From My Mum’s Playlist to Cardiff Castle: UB40 featuring Ali Campbell (Live Review)

Forget the forecast, embrace UB40. Even the rain couldn’t stop Cardiff Castle from being transformed into a vibrant, high-spirited celebration last night. UB40 featuring Ali Campbell delivered a performance that was less concert and more a happy sigh of relief. A celebration of what, I’m unsure, but everyone was undeniably in high (and yes, probably drunk) spirits, nonetheless.

The best way I can describe how I feel after experiencing live music would probably be: euphoric. 

It doesn’t matter what the genre is, where it is or who I’m watching perform, I always leave with a sense of “wow, everything really is going to work out for me.” Sometimes that thought comes in the middle of a song, bumping hips with the person next to me, or hearing people sing along to a song with such passion, you feel chills down your spine. Other times it comes when I look to my right and see my best friends standing next to me, or when I FaceTime my Mum and watch how excited she gets when she sees someone she played for me growing up performing on stage.

It happened at Sting and it happened again at UB40. Watching music that has had such an influence in my life, one way or another is always a little polarising. It’s music that was ingrained in little Meg Ivy’s brain, but now I’m witnessing it as a 26 year old. 

Standing in the middle of Cardiff Castle, the rain soaked air to the muddy shoes, to the smiles exchanged between strangers, everything just clicked. From the moment I stepped into the photo pit, it felt as if I was a part of the band. Members were smiling at me, one of them even giving me a little wave (talk about a Y/N Wattpad moment honestly) as I danced my way through the first three songs (no flash, of course, we’re all professionals here!) to then dance my way into the crowd. It was a night that truly felt like a movie and if Taiye hadn’t been with me the whole time, I would have been convinced that I had been in a movie … but one of those ones where you find out you’re being pranked halfway through. 

I know I always tell you how much fun I have at these gigs, but I truly mean it. UB40 was about making new friends, reconnecting with people I’d met the last time I was at the castle and most importantly … locking in those moments into my memory bank to retell my Mum the next day on the phone, when we have our daily debrief. It’s like the tea time alarm, except it’s just me and my Mum gossiping.

The whole ‘TK Maxx presents Depot Live’ series at both the Castle and Blackweir this year has been nothing short of incredible, pulling in some legendary musicians and rising stars … and to be honest, UB40 was no exception. 

“I seemed to have stopped the rain!” Bitty Mclean exclaimed to the crowd, as his sweet reggae music washed over the thousands in attendance, the crowd members donned in ponchos putting their hands in the air and screaming back in agreement. The support acts of the night were perfect, getting the crowd warmed up and ready, not to mention to the two wonderful duets between Ali Campbell and Bitty Mclean later in the evening. Two icons, truly shutting down the castle! We love to see it. 

Then, it was time for UB40 featuring Ali Campbell to hit the stage … or well … hit is too strong of a word for a frontman who is 66 years old. But, you know what I mean. Ali Campbell glided onto the Cardiff Castle stage as if he’d never left, lighting up the faces of every crowd member there, including mine … I had genuinely never been more happy to hear music in my life. It was just so fun. Ali was grinning from ear to ear, even throwing in a couple of dance moves when he wasn’t effortlessly playing his electric guitar. And the band? Ali called them “the best reggae band in the world” and I can’t help but agree, the energy from all members was infectious, I found myself smiling from ear to ear from start to finish. The set was a whirlwind of pure nostalgia (seriously, it felt like my inner child was genuinely healed after this show) and reggae music. It was a masterclass in giving the crowd exactly what they wanted, with some extra bits on the side. 

The crowd was a heartwarming mix of ages – although I’m pretty sure me and Taiye were vying for the title of “youngest in the crowd”. Everyone was swaying, drinks were spilling over, yells and cheers echoing across the castle grounds. People were just genuinely, truly happy to be there, ponchos on, screaming the lyrics with everything they had. 

And then, when I thought the magic of the night couldn’t get any stronger, I walked out of the toilet backstage, on my way to grab my camera gear and spotted the band waiting to go back on for their encore. A wink was sent my way as I grabbed my camera gear and was taken out the front entrance, Taiye in tow as we walked back to the car, Red Red Wine, soundtracking our walk. Honestly, it was one of those nights where a constant “are you kidding me right now?” was being whispered to Taiye every three seconds or so. It’s moments like that, that really do make everything so worth it. 

Who knew I’d be fangirling over UB40? Certainly not me, but I’m somehow not mad about it. They rock!

This evening was seriously overflowing with smiles and conversations that I’m going to be thinking about for days to come. Connecting with people, especially when music is the backdrop is just wonderful. You get these little snippets of shared human experience, like someone excitedly asking me “We might get a rainbow today, are you excited?” Yes I am! It truly is the little things that make nights like these even better than they already were. 

Reggae music is meant to bring people together and in times of despair that we are currently witnessing globally right now, I honestly think it did just that in Cardiff on Sunday. There wasn’t a care in the world felt across the castle grounds, in fact, it was the exact opposite. Smiles were permanently on faces, even among the sea of rain ponchos and the little droplets that hit me in the face every now and again. Everyone was just genuinely excited and danced the entire night away, the morale high and some people in the crowd probably higher. And so, as the cheers from the Castle faded and Taiye and I hummed ‘Red Red Wine’ on our walk back to the car, that familiar feeling settled over me. Watching Ali Campbell make the stage his own, effortlessly bringing these iconic songs to life, felt like another full circle moment had completed itself. The music that has always been ingrained in little Meg Ivy, now making a 26 year-old Meg Ivy dance, laugh and nearly cry in the rain. UB40 featuring Ali Campbell didn’t just play a set of hits, they played music that created that precious feeling that yeah, everything will be okay, because I’ll make sure it is. It was a sweet reminder that sometimes all you need is live music to heal, unite and make us feel a little less alone, even if it’s just for one night. And truly, what else do you really need?

Written by Meg Ivy Brunning

Images by Meg Ivy Brunning & Taiye Omokore