Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer
Wayne Armond and bassist Richie McDonald were taking things 'Warm and Easy' inside The Flames Club on Saturday. - CLAUDINE HOUSEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
ON A Saturday night when the rain threatened and the wind blustered outside, guitarist and singer Wayne Armond and bassist Richie McDonald were taking things 'Warm and Easy' inside The Flames Club.
And there was a full house with the same musical levees against the depressions of life at Andy's Place, Twin Gates Plaza, Half-Way Tree.
'Warm and Easy' was the theme but not the approach for the entire night, as Armond and McDonald, besides their many grooving moments also led jolly singalongs.
It was also a meeting of bands of sorts, as Armond is from Chalice and McDonald from Bare Essentials.
So Nice To Be With You was followed by Moon River, Armond adjusting his electronic accompaniment and saying, " just like how the dancehall man them have one rhythm and 40 tune on it...".
LOVEY-DOVEY STUFF
"OK, I know what you like now, the lovey-dovey stuff," Armond said, providing just that U.S. style with Walk On By and then more uptempo, Jamaican fashion with Dreamland. After the last line, Armond and McDonald continued playing and there was a smooth transition to Coming In From the Cold.
"Bob Marley and Chris Blackwell is why Jamaica have a music industry," Armond commented. He said, "A song to make the whole world sing."
"This is a sing-along," Armond said, beginning a medley that ran through Rock Away, Everything I Own, Too Experienced, Israelites and Sea of Love, pushing his voice lower for Tosh's Pick Myself Up and coming back up for the Heptones' Book of Rules. It continued to the ending with the Marley pair of Three Little Birds and One Love.
Armond went 'boombastic' with Shaggy's Angel before a break, in which the music was suitably 'warm and easy', with Sanchez' Missing You among the selections.
The distinctive chords of Redemption Song signalled the return of the musicians, Armond doing the second verse only. "Sounds of the Niyahbinghi. Cultural roots," he said, going to Bongo Man, the refrain fly away home from Rastaman Chant, The Lion of Judah and River of Babylon, before coming back to Rastaman Chant, in which he held a very long say.
TEMPO INCREASED
Hold Me Now picked up the tempo a bit before a return to the slow. "We're just playing some songs by our favourite artistes. Some songs relevant. Some not so relevant, but the music is good. This one relevant," Armond said, before doing Destiny. "Gwaan Buju!" a member of the audience shouted, as Armond growled I've been blessed I've been touched/I love Jah so much.
Revelation followed and there was especially strong applause for the return to Chalice with the slow, moving Still Love You.
The line no video, no colour TV in Revival Time was updated to become no video, no DVD, leading to a clap hand medley of choruses, including Man From Galilee, Lay Down My Burdens and When The Saints Go Marching In, handclaps and joyful voices filling Flames.
It was warm and easy again with Under The Boardwalk and Spanish Harlem, Hugh Jay stepping up for a bit of Sam Cooke. Sitting On the Dock Of the Bay and My Girl preceded the ending Don't Go and host Ossi D demandd that they not.
Armond and McDonald returned with the bouncy Pocomania Day, before coming to a beautiful end with a trio of songs from ting, with and without The police.
