By Kevin Rademeyer.
Photo Credit: Fullview/ Prescience Media.
For a band approaching five decades on the road, familiarity can be both a blessing and a challenge. Audiences arrive knowing exactly what they want to hear. The task is not reinvention but delivering on that promise. On Saturday night at a sold out SunBet Arena in Pretoria, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, brought to South Africa by Big Concerts, demonstrated why they remain one of the country’s most enduring live music attractions.
This was the band’s third appearance at the venue in the past decade and another reminder of a relationship that has become remarkably consistent. Few international acts have maintained such a loyal connection with South African audiences for so long. Judging by the thousands who filled the arena across the weekend’s sold out performances, that affection remains firmly intact.
Before UB40 took the stage, local reggae outfit Tidal Waves warmed up the crowd. When the lights finally dropped and the eight-piece band emerged, the reaction was immediate. The audience rose almost as one. What followed was less a conventional concert and more a communal celebration of songs that have become embedded in multiple generations.
The crowd itself told part of the story. Families stood alongside lifelong reggae fans. Teenagers danced next to grandparents. Different cultures, backgrounds and age groups shared the same space, united by a catalogue that has travelled across decades and continents without losing its appeal.
At the centre of it all stood Ali Campbell.
For most fans, Campbell remains the defining voice of UB40. To many, he is UB40. Time has naturally altered some of the power and range that characterised the band’s early years, but his distinctive vocal tone remains instantly recognisable.
The familiar nasal warmth that helped turn songs such as One In Ten, Cherry Oh Baby, Homely Girl , Groovin’ and Here I Am ( Come and Take Me) into global hits still carries considerable authority.
The band’s approach remains refreshingly uncomplicated. There are no elaborate visual effects, giant video screens or theatrical distractions. The focus remains squarely on the music. The brass section provided much of the evening’s energy, adding punch and texture to the arrangements, while the rhythm section maintained the relaxed yet precise groove that has long defined UB40’s sound.
Campbell himself is not a dynamic frontman in the traditional sense. He rarely moves far from his position and speaks sparingly between songs. Yet the restraint works. Rather than commanding attention through showmanship, he allows the songs to do the work.
Alongside Campbell was British Jamaican reggae star Bitty McLean, whose smooth vocals added another layer of quality to the evening. McLean joined UB40 for a spirited rendition of Would I Lie To You?, the Charles & Eddie hit reimagined through the band’s reggae lens, before stepping forward to perform his own classic, Dedicated to the One I Love. It was a reminder of just how strong his catalogue remains.
A few more of his signature songs would not have gone amiss and may well have elevated the evening into a genuine co -headline event. Even so, McLean brought real substance to the performance. More importantly, his musical chemistry with Campbell and the band felt entirely natural, creating a seamless connection between guest artist and headliner.
The setlist balanced early material with the band’s most celebrated hits, but the concert shifted into another gear during the closing stretch. Red Red Wine transformed the arena into a mass singalong. Kingston Town delivered one of the night’s strongest moments, while (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You provided a fitting finale, sung back by thousands of voices.
For Pretoria resident Johan van der Merwe, the appeal remains straightforward. “I’ve seen UB40 four times now and it’s always the same feeling. The songs take you back, but they never feel old,” he told Fullview.
Thandi Mokoena, attending her first UB40 concert, was struck by the atmosphere inside the arena. “What surprised me was how many different people were here. Everyone knew the words. It didn’t matter where you came from or how old you were. For almost two hours, everyone was enjoying the same music,” she told Fullview.
There may be newer acts, louder productions and more technologically ambitious concerts touring the world today. Yet UB40’s enduring success has never depended on spectacle. Their appeal lies in something far more difficult to manufacture: songs that continue to bring people together.
On another sold out night in Pretoria, UB40 reminded everyone that great music rarely needs embellishment. Tonight, they return to the same stage for one final performance before another capacity crowd, once again bringing together thousands of people from different generations, cultures and backgrounds through a shared soundtrack of memories.
The formula is uncomplicated, almost deceptively so. Yet there is a quiet beauty in that simplicity. Nearly 50 years after it all began, UB40 continue to prove that authentic music, honestly performed, never goes out of style.