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Boss Sounds festival, 23/24/25 November 2007
For its third year, the Jumpin' Hot Club's Boss Sounds festival moved to the Carling Academy, Newcastle, with various other events around the city over the course of the preceeding weeks and the weekend itself.
The festival kicked off with an exhibition of images from previous Boss Sounds events from Mark Henderson at the Art Works gallery, with Stalawatt providing a musical vibe on opening night early in November. Stalawatt also provided the musical accompaniment to Jamaican cuisine served by the festival's guest chef Agnes Offiong at Belle and Herbs café, Heaton, on the first night of the festival weekend. An opening party was held at World Headquarters, featuring Trojan sound system and Radio 1's Sunday Best presenter Rob Da Bank.
Day One of the festival proper warmed up with Stalawatt and Lionsden providing a side serving of reggae alongside Agnes' food at the Salsa Club, before we moved across the road to bring a reggae dancehall vibe to the back room of the Academy. The main event began with a performance by one of the most important figures in the history of Jamaican music, guitarist Ernest Ranglin. Max Romeo followed, before the man they call Sir, crooner-come-militant-Rasta-chanter John Holt took the stage and - for us at least - stole the show with a string of hits and a voice that's still as sweet as it sounded with the Paragons. Headline act was the Cool Ruler, Gregory Isaacs, in what's becoming a rare appearance nowadays. Backing came from the UK's in-demand rhythm section Mafia and Fluxy. Day One ended with the official after-party at the Other Rooms, featuring a warm-up from Calculus and Dubcat plus sets from Trojan sound system and Massive Attack's Daddy G.
Day Two also saw Stalawatt and Lionsden at the Salsa Club and in the Academy's back room. A last-minute (but not wholly unexpected) change to the line-up brought Dennis Alcapone, Dave Barker and Winston Reedy to open on the main stage in place of superstar deejay Eek-A-Mouse, whose previous visa troubles were repeated. The triumvirate were followed by another legend, Ken Boothe, who then gave way to Horace Andy. Mafia and Fluxy provided the backing again, until the festival closed with another barnstorming set from the voice of the people, Prince Buster, backed as usual by Delroy Williams and the Junction Band.
The photos show Lionsden, Stalawatt, Max Romeo, Horace Andy and Prince Buster, of course.
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