Wed Aug 4, Moore Theatre, 8 pm, $25.
The reggae band Steel Pulse formed in the ghettos of Birmingham in the mid-'70s. At the time, unemployment was on the rise, labor rights were in decline, and white racism was reinvigorated by the hard times described in the Specials' "Ghost Town." Steel Pulse's first LP, 1978's Handsworth Revolution, directly addressed this racism that would climax with the riots of Brixton in 1981.
At first, Steel Pulse were more affiliated with the emerging punk scene than the reggae scene. They were part of the Rock Against Racism movement and regularly toured with groups like Generation X, the Stranglers, and XTC. This alliance was quite natural; reggae and punk are at root political art forms with the same mission: dismantling the ruling order.
In addition to being politically vocal, though, Steel Pulse also were great songwriters. Purists believe Handsworth Revolution is the band's best record, but those of us who just like great pop will easily name True Democracy (1982) as the band's finest accomplishment.
Steel Pulse members now mostly live in the U.S., and for the most part the band has been forgotten in the UK. But how on earth can anyone forget the distinctive voice of David Hinds (the voice that Sting desperately wanted but was denied by the limits of his talent) or Hinds' tower of dreadlocks ("stovepipe dread," as it is called)? England is a bitch.
