Black Seeds with Open Souls at St James

Going by this welcome anyone would think the Black Seeds are Bob Marley and the Wailers. But being treated like superstars is what you get when your new album has been number one for four weeks.

Wellington reggae, dub, and pop outfit the Black Seeds have the crowd baying and saluting from the opening strums of the oh-so-beautiful Cool Me Down, from the band's third and latest album Into The Dojo.

And the upstairs lot are on their feet immediately, too.

The night is not so much about staying cool but more of a frisk down with some sweet and soulful reggae for the masses.

Their new album has sold around 15,000 copies since being released last month and it is almost assured another top spot this week after tonight's gig. A punter next to us says she hasn't got Into The Dojo yet. She is here off the back of seeing the Black Seeds live a number of times and because of their previous albums On the Sun (2004) and Keep On Pushing (2001).

The hits from those albums, like Coming Back Home and the fluffy Turn It Around, go off most tonight.

The place is skanking. The crowd is hooting. The bass is heaving. And the only thing that could do with being turned up a bit is the treble - we want more of the chinka, chinka, chink.

The Black Seeds are a pop act. New tracks such as the bouncy Sometimes Enough and the snoozy The Answer, and an oldie like Fire, are pure pop genius.

You can see why the reggae and dub purists love to hate it.

But a thing the purists cannot argue with is the absolute perfection with which the Seeds build up and launch into the juicy dub breakdown of Heavy Mono E, easily the stand-out track off Into the Dojo. That is a righteous sound, man.

Never mind the hits, it's the highlight of the night.