Raging Fyah may not be a household name, but the reggae rock band will cement a place in Dundee musical history today.
The Jamaican group will be the first to perform at Slessor Gardens when they take to the stage as reggae stars UB40’s opening act today.
The highly-anticipated event will see thousands of fans descend on Dundee city centre for the open-air concert which will also see performances from The Original Wailers and Level 42 before the headliners take to the stage.
Slessor Gardens will have a capacity of 10,000 for the concert.
More than 4,000 tickets had been sold by March and although latecomers will still be able to buy tickets to the event at the box office in Slessor Gardens today, it is understood at least another 2,000 have been sold since then.
The concert is the first of three taking place in Slessor Gardens this summer.
Little Mix, arguably the biggest girl group in the world, will play on Thursday June 20 while Olly Murs will appear on July 20.
Promoters the Liz Hobbs Group said in March they are already planning more concerts in 2018.
The company represents a host of household names including Madness, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart and Calvin Harris.
City centre manager Sarah Craig said: “We’re working closely with other agencies and we have a full plan in place in terms of road closures, diversions and, importantly, advice for people coming outwith the city.
“There’s an extensive guide on the Dundee City Council website for everything that people need ahead of the event.
“We want to celebrate what the city has to offer and it’s a chance to showcase what a brilliant city Dundee is.
“Locally there are jobs being created on the back of this through the bar staff and other parts of the event, so there are jobs coming back into the city which is fantastic.”
The gates for the concert open at 4pm with Raging Fyah due on stage around an hour later.
Headliners UB40 will be on stage around 8.45pm.
Visitors to Dundee have been warned to expect delays as a result of the concert.
The roads immediately around the concert arena at Slessor Gardens will be shut during the UB40 concert.
Drivers approaching the Tay road bridge from Riverside Drive will be diverted up South Marketgait and forced to undertake journeys around the city centre before reaching the bridge.
The diversions will be in place from 2.30pm until midnight on the day of the concert.
Dock Street and Thomson Avenue will be closed between Whitehall Crescent and Commercial Street from 2.30pm on Saturday until midnight, as will South Castle Street, South Crichton Street and Earl Grey Place East and West.
Traffic will run along Riverside Esplanade as normal.
Police issued their own light-hearted UB40-inspired safety message yesterday.
Inspired by some of the band’s hits, it offered the “one in ten” residents heading along to the gig some “food for thought”.
The force also riffed on songs Homely Girl and Red Red Wine before warning that anyone who “behaves like a rat” in their “kitchen” would “end up getting breakfast in bed at Bell Street”.
More information is available from the Dundee City Council website.
