Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Big Youth performs at Stars R Us at Mas Camp, New Kingston, on Tuesday. - Colin Hamilton/Freelance Photographer

Tuesday's Stars R Us was billed as 'The Return of Mr Rocksteady', but chances are Alton Ellis was not counting on returning twice.

A sound glitch during his opening Willow Tree to a large, delighted audience at Mas Camp, New Kingston, cut the subsequent invitation to 'come do rocksteady'. After a 10-minute break, during which the crowd remained, MC Bob Clarke announced the return of Mr Rocksteady.

Again. And Lloyd Parkes and We The People duly struck up.

"We continue with the sound of the '60s, while the engineer continue looking for the sound," Ellis joked, Girl I've Got a Date among the many numbers having serious impact, hands reaching for the blessing on Lord Deliver Us.

One-hour late

A one-hour late start was compounded by a good but misplaced Impact Dancers and Daro's substandard attempt at a pair of Dennis Brown songs. Greetings mollified the music hungry, the trio showing good song selection and coordinated movement, from their own Take My Breath Away through Rosana and a good rendition of How Do You Mend a Broken Heart. However, a modern misstep with Anthony B and Assassin snippets got the crowd impatient.

They recovered somewhat during an enforced encore with a Real Rock medley.

Cornel Campbell was calm, vocally and physically, and effective through Bouncing, Rope Een and Gorgon, his voice deteriorating a bit on the closing Queen of the Minstrel. Johnny Clarke got the first really huge response of the night with True Believer in Love, living up to his 'hit machine' reputation with Rock With Me Baby, Move Outta Babylon and Jah Jah In Deh, restarting almost every song.

Jah Youth's combination of slick movements, seeming to glide more than walk, and a voice that is a wonderful, versatile instrument on its own brought up intermission in great style. His opening I Pray Thee rocked the house and he segued beautifully into Marvin Gaye's Ecology Song after Every Nigger is a Star. He drew his lyrical "automatic pistol remote control" and requested Hit the Road Jack, hitting the road himself with a few twirls of his locks to further delight the crowd.

After intermission, it seemed that the Gregory Isaacs turned up prepared to perform and not do a 'now-you-see-me-now-you-don't'. But after a good, extended renditions of Tune In, Storm, Don't Wanna Be Lonely Tonight, Rumours and Night Nurse he was back to his short-cut ways and exited for the standard "dem still waan more" re-entry. Off he went, back he came with Soon Forward. Off he went and stayed.

Holt's choir

After Ellis, the audience was Holt's choir from Love I Can Feel through Stealing, Sweetie Come Brush Me and Stick By Me. Holt showed the depth of his catalogue with lines of some hits a cappella, in addition to Tribal War and Wear You To The Ball, among those done with music that took the house down.

It was testament to Freddie McGregor's talent, song catalogue and enduring appeal that, at the end of a long night, there was not a mass exodus as he came on at 3 a.m. There was also a marked improvement in the sound quality, Prophecy among the songs that hit home and a few deciding to 'shove off' on Push Come to Shove. The Big Ship sailed off stage and was asked to lift anchor again with Let Him Try, McGregor wrapping up with Here I Come and Revolution in honour of Dennis Brown.