Words: Miljan Milekić
It’s been a while since I last saw Dub FX, so his performance on the Main stage on a Saturday night was more than welcome. The fact that I love his music, and that he put out a new album since I last saw him, surely didn’t hurt. Back in 2014, he played two sets – one at this very stage, and the street performance at the town’s main square earlier on the same day, however both times, he did it with his band. This time we got to see him going back to his roots, playing alone with his looper.
He started his set a bit slower, introducing himself, and showing the basics of what he’s doing on the stage, before easing into the first couple of songs. Exploring his dub and reggae influences, he slowly but surely got the crowd going, delivering mellow sounds and positive vibrations from the stage. The turning point came around the middle of the set when he dropped ‘So Are You,’ one of the biggest hits and leading single from his 2016′ album ‘Thinking Clear.’ The second part of the song brought a massive drum and bass drop, setting the tone for the rest of the set.
After that, the Australian shifted to fifth gear and showed no signs of slowing down until the end of the set. He even brought out a guest on stage – Russian reggae artist and his collaborator Steppa Style, who later performed at Wenti Wadada Positive Reggae stage. The two undoubtedly had fun on the stage, before Dub FX took the lead again and brought the show to its end. However, the end itself seemed a bit rushed and unexpected, for both artists and crowd alike, almost as if he lost the sense of time for a minute. The biggest surprise was the absence of his breakthrough hit ‘Love Someone’ from the setlist, but after a strong set, it would be a bit unfair to complain about anything.
