AWESOME is a word Eddy Grant uses often. After 20 years away from the live stage, the British reggae musician – who had chart hits with Do You Feel My Love, Electric Avenue, and I Don't Wanna Dance during the early 80s – is back and clearly having an 'awesome' time performing in front of a live audience again.
"Since I started touring again, everything about it has been awesome," says Grant, in that warm, lazy baritone voice of his.
"When I stopped touring 20 years ago I got more involved in the studio (where he produced Sting, Mick Jagger and Elvis Cos
tello]. Playing again just wasn't in my configuration. Then, suddenly I was 20 years older. How could I leave the business without playing all the major festivals, I thought to myself? I was nearly 60 years old after all. So I got in touch with my business manager and set it up."
In April this year, Grant announced his first tour for more than two decades, making appearances at Glastonbury and Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations at London's Hyde Park and this weekend at T in the Park. What has surprised him the most so far, is the reception he has received from younger mem-bers of the festival audiences where he has played.
"It's been awesome. Prior to the tour, I was receiving lots of e-mails from fans all across the world telling me I should go back out on the road again.
"My business manager said touring again might involve being on the road for three years, but it's not as if I have any little babies to worry about.
"I'd rarely felt such gratitude like it when I got out on stage – I couldn't believe it. There were three different demographics, my audience who are all closer to my age, those in their mid-30s, and the very, very young, too."
Grant adds, "The production values at Glastonbury were awesome, too. It was a stunning place to play, a great setting.
"All these people kept coming up to me to say hello, it was so nice. During the concert for Nelson Mandela, am not sure if I have ever experienced such a grateful audience in my life. Everyone was as one, coming together for this great, great man. It was awesome."
Born Edmond Montague Grant in Plaisance, Guyana in 1948, before relocating to London, the young Grant had his first number one hit in 1968 with self-penned song Baby Come Back, when he was the lead guitarist and main songwriter of the multi-racial group The Equals.
A shrewd businessman to boot, in 1972 he set up the first black-owned recording studio in Europe (Coach House], and began recording his own music on his label, Ice Records. As a result, he is thought to be the only major recording artist who owns the rights to all his songs.
Yet, when he came to record the highly successful Electric Avenue in 1983, selling over a million copies, it heralded a new crossover, mixing new wave synthesisers with reggae influences.
"I had always been a part of the technological drive," maintains Grant. "Just before Electric Avenue came out, it was a time of great technological advances and burgeoning youth. That song still remains paramount in the world today."
Indeed. Well known for his political lyrics as well as his catchy tunes, today Grant is still concerned about the state of the world.
"I've always been socially conscious," he says. "Listen to my 2006 album Reparation – the title of the album is a call for restitution for the transatlantic slave trade – and it'll give you a very clear idea of what am writing about today."
This weekend, however, Grant will head to Balado as part of his ongoing tour, opening the Main Stage at T in the Park tomorrow. For someone who has spent much of their life in the tropics, does Grant worry that the Scottish weather, even during the height of summer, might be a little too cold for him?
"I can handle the cold, but only in short spurts," laughs Grant. "It might be a rainy summer but I am sure it won't be too cold for me. I've played in Edinburgh before, and as it's been quite some time since I played Scotland, I'm looking forward to it all the more."
All bodes well, then, for Grant, one of the most successful and influential reggae artists ever. Always relaxed, always happy, even if it does rain over the weekend, it won't be getting him down that's for sure.
"Everything's on the up for me," he says without hesitation. "If you have the capacity to be a great performer – that's why the Rolling Stones have lasted so long – whatever the age group, people will come and watch you. I'm genuinely looking forward to coming to Scotland. It's gonna be awesome."
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Eddy Grant, T in the Park, Balado, Main Stage, tomorrow The full article contains 835 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
