File
An oldies fashion show is sometimes a part of 'Good Times'.
Krista Henry and Mel Cooke, Gleaner Writers
The writing is definitely not on the wall for retro music parties, mostly themed '70s, '80s and '90s music affairs, as the deluge continues unabated.
But the congestion is clear on a few light posts around the Corporate Area, where boards advertising 'Mello Vibes - Girls Graduation', slated for last night at the Mas Camp, New Kingston, are just above or below those announcing 'Funky Town' at the same venue this Saturday.
Dance market
It is not ust those two parties aimed at the dance market in between the 'vintage' of ska and rocksteady and the often breakneck speed on post-2000 dancehall which are threatening to mix into each other. 'Stir It Up - Thriller' was held at Peppers, Upper Waterloo Road, St Andrew, two weekends ago, shortly after the latest instalment of 'Footloose'. And 'Good Times', the granddaddy of a young bunch, had an Ocho Rios staging over the National Heroes Day weekend.
They are not the only parties with the 'retro' theme, where dance music from many genres is played but roots reggae and, more dominantly, dancehall, rules the CD players and waistlines. There is also 'Cool Runnings', which flopped in terms of numbers at Mas Camp over the summer, while 'Yesterday' has been staged regularly. Add to the pack 'Solid Gold', last staged at Mas Camp in 2005 to a less than stellar turnout, despite a superb setting (golden clad girls and all) and any number of sessions in the genre without the brand name punch.
Parties getting common
The parties have more in common than Mas Camp and Peppers being popular venues, though. Not only can one expect many songs to be standard for them all (who can go to a retro party and not hear Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive, Colin Lucas' Dollar Wine and Half Pint's Greetings?); a rotating cast of selectors makes the rounds at most.
Prime among them are Colin Hinds, Crazy Chris, Renaissance Disco, Mixmaster Marvin and Kurt Riley, with ZJ Liquid dropping hip hop beats at the most recent 'Stir It Up' to very good effect.
So, with often the same venue, many times the same selectors and the same core of songs guaranteed to rock the house, it would appear that the difference between many retro dance party sessions is just a name.
'Good Times' makes a difference by often specifying certain years and introducing elements, such as vintage cars and videos from 'back in the day' on big screen, but generally it would seem that trying to differentiate between them is like a child's 'spot the difference' game.
Still, the partygoers and the organisers do see the small distinctions that make each distinctive. Good Times' organisers say they have already established themselves as a distinct event and are now focused on building the brand.
"We've been around for 12 years and we've been good for the Jamaican landscape, giving people more to choose from. We don't plan to change too much, but to appeal to the original people who want to just come out and have a good time, so we try to improve on the quality," Jerome Hamilton, co-promoter of the event, explained.
Good party means good music
According to Hamilton, the party relies on good music, images from the past and a good vibe. At present, the party series is looking to expand their market. Hamilton says "We're interested in a growing plan. We have the maximum attendance in Kingston, so we're looking for attendance outside of Kingston. We're also looking to have one in Florida, Barbados and Trinidad."
Fellow retro party 'Stir It Up' has been on the market for the last six years, starting off with one party per year 'til the demand for the event increased, so now 'Stir It Up' is held twice a year. The promoters of the event capitalised not only on the retro aspect but topped it off with a 'no talking' policy on the microphone, which they use to distinguish the event. Promoter Desmond Steel joked that they disconnect the microphone to ensure that it's all music and dancing.
Outside of the no talking, Steel said, "We make sure the drinks are affordable, the whole decor and theme change. The last edition was called 'Thriller', so we got the best selectors in the business to thrill the audience."
There seems to be no end in sight to the '70s, '80s and '90s retro party craze, as the promoters continue their brand-name sessions to enthusiastic audiences in almost sure-shot events that sponsors are ready to back, and there is no talking to interrupt the flow.
It is, as was stated on the 'Stir It Up - Thriller' flyer, "more music, legs talk". And waistlines too.
Good sponsorship, low entry fees
While some promoters of live events complain about difficulties in securing sponsorship, retro party organisers do not seem to have that problem. Heineken sponsors 'Good Times' and 'Yesterday', while there was a Stone's two-for-one special at 'Stir It Up - Thriller'. It does not hurt that they tend to be incident free and attract an audience determined to dance, the dance floor action naturally leading to increased activity at the bar.
Strong sponsorship
Heineken has sponsored 'Good Times' for the last 10 years, with Mack D's Autos acting as sponsors for the last six years. The longevity of both sponsorship, Hamilton says, is testimony to the calibre of the event. Steel also agreed that sponsorship isn't difficult to obtain, as 'Stir It Up' is a strong event.
The sponsorship may also make a difference with the ticket price, which tends to be among the lower party options. Tickets to 'Mello Vibes' cost $600 pre-sold and $800 at the gate. For the last three years, according to Hamilton, 'Good Times' has been $800, which he cites as a challenge to maintain. This compares to a minimum $1,500 for drink-inclusive session and $2,500 to $5,000 for an all-inclusive session. Concerts with international acts run between $3,000 to $4,000, while the average stage show costs anywhere from $1,000 up.
And with an economic recession taking place and production costs going up, the cost for events are bound to increase.
The retro parties tend to pull in a young audience, many of whom have childhood memories of early '90s songs by Buju Banton, Beenie Man and Bounty Killer and to whom Admiral Bailey and Shabba Ranks' late 1980's hits are ancient history. Of course, there is also the segment of the audience which actually does remember how to do the 'Della Move' from their teenage years. Missing are the older folk who tune in to the sounds of ska and rocksteady.
Angella Blair loves retro parties, as she says "it's always good music, good vibe and good fun". Tanisha McLeod believes that while retro parties can be more of the same thing, when compared to regular parties they still offer a reprieve for partygoers.
- KH & MC
