Hal's video: Basement 5 - Too Soon - Best Quality

Basement 5 were arguably the first black punk reggae band who are described by many artists who followed them as "hugely influential" and "groundbreaking". Mixing rock elements with reggae and dub they were one of the bands that broke down barriers and paved the way for black kids to play rock music. Starting out in London in 1978, the band were an innovative and highly original post-punk group who created a kind of politically charged, futurist, punk-fueled dub. The lyrics were an attempt to reflect the situation of young people in Britain in the era of Thatcher-ism, high unemployment, strikes, racism, and working class poverty.