Sly and Robbie at the St James

By ALAN PERROTT

Even if the spirit of Jah didn't move you on Saturday night there was no resisting the bottom-end onslaught of Jamaica's Riddum Twins Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare.

Rhythm sections rarely step from the backstage shadows to become an attraction in their own right, but after experiencing the power of Sly and Robbie's musicianship it is no surprise they are at the head of their craft.

The pair drew an eclectic, older mix of punters and the late start and even later finish at 1am left a lot of tired couples scratching their heads outside locked car parks.

Along with Uhuru frontman Michael Rose, the heavyweight champions of precision-locked beats produced a set that pushed our ears through the Black Uhuru back catalogue into murderous drum and bass, ska and fullthrottled rock.

Rhythm was the heart of this eight-piece, not in a sunny day reggae style but as full-throated and aggressive as a 16-wheeler truck storming along an oily road.

Onstage, Sly and Robbie hardly exchanged a glance or a word as they segued their way through a two hour-plus set, drawing a performance of artful stamina from the impressively-chapeaued Michael Rose and his immaculate backing vocalists.

In support, the percussion danced around the dubby beats as the guitar slipped with ease from irie to Satriani-stylings.

The only respite came after 20 minutes when the front-of-house PA shut down. But the band played on regardless, using their onstage sound to fill the theatre, until some frantic rewiring pushed the sound back to the far side of 10.

After some midset hard yards the setlist steered back to the classics, with Sinsemilla, General Penitentiary and a groundshaking Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

By this stage Natty Dreadlock hadn't only come had dinner, it looked like he was staying for breakfast as well.

Even after everyone had left the stage Robbie wasn't finished, and soloed through a potted history of the tracks the pair have graced in such crucial fashion.

In support, Zuvuya performed a fine set of dubbed-up grooves, drawn from the point where reggae and deep funk collide, that induced a fine outbreak of serious skanking.