By Mel Cooke, Freelance WriterWESTERN BUREAU:
STARS 'R' Us was much like a misbehaving, but faithful, old jalopy on Saturday night.
The show at Mas Camp, Oxford Road, St. Andrew, started well enough with Roy and Enid, Boris Gardiner and Lord Creator, sputtered with Tony Gregory, backfired and threatened to come to a halt with Junior Byles, was coaxed along in low gear by Clancy Eccles, revved out by Monty Morris and hit home flying, in fine style with Derrick Morgan.
There were many who did not have the faith required to stay till the end, but still there was sufficient to chorus a loud 'march!' as Derrick Morgan started Forward March, the second song of his rocking set, on the downside of 3:00 a.m.
Throughout it all, MC Bob Clarke kept a steady hand on the wheel and a chirpy attitude, while the Fabulous Five Incorporated Band was a rock solid, high performance engine, playing for all the performers except Junior Byles, who utilised the Rasta Uprising.
The sputtering or smooth sailing was all up to the spark plugs the singers who took to a stage framed by a pair of large Phyllis Dillon pictures. The show was in memory of her, with patrons being given pocket-sized versions on entry.
Whether it was the urging to 'put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone' or the lament that 'ever since you left/my heart is aching for you', the combination ballads of Roy and Enid went over well. Singing alone, Roy dedicated These Arms of Mine to those celebrating a wedding anniversary, divorce or new love, employed his harmonica to rock with Lift Up Jamaica and hit Hello Josephine for a rousing encore.
Boris Gardiner was smooth on So Nice To Be With You and Let's Keep It That Way, moving on with Let's Keep It That Way, complete with a dub section.
Gardiner strapped on the bass for a run of Johnny Ace songs, including Forever My Darling, dedicating Love Has Been Good To Me to the men over 50. His tribute to Phyllis Dillon was Perfidia, the hit on which he did the narration years ago, and Gardiner closed with I Wanna Wake Up With You.
The class of Lord Creator's music, as well as his wisecracks, carried him through, even though as he indicated during his set his voice was a bit flat. Fab Five tempered the volume to suit the performer, as Creator rocked the audience with Evening News and Kingston Town.
Stars 'R' Us sputtered somewhat with Tony Gregory, who started out well enough 'coming on strong' and committing that 'I will be your friend'. There was applause for his rendition of Only A Fool Breaks His Own Heart, with Angela anchored by a guitar solo. However, when he wrapped up with Gypsy, an encore was enforced and it did not help that it was a long ballad with a long intro. There were cries of 'no' when he said he would do one more, though there was some jigging along to his 1961 ska selection.
Fab Five gave way to Rasta Uprising and Junior Byles, who started out competently with Whip Dem. However, he paused to light up on Curly Locks, a cloud of smoke going up when there should be singing, then delivering the song not quite as expected based on the record. Before A Place Called Africa Byles stood with his back to the audience and seemed to observe the band members, lit up again and then tried A Place Called Africa or, at least, a small piece of it.
Byles puffed and puffed away on Fade Away as the band played, finally deciding to sing some way into the song and not very well at that. There was some amusement when he cut to 'excuse me while I light my spliff', but Byles was left stranded on stage feeling his pockets as the set ended, the band packed up and Bob Clarke began the run-up to Clancy Eccles.
Having a chore on his hands coming after Byles, Eccles was competent, having to urge on the audience until near the end of his set, when they livened up considerably for Freedom and Roll River Jordan Roll, a cameo by his son included in the set.
It was the ska pair of Monty Morris and Derrick Morgan who took Stars 'R' Us to a satisfying end, the former dropping legs on Humpty Dumpty, Sammy Dead and A Little More Oil and the latter standing still to send a shockwave over Mas Camp with In My Heart, She's Gone, Seven Books of Moses and Black Head Chiney Man, doing Blazing Fire on the encore.
