Review | Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea: 'Everyone is in a party mood'

Chris Broom
By Chris Broom
Published 19th Mar 2023, 13:24 BST
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now
From the moment co-vocalist Seanie Tee bounds on stage and hollers: ‘Pompey!’ the crowd belongs to Dub Pistols.

In all honesty, this close-to-capacity crowd was never going to put up much of a fight – there’s been a love-in between the London-based electro/reggae wide boys and Portsmouth for a long time now and they’re regular vistors to The Wedge.

Throw in the fact that it’s Saturday night and the band are riding high on the back of this week’s successful release of their latest album, Frontline, and everyone is in a party mood.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The six-piece tear through the setlist at a frantic pace, with Frontline’s bouncing Moving On a welcome early addition to proceedings.

Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul WindsorDub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul Windsor
Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul Windsor

Co-vocalist and Pistols’ lynchpin Barry Ashworth is in ebullient mood, announcing that the self-released Frontline is ‘two fingers to the mainstream music business.’

They slow things down a bit mid-set for next single, Love – dedicating it to their friend, legendary The Specials vocalist Terry Hall who died of cancer last December. ‘Bet you’d never thought you’d hear us doing a love song, eh?’ Ashworth chuckles.

SEE ALSO: Rock festival, Takedown, and mental health charity Tonic to team up

They follow that with their cover of New Order’s classic Blue Monday – a moody down-tempo slice of electronica that plays around just enough with the original to make it the Dubs’ own.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Ma Langan representing Tonic with Seanie Tee of Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul WindsorMa Langan representing Tonic with Seanie Tee of Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul Windsor
Ma Langan representing Tonic with Seanie Tee of Dub Pistols at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea on March 18, 2023. Picture by Paul Windsor

But we’re soon back in full-on party mode as they kick into Keep the Fire Burning from 2009’s Rum and Coke. With nine albums to pick from stretching back to 1998 the 20-song setlist covers a lot of ground, but they still have time to chuck in a new number – Money Buys Money, which is prefaced by an anti-Tory chant that the crowd gleefully joins in with.

And the band have never been shy of a well-chosen cover – they also toss in The Clash’s Bank Robber and The Specials’ Gangsters tonight.

They are also ambassadors for Portsmouth-based Tonic Music For Mental Health so the charity has a stall in the venue, and founder Steph’s mum ‘Ma’ Langan is brought on stage to huge cheers to give them a plug.

Naturally they end with their ode to a hedonistic 48-hours, Mucky Weekend. Many in the audience may be past that point in their lives nowadays (kids, mortgages, etc), but for its duration, we’re all there…

Same time next March, then?

Related topics:PompeySouthseaPortsmouth