It has been quite a year for seeing reggae history. Over the past several months, I’ve had the privilege of standing in front of legends including Carlton Livingston, Papa Michigan, Glen DaCosta, Third World, and The Skatalites—the people who built this music and carried it around the world. A run like that deserves an exclamation point. On a Sunday night in Glenside, Pennsylvania, UB40 delivered one—and along the way, changed my mind about a song I thought I already knew by heart.
Forty-eight years after forming in Birmingham, England, UB40 rolled into the Keswick Theatre on September 27 as part of The Unstoppable Tour, and if there was one thing the night proved, it was just how appropriate that tour name really is.
From the opening notes of “Food for Thought,” the band sounded fantastic. Nearly five decades of experience were evident in how effortlessly they moved through the set, but nothing about the performance felt like a group simply going through the motions. Quite the opposite. They were having an absolute blast onstage, feeding off one another with an audience that spent most of the night on its feet, dancing in the aisles and singing along.
The musicianship was exceptional throughout. Founding members Earl Falconer on bass and Jimmy Brown on drums still provide the rock-solid rhythmic foundation at the heart of UB40’s sound, while the two-person horn section of Ian Thompson and Martin Meredith was nearly flawless. Beyond sounding great, the pair were incredibly entertaining to watch, constantly moving and dancing, adding to the infectious energy onstage.
By the third song, “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” the party was officially underway.
One of the evening’s more meaningful moments came with “Home,” written by UB40’s newest lead singer, Matt Doyle. Robin Campbell introduced Doyle and explained the song’s message about the immigrant and refugee experience and the painful contradiction of being told to “go home” when the country where you live is the only home you have ever known. The introduction drew a huge response before the band even began playing.
The set moved beautifully between UB40 originals and the Jamaican songs the band has helped introduce to generations of listeners. “Many Rivers to Cross” was a crowd favorite, as was “Cherry Oh Baby,” while percussionist Norman Hassan stepped forward for a spirited “Johnny Too Bad,” complete with some impressive dance moves.
For me, one of the night’s highlights was “Rat in Mi Kitchen,” with Gilly G taking the lead and injecting the song with tremendous energy.
The band also offered a taste of their forthcoming album with a reggae reworking of Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One.” The crowd loved it—and for good reason. UB40 took an instantly recognizable song and made it sound completely at home within their world. The album, originally expected in 2026, is now scheduled for early 2027.
Then came “Kingston Town,” followed by the song everyone knew was coming.
I’ll admit it: “Red Red Wine” has never been one of my favorite UB40 songs. I know every word and have heard it countless times, but it has never connected with me the way some of their other music has.
Hearing it live changed that.
As more than a thousand voices filled the Keswick, I looked to my left and saw a gentleman who had to be well into his 80s absolutely getting down—bobbing his head, clapping, and completely lost in the music. Suddenly, this song I had heard a thousand times felt different. I actually got goosebumps.
That is what live music can do.
UB40 returned for an encore of “Here I Am (Come and Take Me),” “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight,” and “(I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You,” with the energy somehow climbing even higher. By the final notes, virtually everyone was standing, dancing, and singing.
After 48 years, UB40 could easily rely on nostalgia. Instead, they remain musicians clearly in love with what they do—and with the people who have kept singing these songs alongside them.
After a year spent watching so many reggae legends, I couldn’t have asked for a better way to close it out.
