Living Colour are a band like Led Zeppelin – in that all four members could perform and play at genius level from the start - and they have only got better. Formed by guitarist Vernon Reid in NYC in 1984 – they have had a roller coaster existence, and only reformed for good recently. Like Rage Against the Machine – it’s hard to keep an explosive line-up on the same page.

The band lineup was the OG, made of Corey Glover on vocals,  Vernon Reid on guitar,  Will Calhoun on drums and Doug Wimbish on bass.The band opened with Middle Man and moved straight into Desperate People. Glover, dressed in a hand made paint spattered jacked and matching pants, and flat tweed cap was stalking the stage and lighting up the crowd – all the time singing pitch perfect.  Vernon Reid was doing double tapping and guitar pony tricks that would outfox Eddie Van Halen blindfolded.

Corey and Vernon kept teasing each other like a married couple and Doug and Will solidly held down the drums and bass rhythm section. The band did perfect versions of Nothingness and Love Rears Up Its Ugly Head, which incited a whole crowd sing-a-long.  Doug Wimbish did an insane 7 minute bass solo ( it was like a whole orchestra) and not to be outshined Will Calhoun later did an amazing drum solo for almost 10 minutes.

Elvis Is Dead tore the house down - right in the middle of the song, the band did about 90 seconds of the Elvis Presley song Hound Dog, which was incredibly funny. The band morphed seamlessly into a mashup of Cult Of Personality and Police And Thieves by Junior Murvin - this was the biggest song of the night – it was like the crowd got totally sandblasted, and at the end of the song it was all quiet for about 30 seconds while everyone recovered.

The band played for almost 2 hours plugging their new album Shades ( due to drop on 8 September 2017) and closed with a jazz version of Glamour Boys . One of the greatest bands on earth.  Don't miss a chance to see them. 

Donald Gunn