July 18, 1975: Jah Rastafarian! – Bob Marley and the Wailers become a major event at the concert in Londoner Lyceum
“I never got closer than this gig,” describes the filmmaker and artist Don Letts, the legendary concert by Bob Marley and the Wailers on July 18, 1975 in London Lyceum, which Marley established as an international superstar and on the album “Live!” for eternity. Wailers bass player Aston “Family Man” Barrett remembers well: “The gig was something very special for us. All on stage were high of the reactions that came from the audience. ” A lot was at stake for Marley. For the first time after the departure of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, he led the Wailers …
Both London concerts, on July 17 and 18, 1975, were sold out within one day, the expectations were high. Special operations were called as thousands of fans, most Jamaicans, threatened to storm the hall. “They tore the fire protection doors out of the wall,” says organizer Mick Cater. “1500 people came in. That evening the world met Bob Marley. “
“Everywhere it smelled of hashish and the air was to cut …”
Bob Marley started the show with “Trenchtown Rock”, held the pace with “Burnin ‘and Lotin'”, “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”, “Lively Up Yourself” and came with “I Shot the Sheriff” and “Get Up” for an explosive climax. “The audience was half black and half white, a lot of people sat on the floor and handed Spliffs around,” says writer Chris Salewicz. “Everywhere it smelled of hashish, and the air was for cutting …
“We knew that this evening was different because people clapped frenetically at the beginning of a song”
That was the first time that we heard Bob called: ‘Jah Rastafari!’ “The audience participated most with a new song,” No Woman No Cry “, the gospel fling with the spiritual intensity of the reggae. Marley brought people to frenzy when he had them declamated: “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right”. As “live!” came out, the song became Marley’s trademark.
“The choir from the audience is real,” explains Chris Blackwell, Boss of Iceland Records. “This killer version of ‘No Woman No Cry’ catapulted Marley up several floors.” That night 1975 reggae rose for true world music – and Bob Marley became the third world icon. Barrett: “We knew that this evening was different because people clapped frenetically at the beginning of a song. As soon as the first drum strike sounded. “