Lloyd Parkes, We The People Band celebrates 29 years
LLOYD PARKES and his band celebrated their 29th year in the business on Saturday night with a show functioning like a time capsule.
They blasted off inside the Mas Camp Village in New Kingston with artistes performing the timeless classics of the 50s and 60s, cruised through the 70s and 80s, and occasionally brushed some of the
popular ballads of the late 90s. Although they paid only one fee to enter, those in attendance got three generation's worth of music.
On the commercial side, Parkes' show could have done much better with more numbers. Despite a star-studded lineup, the venue did not see the capacity crowd which usually turn out for artistes of this calibre.
On the musical side, however, value for money was delivered. Beginning with the evergreen Glen 'Ernie' Smith, to artistes like Alton Ellis, Trinity, the Techniques, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Admiral Bailey, the crowd had rollercoaster moments during the show.
Singing Melody, Lukie D, and Tony Curtis blended voices for a solid half an hour set, while Natty King followed with a short yet dignified performance. Alton Ellis, however, 'bussed' the place with his tunes, and the tunes of his second generation. He introduced his last son Christopher, who wowed quite a few ladies with the 'cloned' voice of his father. He did a barrage of Alton Ellis tracks, plus one of his own, all of which gave him the screams and shouts his father received just before him.
Trinity and The Techniques were both relatively brief, but they were appreciated nonetheless with rousing applause when their sets ended. Pinchers appeared just before 3 a.m. decked out in white. He announced that due to previous obligations he had not been able to rehearse with the band. Although his set was entertaining because of his choice of tunes, it was not as tight as the others.
Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, however, pushed things to there peak when he transferred his credentials as a football coach to the stage on Saturday night. Just as how he sends his footballers to warm up for their games, so he had the venue 'warming up' to tunes like 'Jump Up', 'Della Move', 'Big Belly Man' and others.
ENERGY
He was lively, witty and raw, and that energy it seems transferred itself to the crowd. He showed them his version of the popular dance 'Shelly Belly' but modified it to his own needs, calling it the 'Admiral Belly'.
Claiming that the modern dances were being introduced too quickly for him to learn them, he introduced his spanking new dance called the 'Samurai', freshly imported from Japan. Seeing the big man move so slickly across the stage was the show for many, because when he left, several left with him.
Frankie Paul was the final act, and although many stayed to watch him perform, scores more poured out of the venue humming his tunes.
