Live
Reggae Land: National Bowl, Milton Keynes 5/8/23 (DAY 1)
In the notoriously hard-to-crack festival market, plenty of people will be paying attention to Reggae Land. Its rise has been pretty meteoric considering it only launched in the troubled summer of 2021, when the industry emerged from Covid.
In just two years it's grown into an essential date in the calendar, bringing some of the genre's biggest names from across the globe. Last year Julian Marley and Shaggy topped the bill in Milton Keynes's Campbell Park. This year Reggae Land upgraded to the nearby National Bowl, with a packed lineup across four stages, with legends rubbing shoulders with some of the most exciting up-and-comers and the mighty Beenie Man and Sean Paul headlining.
It was an impressive setup for a festival that has muscled in on a crowded market and proved it can more than hold its own. Across two days there was plenty to get stuck into and some incredible performances Of course it wouldn't be a British summer without the weather doing its thing, but a solid day of rain on the Saturday failed to dampen any spirits. Delroy Williams put on a strong performance fronting Desmond Dekker's Aces on the main stage before David Rodigan put on a typically flamboyant show and Shy FX tore the place apart.
The umbrellas and waterproofs may have been out, but the thousands of music fans who'd made the journey to Buckinghamshire were out in force and in good spirits. Those who ducked into the Big Top tent were treated to an excellent set by Don Letts and Daddy G - of Massive Attack fame - on the decks, while General Levy was his usual energetic self with a top performance.
Back to the main stage and the legendary Freddie McGregor took centre stage along with the Big Ship Crew. It's been seven or eight years since I last saw McGregor perform, and he's had a torrid time, suffering a stroke last year. The wave of love shown for the 67-year-old icon was huge, and he showed that he could still put on a powerful performance, with "Push Come To Shove" among the high points.
The applause and appreciation for the Jamaican reggae star rang out long after he'd exited the stage to make way for one of the most important British acts, the brilliant Steel Pulse. Frontman David Hinds was in fine form backed by a group of phenomenal musicians as the Birmingham band delivered a masterclass including cuts from the phenomenal "Handsworth Revolution" LP.
From there, it fell to dancehall icon Beenie Man to bring the night to a close as only he can, with a joyful performance demonstrating why he's been at the top for so long. "Who Am I", "Drinking Rum" and the infectious "Dude" were exactly what a soaked crowd needed.
PHOTOS: DAVE BURKE
Words Dave Burke
