UB40 Prove They've Still Got It on an Unstoppable Night M&S Bank Arena Liverpool
- L J Hubbard
- 19 minutes ago
- 4 min read
M & S Bank Arena Liverpool – 12th June 2026
IMAGES / WORDS L J HUBBARD
There's something beautifully weird about UB40 in 2026. They're a band that's somehow become part of the British furniture. Your parents love them, your grandparents probably have a battered copy of Labour of Love somewhere in the loft, and somewhere, at any given moment, someone in the UK is singing "Red Red Wine" slightly off-key. So the idea of seeing UB40's Unstoppable Tour at Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena felt less like going to a gig and more like checking in on a national institution.
And somehow, against all odds, they've still got a few surprises left.
Before the main event, reggae royalty Aswad and Maxi Priest took on the unenviable task of warming up an arena crowd and absolutely smashed it. Both support sets had that effortless groove that makes reggae such a strange live experience. One minute you're politely nodding along, the next you're swaying shoulder-to-shoulder with complete strangers while some bloke behind you is convinced he's the reincarnation of Bob Marley. The call-and-response sections had the audience hooked from the off, and I overheard one punter proudly announce they'd "only come for the supports". That's either the biggest insult to UB40 imaginable or the highest compliment Aswad and Maxi Priest could ever receive.
Then came UB40.
Now fronted by former KIOKO singer Matt Doyle, the band walked onto the stage playing "Food for Thought", their debut single, with the kind of swagger that only comes from surviving almost five decades in one of the most ridiculous industries on Earth. No smoke cannons. No overblown video packages. Just a bunch of musicians casually reminding everyone that they've written songs that have soundtracked countless weddings, barbecues and late-night taxi rides home.
The opening stretch of the set was an interesting gamble. Rather than immediately unloading the hits, UB40 spent a good chunk of the first half digging into newer material. It wasn't exactly a greatest hits assault, and at times the energy dipped slightly because of it. But here's the thing: this wasn't a crowd waiting impatiently for "Red Red Wine". These were proper fans. The sort of fans who know the deep cuts, who sing every lyric like they're taking part in some giant pub quiz where first prize is eternal bragging rights. More than once, the audience nearly drowned out the band entirely, which is either incredibly flattering or mildly concerning, depending on who you ask.
One of the night's secret weapons was Robin Campbell. In between songs, he became the show's storyteller, introducing newer members, talking about the music and giving the audience little glimpses behind the curtain. So many veteran acts forget that people aren't just paying to hear the songs; they're paying to spend a couple of hours with the people who made them. Campbell gets that, and the whole night benefited from it.
Of course, there's the elephant in the room. Mention UB40 to anyone and someone will inevitably say, "Yeah, but is Ali Campbell with them?" usually with the same tone they'd use to ask if the Titanic still floats.
The answer is no.
The surprising thing is that it doesn't really matter.
The revolving cast of vocalists actually became one of the show's biggest strengths. Matt Doyle, Robin Campbell, Earl Falconer and Matt Campbell all had their moments at centre stage, and instead of feeling like different people filling different roles, it felt like a band sharing its history. The changing voices kept older songs fresh without trying to reinvent them, which is a trick a lot of legacy acts could stand to learn.
Then the gig hit the point where all good gigs either take off or crash and burn.
UB40 took off.
The second half of the show turned into a glorious victory lap. Hit after hit landed with the force of old friends turning up unexpectedly at your front door. "Rat in the Kitchen", "Kingston Town" and "Red Red Wine" arrived in quick succession and the M&S Bank Arena effectively stopped being a venue and became Britain's biggest karaoke night. Thousands of people, young and old, somehow remembering every single word to songs older than some members of the audience, singing them back at the band with enough force to shake the rafters.
It's one of those strange things about music. Nobody really knows why certain songs stick around. Plenty of bands from the late '70s and early '80s disappeared into bargain bins and Spotify playlists with three monthly listeners. UB40 somehow became part of the national bloodstream.
The encore somehow managed to lift things even further. "Here I Am", "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" and the inevitable "Can't Help Falling in Love" felt less like a final three songs and more like the audience refusing to let the evening end. By this point, half the arena was singing, half was dancing and everyone had completely forgotten they had work in the morning.
Maybe that's the real achievement of UB40.
Nearly 50 years on, they've outlived trends, fashions, line-up changes and endless debates about who's in the band and who isn't. They could easily coast along on nostalgia alone, but the Unstoppable Tour feels like something more interesting than that. It's a celebration of the songs, the musicians and the strange little community that's grown up around them over the decades.
You don't have to believe this is the definitive version of UB40.
You just have to stand in a packed Liverpool arena while several thousand people scream the words to "Kingston Town" at the top of their lungs and accept one simple fact:
UB40 have still got it.
SETLIST
Food For Thought / Forever True
One in Ten
Maybe Tomorrow
Homely Girl
Sing Our Own Song
Home
You Don't Call Anymore
Higher Ground
Sweet Sensation
Impossible Love
Still the One
Many Rivers to Cross
Cherry Oh Baby
Johnny Too Bad
Rat in the Kitchen
Kingston Town
Red Red Wine
ENCORE
Here I Am
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Can't Help Falling in Love
FOLLOW UB40