Protoje ADD

Concert Report: Protoje meets Tippy I in Hamburg, Germany @ Fabrik 2025

03/29/2025 by Gardy Stein

Asked to wrap up last night in one word, I’d choose a German one: Verzückung. It translates with English ‘rapture’, but feels more intimate, more elevated, more celestial than that, and thus describes perfectly well the spheres Protoje and Tippy I led us to. Their In Search of Zion – A Dub Experience tour has been a huge success so far, with sold-out shows left and right and center, and their stopover in Hamburg’s Fabrik was appreciated by roundabout 500 local visitors. After a bass-heavy soundcheck, Andre aka A-Dread (Zion Zound) played a rootical warm-up selection for the arriving crowd, sending a shout-out to the late Blacky (Crucial Vibes), who used to be the resident DJ in moments like these. Rest in Zion, king!

Around 8:45pm, Laurent “Tippy I” Alfred, the I Grade Records sound wizard from St. Croix, takes his place behind the mixing desk to start the sonic fireworks that will delight us all night. “I was told the Hamburg Dub scene goes way back,” he says in way of greeting to loud cheers, “so I brought you some new Dub music!” Starting with some steppas, he plays the Zion I Kings re-issue Best Foot Forward by Dub Judah & Kibir La Amlak and continues with “the young vintage” Samory I, followed by talents like Mortimer, Lutan Fyah and Chronixx.

His engagement with the crowd is lively and open, he smiles and jumps and shares the names of artists, songs, and producers with us – finest edutainment fi real! The most distinctive characteristic of this show, however, is the magic he works on the controls: echo, delay, reverb, an intricate dance with the different audio tracks of each song, plainly visible as he tilted his mixing board to face the audience. Live Dub at its best, and, oh, what sound to dive into!

“I love German technology!” he now says, pointing to his equipment. “Your country’s precision and our Caribbean minds, that’s a beautiful mix!” Then, all of a sudden, Protoje is there, adding his singular voice to complete this special experience. Opening with Self Defence and Deliverance (both from his 2020 album In Search Of Lost Time), the following 90 or so minutes are a relaxed ride from brand new tunes like the Bob Marley livication Legend Legend (at the end of which the singer even flows into a rendition of Marley’s War) to well-known hits such as Rasta Love, Kingston Be Wise or Who Knows, to which the crowd enthusiastically sings along.

“I’ve been here on tour often with the In.Digg.Nation band, big up to them any time!” the artist then says, and, smiling at Tippy I, “In the tradition of the great Dub masters of the ‘70s like King Tubby, Lee Perry, King Jammy and Scientist, it’s a pleasure to be touring in this form today. I give thanks!”

We give thanks, too, especially when the freshly released Big 45 starts (instant pull-up!) and when he gets us jumping with the wonderful Switch It Up, during which he casually sings Koffee’s part, too. “If you’re loving the vibes, say okay!” “Oookayyyy!”

Between his vocal parts, Protoje joins Tippy I on the controls, adding some sound effects to the mix in what is obviously big fun for both of them. Of course he hails the herbalists in the place, too, lighting a spliff on stage at the end of his set. Even after waving goodbye Proto stays close, freestyling over a few tracks until this memorable session comes to an end around 11pm.

We need to search no more – Zion was right here with us tonight! A massive THANK YOU goes out to all who made this experience possible: the creatives, of course, but also those working in the background, from Revelation Concerts, tour manager Yello and Rochena on visuals to the whole team at venues like Fabrik. See you here again soon for the upcoming Reggaeville Easter Special!!!