Steel Pulse at Eter: a first club concert in Poland and British roots reggae

On 20 October, Wrocław’s Eter club hosts British reggae legends Steel Pulse. Their Rastafarian message and forceful, accurate social commentary opened a new chapter in British reggae, uniting Black communities and young white punks. Their 1978 debut, “Handsworth Revolution”, is still considered one of British reggae’s most important albums by many critics. Eter will host the group’s first-ever club performance in Poland.

Steel Pulse formed in 1975 in Handsworth’s ghetto in Birmingham, England. The founders were David Hinds, principal composer, singer and guitarist; guitarist Basil Gabbidon; and bassist Ronnie “Stepper” McQueen. All three came from poor West Indian immigrant families. With no previous musical experience, the group concentrated on honing their skills, modelling themselves on artists such as Bob Marley and Burning Spear. They were soon joined by drummer Steven “Grizzly” Nisbett, keyboardist and singer Selwyn “Bumbo” Brown, percussionist and singer Alphonso “Fonso” Martin and vocalist Michael Riley.

Steel Pulse initially struggled to find performance venues, with club owners reluctant to provide a platform for Rastafarian views considered “subversive” at the time. Fortunately, punk opened new musical opportunities throughout Britain and found spiritual kinship with reggae’s revolutionary message. Steel Pulse supported punk and new-wave bands including The Clash, The Stranglers, Generation X, The Police and XTC, winning favour among a highly diverse audience.

Reflecting the times, Steel Pulse developed a theatrical stage show, commenting on social moods with characteristic humour. Costumes mocked British archetypes: Riley as a vicar, McQueen a bowler-hatted aristocrat, Martin a servant, and so on. They released “Kibudu, Mansetta and Abuku” and “Nyah Love” on small independent labels before supporting Burning Spear and catching Island Records’ attention.

Steel Pulse’s first Island single was the now-classic “Ku Klux Klan”, a perfect track for the band’s powerful concerts, with costumes still among their main trademarks. It appeared on the 1978 debut, “Handsworth Revolution”, which was soon hailed by fans and critics as a British reggae classic thanks to tracks such as the title song, “Macka Splaff”, “Prodigal Son” and “Soldiers”. Their second album, “Tribute To The Martyrs”, released in 1979, was promoted by two superb singles, “Sound System” and “Babylon Makes The Rules”, confirming their reputation as uncompromising commentators on political cruelty.

Over the years, the band experimented with various sounds, incorporating elements of R&B, pop, hip-hop and dancehall, before eventually returning to their unmistakable trademark: roots reggae. In more than 35 years together, they have played hundreds of concerts worldwide, including all the most important music events, and released 11 studio albums.

Positive Thursdays in Dub (supporting Steel Pulse)

A musical project born out of “Pozytywne Czwartki”, a programme broadcast on Wrocław’s Radio LUZ, created by broadcaster Rafał Konert (LIONSTAGE Management) and trumpeters Sebastian Pachecki and Jan Michalec. The trio take listeners back to the golden age of reggae and dub, accompanied by live trumpets filling the dub soundscapes. Their sets also feature specially prepared visuals that complement the music perfectly.