Dave and Ansel Collins ignite UK Ska Festival

The London International Ska Festival 2011, which was recently held at the Clapham Grand Theatre over four days, was a success with solid performances from Ken Boothe, Dave and Ansel Collins, the English Beat and Marcia Griffiths.

The second night of the festival saw the return of international organist Ansel Collins to an English stage after 40 years.

Collins performed with Dave Barker and the two were well received. The audience enjoyed every moment.

The emcee announced the return of Dave and Ansel Collins at 12:20 a.m. It was Ansel Collins who entered saying, "London, woo yoo! Are you ready for some good ol' ska music?" The resounding 'yes' was followed by instrumentals.

Night Doctor, composed by Ansel but released on Lee Scratch Perry's Upsetter Label, was followed by Night Of Love, but it was the ever-popular Stalag 17 (also composed by Ansel) done in ska style that had the audience rocking.

He ended his solo set with High Voltage.

rocking the audience

Ansel introduced Dave Baker to loud applause. Dave opened with Do Your Thing then moved into Shocks Of Mighty, which had the audience dancing and singing along. "This is a monster sound," he chanted, which is the opening line for their United Kingdom top-10 hit Monkey Spanner. Not to be outdone, Ansel Collins caressed the organ with a solo piece that sent the audience in a frenzy.

Dave did a cover of the song Just My Imagination, which was followed by Prisoner of Love, Warrior and Blowing In The Wind. After that, he said, "Now is the time for the big one." When he echoed the words, "I am the magnificent and I am back from tha shack with tha most thundering storming sound of soul", frenzy would be a euphemism.

He had to do it twice. Those words are the intro to Dave and Ansel Collins perennial hit Double Barrel, which was number one on the British chart in 1971.

In that same year, the song peaked at number 22 on the United States Billboard chart. The audience pranced in true ska style as Dave chanted while the master organist had his instrument ringing. They left the stage but had to return for an encore. Doing Dancing Mood, they gave the audience their final taste of the sounds of Jamaican Ska.

Dave and Ansel Collins were backed by The Caroloregians.