By Chaos, Freelance Writer 
The steel pan group The Caribbean Regals entertainedn at Beaches Boscobel & Golf Club in Boscobel, St. Mary last Saturday night.
TANTO METRO and Devonte had thrilled the mostly tourist crowd at Beaches Boscobel & Golf Club in Boscobel, St. Mary last Saturday night with songs such as Everyone Falls In Love, Give It To Her and Gal Sey Whoi. Although The Gleaner missed their performance, when Simple Plan lead singer Pierre Bouvier said "Those guys were great earlier, weren't they? What's their names again?," shouts of "Tanto Metro!" and loud, enthusiastic cheers was the response.
Sandwiched between the Jamaican duo and the Canadian punk rock band was new rhythm and blues singer Nivea. It was a cool, clear night and the occasion was New York radio station Z100's 'Party Plane' concert. The station flew down 150 winners of a promotional contest for a weekend of fun in the sun with the artistes. When asked why Jamaica, Z100's Promotions Director Brian Daurelio said "It's 10 degrees in New York City right now, who wouldn't want to be in Jamaica?"
Also present was a crew from MTV, which had 'kidnapped' a self-proclaimed nerd by the name of Melvin Laski and flew him down to enjoy himself while they captured his transformation - or attempted transformation - to 'cool'. Nivea, short, sweet and spunky, was energetic on-stage, and with the help of her 'hype man', the tall yellow-T-shirt wearing Cotrell and back-up dancers Aranda and Latisha, with midriff bared and suspenders holding up a pair of track pants that were rolled up to just below the knee, she sang bits and pieces of her songs and those of others, while the two dancers did somewhat elaborate choreographed routines behind her.
When The Gleaner arrived she was singing Been So Long, the vocal refrain from her collaboration with rapper Mystikal, Danger. Snippets of 50 Cent's In Da Club and a R. Kelly song followed as she threw her all into rapping and connecting with the crowd. She and Cotrell flirted as she sang her latest song, Laundromat, which she said was for all the broken-hearted people. You got a$100 bill put your hands up Nivea ordered and was obeyed with relish as she ran a through a wad of increasingly smaller denominations, the crowd looking a tribe of pagans, hands stretched to the heavens, worshipping at her shrine. I never knew love like this before preceded her 25 Reasons for loving her man. The Work It rhythm made the screams louder as the ensemble worked the stage prior to shifting into Don't Mess with My Man.
The Gleaner spoke with the ensemble after their performance, which was their first in Jamaica. Amidst television interviews and signing autographs, Nivea said the experience was a good one.
Latisha was a little less pressed for time and somewhat more vocal, saying "It was great... the crowd was into it and whenever the crowd is into it it's great," she said.
Simple Plan was up next and they delivered a high-energy set, full of leaps, bounds, jokes and suggestions that everyone jump in the pool. After the band focused their attention on Melvin, abused the phrase 'Yeah man' almost beyond the point of tolerance and had a cameo from Beaches Boscobel's Daveon Allen doing - what else? - a Bob Marley cover as well as an a capella version of Enrique Iglesias' Hero, they did just that, jumping into the pool fully clothed.
An after-party followed at the property's Arizona Restaurant, where the steel pan group The Caribbean Regals entertained, drumming out songs such as Dennis Brown's Should I and Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes' The Time of My Life while, bright in yellow and green, performing some choreographed routines which got some of the guests involved. The Gleaner spoke to one of the contest winners, who said "It's a beautiful place, I've never been treated so nice."
Over to one side, MTV helped bring the 'Party Plane' in for a soft landing as they filmed Melvin's latest lesson on how to enjoy himself with the help of the men from Simple Plan.
