to classic
Labour of Love artwork, simple crest logos, and memorial tees for
Astro. Between songs, the chant is more 'Ali, Ali' than football-style shouting, and the vibe favors conversation and shared memories over phone screens. By the end, the floor feels like a neighborhood party that just happens to feature a very tight horn section.
Groove first, shine second
Ali Campbell's voice sits light and nasal, and the band frames it with soft keys, bubble guitar, and unison horn hooks. The drummer keeps a pocket that is more lounge sway than club thump, which lets the bass glide instead of punch. Horns often double the vocal melody in tight harmony, then peel off into short answers that keep the chorus sticky.
Subtle tweaks that matter
Live, they sometimes drop keys a half-step to suit
Ali Campbell's mellow range, which preserves the croon without strain. A neat detail: two keyboardists split duties, one handling the percussive offbeat stab while the other pads with organ and synth strings. On a few staples, the band stretches a mid-song dub section, riding tape-style delay on snare and the toasting mic before snapping back to the hook. Lighting leans warm and saturated, with color washes that reinforce the easy pace and keep attention on the horns and vocals.
Kindred bands on the road
Fans of
The Wailers will connect with the one-drop rhythms and easy sway that underpin Ali's set.
Maxi Priest shares the same lover's rock lane, leaning on silky vocals and mid-tempo romance anthems. Birmingham peers
Steel Pulse bring sharper political edges, but the deep bass and crisp horn lines feel familiar.
Where the overlap happens
If you like pop-reggae hooks and call-and-response moments,
Shaggy scratches that itch in a more dancehall-forward way. Long-running roots icons
Third World mix harmony vocals and loping grooves that dovetail with UB40's covers approach. Across these acts, the common thread is warm melodies delivered with a steady backbeat, and a crowd that values sing-alongs over mosh energy.
