Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
DJ Pinchers sports a brown suit that was as much a hit as his performance at the '10 giants of the '80s' show, held at Mas Camp Village, Oxford Road, St. Andrew,on Sunday. - CARLINGTON WILMOT/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
WESTERN BUREAU:
ORIGINAL DANCEHALL took to the big stage before a huge crowd at the Mas Camp Village, Oxford Road, on Sunday night.
And, while General Trees was missing in action, a healthy dose of unbilled giants, with cameos from Tristan Palmer, Scorcher, Eeka Mouse, Tonto Irie, Squidley Ranking and Little Twitch, among others, compensated at '10 Giants of the 80s'.
And, there were a couple giants behind the turntables, with Toluse handling the mixdown duties and five seconds of lilting lyrics from Godfather U-Roy before the show got going officially enough to ignite the audience.
Some unbilled minnows were annoyances, though, among them a Sketelina, who Pinchers brought on at the end of his set. And, Sugar Minott, coming in the wake of Ninja Man, floundered staunchly and refused to be clapped off, despite prolonged efforts. "Yu woulda like go work an dem tell yu yu redundant?" he demanded. And he took out some of his ire on a member of the audience. "Yu look like yu eat nuff pork, y'nuh, you! Yu a pork eater!" he said, pointing at the offending, alleged swine consumer.
With a full moon over the full house, most of the audience outside the semi-circle of sound boxes formed by Black Scorpio, Rockaway Movement and Stur-Gav, the show got off to a late start and ended in daylight, Icho Candy's Captain Selassie sending the faithful home.
DANCEHALL DUTIES
The sound systems were tuned for dancehall duties, extra heavy on the bass and lean in the mid-range, Jack Scorpio giving a skanking lesson of his role in dancehall over his own sound system, including claiming the first computerised rhythm for Echo Minott's No Lazy Body.
Flourgon and Daddy Lizard, who were not scheduled to perform, followed the former, starting out with his brother Red Dragon's Duck, then getting into his own Bounce. Daddy Lizard moved up to date by renaming himself Geico Lizard, advising the maties to "run gal run, de owna fe de man a come." Little John bounced out to a good reception, adding the R&B of Just My Imagination to his own material, and rolled out All Over Me on the General rhythm. But, in inducing, then bringing on Quench Aid and Patch of Grey, Little John overstayed his performance visa.
Scorcher, another unscheduled performer, was snappy with Roach In A De Corner and introduced the first of a light dosage of 'slackness' for the night with 'Tan Tuddy'.
Yellowman sprinted up in red with 'Zunguzunguguzunguzeng', to the delight of the audience, declared It Haffi Bun, sang Mr Fix It and I'm Getting Married. There was applause when he said "me a big up de audience. Me naa big up no gunman like de young deejay."
JAMAICAN HISTORY
Peter Metro's well-informed History of Jamaica was hailed. He recalled Dominic on Police Inna Englan and a gritty voiced Burru Banton was next, his Boom Wah Dis and Tek A Set hitting home.
In the post-intermission period, Pinchers, his brown suit and hat receiving as much forwards as his songs, delivered Lif It Up Again, For Your Eyes Only, Agony, Champion Bubbler and Bandelero, among others, in one of the more extended sets of the night. Admiral Bailey went out hard with Tink Me Did Done, Horse Tonic and God Pickney, ripped up the lawn with the Della Move, and lifted into the air for Jump Up.
Ninja Man's appearance was enough to send the audience into a frenzy. He declared his opposition to oral sex practitioners and homosexuals with Nasty Man, declared himself the Mad Ninja and chanted "Ninja man get mad again." His timing was good and showmanship commanding, even as he used abrupt exits to earn two recalls.
Sugar Minott was in trouble soon after opening with Buy Out the Bar and no appeal could stay the audience's impatience, even though the hits Buy Out The Bar and Jam Right In The Streets were delivered.
There was a dip in the sound quality when the closing King Stur-Gav took over at 4:00 a.m., Sister Nancy coming up first and hitting a spark with a rolling tongue and advising Lady Saw, "Tell me who can ram dancehall like me."
Josey Wales was hoarse, but still delivered Wrong Move, Charlie Chaplin counteracted some deejay lyrics wonderfully and there was a brief touch by Daddy U-Roy, before the trio sang a goodbye Rastaman Chant at 4:49 a.m., the sound system taking over at 5:00 a.m. with the sky well lit.
