A packed crowd filled out Kentish Town Forum to see Carol Thompson, Janet Kay, Maxi Priest and headliner Beres Hammond

A packed crowd filled out Kentish Town Forum at the weekend to watch a full programme of reggae icons.

Carol Thompson, Janet Kay, Maxi Priest and headliner Beres Hammond delivered an energetic show in a concert celebrating 54 years of Jamaican independence.

Veterans they may be, but each showed a passion for their craft that many younger artists would do well to learn from.

A smile barely left Thompson’s face as she delivered hits including 1981’s Hopelessly In Love to the crammed-to-capacity venue.

Kay was equally impressive as she took to the stage, with a short set culminating in 1979 track Silly Games.

Next onstage came British reggae superstar Maxi Priest. He may now be 55, but he could pass for half that as he bounded confidently around the stage, his lengthy dreadlocks frequently flung around as he lost himself in the moment.

He has more than 30 years experience as an artist, and those three decades showed in his confident delivery.

His delivery of tracks like Wide World and Some Guys Have All The Luck showed his voice remains as fresh as it did back in the 80s, and the audience were clearly appreciative.

A strong line-up was completed by lover’s rock icon Hammond, currently touring the UK from Jamaica.

The 60-year-old emerged onstage with a huge grin, and proceeded to deliver more than an hour of bass-heavy, bounding reggae for an audience clearly filled with connoisseurs.

The venue suited him perfectly, his soulful voice filling the arena. With a back catologue of 20 albums, Hammond had plenty of material to call upon.

Particular highlights from an accomplished set were hits One Step Ahead and Putting Up Resistance.

It proved to be a powerful performance from four reggae powerhouses.