Friday at Gallo: UB40 founding members stay steeped in reggae

Pay no attention to that other UB40 behind the curtain.

Three of the founders of the internationally renowned reggae band UB40 have joined forces to bring the group’s music back to basics. Under the new moniker UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue, the longtime band mates have been touring together since 2013. The trio stops at the Gallo Center for the Arts on Friday, Oct. 9.

Known for hits like “Kingston Town,” “Red Red Wine” and “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” the original UB40 lineup has sold more than 70 million records worldwide since forming in 1978. But lead singer Campbell left the group in 2008 after almost 30 years at the helm. Keyboardist Virtue left shortly after and then in 2013 was followed by featured vocalist and trumpeter Astro. Last fall the three men put out an album of new music, “Silhouette.”

The other UB40, which calls itself UB40 Official online, has carried on with Ali Campbell’s brother Duncan, who joined the group as his replacement as lead vocalist. But Astro said the the founding members try not to think about that incarnation.

“We’re trying our best to not let it – the dark side, as we like to call them – affect us. We know what we’ve got to do. We’re still on that same mission 35 years later. It’s all about the music. Everything is going great,” Astro said from his home base in Birmingham, England.

“There is a confusion between the fans knowing that there are two different factions out there,” Astro added. “We’ve done everything in our power to let the public know exactly who they are coming to see. The others just used the name UB40 without stating the original lineup. As far as we are concerned, we’re happy as we are. We’re trying our best to keep the legacy alive and give fans exactly what they want to hear. The dark side is a very, very pale imitation.”

Astro said the three founding members had grown disgruntled with decisions the band was making and the direction of its music. In 2013 the group released the album “Getting Over the Storm,” which featured covers of songs by Willie Nelson, The Allman Brothers Band, Randy Travis, Vince Gill and Buck Owens, among others.

“To me, the straw that broke the camel’s bank was the album ‘Getting Over the Storm,’ which was basically a country album. It wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of. I couldn’t look in the mirror and pretend everything was OK. So I had to leave after that,” Astro said.

Campbell and Virtue have a history of touring and recording together. They released the solo albums “Flying High” in 2009 and “Great British Songs” the following year. Still, when Astro left UB40, he was reluctant to reach out to his other ex band mates at first. He said it was his wife, who had remained friends with Campbell’s wife, who convinced him to make the call.

“We decided to give it a try to see if the chemistry was still there, whether we could carry on working together,” Astro said. “It was almost like time had stood still. Nothing had changed. The reaction from the crowd was almost like it was meant to be. So we decided to make it a permanent thing, and here we are nearly two years later.”

Astro said their continued chemistry comes from being best friends before they ever started the band together. Three decades of working together, knowing each other’s moods and being able to read each other on stage, has continued despite their break. Once they got back together, Astro was quickly incorporated into their new projects as well. While Campbell and Virtue had recorded most of “Silhouhette” already, they delayed the release so Astro could go into the studio and be included on the tracks.

“It just so happened the material has been terrific. I think it shows in the performances, too. There’s something about this formula that works. It’s a formula fans know and love and have come to expect. If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” he said.

That formula is very simple – reggae, reggae, reggae. The trio is in the studio now working on new material together. For the live shows Astro said fans can expect all of the hits from the past 30 years as well as a sprinkling of new music and possibly a couple of surprises. But, don’t worry, nothing will be too surprising.

“We can’t stop and change halfway through. It’s like being a Catholic all your life and then suddenly saying I want to be a Protestant. The whole reason for UB40 was to help popularize reggae music – not country music, not hip-hop, not jazz,” Astro said. “The country album is a slap in the face to all of our loyal fans. All we are ever going to be is 100 percent reggae. That’s what we love, what we’re passionate about. If you stick with what you love, you can’t go wrong.”

This story was originally published September 29, 2015 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Friday at Gallo: UB40 founding members stay steeped in reggae."