Living Colour w/ pics

March 31, 2004.
SKC, Belgrade

BLACK HARD ROCK

Living Colour are the one true descendents of the tradition of black rock sound, from Jimi Hendrix through Sly Stone and Public Enemy. They entered rock history with their brilliant debut Vivid (1988) and the single Cult of Personality which was rotated heavily that year on MTV. The album went platinum in the US while the single won the first of this band’s handful of Grammys. Their career highlight has been the invitation to join the Rolling Stones for their first US tour in eight years, being seen by the Stones as ideal support for their stadium performances.

The albums Time’s Up and Stain followed, then the first Loolapalooza Festival in 1991. This only strengthened their reputation as brilliant live performers. What Vernon Reid and company were able to produce on stage was an unusual example of modernised hard rock sound which owes a lot to blues but also borrows heavily from future, resulting in a sonic collision with the present.

The band’s break-up in 1995 was not the end of their musical collaboration. After various solo projects and live performances in various line-ups, Vernon Reid reassembled Living Colour in 2001, in the original line-up, with the unique voice of Corey Glover, funk veteran Doug Wimbish on bass and Will Calhun on drums. Collideoscope, the album the band is at present promoting on its world tour, means an important rock band is back in form.