By Leighton Williams, Staff ReporterFOR PATRONS leaving Mas Camp on Ash Wednesday, 'Stars R Us' will be remembered for three things. A late start, good performances and an anti-climactic ending.
The memory of a one hour and 40-minute long wait was wiped out by some dazzling performances from the billed artistes. However, what will not be forgotten, at least not for now, was the sudden end of Stars R Us after it was revealed that comical deejay Professor Nuts, who was advertised in the line-up, would not be performing.
Several members of the audience did not complain about the 'no-show' of Nuts, who MC Bob Clarke said could not make it back from London, England, in time for the show. Instead, the point of grief was when they learnt about the absence of Nuts.
The news was delivered after John Holt's stint, which ended up to be the final performance on the night. With Nuts expected to close Stars R Us, most of the patrons left disgusted at the manner in which they were treated.
"It better dem did tell we from before," said one woman. "Still it was a good show, but dem shoulda did tell we from before so we know what a gwaan."
Still, the opinion that Stars R Us was 'a good show' must have been the overall consensus.
From the likes of Stranjah Cole in the beginning to a part of John Holt's set in the end, Stars R Us would have easily provided $570 out of the $700 the patrons forked out to enjoy themselves (the other $130 deducted for the late start and Professor Nuts' no-show).
Stranjah Cole was the opening act. Like any true builder, he laid the foundation for things to come. In between his screams of 'Wheel' and moving his rather toothpick-looking frame, Cole caused laughter and cheers during his 25 minutes on-stage.
"Yuh know wha happen? As vintage artistes making a lot a new records, every time yuh a perform people waan yuh do Bangarang, Rough and Tough and dem tune deh," he complained as he launched into Bangarang. He paused after a few bars of the song with the traditional 'wheel' and the audience erupted into laughter again.
His antics earned him few extra minutes on the stage and he performed Give Me The Right to end his set.
Leroy Sibbles turned up in awesome form and the energy and the response he got from Mas Camp were enough to show that. In a grey short pants and T-shirt, he 'wined' and clutched his genitals as Fat Girl, Baby Be True and a rendition of Inner Circle's Sweat had patrons singing en masse. His more 'refined' side presented itself as he did Otis Redding's These Arms Of Mine and a few other numbers. He wrapped up his set, which included an encore at exactly midnight, with a remake of Bob Dylan's I Shall Be Released.
If Sibbles was unrefined in parts, Ken Boothe was 'Mr. Prim, Proper and Smooth'. The crooner rolled popular songs from his repertoire off his tongue with ease, as the audience became his harmony vocalists. Freedom Street, Artibella, I've Got To Tell You Goodbye and Say You were crowd pleasers. In between spinning and dancing, he gave Stars R Us a few more numbers. He completed his 38-minute set in fine style by returning to do two songs, which left the crowd begging for still more.
Marcia Griffiths, the sole female act billed for Stars R Us, stood head and shoulders with the men. She did hits from her days at Penthouse and Studio One and had the support of Lady G during a cameo appearance by the deejay. She did several ballads as well during her set.
Derrick Morgan must have remembered Ash Wednesday was a public holiday. "Don' give dem nuh res' Lloydie," he said to Lloyd Parkes of Lloyd Parkes and We the People Band as he delved into his hits from the ska era. Truth is, the patrons got no rest and they did not mind as Morgan moved through tunes from both his and Prince Buster's catalogue.
The first part of John Holt's set was simply breathtaking but he faltered towards the end and the audience applauded him for his time. Nevertheless, he did take them on a lyrical journey. He crooned I Want A Love I Can Feel to open and segued into Stick By Me and Stealing - all of which were enough to get Mas Camp to sing along with him.
Cameo appearances from Daddy Lizard and Flourgon, as well as Captain Barkey, capped a good Stars R Us.
