By Chaos, Freelance Writer
From left, Richie Cunningham on congos, Paul Chang on lead guitar, Craig Lee on drums, Lydia Bennett singing lead and Jason Morris playing bass entertain at 'Ocktoberfest' at the Jamaican German Society headquarters, 21 Worthington Avenue, Kingston, last Friday night. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
THE BAND Mile High has experienced some changes recently where their line-up is concerned, as Paul Chang has taken the place of Wayne McGregor on lead guitar and Richie Cunningham now plays congos with the ensemble. None of these changes mattered when the band opened for Germany's Nobody's Perfect and again played when they took a break at the Jamaican German Society's annual 'Ocktoberfest' last Friday night, since they rocked.
Held at the society's headquarters at 21 Worthington Avenue, New Kingston, the band opened with a cover of No Doubt's Bathwater, before moving into Avril Lavigne's Complicated. Real Love was up next, followed by the Police's King of Pain. An original, Who, followed, which preceded Everywhere. Another original, Soothsayer, and a cover of neo-rock band The Vines' Get Free, completed the band's first stint on-stage
Lead singer Lydia Bennett, bass guitarist Jason Morris, Paul Chang on lead guitar, Richie Cunningham on congo drums and Craig Lee on drums were in constant motion while playing. Lydia writhed sensuously, Chang stalked, Cunningham and Lee laid down beats while Morris grinned as he delivered bass riffs.
Their second segment was opened with Nelly Furtado's Turn Off The Light, which was followed by another Avril Lavigne cover, Losing Grip. No Doubt's Don't Speak followed, then another original, Tortured, was sung before Alanis Morisette's Ironic.
The packed venue applauded at the end of each song as a few souls danced in front of the stage, while most were content to sit and 'head bang' while drinking their free beers. Mile High then delivered their versions of Nickelback's How You Remind Me and Unwritten Law's Seeing Red before moving into another original, For You.
For You practically defies any attempt at description. The band called on-stage deejay 'Royale' Royden Lewis and he and Lydia then engaged in a raucous and suggestive vocal duel over music that was an amazing fusion of Arabic, Latin, rock and dancehall. "I wanna make you happy" sang Lydia as Royale deejayed, with a gravelly voice, "Excess amount of TLC..." the two flirting on-stage, much to the delight of the audience.
Then it was time for the final song, another original, Sweet Misery. Cunningham amazed on the congos as Lee went crazy on the drums, Chang, with eyes closed, put everything he had into playing the guitar while Morris strummed away at his guitar, still smiling widely. The song soared and sunk, power chords came and went, riffs appeared and disappeared as Lydia sang and moved her body in ways which had many of the men at the venue staring in awe.
After a beer drinking competition, Nobody's Perfect then retook the stage and delivered an entertaining, if a little difficult to understand even if you were German, set after which sound system Kaiser, from Germany, played for the rest of the night.
