Reviewed for LiveGuide

It seems like Salmonella Dub are popping up in Australia every few months these days and on further investigation it appears that this Freak tour is something like their 30th visit these shores. As usual they attracted a sellout crowd and proceeded to twist the melons and move the feet of pretty much everyone in the Metro.

Another feature of Salmonella Dub shows is their selection of great support acts. In this case they brought along Ladi 6 from Christchurch, local Bondi boys Budspells and The Mighty Asterix who, between acts, kept the vibe flowing with his ragga and dancehall vocals over some classic reggae instrumentals.

Budspells were on not long after the doors opened so they were well and truly a warm up act. Their range of styles is their biggest strength with trip hop, dubstep, hip hop and jungle  elements all playing their part in a diverse set. They knew how to bring up the mood and get the crowd moving so early in the evening. Out front, Kye effortlessly moved between a Pacific soul croon, reggae rhymes and tougher hip hop vocals. ‘Feel Styles’ still sounded like a lost classic from Tribe Called Quest recording for Ninja Tune.

Ladi 6 has developed a name for herself in NZ and abroad with her smooth blend of hip hop, soul and electronica and the crowd response and her performance confirmed that she lives up to that reputation. Commanding the stage with just a DJ next to you isn’t the easiest thing yet she shimmied and funked her way through her set with consummate ease. Parks was impressive playing the role of MC, backing vocalist and DJ by fleshing out Ladi 6’s sound and giving her someone to play off.

Switching between RnB vocals and some strong rapping, the comparison with the UK’s Lady Dynamite was hard to avoid. Ladi 6 though, brings a Pacific influence that is big on reggae and seems to swing a lot more than her US counterparts. She knows the importance of a simple hook and an infectious beat to capture the audience’s attention.

Salmonella Dub could have taken a big hit when they lost Tiki Taane a few years ago but instead they refocused on the more dub and electronic elements of their sound and continued on into slightly murkier waters.

The surprise factor of their show was seeing recent visitor Paddy Free (Pitch Black) on keyboards/sampler and almost acting as a non-singing frontman for the band. Without the personality of Taane they aren’t the most engaging or visually entertaining bunch of guys so the addition of the orange-haired Free may be an added bonus on top of his brilliant skills as a producer/engineer and musician. He is producing their forthcoming album and though it remains to be seen whether he will be a permanent member of the band, they would be crazy not to retain him.

The main weapons on display at a Salmonella Dub show are still the seismic bass and the brilliant drumming of Dave Deakins who now also performs all of the singing duties. Along with guitarist Andrew Penman and multi-instrumentalist Pete Wood they yet again took the crowd on a journey through dark funk, dub house and drum & bass with grand gestures in the form of dub detonations, exclamatory horns and some relentless growing grooves.

Though the set had somewhat of a lull in the middle with the more laid-back songs, it all came to a head with the surging final track that grew and grew into a relentless dancefloor filler. Deakins’ drumming directed the music, making it fly before bringing it crashing back down to earth. The audience was a sea of moving bodies and swaying arms and the fact that the whole Metro was interacting rather than just watching showed the power Salmonella Dub have to move the minds and bodies of their audience. They certainly dispelled any thoughts that they might be a lesser force as a live band.