considering the fluid nature of their line-up – and have been seamlessly blending music from around the planet with Western dance music beats since 1991. I’ve been a big fan since 1992 when a wise guitar teacher played to me what was then a fresh and unusual track called Temple Head. Immediately, at just twelve years old, I fell in love with their unique twist on the cream of music from around the globe and have been infatuated ever since.In more recent times their style has relaxed somewhat, and the fat beats of Shimmer,Credits
Words: Will Jobbins
Pics: ©Mike Eccleshall Dustbowl or International Times are less evident. The focus now is on quality, polished world music using a myriad of live instruments rather than samples and, with a number of highly skilled artists on standby, they have created a talent pool into which the core members may dip at will, either for production purposes or for live performances. And TGU take full advantage of this as, eighteen years after releasing the groundbreaking album Dream Of 100 Nations, they’re still producing incredible music which ranges from acoustic chill to fantastically bouncy body movers, all richly saturated in lashings of ethnic instrumentation and lyrics.
And they’re still gigging strong, too. This wasn’t my first TGU gig and, as I knew what to expect, there was no way I’d be missing it – especially in such a small, intimate venue as Dingwalls. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that Transglobal Underground are one of the best live bands in this genre and I was as excited as a kid in a sweet shop. And as they were promoting their just-released compilation album Run Devils And Demons, there was a good chance that, alongside their latest material, they’d drag some of the older tracks out of the archive and blow the dust off them, too. I thoroughly hoped so.
The gig was opened by burlesque vocal act The Hanging Ropes, and when they took to the stage I must admit I had my doubts. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a burlesque vocal act before. Wearing an array of floral dresses and rakishly-positioned hats, two young ladies grabbed a microphone each as their backing band took positions. And yet nobody was more shocked than I when, as they launched into their first song, they proved to be absolutely mesmerising. You’ve got singers, and then you’ve got singers. These girls were bouncing nut-tightening harmonies off the walls and vocalising their way through complicated cadences with a power and perfection that made my eyes water. I have never heard, in a live performance, singing like it. Ever. It wasn’t my kind of music at all, but one must acknowledge raw talent when one hears it – and I certainly heard it in the Hanging Ropes.
Once they had finished and the TGU roadies were sorting out the stage, the Dreadzone Soundsystem began to set the scene by mixing a selection of hand-picked records; upbeat dub or roots-inspired breakbeat for the most part, overlaid with MC Spee’s vocals. By the time rapper Tuup – with his trademark sunglasses and solid earlobe plugs – had walked on stage and taken the microphone, the club was completely packed out and a palpable atmosphere of excitement hung in the air.
Launching straight into Mouth Wedding with no pomp or ceremony, TGU subsequently treated us to gem after gem from their back catalogue. Each track was impeccably performed and enormous levels of energy wafted from the stage into the tightly-packed congregation which, by this time, had degenerated into a free-for-all of flailing arms, legs and dreadlocks. It seemed that people couldn’t decide whether to dance their socks off or to stop to watch the band’s performance, so most did both to a great set which included Eyeway Souljah, The Khaleegi Stomp and a fantastic live version of Shimmer.
album compiled by DJ Phil Meadley, is out
now on Nascente Records and acts as a
chronicle of TGU’s wide and varied career
with their biggest hits, as well as a couple
of exclusives, rarities and a live recording
dropped into the mix. More info, live dates,
discography and online store are all but a
click away at www.transglobalunderground.net.
And thanks to Mike Eccleshall for kindly
permitting us to use his photographs. for this and cunningly played their trump card; the epic Temple Head in all its timeless glory. The crowd went absolutely bonkers and, as the echoes faded into the corners of the club and TGU left the stage for good, we were left gasping and exhilarated even as the Dreadzone Soundsystem returned to the decks to see out the night with an hour or two of fat global breaks, house and dubstep.
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