Steel Pulse

When the British reggae band Steel Pulse went prospecting for American gold and platinum a few years ago, its music turned to tin. Last week, on the first of two nights at the Greek Theatre, Steel Pulse's reggae elements seemed bronzed: preserved mementos that had taken their last steps years ago. Though regaining some of the infectiousness and toughness that have been lost on recent recordings, Steel Pulse's performance was static and predictable, musically and thematically.

MUSIC JazzReggae Festival Take in top-notch jazz, rap and reggae music at the 25th annual festival at UCLA. This year's event features Steel Pulse, Tanya Stephens and much more. UCLA Intramural Field, 405 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. Noon to 7 p.m. Ticket prices vary. http://www.jazzreggaefest.com. Vaud & the Villains The sprawling cabaret-folk combo has won over Silver Lake audiences for its steampunk-inspired revelry and grand, sweeping tunes that put a curl in your moustache.

Steel Pulse is the latest addition to this year's annual Michelob Street Scene. The popular British reggae band will appear Sept. 7 on the Worldbeat/Reggae Stage, at 7th Avenue and J Street. Of the more than 40 acts scheduled to perform at the two-day event, Steel Pulse is one of the best-known. The group has been touring relentlessly for 15 years, and, although none of its albums could be considered a smash, record sales have been quite respectable.

Even reggae music has room to grow. The genre's true artists know it isn't enough to sing piously of God and freedom across a simple trance rhythm. As Steel Pulse demonstrated again Saturday at the Teva Spirit of Unity festival at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the most meaningful reggae is made by those willing to push the form a little further.

It probably wasn't a great idea for members of the British reggae band Steel Pulse to wear white lab coats during Tuesday's Universal Amphitheatre show. That just emphasised the clinical nature of the band's brand of reggae. The seven-man outfit performed with such taut precision that, though it was often musically impressive, there was little room for the kind of spontaneous playfulness that can make a show by even an average reggae band engaging.

Steel Pulse singer-guitarist David Hinds has a special label for the reggae band's San Diego concerts. "Operation C.C.," Hinds said. "San Diegans are a crazy crowd ." "The time before last in San Diego, we played at a block carnival where they blocked the streets off," Hinds said, referring to the band's 1990 Michelob Street Scene performance. "We had to stop playing after half an hour. The crowd broke the stage down. They are a hungry crowd, hungry-plus."

Like those dearly departed Presidents, Bob Marley won't be around for his birthday party, a celebration generally more fun than Abe Lincoln's--at least until "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" becomes a cool reggae song. Marley, who died in 1981, would have been 50 years old today.

Talk about a case of skankus interruptus. Steel Pulse was building momentum for a triumphant finale to its headlining set at the "Reggae Sunsplash" concert at the Greek Theatre on Saturday. But the English band abruptly concluded its performance at 8 p.m. sharp--exactly four hours after the first of the weekend's two sold-out shows began. The audience didn't seem to mind the anticlimactic ending--there wasn't even much of an uproar over the lack of an encore. In fact, Steel Pulse had to vie for the audience's attention with a beach ball bouncing around in the crowd and the dude scaling a 60-foot light tower.

Even reggae music has room to grow. The genre's true artists know it's not enough to sing piously of God and freedom across a simple trance rhythm. As Steel Pulse demonstrated again Saturday at the Teva Spirit of Unity festival at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the most meaningful reggae is made by those willing to push the form a little further.

Between the death of Bob Marley, the murder of drummer Carlton Barrett and legal entanglements restricting the group's activities for years, the Wailers Band has faced plenty of trials by fire. But there's little evidence of the reggae sextet's indomitable spirit on this undistinguished comeback album. The songs (all written or co-written by singer-guitarist Junior Marvin) steer a nondescript commercial course that echoes Steel Pulse and UB40. Only "Reggae Love" and "Irie" pack any kind of groove punch, while the lyrics are nebulous social protests or generic tributes to reggae music.

Even reggae music has room to grow. The genre's true artists know it's not enough to sing piously of God and freedom across a simple trance rhythm. As Steel Pulse demonstrated again Saturday at the Teva Spirit of Unity festival at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, the most meaningful reggae is made by those willing to push the form a little further.

Like those dearly departed Presidents, Bob Marley won't be around for his birthday party, a celebration generally more fun than Abe Lincoln's--at least until "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" becomes a cool reggae song. Marley, who died in 1981, would have been 50 years old today.

Steel Pulse singer-guitarist David Hinds has a special label for the reggae band's San Diego concerts. "Operation C.C.," Hinds said. "San Diegans are a crazy crowd ." "The time before last in San Diego, we played at a block carnival where they blocked the streets off," Hinds said, referring to the band's 1990 Michelob Street Scene performance. "We had to stop playing after half an hour. The crowd broke the stage down. They are a hungry crowd, hungry-plus."

When the British reggae band Steel Pulse went prospecting for American gold and platinum a few years ago, its music turned to tin. Last week, on the first of two nights at the Greek Theatre, Steel Pulse's reggae elements seemed bronzed: preserved mementos that had taken their last steps years ago. Though regaining some of the infectiousness and toughness that have been lost on recent recordings, Steel Pulse's performance was static and predictable, musically and thematically.

Steel Pulse is the latest addition to this year's annual Michelob Street Scene. The popular British reggae band will appear Sept. 7 on the Worldbeat/Reggae Stage, at 7th Avenue and J Street. Of the more than 40 acts scheduled to perform at the two-day event, Steel Pulse is one of the best-known. The group has been touring relentlessly for 15 years, and, although none of its albums could be considered a smash, record sales have been quite respectable.

Between the death of Bob Marley, the murder of drummer Carlton Barrett and legal entanglements restricting the group's activities for years, the Wailers Band has faced plenty of trials by fire. But there's little evidence of the reggae sextet's indomitable spirit on this undistinguished comeback album. The songs (all written or co-written by singer-guitarist Junior Marvin) steer a nondescript commercial course that echoes Steel Pulse and UB40. Only "Reggae Love" and "Irie" pack any kind of groove punch, while the lyrics are nebulous social protests or generic tributes to reggae music.

MUSIC JazzReggae Festival Take in top-notch jazz, rap and reggae music at the 25th annual festival at UCLA. This year's event features Steel Pulse, Tanya Stephens and much more. UCLA Intramural Field, 405 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. Noon to 7 p.m. Ticket prices vary. http://www.jazzreggaefest.com. Vaud & the Villains The sprawling cabaret-folk combo has won over Silver Lake audiences for its steampunk-inspired revelry and grand, sweeping tunes that put a curl in your moustache.

Talk about a case of skankus interruptus. Steel Pulse was building momentum for a triumphant finale to its headlining set at the "Reggae Sunsplash" concert at the Greek Theatre on Saturday. But the English band abruptly concluded its performance at 8 p.m. sharp--exactly four hours after the first of the weekend's two sold-out shows began. The audience didn't seem to mind the anticlimactic ending--there wasn't even much of an uproar over the lack of an encore. In fact, Steel Pulse had to vie for the audience's attention with a beach ball bouncing around in the crowd and the dude scaling a 60-foot light tower.