Salmonella Dub, Budspells & The Mighty Asterix

Salmonella Dub + Budspells and The Mighty Asterix, 22 July @ Union Hall, WGTN.

To be perfectly honest I thought the promotion leading up to this event was pretty sloppy and last minute - sure they had some huge posters out and about but there wasn't much of a vibe on the streets for it, or so I thought.

It's pretty weird going back to the Victoria University Union Hall for a show. I hadn't been up there for a few years really and when I walked into a virtually empty room I was kinda worried.

However the sound was heavy and Budspells from Bondi Beach in Sydney were already in full swing, laying down their Reggae/Ragga/Grime/Drum and Bass hybrid sound with great abandon. For those who don't know, Budspells are basically a two-piece made of ex Wellington producer Antz (an old member of Bong Master) and Kye, one of New Zealand's forgotten reggae treasures - a singer originally from Te Awamutu. Accompanying them for this show was Shapeshifter's drummer - Dreadford - and an old friend of ours - Hyjack - a well-known and respected Australian Hip-Hop MC. Hyjack quickly informed me that the show was sold out and everyone would be turning up after the rugby.

Turns out he was right and the Union Hall filled steadily during Budspells set. Budspells laid down a diverse mixture of sounds and styles, moving through dancehall, hip-hop, grime and finally ending in drum and bass. Kye and Hyjack threw down a mixture of original Budspells classics like Ruckus and Feelstyles as well as delivering a few well-known reggae covers. Kye is really improving when it comes to his ragga and grime flows and Hyjack even dropped a few RnB Hooks that had me wondering if it was really Australian soul sensation Daniel Merriweather on stage.

Budspells were followed on by my personal favourite, The Mighty Asterix. I always enjoy Asterix's performances and tonight was no different. However it was different, cause it's not that often that you get to see Asterix play to a crowd of 1000 so up for it youngsters. It's in situations like this that you really realise why Asterix is referred to as "Mighty" by the 12 Tribes Camp. Tuffy Culture said it first, and I'm going to say it again, Asterix is just getting started, mark my words.

Finally we got to the main attraction, Salmonella Dub.   To be honest I saw none of their set. The thought of dancing with 1000 sweaty 18-20 year olds doesn't do much for me. But I was amazed by the new, younger audience Salmonella have captured and the energy they sustained that night. They had those kids caught in the zone and every punter was getting their money's worth.

Hate it or Love it Salmonella Dub are still on the map and not only are they on the map, they are exposing and bringing up the hot talent that needs to be recognised on a commercial level. For me this event only reaffirmed what I already knew, but for many in attendance it would have been the start of some new musical love affairs that will stand the test of time.

Watch out New Zealand, the next wave of reggae culture is coming, and it's going to hit harder then you expect.

 

Martyn Pepperell

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