Which UB 40?

I understand that Stanbic has had a rather rough few weeks and I am not one for kicking someone who is already on the ground. Only to note that the bumbling way in which they handled the Savenda issue and the implications for the rest of us that are in the banking sector have left us quaking in our boots with trepidation.

Anyway, it is that time of the year when Stanbic treat all of us with deep enough pockets to afford tickets, to their annual musical thing. While I must confess that the first of these events two years ago, left more than a sour taste in my mouth causing me to make one of those spur of the moment vows never ever to attend one of these again, this year’s Stanbic Music festival has not escaped my notice. The reason is that I genuinely felt aggrieved that despite my employers parting away with a substantial amount to get me a VIP ticket, I was unable to find a seat at the event. In the end after much dodging of stray elbows and spittle, I could only manage to watch the great Oliver Mtukudzi and Hugh Masekela while fighting for my breath in some rancid corner of the Levy Mall rooftop, at the same time keeping one of my hands on the pocket that had my wallet.

This year’s act is “UB 40”.

“Which UB 40?”

“Well the eighties reggae pop group from Birmingham England with uncountable number one hits. Remember Red Red Wine?”

 It turns out that the question “which UB 40?”, this time around is more than the ignorant blabbering of a millennial who has never heard of the legendary reggae pop band from Birmingham. Perhaps suffering from a collective mid-life crisis, the band, most of whose members are either in their late fifties or sixties is enthralled in a very bitter and most public split. In fact their war within has been rambling on since 2008.

Before I elaborate on the above let me just say I am not an investigative journalist or a journalist for that matter, though God knows how many times I tried to get into Mascom at UNZA. I am just an inquisitive social scientist with an acute interest in how the world works. And in one of my many forays into UK politics, I found an article by The Guardian, one of the most respected publications in the UK, to the effect that a faction of UB40 had endorsed the then under fire Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. Among the obvious questions asked by The Guardian was which faction of UB 40 had endorsed Corbyn and what did the other faction think about this.

Anyway, a few clicks of the mouse and I learnt the following:

• ·         UB 40 split in 2008 after a gig in Kampala Uganda. What has followed is a rather acrimonious affair with no fair amount of mudslinging from the two major factions to emerge from the split. Interestingly, both factions are led by the Campbell brothers, Ali Campbell on one hand and Robin Campbell on the other. Ali used to be the lead vocalist and once so often guitarist for the unified group, but has now been replaced by another Campbell, his brother Duncan.
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• ·         Ali Campbell’s faction includes Astro and Mickey Virtue who play various instruments from keyboard to percussion. The split has unfortunately given way to a rather costly legal battle on who gets to use the UB 40 name. It would seem this particular battle has been won by the Robin group (for now), with the Ali faction required to include their names each time they use the UB 40 name. Perhaps as a result of this costly and very public battle, both Ali and Robin have been declared bankrupt. My understanding is that the Ali faction is the one coming to perform in Zambia, so at least we know what we are getting into. Ali Campbell is 57 while both Astro and Mickey Virtue are 59.
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• ·         By their own admission, UB 40 have hit on hard times. The money that once seemed to flow endlessly has since dried up and it has been difficult for the band to reconcile itself to this diminished status. As is often the case with many other bands, they have turned on each other, blaming each other for their current fortunes. To say the band (should we say bands) are a shell of its former self is a gross understatement.

I know the radio and TV promotions have been booming with enthusiastic renditions of “Red Red wine”, UB 40s arguably best known anthem. However, I don’t need to be a prophet to predict that what you will be getting come the 7^th of October will be a performance by three bankrupt old guys looking for a quick buck. I hope they make it worth the while, although I tend to think they will opt for the easy way out; just play a collection of their greatest hits from a CD one of them will have carried in their back pocket.

 I hope they prove me wrong.