02 October - The Junction : Stripe, Cambridge

Alabama3

Alabama3 supported by Hunk Papa Tribe

The evening was initiated by the Papa Hunk Tribe... a heavy Reggae DJ outfit... heavy in all senses.. the lead was a big bloke with half his teeth missing who took his artform very seriously but would occassionally become animated..leaping about miming to tunes! The Stripe (Junction) ressembled a school disco at first with most of the crowd staying around the perifery. As 9pm approached the place was filling out and Hunk Papa were ushered from the stage... the CD decks still pumping the reggae beat.

Positioned at the front I was surprised to find myself directly oposite (when they came on stage) Devlin Love the diminutive gospelesk associate of the band. Larry love and the Rev D Wayne love and the other 7 members of the band packed tightly on the stage. They rattled through a whole bunch of favourites.. Johnny Cash etc and slipped in the new MOR.... Alabama 3 is hard to describe... Country. Acid House/Techno even Gospel.  By the end the crowd was really jumping. Oddly halfway though Devlin was taking a refreshment break (more beer vicar) when she looked up at me.. bemoning the lack of beer. She then attempted to make a braclet out of a can of red stripe and promptly gave it to me.. see attached photo!

In all it was a good evening. If I had had 3 more pints it would have been truely great ;-) I was left pondering about the warmup acts I have seen recently... Hunk Papa and Chris T-T. Both were not obvious preludes to the main acts. Is this some new tactic.. to put music in front of people that challenges them? Or is it that they are cheep??

7/10