by Tom Minogue
Monday, October 6, 2008; 11:25 PM
When I talked with band members of Bob Marley's former band, The Wailers, several hours before their show at Awful Arthur's last Friday night, there were two things I noticed about Junior Marvin and Al Anderson.
Chris Stack/SPPSThe Wailers band member Junior Marvin, pictured above, said that the group is "just starting to tap into the lot of (its) musical ability. "
One was that their tour bus was surprisingly clean, with no cannabis-related paraphernalia anywhere in sight. The other, the fact that the years Marvin and Anderson have spent on the road following Marley's death have managed to shape them as musicians. What started out as a simple message of unity and peace has turned into a lifestyle.
In the dim light of The Wailers' touring quarters, they rolled out of their bunks on the bus, introductions were made and they were kind enough to sit down for a few questions. Marvin is noticeable even in the lighting with tinted shades and a camouflage Rasta cap, with dreadlocks down his back. Anderson seems a little disheveled, with his white shirt hanging loose and that groggy, just-woken-up look in his eyes. Either way, both give off an aura of pure unfiltered cool, an aura that hung around them the entire evening through their impressive set.
Q: Understanding the legacy of Bob Marley seems crucial to the music you're making today. How did his death affect you?
Junior Marvin: The death of Bob affected us personally; it was like your brother dying.
Al Anderson: Yes, what was the crucial point of that was that it retained the integrity of the music. It made us look back and reinforce the message of peace, love and unity.
Q: How did you manage to bring this message back to Jamaica?
AA: The thing is, this message started in Jamaica, so it never really left. It was more similar to when you plant the seeds in the earth. You leave for many years but when you finally come back to see this shrub, it's grown into a tree.
Q: Do you ever worry about making more music that lives up to the previous songs you've written?
JM: Through tragedies and new beginnings, I believe we're just starting to tap into the lot of our musical ability ... it's finally time to push ourselves. With the dynamic we have now, there's no worry at all. We know we aren't at 100 percent yet, but we're going to keep pushing to get there.
AA: Over the past years we've had to deal with lawyers and finances, all these things that have held us back from getting back to what we truly love, playing the music. Now that all that's cleared up, we're finally getting back to that love.
Q: With regard to peace and love, how do you feel about the upcoming presidential election here in the United States?
JM: It seems like people are more aware, the young people are more aware of their destiny and have seen the actions of the current administration over the last eight years to know what they can do.
AA: The people now really have the opportunity to vote comprehensively ... to know what their convictions are. I'm saying that both Obama and McCain are both good candidates and representative of the American people. They can explain the problems the country's undergoing, and offer solutions to those problems.
Q: What best describes your music?
AA: Forever love in God and work. Yeah -- that describes everything, that's it.
Q: What do you like best about touring?
AA: Playing with this new group of musicians, every day something new happens; it's very exciting. I've never worked with any of these guys before. This is our third show together. Right now we're not a band, but we're a group, and eventually we'll be a band.
Q: Anything else you guys would like to say?
JM: One love, one love. Check us out at www.myspace.com/originalwailers.
Listening to the band play their set a couple hours after the dialogue, it's safe to say it should be able to keep touring for a long while. For having such a strong reggae background, Anderson burns through in lead guitar with the rhythm Marvin keeps. It serves as a backbone for the rest of the group, who seem to feed off each others' energy on the stage, swaying and moving as much as the crowd does.
The feeling that bleeds into their music is apparent when Marvin, leaning over to the mic for the first time of the night, dedicates "Redemption Song" to the victims of April 16. The music finally seems to be elevated to the message and seems to beg the question: Who couldn't use a little peace and love these days?
bob marley, awful arthur's, the wailers
Chris Stack/SPPSThe Wailers band member Junior Marvin, pictured above, said that the group is "just starting to tap into the lot of (its) musical ability. "
In the dim light of The Wailers' touring quarters, they rolled out of their bunks on the bus, introductions were made and they were kind enough to sit down for a few questions. Marvin is noticeable even in the lighting with tinted shades and a camouflage Rasta cap, with dreadlocks down his back. Anderson seems a little disheveled, with his white shirt hanging loose and that groggy, just-woken-up look in his eyes. Either way, both give off an aura of pure unfiltered cool, an aura that hung around them the entire evening through their impressive set.
Q: Understanding the legacy of Bob Marley seems crucial to the music you're making today. How did his death affect you?
Junior Marvin: The death of Bob affected us personally; it was like your brother dying.
Al Anderson: Yes, what was the crucial point of that was that it retained the integrity of the music. It made us look back and reinforce the message of peace, love and unity.
Q: How did you manage to bring this message back to Jamaica?
AA: The thing is, this message started in Jamaica, so it never really left. It was more similar to when you plant the seeds in the earth. You leave for many years but when you finally come back to see this shrub, it's grown into a tree.
Q: Do you ever worry about making more music that lives up to the previous songs you've written?
JM: Through tragedies and new beginnings, I believe we're just starting to tap into the lot of our musical ability ... it's finally time to push ourselves. With the dynamic we have now, there's no worry at all. We know we aren't at 100 percent yet, but we're going to keep pushing to get there.
AA: Over the past years we've had to deal with lawyers and finances, all these things that have held us back from getting back to what we truly love, playing the music. Now that all that's cleared up, we're finally getting back to that love.
Q: With regard to peace and love, how do you feel about the upcoming presidential election here in the United States?
JM: It seems like people are more aware, the young people are more aware of their destiny and have seen the actions of the current administration over the last eight years to know what they can do.
AA: The people now really have the opportunity to vote comprehensively ... to know what their convictions are. I'm saying that both Obama and McCain are both good candidates and representative of the American people. They can explain the problems the country's undergoing, and offer solutions to those problems.
Q: What best describes your music?
AA: Forever love in God and work. Yeah -- that describes everything, that's it.
Q: What do you like best about touring?
AA: Playing with this new group of musicians, every day something new happens; it's very exciting. I've never worked with any of these guys before. This is our third show together. Right now we're not a band, but we're a group, and eventually we'll be a band.
Q: Anything else you guys would like to say?
JM: One love, one love. Check us out at www.myspace.com/originalwailers.
Listening to the band play their set a couple hours after the dialogue, it's safe to say it should be able to keep touring for a long while. For having such a strong reggae background, Anderson burns through in lead guitar with the rhythm Marvin keeps. It serves as a backbone for the rest of the group, who seem to feed off each others' energy on the stage, swaying and moving as much as the crowd does.
The feeling that bleeds into their music is apparent when Marvin, leaning over to the mic for the first time of the night, dedicates "Redemption Song" to the victims of April 16. The music finally seems to be elevated to the message and seems to beg the question: Who couldn't use a little peace and love these days?
bob marley, awful arthur's, the wailers
