UB40

The group of family and friends from Birmingham who got together in 1978 to form a band named after a government employment form, have had their well publicised and acrimonious disagreements which has resulted in founding member and front man of the original line-up touring under the banner of UB40

Whilst the band only retains Ali Campbell from the original UB40 lineup, the gathered musicians who go to make up the band turned in a stellar performance, running through much of their greatest hits catalogue while introducing a number of tracks from their latest album, Unprecedented.

Forty four years ago, eight friends from Birmingham got together to form one of England's most successful reggae bands, UB40, who went on to sell over seventy million records. But a lot of water has flowed under that bridge since then and this appearance before a packed Rock City crowd on Friday night.

All-time favourites and loved worldwide UB40 returned to Birmingham for their Christmas Hometown Show, bringing together people of all ages to a very packed venue.

Four reggae-filled decades of UB40 featuring Ali and Astro, plus the sunny Shaggy and sociopolitical Steel Pulse

Three songs from A Real Labour of Love were played, as was another more recent number, Fijian Sunset, from 2014 – (I Can’t Help) Falling in Love with You and Red Red Wine were saved until the encore.

Heralded by the band’s signature pulsating drums and lazy sax, the show opened with ‘Food for Thought’.