By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
WHEN THE Monster Twins made way for TOK at Margaritaville Ocho Rios, St. Ann on Saturday night, the ladies went front, side and centre of the stage.
The members of the all-male quartet were not dressed identically alike as they often appear, but their harmonies and timing were in perfect sync, as they called for the 'Bad Company' rhythm and set out to perform fi de gal dem whe know dem no regular.
Armed with hits such as Cree and Eagles Cry, which they performed on either side of two times up on stage, they could have gone the tried and proven, 'sure forward' route. Instead, TOK tossed in some new material which brought the house down.
GREAT RECTION TO NEW SONG
The first of such was the second song they performed on Saturday night. From the introduction, it was as if it was a familiar song, since the crowd reacted enthusiastically. The reaction got even stronger when they hit the first line of the song Girl Them Way.
Of course, a 'wheel up' was required.
Another new song, done on record in tandem with Spragga Benz, who was not in the house that night, declared their desire for the ladies, one whe buffy/one whe bushy bushy.
They did a decent job with Spragga's part of the song.
Eagles Cry, Shake Yu Bam Bam and She's Blazing were among the numbers which hit the spot at Margaritaville, with the ladies especially going wild whenever 'bassie's' rumbling tones rolled out of the speakers.
TOK did it all, including deejaying in harmony a capella to start the second part of their performance, when they had earned a recall to the stage.
The ladies who they called on-stage for the lead singer to prove his ability with dance or more simulated sex also seemed to have a wonderful time as well, as they bounced merrily along on his hips.
SMALL AXE, BIG TREE
However, when the birthday girl in the house was called on-stage for her turn, there were howls in the house. She was larger than the singer. Undaunted, he declared that "small axe fall big tree" and shed headwrap, cell phone and shirt to address his challenge. The tree did fall to the slightly puffing axe.
TOK called back the Monster Twins, who had opened the live performance segment with Bag A Man Talk and Monster Walk as they worked up to the grand finale. A 'bad man' take-off of Tragedy dropped like a hand grenade, the refrain my crew, my dogs slammed in like a cruise missile and when they hit from yu no par inna chi-chi man yaad it was as if the elusive weapons of musical destruction had been found and set off inside Margaritaville.
The members of the group seemed satisfied. "A long time we a work fe dis!" one announced.
They abandoned the stage and entered the audience, the lead singer finding himself a tree to clamber up, as they whipped the audience to the close like Seabiscuit coming down the stretch on War Admiral.
Then, with a final "We love you", they were gone and Mix Master Marvin took over.
