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Said Professor John Kannankulam, Professor of Political Science and lead singer with Ska Trek, a local reggae/rocksteady band as he finished opening for Toots and the Maytals last night at the excellent (0.5l Hefeweizen €3.50…) Central Station in Darmstadt.

Great little high-energy band with a pneumatic female lead singer in a sprayed-on glittery black dress and the aforementioned Prof. skanking as if his life depended on it.

And then Toots.

Kicks off (KICKS OFF, ffs) with “Pressure Drop” (here’s Robert Palmer‘s reading for reference) in the slinkiest groove you can imagine, he’s got the audience with him within a minute flat, no-one’s standing still, there’s a significant risk of cardiac failure in the mosh-pit and it goes non-stop for 2 solid hours with “Monkey Man” at about the half way mark until he winds it up with “24-54-46 was my number“, by which time he’s shaken hands with most of the audience and distributed the best part of a truckload of mineral water.

Not the sort of stuff you get served up at the Boathouse in Nelson…..

Ace backing singers btw – one a skinny bird on happy pills with moves you just would NOT BELIEVE; the other Toots’ daughter who didn’t smile all night.

In the best tradition of daughters mortified by what their 65 year old father is getting up to in their presence….