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 The story of UB40, and how this group of young friends from Birmingham transcended their working-class origins to become the world’s most successful reggae band is not the stuff of fairytales as might be imagined. The group’s led a charmed life in many respects it’s true, but it’s been a long haul since the days they’d meet up in the bars and clubs around Moseley, and some of them had to scrape by on less than £8 a week unemployment benefit. The choice was simple if you’d left school early. You could either work in one of the local factories, like Robin Campbell did, or scuffle along aimlessly whilst waiting for something else to happen.

By the summer of 1978, something else did happen, and the nucleus of UB40 began rehearsing in a local basement. Robin’s younger brother Ali, Earl Falconer, Brian Travers and James Brown all knew each other from Moseley School of Art, whilst Norman Hassan had been a friend of Ali’s since school. Initially, they thought of themselves as a "jazz-dub-reggae" band, but by the time Robin was persuaded to join and they’d recruited Michael Virtue and Astro – who’d learnt his craft with Birmingham sound-system Duke Alloy – the group had already aligned themselves to left-wing political ideals and forged their own identity, separate from the many punk and Two Tone outfits around at that time. The group had nailed their colours to the mast by naming themselves after an unemployment benefit form. Their political convictions hadn’t been gleaned second hand either, but cemented in place whilst attending marches protesting against the National Front, or rallies organised by Rock Against Racism.

By the time Chrissie Hynde invited them to tour with the Pretenders during the summer of 1980 and their debut single "King b/w Food For Thought" had sailed into the UK Top 5, all the essential elements of UB40 were already in place. Their line-up will remain unchanged for almost thirty years, and they will continue playing a mix of original material and inspired choice of reggae covers in a style that’s instantly accessible with its bright melodies and sweeping horn arrangements – one that’s allied to a formidable rhythm section, capable of holding its own with anything from Jamaica.

UB40’s first album was released the following September, on Graduate Records. Their deal allowed them more creative freedom than if they had signed with a major label. The cover artwork memorably duplicated an unemployment benefit card, with the title "Signing Off" rubber-stamped in red, but it was the music that quickly worked its way into the affections of a young, mainly student crowd with its knowing lyrics, solid reggae rhythms and dubby, instrumental passages, offset by warm horn solos and Jamaican style scatting. There was nothing else like it at the time. As a multi-cultural band from Birmingham, UB40 weren’t drawn into trying to sound "authentic," and there was considerably more depth to their music than that of many punk and 2Tone bands. "I’m a British subject, not proud of it, whilst I carry the burden of shame," they sang on one of the tracks. Accepting the truth of their own situation amidst a sea of other reggae songs proclaiming black heritage gave us a valuable insight into where UB40 were coming from. They were unafraid to stand up and be counted, and British audiences instinctively loved them for it. "Signing Off" duly went to No. 2 in the UK and stayed on the nation’s album charts for 72 weeks.

On September 2nd, 2013, UB40 released their latest album ‘Getting Over The Storm’ on Universal/Virgin Records.

Once transmitted through speakers and into the airwaves, music belongs to the people. The audience ascribes meaning and significance to songs and ultimately absorbs them for life.

By the same token, SIX60 belong to listeners. The history-making award-winning New Zealand quintet—Matiu Walters [vocals, guitar], Marlon Gerbes [keyboard], Ji Fraser [lead guitar], Chris Mac [bass], and Eli Paewai [drums]—stir rock, reggae, funk, and pop together with a twist of kiwi roots music and Maori instrumentation. Invoking this spirit and Kiwi roots, their latest music and next evolution showcases traditional Maori instruments such as Pūtātara and Pūkāe (stone and long trumpets), Bone Kōauao (Bone Flute), and Karanga Weka (Stone Flute). “We want to take our Maori culture and put it into a mainstream radio world,” exclaims Matiu. “There are only a handful of people in the world who can play these instruments, and we felt getting them into a mainstream album could give them a chance to stay alive.”
Over a decade before breaking records and selling out stadiums back home or signing to Epic Records stateside, the boys then welcomed the world into their musical ecosystem and set a career precedent in 2008 while still students.

“At University of Otago, we shared a flat at 660 Castle Street in Dunedin, New Zealand,” recalls Matiu. “We originally didn’t name the band. Instead, our first college fans gave the band the name by calling us the ‘SIX60 Boys,’ which evolved into SIX60. We adopted this philosophy into our albums. The fans add the final touches and have naming rights over things we do. The songs aren’t done until the audience has them. So, the album doesn’t really have a spirit or a name until the crowd consumes it.”

As such, SIX60 engender a rare level of devotion from fans, bordering on downright phenomenal. The group’s 2011 full-length, SIX60 (I. The Gold Album), bowed at #1 on the charts in New Zealand and eventually went septuple-platinum. SIX60 (II. The Colours Album). saw them reclaim the top spot on the charts in 2015 and go quintuple-platinum. To date, New Zealand single sales exceed 1 million as global streams surpass 200 million and counting. At the 2018 NZ Music Awards, they garnered “Best Group” in addition to five other honors.

A year later, they made history. Performing their biggest show to date, they sold out Western Springs Stadium in New Zealand and became “the first New Zealand Act to Sell 50,000 Tickets to a Show at the Stadium” (They repeated the same feat for 2020!). The gig proved to be a major milestone both professionally and musically.

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