UB40 is never a band that just lazes around. Last year they released “UB45,” celebrated 45 years as a band, and toured the globe. This year they are keeping it going by embarking on their Relentless tour through the US and Canada, which kicks off August 17th.
The jaunt will include FOUR SoCal shows: September 28th in Cerritos at Cerritos Center; October 2nd in Los Angeles at Orpheum Theatre with The English Beat; October 3rd in Temecula at Pechanga Theatre; and October 4th in San Diego at Open Air Theatre, once again with The English Beat.
Whether it be SoCal or any of the stops on the 33-date tour, it is required by law that you catch them to see “Red Red Wine,” “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” “Kingston Town,” and the many other hits from their distinguished catalogue.
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A live UB40 show is always a good time – whether it be at the beach or in a cave. With founding members Robin Campbell (guitar/vocals), Jimmy Brown (drums), Earl Falconer (bass/vocals), and Norman Hassan (percussion/vocals), UB40 is rounded out by Martin Meredith (keyboards/saxophone), Jahred Gordon (keyboards), Laurence Parry (trumpet/trombone), Ian Thompson (saxophone), Gilly G (MC vocals), Matt Campbell (backing vocals), and Matt Doyle (lead vocalist and guitarist).
Robin Campbell took some time – after his dinner – to chat with us and get us ready for their upcoming Relentless tour.
Traci: Robin! It is lovely to “see” you again!
Robin: Just made it. Sorry, I’m a little bit late.
Traci: By like two minutes. You’re not half an hour late and hungover.
Robin: I will be in a minute. (raises wine glass)
Traci: I need more embarrassing questions then! (laughing) Actually, I spent some time with the UB40 Instagram, and I am nervous since you did get some votes for the biggest diva and the most bossy.
Robin: I’m certainly not the biggest diva, but I probably am the most bossy!
Traci: You and I last spoke in 2022 when Matt Doyle had been with you for about a year, but you guys hadn’t toured the US yet. When you did get over here, I was able to see you guys perform in that cave.
Robin: Oh, right!
Traci: It was a phenomenal show because you guys are so sharp. I’d seen you a bunch of times before, but the cave had such a small stage. You guys move around each other so well, and so perfectly timed, and you don’t hit each other. Is that from your years together or do you guys really work on that?
Robin: I think so. I mean, we don’t choreograph anything. We just have a ball. But yeah, we’ve been playing together. Well, the founder members have been playing together for 40 odd years, and our horn section have been with us for 30 years. We’ve been together a long time now, and we’re pretty well coordinated on stage. And the new guys just add a little bit more spice, a little bit more edge. We might collide with one of them accidentally, but we’ve been doing it a while, and we’re used to each other now. We fire off each other well.
Traci: It’s done with such precision, and you all sound so phenomenal. I know that sounds like I’m kissing up to you, but I genuinely am not. You guys are just that good.
Robin: I really don’t have any problem with you kissing up to me! (laughing)
Traci: (laughing) Well, I’ve always said you can’t have a bad time at a UB40 show.
Robin: Exactly. And we don’t. We can’t have a bad time. That’s the truth of it. We just love playing together, and we love playing for an audience. What you get off a live audience, you can’t get anywhere else. You can’t get it any other way. I love working in the studio, and I’m very fussy. I love working to the nth degree in the studio and getting it exactly right. But once you’ve done that, once you’ve got your product, once you’ve got your album, your newest album, the one thing you want to do is get out there and play it the fans, get their stamp of approval. It’s a constant cycle that we’ve been doing for, I think, 46 years now, and it’s something that we love doing. I can’t imagine doing anything else, really. It all just… It’s the way we work. And live gigs is what it’s all about.
Traci: I appreciate that you include the US and North America. You’ve been here every year once touring came back.
Robin: Well, it’s getting more difficult with some of the things happening over there! Yeah, it’s part of our touring circuit. We tour globally, constantly, and have done ever since we started. We’ve been coming to America since, I think, 1981. And apart from COVID, we’ve pretty much been there every 18 months without fail. And certainly every time we have an album out, one of the places we will visit is the States. This one’s no exception. We came last year with “UB45,” and it was a great tour. We really enjoyed it. We got a great reception. The album has been very well received by the fans. Matt Doyle has been very well received by the fans. In the UK, we had our first top five album for years. And so the fans like Matt Doyle.
He continued: They like what he’s bringing to the band. They like the material. He’s writing songs as well. He’s very much part of the band. He grew up on us anyway. He’s totally up loving the music. And for him to be playing our old music, he’s still pinching himself. It’s still a dream for him because he grew up literally sitting in the back seat of his dad’s car singing along to UB40 records. And for him now to be singing those records and us re-recording some of those classics with him is great fun. And we’re doing the next one. We’re doing a follow-up, pretty much the same format. And yeah, it’s great fun.
Traci: I wrote a review of that show, and one of my comments was “Matt Doyle is UB40.”
Robin: Absolutely. He fits in like you wouldn’t believe. And when we first knew him and brought him on the road. Before he was in the band, he was in a band called Kyoko, and he was the lead singer of that band and we did a collaboration track with them on our previous album. I knew then when we did that track, I thought, “This kid can sing. I like him.” Weirdly, I thought, “If ever my brother decides he doesn’t want to do this anymore, I’m coming for this boy.” And then ridiculously, my brother suffered a stroke and decided he didn’t want to tour anymore. So I went straight to Matt and offered him the job. And he’s just fitted in so well.
He continued: Incidentally, he’s also the nephew of one of the founding members. Our percussionist, Norman Hassan, who is one of the founder members, is his uncle. So we’ve kept him in the family. But yeah, he’s just fitted in so well. I also now have my son onstage singing as well, which is fantastic. He’s also part of the management team as well. So it’s all just happening beautifully.
He then said: When we did the cave, I think Jahred was with us as well. Jahred Gordon from Jamaica, who’s our new keyboard player. I mean, he’s been with us now for a couple of years, but he fits in so well. He’s bringing ideas and new music and lyrics, et cetera. If you get the right people, it reinvigorates you and it keeps you going. And I just can’t imagine doing anything else, really.
Traci: The new album, like you did with “UB45,” will be a mix of new and a refreshing of older songs. Are you allowed to share any of the songs that you know are going to be on it, or is it all secret?
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Robin: I don’t know whether I’m allowed to or not, but I can tell you that they’re re-recordings of similar classics of ours, favorites, the ones fans always want to hear, like “Cherry Oh Baby” is one, “Many Rivers to Cross” is another one, and also songs that Matt really enjoys singing.
He continued: We’re just having a ball picking old tunes and re-recording them and writing new material, too. It’s a real easy format. It’s not like you’ve got to come up with 12 new songs. I think it’s seven new songs and seven re-records. Exactly the same format as the last album, but we’re doing it again because it was so popular.
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Traci: Because you’re “Relentless!”
Robin: That may well be the title of the album.
Traci: Where did Relentless as the tour name come from? Was that the clue of the album or just you guys going, “We’re relentless, man. We’re going?”
Robin: Well, I coined the phrase because the last tour, they [the promoters] called it the Red Red Wine Tour, and we were going, “Really? That’s a 40-odd-year-old song, and you’re going to call it the Red Red Wine Tour?” (laughing) But then they wanted a new title for this American tour and I suggested the Relentless because that’s how we feel. Nothing’s going to stop us. Even recent developments in America is not going to stop us.
Traci: I apologize. I’m not for all that. I’ll slip you some bail money if something happens.
Robin: Yeah, we’re a little bit nervous!
Traci: You have 33 cities, and you’ve got festivals going on. You’re going to be here for a little while.
Robin: Yeah, I think halfway through August, all of September, and then the first week or so of October.
Traci: When you and I talked before, you said you like to visit truck stops.
Robin: (laughing) Yeah, and I’m sure we’ll be doing that again. We always enjoy it because you don’t get them anywhere else. It’s not the same. It’s always great fun walking around American truck stops. I love it.
Traci: I assume you have been to a Buc-ee’s?
Robin: Yeah!
Traci: What happens when you tour this much and then you go home and somebody’s like, “Hey, take the rubbish out.” Do you think, “But I’m a rock star!”
Robin: I always take the rubbish out. I do what I’m told. I’m not stupid. (laughing)
Traci: Well, safe travels and I am at your beck and call for assistance! I’ll help you in any way I can!
Robin: It’s a pleasure. Please put in a good word for us with him.
