Both the stage and venue are rammed tonight as openers The Skangsters run through an entertaining run-through of tip-top 2-Tone covers. The band battled through broken limbs, sound issues and the house lights inexplicably being left on to deliver (amongst others) ‘Stupid Marriage’, ’Inner London Violence’, ‘Gangsters’ and the skanking set closer ‘Night Boat Cairo’. Somehow THE DUALERS all manage to squeeze onto the tight Sub89 stage and proceed to give a Rocksteady, Ska and Reggae masterclass. Opening with the audience engulfing ‘Carolina’ the sticky Sub floor is transformed into golden sand as the bands Bracadi brass section whisks us away to palm trees and eighty-degree heat. Rude boys, girls and grandparents are toasted as Ken Boothe’s ‘Everything I Own’ gives the old school skins a nostalgic sing-a-long before the infectious duo of ‘Jimmy Come Back’ and ‘Countless Nights’ keep creaking knees bent and hands raised. ‘Blazing Fire’ is followed by the lovers rock musical cuddle of ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’.
John Denver’s ‘Country Road’ causes eyes to be wiped, well it’s dusty in here, before the skanthemic ‘Amelia’. The bands delivery is utterly breathtaking and the lime splashed cuts hit the anti-autumnal hot spot. ‘Bang-a-Rang’ and ‘Red Light’ give way to the much-covered Ska-staple of ‘Monkey Man’ which sends the nine-piece heading stage left. After a long week of work The Dualers are the perfect antidote to sofa slouching, shite reality TV and overpriced take away’s. When The Dualers come to town the beer’s always cold, the sky turns bright blue and their uplifting ska sound will warm the coldest of spirits. This is a band well worth fighting that five-day fatigue for.