Lee “Scratch” Perry :: 06.10.07 :: World Café Live :: Philadelphia, PA
Lee “Scratch” Perry :: 06.10 :: Philly
Thick spiraling clouds covered our section of earth in an ethereal layer. The echoing horns and reverberating bass of heavyweight Dub drifted up to street level from the basement of the World Cafe Live. Dub Is A Weapon was already on stage dropping a dastardly beat. Their skunked out sounds quickly heated our surroundings as if we were in a giant chillum being puffed alive. The evening was in direct competition with one of the biggest television show finales ever as the Soprano family ended their 6th season reign of power. If Tony Soprano had left the Bada Bing for a few hours to take in this scene, he would have been treated to the ubiquitous Lee “Scratch” Perry backed by the brilliantly polished Dub Is A Weapon.
Dub music evolved out of 1960’s Jamaican reggae and is characterized by a stripped down sound typically derived from an existing pieces of music, usually absent any of the original vocals. Its freaky tweakings are created with intense reverb and echo effects. If the Dub stew called for more spice, the musicians tossed in a bob and weave dance with an occasional peppering of lyrics from the source material. The intimacy of this craft created a stir as the crowd lapped up Dub Is A Weapon’s demonstration of musicianship. Larry McDonald held down percussion duties while preaching the gospel of “Live Dub,” as he so eloquently described it. His heavy hand on the skins were paired with a soft manner and constant smile at our growing numbers. Ben Rogerson stood tall thumping the bass through “Code Name.” He stepped back into the shadows letting Dave Hahn walk us through guitar and sampling solos. The band tossed out multiple nods to their new sax player, Maria Christina, who blew the low and high notes away, leaving knees quivering and creating that eerie feeling old bones get before it’s going to rain. Her soaring peddle-fed sax ripped through “Fever,” leaving the crowd with mouths agape.
Lee “Scratch” Perry :: 06.10 :: Philly
Dub Is A Weapon charged ahead with overstated rhythms and a spiraling undulating sound that literally forced you to move or loose your balance. Strange sounds slowly coagulated together and formed song amoebas. Hahn tweaked the turntables, between guitar strums, just long enough to throw our dance rhythms off. The crowd resembled charmed snakes moving to the band’s every whim. “Turbulence” rounded out the evening’s performance as they revisited a simmering guitar riff layered with McDonald’s steady beat. Christina’s sax playing acted like a late cab to the airport, bobbing and ducking bravely between the beats. They finished the set as it began, with a room drowning in reverb.
Lee Scratch Perry has become a kind of portmanteau figure – people have packed their own fantasies into his life, creating a legend. He emerged with Dub Is A Weapon wearing his classic wild garb. From head-to-toe, he proudly displayed the red, gold and green colors of Rastafari with more than a few lions of Judah protruding from his body. Perhaps the most unusual accessory was his gold colored work boots encrusted with trash and treasures from around the globe. He carried a curled-lip smirk of knowledge that was decades in the making. Their was no denying that the main attraction was the original Upsetter himself, Rainford Hugh Perry; a.k.a. Lee, Little, King, Scratch, Super Ape, Wonder Man, Ringo, Pipecock Jackson and many others.
Larry McDonald :: 06.10 :: Philly
Lee Perry has led a turbulent life, from his many successes at the destroyed Black Ark in Jamaica to his current White Ark location in Zurich, Switzerland. Perry first sprang onto my radar from a friend who described his peculiar methods of recording such as using samples of animal sounds, babies and rain, blowing ganja smoke onto the tapes while they rolled, shooting pistols and breaking glass in his unique productions. He started his performance with a raised fist and a much more powerful approach than one would have expected. As Perry strolled back and forth across the wide arc of the stage, his red dyed hair poked out from a bedazzled hat. At the start of each song he would preach from some magical spring of knowledge. He went off in small bursts of song that often let the tempo or tonal nuances of his voice wander playfully. Hahn and McDonald were clearly schooled in Perry’s style and knew they couldn’t push one of reggae’s most radical sorcerers. So, they laid intricate backgrounds down that easily adjusted to his rambling form of magic.
At seventy-one years young, Lee Perry hopped and danced around the stage in a slow groove. His past performances have both disappointed and thrilled. Sunday night’s shakedown with Dub Is A Weapon was a spectacular example of the latter. Perry sang of life and love and a lot about pussy. In fact, he said “pussy” in every form from Pussy Cat to Queen Sheba’s Pussy. When he abruptly switched to talking about cock, we were caught off guard. However, it all made sense as he launched into “Pussy|Cocky|Water.”
Dub Is A Weapon :: 06.10 :: Philly
Perhaps the kinky Upsetter’s best known work is his productions for reggae’s good son Bob Marley. The two shared good and bad blood, but held together long enough for musical alchemy. Together, they produced early Wailers classics like “Small Axe,” “400 Years,” “Duppy Conqueror” and many others that changed the course of reggae and laid the foundation for Bob Marley’s subsequent success. Some even believe that it was Scratch who actually invented reggae. The show breezed through a few notable renditions including a version of “Kaya” that rode straight out of a spaghetti western soundtrack. Perry’s high-pitched vocal cries blended well with the choppy bass and reggae guitar. He tossed water over his back and into the crowd as he began to preach about the cleansing effects of his piss before stepping to the back of the stage to pull on a wizard cap. Perry emerged with a fiery look in his eye and sang Panic in Babylon‘s “Inspector Gadget 2004.” His whine turned to a falter as the bass took hold of his legs and he kicked and leapt around in its cavernous pocket.
Lee “Scratch” Perry :: 06.10 :: Philly
Perry’s first job was with pioneering record producer Clement “Coxsone” Dodd and his soon-to-be-legendary Downbeat Sound System. It was a rare treat when Perry invited one of Coxsone Dodd’s close friends on stage that was in attendance at the World Cafe show. The two exchanged hugs and a few hidden words before Perry passed over the mic. Coxsone’s friend reminded the audience where Perry’s famous nickname came from. He told the story of how Perry made his first recording, “Chicken Scratch,” in 1961. While it was a speck in Coxsone’s sound system universe, it did provide Perry with his legendary and lasting nickname.
The Upsetter certainly lived up to his nickname, and by the time he had fully warmed our spirits he was shaking hands and singing, “Goodnight.” Perry’s reign and hold on reggae is as well known as any of the Seven Wonders of the World. Just when you think you know what he has in store, he pulls the proverbial wizard cap over your eyes and lets you see and hear things in a new dark light.
Check out “Lee Scratch Perry is a Weapon” from this show…
