Jah Wobble

The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……

Off Renfield Lane and downstairs into the basement. Merchandise table on the left tormenting you with vinyl, CDs and the obligatory T-Shirts. ‘Ah’ll be back’ says I, as I spy an album I’ve not seen before.

Then, opening the double doors to the venue space. Compact, dark, dry ice hiding the scars of former gigs. Sound desk strategically placed in the middle of the room. Floor sticky wet. A proper gig venue.

This is Stereo. One of many venues geared up for our musical pleasure across the city. A new venue for me and first time I’ve seen Mr. John Wardle in action.

As the clock passes 7.30pm the early arrivals gather around the walls hoping they’ve picked a good spot for tonight’s entertainment.

The early arrivals. Mature arrivals. Harking back to the times when headline act Jah Wobble, as he is better known,  was beginning to make his mark on our musical heritage with Public Image Limited. His career now spans over 40 year’s, playing with performers such as Brian Eno, U2’s The Edge, Sinead O’Conner, Primal Scream, Bjork, The Orb, The Cranberries Dolores O ́Riordan and many more, as well as a regular on the hit TV show Never Mind the Buzzcocks. It would be fair to say he is accomplished.

There’s no messing about with roadies tuning instruments, sound checking the mics, laying out the drinks and setlists for their bosses. Not here. Not in Stereo. Not with Jah Wobble and his band Invaders of the Heart. One minute the stage is empty, the next we hear what will become the familiar bass and drum beat, augmented by guitar and keyboards.

Surprisingly, the set was not dominated by Jah’s bass playing , though he led the line like the captain of his own ship. Wobble’s deep, deep bass lines are still the foundation on which the songs stand and, throughout the night, he keeps turning up the bass levels to near distortion levels.

The steady drum beats from Marc Layton-Bennett effortlessly complemented the band, while guitarist Martin Chung was a master of his guitar, whether crashing chords or finger-picking during his solos.

Finally, George King on synth sounds. Was that some jazz he was playing, or some prog rock, maybe even a hint of reggae? Whenever a song needed some keyboard improvisation, George was on hand to deliver it to us.

And improvisation was the core theme of the night. No apparent set list to call upon. Jah decided what to play, let the others know with a nod and a stage whisper and bang, off they all went.

At times is seemed like a concerted jam, based loosely along the lines of songs that appeared on some of his albums. The obvious PiL Metal Box – Rebuilt in Dub formed a fair part of the night though other songs shone just as brightly. Poptones, Careering, Swan Lake, Socialist  and John Barry‘s Midnight Cowboy Theme were standouts amongst a standout night.

Jah Wobble is not a shy person. His self deprecating humour was a recurrent theme during the set. In addition, he recognised that while many of the mature members of the audience had probably come along just to see him, the night would only have been as successful as it was with the help of his band mates. And he was never shy about name checking them, giving them the thumbs up and fist pumping on occasion.

He might be the captain of the team. But he seems a good captain, one the others are happy to play with. All in all, it made for a great night, full of raucous noise, banter and no little stagecraft.

And on the way out, the little red devil made sure I stopped at the merchandise stand. Red Mist – Brothers John and Charlie Tian Yi Wardle in collaboration with father and bass supremo Jah Wobble.

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About the venue

Stereo, 22 Renfield Ln, Glasgow G2 5AR

100 Eastvale PlaceGlasgowG3 8QG

The main venue in Stereo is a 300 capacity gig and club space situated in the basement of the building.

We love working with musicians, artists, promoters and activists contributing to and supporting their ideas and working to collectively challenge notions of what is possible.

As a venue, the music genres and intensity can vary, we’d suggest checking events before attending if you have specific sensory requirements or needs.