UB40 turn 45

to travel to Spain due to much more restrictive visa and instrument importation requirements and only the bigger and better known performers can really afford to visit.

“You have to rely on good management and promoters to take care of these matters so that we can concentrate on what we do best, which is to entertain, but not too many years ago, we changed management and now my son (who used to look after social media for the band) and his business partner are doing a great job for us.” album which will be entitled UB45 (because that’s how old we are) features our new singer Matt Doyle with one or two reworkings of our favourite songs as well as a selection of new numbers.

With four original members still forming the basis of the band there has been some confusion with there apparently being two versions and Robin doesn’t hide the fact that he is disappointed that his other brother Ali left and then effectively set up in competition and now tours as UB40 featuring Ali Campbell.

“Matt used to play in a band called Kioko which supported us on around 40 gigs and I thought what a great singer he was, so when my brother Duncan suffered a stroke and had to retire in order to recover his health, Matt was the obvious replacement.

“The good news is that Duncan is really on the mend and Matt has fitted in with the band as perfectly as we expected.”

It has become clear that since both the pandemic and Brexit that it is quite difficult for British bands

The hard core of this band however have been together since they were 11­year­old mates at school, love what they do and the fact that their fans do as well so promise three top performances in Spain this July.