EXCLUSIVE: UB40's Astro – A True Labour of Love

UB40 has been a household name for over three decades now. Reggae star Astro took time out of his busy schedule to tell us more about UB4O’s journey and their future projects.
UB40’s relationship to music has always been a true labour of love, as the title of their most iconic album clearly states. It is no surprise that they have managed to stay so relevant despite the passing of time. It has been 38 years since UB40 first formed and their songs are still some of the most recognisable reggae anthems ever.
Their rise to fame was quite a remarkable one. They had only performed 12 live shows when they were spotted by American rock star Chrissie Hynde. She spotted their potential and invited them on her tour. That moment changed the course of their career.
Astro was a member of UB40 from the moment of its conception in Birmingham in 1978. He now performances alongside his two former UB40 members, Ali Campbell and Mickey Virtue.
UB40 has been a huge part of Astro’s life. UB40 wasn’t just a way of making music and a living at the same time for him. UB40 was being able to go on world tours and take the people that mattered with him.
“When we first started we was already a gang anyway, so even if UB40 hadn’t of happened we would still be hanging out together,” he says. In the UB40 project there was room for everyone, even those friends who were not musically inclined.
“I can’t think of a better job than being a world traveller with all of your mates, and to get paid as well is a bonus,” he concludes.
Making music for a living is definitely one of the perks of being a professional musician for Astro but there is something incredibly special about performing on stage. “I love being on stage, it was what I meant to do,” he explains. “Travelling the world with your social circle is the best part of being in a band.”
When they were first setting up UB40, and even when they had been a well established band for years, people found it puzzling that being from Birmingham they had chosen to produce and perform reggae music. The members were often asked, why reggae?
“The explanation for us was to perform the songs that we grew up listening to as kids – the number ones,” points out Astro. “We just believed that if these songs were exposed to the general public, the rest of the world would fall in love with them just as we did as kids.”
Reggae has always been the ultimate music genre for Astro and UB40. All of their biggest hits, most of which you will be familiar with – ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Red Red Wine’, ‘Kingston Town’ -, are imbued with the distinct sounds of the Caribbean. “Reggae in general inspires me because it is the music of the street, it is the music of the people, for the downtrodden,” reasons Astro.
Touring has always been one of Astro’s biggest passions. It was inevitable that all that travelling would influence and transform his way of making music. “As you go out and experience other countries, your music can’t help but take on those influences. It also changes your subject matter because its broadening your horizons,” explains Astro on the subject.
Astro knew they had made it when he first heard one of UB40’s songs on the radio. “It does make you smile,” he says when describing the feeling of when he first heard one on the waves. “When we first joined the band the hope was to hear one of our songs on the radio and when it finally happened we were just left speechless.”
Reaching the heights of the musical pyramid, however, hasn’t made UB40 slow down. There is still a lot of music to be made. Astro describes their latest album as a “bunch of songs we listened to when we started touring.” He continued: “When the band first started touring, these were the songs that we were listening to and blowing up the airwaves. You couldn’t go to any dance or reggae show without hearing these songs.”
“Apart from the album release we will be touring and we have a couple of projects that we are working on at the moment,” says the reggae star. Astro and company will be rescuing some old material they never got to use. They are hoping that due to their reputation they will be able to help up-and-coming reggae artists achieve greatness.
Astro couldn’t finish the interview without showing how grateful he is to UB40 fans all over the world. “Thank you for your undying support, you’re the best fans in the world. We wouldn’t be here without you, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts, and see you at one of the shows soon!”
UB40 will be performing the festival circuit this summer.
> Naomi Round