With Owen 'Blakka' Ellis giving a farewell performance in Kingston last Wednesday, many of the comedians remembered some 'Blakka' moments at Backyaad, including delivering some of his material in the final gathering onstage.

Kingsley 'Ragashanti' Stewart gave an Ellis joke from his days at drama school when outlaws Frank and Jesse James were robbing a train. Jesse announced that they were going to rob the women and ravage the men, to which a lady asked if he had said robbing and ravaging order wrong. A man, in an effeminate voice and mannerisms to match, demanded "darling, who is robbing the train, you or Jesse?"

Fancy Cat told another 'Blakka' joke in a Bounty Killer voice. A Jamaican, an American and an Englishman in a bar decided to prove their manhood. The American told the barmaid to shoot off his thumb and took the pain without flinching. The Englishman told her to shoot off both thumbs. The Jamaican unzipped his pants and laid his privates on the counter. Amazed, the barmaid asked if she should shoot it off.

He replied "gal, yu crazy? Stroke it! It shoot off itself!"

Small stage

In their stint onstage, Iceman and Johnny told the story of going to perform in Logwood, Hanover, along with Mark Danvers, as the trio PAC. It turned out to be a dance, with a small stage and they decided to go ahead. They were introduced by the selector, who did not remember their names, and they pressed on. Close to five minutes into the routine, a rude boy in the dance walked up to Johnny and said "oonu come off".

They did. "Blakka Ellis teach we a valuable lesson. If them no laugh, leave!" Iceman said. And there was a show in Montego Bay which started two hours late and the people were very cross at which Ellis put that philosophy into action. When Ellis went up and asked the people a couple times if they were ready to laugh and no one was, he left.

"Blakka has been like a rocket taking off and now him want to be a parachute," Bobby Smith summarised.

- Mel Cooke