Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Damian 'Junior Gong' Marley in performance at 'Welcome to Jamrock', at the Constant Spring Football Field, on Friday. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

True to the organisers' promise, at exactly 9:00 p.m. on Friday, MC Paula-Ann Porter said good evening to the relatively-small, punctual audience at the Constant Spring Football Field for the second staging of 'Welcome to Jamrock'.

There were cheers during Hideaway, plus those for her guest Diana King, who stood tall on thick heels while Chin stooped, hair flashing, as the two combined on a high note. And TOK's invitation to the Gal yu a lead to Shake yu bam bam and harmonised outline of Footprints, as well as co-ordinated dancing and Freeze! with the Cadillac Dancers, went down well in a near hour-long set that at points got a lacklustre response from the majority of the growing audience.

However, the party really got going at 10:30 p.m., after the second of what were almost standard 15-minute band changes, when Porter mentioned 'Rebelution' and the screams started from the VIP section, which took up nearly half the field, the 'regulars' behind and the 'elevated regulars' in the concrete stands to the left of the stage.

Screams, applause, voices

Ladies in the audience enjoying the show.

From Stephens' derisive Some bway cyaan handle de ride to complimentary Boom Wuk, the demand Talk up, what's your story and chortle of After You, screams, applause and a chorale of voices accompanied her sometimes- smiling delivery under oversized glasses, hair flashing. The Other Cheek was amended to 'sister' in acknowledgement of Portia Simpson Miller and a high-heeled shoe went on a monitor for the battle cry, "If me buck har one away she cyaan fight like me,"in Can't Breathe, before she ended with the powerful combination of It's a Pity and These Streets to bowl over the audience.

Luciano's long overcoat came off by Sweep Over My Soul, after Chapter a Day had rocked the audience, the lyrical journey Over the hills and valleys taking many singing along. Luciano sank to his knees for It's Me Again Jah, controlled expulsions of breaths into the microphone preceding powerful prayer. He left the stage, but was quickly back with the plea Lord Give Me Strength, double-legged, leaping, as he chanted Give me the energy, energising the audience as he ended to rousing applause.

The Empire band played Concrete Jungle in full, lead guitar and audience chorale carrying the melody, before Damian Marley came on to a thunderous reception. He asked for the hands to go up before Confrontation and they did, a large lake of persons jumping in time with a bouncing Junior Gong. The hands and the screams went back up with regularity, Jr. Gong's locks swinging at the back of his knees as he rocked and deejayed.

He also played host to a series of guests in his near 90-minute concert-ending set, the first being Jevaughn Genius and, after In Too Deep, Sean Paul, who steamed out We Be Burnin' to howls. The ladies whooped for the plea to Give it up to me, while Andrew Tosh made it a son of the Gong and son of the Stepping Razor combination on Get Up, Stand Up.

Stephen Marley chanted Bop da ba bop on the 'Answer'rhythm for a very good reception as he teamed up with his brother, and there were screams of surprise and delight for Capleton on It Was Written. Stephen did deliver Hey Baby alone and Cocoa Tea was the final guest before Damian Marley hit the Road To Zion where all were Welcome To Jamrok in a Khaki Suit.

And, better than its promise of a 2:00 a.m. end, a squeaky-clean second staging of 'Welcome To Jamrock', in which TOK did not perform Chi Chi Man and Stone Love edited the line "Gunshot fi buss up inna soun' bway head,"ended eight minutes earlier than scheduled.