WAR started out as Eric Burden’s backing band in 1969 just as he was about to quit music; NME’s live review famously stated “Best Live Band We’ve Ever Seen”; Hendrix jammed with them on stage at Ronnie Scott’s two days before he died.
The band has been through many lineup changes. Lonnie Jordan now leads the band and is the only original member. The other members range from late-90s to now.
Tonight is straight-up R&B/Soul. Think Sly and the Family Stone, not Beyonce… more four-to-the-floor, less warbling. Jordan is an entertainer/comedian rather than a standard frontman, like a character from The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers crossed with Richard Pryor.
They play through the songs that gave WAR their fame and reputation, speaking out against racism and gangs and calling out for unity in a time of Vietnam, peace signs and “far out man!”. Songs like Baby Brother, Galaxy, Summer, The World Is A Ghetto and Low Rider. The crowd are (mostly) a lot younger than I expected and they know all the words to every song, grooving their way through the whole show and chanting and singing responses to pretty much everything Jordan says, much to the amusement of the band.
A joyful experience.
WAR photos:
Photos & words Cormac Figgis @themasterswitch