The Belgrave Music Hall allows for an intimate setting but gives its audience just enough space to groove to the reggae vibes of Natty. Under Rasta inspired red and green lights, we bopped our way through the crowd and scored a spot at the front.

Natty and his accomplished band The Rebel Ship took us “back to Africa”, transporting everyone with classic reggae beats, which were married with impressive vocals. The artist moved fluidly from reggae to rap, holding the audience’s attention firmly. Transitions to more familiar acoustic rhythms were seamless, with popular favorites like ‘Bedroom Eyes’ that had the crowd swaying and singing along to every word. Natty and the band excited the audience by swiftly moving to upbeat riffs and the singer owned his space, bouncing across the stage in time with each chord and his dancing fans.

After a well-deserved break, filled by a skilled supporting act, Natty was straight back in with another favorite, ‘July’. Feeling slightly sweaty, singing “July, July, July” it was easy to forget that I was in Leeds in the middle of winter.  The artist spoke comfortably to the audience and made his performance personal when inviting us to listen to his new songs such as ‘Ss I love You’. Just when we thought the performer couldn’t be more versatile, he introduced us to his fusion of reggae and soft rock, and while we didn’t know the words, the crowd were soon all jammin’ along.

As well as engaging the audience with memorable tunes, Natty shared his relevant philosophy which preached the importance of love and hindrance of fear. The crowd rightly agreed with him that “we are all equal”, unifying everyone before leaving the stage.

Natty and his extremely talented band gave an impressive performance that was enjoyable for all involved.

Annie Butcher

(Image: Natty Music)