It’s not every week you witness a reggae legend playing in a local pub but the Thursday just gone we saw Big Youth at the Fox and Firkin in Lewisham. And what a night! Just after 10pm a trim looking Jah Youth bounded onstage (as his band Dub Natty Sessions from Venezuela were playing the “Satta Massanga” rhythm) and was treated to a heroes welcome from the crowd of 150 or so.
For about an hour he performed a shedload of his classics mostly delivered in an improvised style (songs would morph into something else midway then return to the original later) with Big Youth ad-libbing throughout the set, telling the band to “take it down low” many times as he’d change song lyrics and connect with his audience big time. We later learnt that the band had only rehearsed once with the legend earlier that day, so there must have been some sort of reggae telepathy going on between all as it was bang on musically!
We were treated to some excellent versions of Hit the road Jack, Touch me in the morning and What’s going on? amongst many more whilst Big Youth jumped about with boundless energy, took his hat off and shook his locks a couple of times (to massive cheers and whoops!) and chatted to the audience throughout. At one point while he was halfway through a version of Natty dread no jester he handed the mike to someone in the crowd who started doing an impromptu toast over the end of the song which won the chap a round of applause from the audience and the great man himself. A night to remember and one that brought out the autographed hunter in us (pic above)! Big up Big Youth!
To keep us sane at work today we listened to a couple of episodes of this brilliant series (originally from 2011) which feature some great tunes and some great DJ anecdotes. In episode 1 the inventor of the 12″ single and the extended mix 
If plastic herons, owls and other decoys keep predators away in the garden then would fake plastic slugs (a bit larger in size than normal ones) deter other slugs do you think? Also there are fake crocodile heads on the market to put in your pond “to keep big birds away” but how would a heron from Lewisham even know what a crocodile was? Above: some of the quality decoys on sale at the moment. We here at weeds currently have a 99p ebay bid on the life-like heron on the large wooden stick (which looks like what would be on the end of a large “rocket” firework). Keep your fingers crossed we get it!
It’s been a busy couple of weeks at Weeds HQ; the builders are in doing some work and a fair bit of clearing up has been done in the back during a couple of days dedicated to just gardening. Also after years deliberating, a solar powered pump is now in action in the pond, all for the bargain price of 40 odd quid and what a difference it makes! The new load of fish bought from the Lewisham pet shop now with a net over them (to stop that pesky heron 
The builders had some stuff delivered on a nice mini-pallet (above) which has now been utilised for the mini herb garden just outside the back door. Apart from a couple of leaves being nibbled in the night everything is doing fine. The first chilli is now showing (below).
The weekly 
This week the following radio show has been on constant replay. It’s 
Here’s some of that new fangled dub stuff from
It’s funny how changes can revolutionise things, the
The side bed (below) where once was a greenhouse is doing well too. It’s usually clayed up this time of year but earlier in the spring half a compost bin’s worth was dumped on it and around the plum tree the ash from a couple of barbecues were sprinkled around. Lots of watering and a regular bit of comfrey liquid helped too! My, look at those tomatoes…
To celebrate the summer growing season here’s a great tune on the 
A happy belated Solstice to one and all for yesterday. There wasn’t much dancing around standing stones or frolicking with morris men around these parts as it was far too hot. It might have been the longest day but don’t worry as we’ve still got a good few weeks of sunshine (fingers crossed) and lots of balmy nights to enjoy!
Weeds up to me knees 