The British roots reggae band Steel Pulse may have been named after a popular racehorse, but the group has modeled its career after a marathon runner. Now into its thirty-second year, Steel Pulse remains one of the most popular and critically acclaimed reggae bands in the world. Even David Hinds, the group’s founder, singer, guitarist, and songwriter, marvels at his band’s longevity.
“A lot of the people that attend a Steel Pulse concert these days are half my age,” he said in a March 2007 interview for Atlantic City Weekly. “The songs that they’re groovin’ on were written before they were even an itch in their dad’s pants.”
Local fans will have a chance to groove to the rhythms of Steel Pulse this Saturday, March 10, at 9 p.m., when the band performs in Trump Marina’s Grand Cayman room. Tickets are $28.30.
The Atlantic City date is the last stop on a five-week U.S. tour that saw the band spending nearly all of February here in the States. The timing that brought Steel Pulse to the U.S. during Black History Month may have been coincidental, but it was very appropriate for a group known for its socially conscious lyrics and its involvement in social justice issues.
With its infectious riddims, reggae’s music might sound upbeat, but its lyrics often give voice to the struggling and downtrodden. Some fans gravitate to the music of Steel Pulse because of its ties to traditional Rastafarian beliefs, or because of the political message in its lyrics. Then there are those who simply like its catchy, tropical sound. Hinds says he welcomes fans who enjoy his music no matter what their reason.
“When someone says, ‘I don’t really like reggae music, but you guys are alright.’ I really feel good about that,” he says. “There are styles of music that I wouldn’t normally go out and buy, but when I hear a particular band that I find exceptional, I usually find that they are the cream of the crop in that particular style. So it’s gratifying when someone views us in that way.”
Steel Pulse has released over a dozen albums of original material since 1975. The group has been nominated six times, and won a Grammy award for its Babylon The Bandit album. Steel Pulse became the first reggae band ever to perform at the White House when it appeared at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inaugural celebration.
The history of Steel Pulse is also not without its bumps in the road. In the late 80’s, the group embraced the fashionable synth-pop dance sound too eagerly, and lost credibility with some of its core audience. Over the years, original members have left the band, leaving only Hinds and keyboard player Selwyn Brown from the original group.
But Hinds believes the current line-up, with includes long-time members Clifford 'Moonie' Pusey on lead guitar, Alvin Ewen on bass, Sidney Mills on keyboards, and Conrad Kelly on drums, is the best ever.
The band’s most recent album, 2004’s African Holocaust, was hailed by fans and critics alike as a return to the unabashed political and social commentary of classic Steel Pulse albums like True Democracy and Babylon The Bandit – and as one of the strongest of the band’s career.
Hinds says the band would like to record a new album, but is tied up in tour commitments for the foreseeable future. One thing he won’t do is rush the process.
“I don’t like putting out an album for the hell of it,” he says. “I’d like to think that when I put something out it’s got quality, it’s got substance, and ultimately it has longevity.”
He feels that after over 30 years in the public eye, it becomes more difficult to create albums that meet the high expectations of fans.
“When you put out something that really makes a big impression, whatever you follow it up with usually fails by comparison,” Hinds says.
It doesn’t help that Steel Pulse’s brand of music isn’t currently fashionable. Today, reggae bands that focus on social or political issues in their lyrics are a rarity.
“When we started out, we shared a vision with other bands,” he says. “There were a lot of other bands saying the same things we were saying. It was almost like an art movement – where one artist draws on another’s ideas, and one supports the other. But when you find that you’re venturing into areas that no one else is venturing into, it becomes difficult to sustain. You realize there’s no one else that’s doing what you’re doing.”
“For example, we did a song on African Holocaust called ‘Global Warning,’ which is about trees being cut down, and the environment – it’s really about the global warming issue that Al Gore is at the helm of right now. We were singing about that over three years ago. No other reggae band is going to pick up a subject like that.”
Fashionable or not, Steel Pulse’s commitment to social issues transcends its music. Later this month the band will travel to Ghana to participate in observances marking 50 years since that country gained independence from European colonialism. The trip is also the first step in the band’s support of United Front For Africa (UFFA), a charitable organization that hopes to raise money to purchase everything from mosquito nets to computers for children in Africa.
Hines is looking forward to Saturday’s show at Trump Marina. He says the last show of a tour is always special, plus he’s likely to have a few family friends in attendance.
“My mother and father lived in Atlantic City for the good part of 10 years,” he says. “They lived there until 1994. To this day my mom calls now and again and says ‘I understand you’re playing Atlantic City. Could you call so-and-so, who’s an old friend of mine, and make sure her daughter gets into the show?’
“I’ve got relatives everywhere it seems. Everyone claims to be David Hinds’ cousin… and I don’t know them from a can of paint.”
“A lot of the people that attend a Steel Pulse concert these days are half my age,” he said in a March 2007 interview for Atlantic City Weekly. “The songs that they’re groovin’ on were written before they were even an itch in their dad’s pants.”
Local fans will have a chance to groove to the rhythms of Steel Pulse this Saturday, March 10, at 9 p.m., when the band performs in Trump Marina’s Grand Cayman room. Tickets are $28.30.
The Atlantic City date is the last stop on a five-week U.S. tour that saw the band spending nearly all of February here in the States. The timing that brought Steel Pulse to the U.S. during Black History Month may have been coincidental, but it was very appropriate for a group known for its socially conscious lyrics and its involvement in social justice issues.
With its infectious riddims, reggae’s music might sound upbeat, but its lyrics often give voice to the struggling and downtrodden. Some fans gravitate to the music of Steel Pulse because of its ties to traditional Rastafarian beliefs, or because of the political message in its lyrics. Then there are those who simply like its catchy, tropical sound. Hinds says he welcomes fans who enjoy his music no matter what their reason.
“When someone says, ‘I don’t really like reggae music, but you guys are alright.’ I really feel good about that,” he says. “There are styles of music that I wouldn’t normally go out and buy, but when I hear a particular band that I find exceptional, I usually find that they are the cream of the crop in that particular style. So it’s gratifying when someone views us in that way.”
Steel Pulse has released over a dozen albums of original material since 1975. The group has been nominated six times, and won a Grammy award for its Babylon The Bandit album. Steel Pulse became the first reggae band ever to perform at the White House when it appeared at Bill Clinton’s 1993 inaugural celebration.
The history of Steel Pulse is also not without its bumps in the road. In the late 80’s, the group embraced the fashionable synth-pop dance sound too eagerly, and lost credibility with some of its core audience. Over the years, original members have left the band, leaving only Hinds and keyboard player Selwyn Brown from the original group.
But Hinds believes the current line-up, with includes long-time members Clifford 'Moonie' Pusey on lead guitar, Alvin Ewen on bass, Sidney Mills on keyboards, and Conrad Kelly on drums, is the best ever.
The band’s most recent album, 2004’s African Holocaust, was hailed by fans and critics alike as a return to the unabashed political and social commentary of classic Steel Pulse albums like True Democracy and Babylon The Bandit – and as one of the strongest of the band’s career.
Hinds says the band would like to record a new album, but is tied up in tour commitments for the foreseeable future. One thing he won’t do is rush the process.
“I don’t like putting out an album for the hell of it,” he says. “I’d like to think that when I put something out it’s got quality, it’s got substance, and ultimately it has longevity.”
He feels that after over 30 years in the public eye, it becomes more difficult to create albums that meet the high expectations of fans.
“When you put out something that really makes a big impression, whatever you follow it up with usually fails by comparison,” Hinds says.
It doesn’t help that Steel Pulse’s brand of music isn’t currently fashionable. Today, reggae bands that focus on social or political issues in their lyrics are a rarity.
“When we started out, we shared a vision with other bands,” he says. “There were a lot of other bands saying the same things we were saying. It was almost like an art movement – where one artist draws on another’s ideas, and one supports the other. But when you find that you’re venturing into areas that no one else is venturing into, it becomes difficult to sustain. You realize there’s no one else that’s doing what you’re doing.”
“For example, we did a song on African Holocaust called ‘Global Warning,’ which is about trees being cut down, and the environment – it’s really about the global warming issue that Al Gore is at the helm of right now. We were singing about that over three years ago. No other reggae band is going to pick up a subject like that.”
Fashionable or not, Steel Pulse’s commitment to social issues transcends its music. Later this month the band will travel to Ghana to participate in observances marking 50 years since that country gained independence from European colonialism. The trip is also the first step in the band’s support of United Front For Africa (UFFA), a charitable organization that hopes to raise money to purchase everything from mosquito nets to computers for children in Africa.
Hines is looking forward to Saturday’s show at Trump Marina. He says the last show of a tour is always special, plus he’s likely to have a few family friends in attendance.
“My mother and father lived in Atlantic City for the good part of 10 years,” he says. “They lived there until 1994. To this day my mom calls now and again and says ‘I understand you’re playing Atlantic City. Could you call so-and-so, who’s an old friend of mine, and make sure her daughter gets into the show?’
“I’ve got relatives everywhere it seems. Everyone claims to be David Hinds’ cousin… and I don’t know them from a can of paint.”
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