Australian promoter Andrew McManus has set the record straight after former UB40 frontman Ali Campbell claimed that he and his band, who tour controversially under the UB40 name, were approached to play the upcoming Raggamuffin IX festival.
As the New Zealand Herald reported earlier this month, Campbell, who has a forthcoming tour of New Zealand planned, is furious with Raggamuffin organisers for promoting what he’s labelled an alternative UB40 for their 2016 lineup.
“It is unbelievable McManus is putting on the other UB40 so close to our tour,” Campbell told the Herald. “I think he feels a bit betrayed we decided not to do Raggamuffin after headlining it four or five times in the past.”
“But in recent times there has been too many hip-hop and rap acts on the bill and we felt the festival was losing credibility with reggae fans. Last year Ice Cube went down like a horse-shit sandwich, as Lauryn Hill did the previous year.”
“I am the original voice of UB40 and everyone knows that,” Campbell said. “When people go to see the other lot it would be like going to a Rolling Stones concert and watching Mick Jagger’s unknown brother Chris fronting the band.”
“Everyone would be wondering who the hell he is. My brothers will find it very difficult in front of what is basically my crowd at Raggamuffin.”
But according to a statement from Andrew McManus, Campbell’s story is nothing but fiction. “Ali Campbell was never invited to play Raggamuffin IX,” he said in a statement to Tone Deaf.
“At no point has Ali Campbell, or his version of UB40 been approached about performing at the Festival on 20 February 2016. Raggamuffin is looking forward to presenting the original UB40, featuring five of the six founder members.”
“These are Robin Campbell (Vocals & Guitar), Jimmy Brown (drums), Earl Falconer (bass & vocals), Norman Hassan (percussion & vocals) and Brian Travers (saxophone).”
“UB40 also features Martin Meredith and Laurence Parry – long time horn section with UB40 for over twenty years, Tony Mullings on keyboards, and Robin’s brother Duncan Campbell, vocalist for eight years with UB40.”
Campbell’s “version of UB40″ is in fact an iteration of the former frontman’s solo pursuits. Campbell left UB40 in 2008 to embark on a solo career but soon began touring under the UB40 name with former members Astro and Mickey Virtue.
“Both morally and legally we are the only UB40,” said Robin Campbell, Ali’s brother and a current member of UB40, in a statement. “When Ali left we continued to record and tour and never stopped, so for him to come back and try to claim the name seven years after he walked out was ludicrous.”
“It was Ali’s choice to leave UB40, he wasn’t pushed. It was very painful, not just for me but for every member of the band – everybody felt like their brother had walked out. When Ali left he knew UB40 would carry on and be successful without him – and he was right.”
“After all, our line-up includes five of UB40’s six founding members, and in Brian, Jimmy and myself you have all of UB40’s principal songwriters. And we’re a reggae band; no other band in the world can replicate the sound of UB40’s rhythm section of Earl (bass) and Jimmy (drums).”
“They are the backbone of UB40’s sound. And for the record, Astro and Mickey (Virtue), two other former members of the band, are not founding members of UB40, despite Ali constantly claiming that they are – and they know it.”
“Astro’s now a backing singer for Ali’s band. He’s not a founding member of that band, either! Ali has a habit of repeating things in the press until they become his truth but, no matter how many times he says it, Ali Campbell’s backing band are not and never will be UB40.”
UB40 are currently awaiting a High Court date they hope will finally put the situation between Campbell and the band to bed. The band are currently in the midst of a 90-date UK tour, the most extensive UK tour of their career to date.
Meanwhile, Campbell’s band are set to appear as “UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue” at Byron Bay Bluesfest this March. Their appearance at the festival will be their only Australian performance of the year.
