Publication date : Wednesday, March 26th 2008 - 11 015 views
Easter Stars On Parade
Since Mavado will not come to us, we will go to him. Destination London, where the singer was joining Bounty Killer and a host of Alliance artists for the launch of his European tour, before heading back to the Caribbean while his companions carry on across Europe (including France). Of the three concerts announced across the Channel, the first was cancelled, and the second almost failed to survive the snowstorm that hit England this weekend. We could not afford to miss the London finale of this mini-tour by the spiritual father and son of the Alliance.
An impressive queue stretches along the pavement outside the Stratford Rex and a considerable security and police presence does its best to keep order. The improvised ticket booth halfway down and the drastic security checks delay entry into the hall, where the local sound systems have already begun their musical warm-up and guests are already dancing and singing around bottles of Courvoisier or champagne. Judging by people's evening wear and the price of the tickets (£50 on the door, no less!), there is no denying it, London concerts imply a whole different standard from their Parisian equivalents. Time flies (setting-up problems for the Anger Management Band) and it is nearly 12.30am when Angel Doolas is announced. One of Bounty Killer's very first lieutenants does not hang about on stage, content with a short a cappella introduction, before a ganja tune on the Anger management. He gets a very mixed and silent reception, bordering on a flop, his voice being somewhat smothered by the band's loud sound.
Flexx, Mavado's partner who was already present on his last English tour, is more convincing. In three songs, including his excellent Badman from long time on the Gully creature, the young DJ wins everyone over and heads backstage after a very successful version of his Nuh gal on the Operation torpedo. Without losing a minute, another veteran takes over: Fambo. Better known to some under the name Future Troubles, he bursts in on the Superstar, launching into his self-titled hit, Fambo. Literally unleashed, the DJ jumps and moves in all directions, to the point of losing a little accuracy in his voice, notably on Shake it on the Wipe out, which does not escape the London crowd and lets the atmosphere drop a little. He does not linger on stage either, and after a third song that is not exactly stunning, he goes back to where he came from. The atmosphere goes up a notch when the arrival of Einstein is announced, another young prodigy of Bounty's crew, who comes in on his big hit Rise the machine on the Power cut and immediately gets the biggest forward since the start of the night. The tracks follow one another with breathtaking speed and precision, like his violent Dem violate on the Dark again, keeping the crowd under pressure until the DJ's exit, who receives a final huge ovation with Rise up dem on the Tremor.
The serious business is now about to begin and as soon as Mavado's voice is heard from backstage, the crowd erupts. He makes his entrance amid utterly astonishing jubilation with Top shotta nuh miss on the Power cut and he too strings the tracks together without a second's respite. All his hits get played, those from his first album of course, but also more recent ones, such as Slow singing on the Dark again, Which gal on the Bee hive or Life of a G on the Shoot out, and none leaves the crowd indifferent. Everybody sings the songs back in chorus and Mavado wears a big, satisfied smile, feeling a little at home here. Unlike on many of his previous performances, the DJ does not take too much advantage of the reactions he generates by simply letting the crowd sing, but makes the effort several times to prove his qualities as a flow merchant (with Last night on the Show off, Money changer on the Warning and Force it up on the Operation torpedo in particular), as well as a singer (with Heartbeat, Dying or Brown bottle on the Darker shadow).
When a fight breaks out in the front rows, right under his eyes, Mavado stops his show instantly to call the two troublemakers to order. Addressing the crowd, he announces: "if you fight during the show, you get out". He then turns to the two angry men again, telling them: "you fought, so..." and the whole crowd answers in unison: "you get out!!". Good-natured, Mavado then declares that the two troublemakers seem to have understood and that no further incident will disturb the smooth running of the night. He still takes care to separate them, putting one on each side of the stage, and resumes his performance at the exact note where it had been left. Impressive in his professionalism and accuracy, Mavado has undeniably matured and his reputation is no longer in any way undeserved.
He interrupts his concert a second time to address a little message to the police forces massed in numbers outside the hall, complaining that everywhere he goes there are police to stop him doing his job and giving people pleasure, whereas if everyone stays in their place, as is the case tonight, things go off without a problem. As the icing on the cake, the DJ performs his recent hit On the rock on the Mission, also sung back in chorus by a delirious crowd, and he even allows himself a little cover of Jay Z.'s rap on the track, before leaving the stage to thunderous applause. Despite the incessant requests of all his fans, the DJ does not come back, the late hour not allowing it, and the MC then announces the highlight of the night: Bounty Killer.
Having abandoned his traditional black clothes, the Warlord appears in jeans and a white jacket. The floor and walls shake so intense is the roar produced by the crowd's cries. With no detours or frills, Bounty opens his concert with a well-judged medley of some of his very old tracks, such as Lodge or War. He then embarks on a chronological journey back through his catalogue, taking in the essential Eagle and di hawk on the Showtime, Can't believe mi eyes and Anytime on the Bruck out or Look on the Bug and Bloodbath on the Candle wax. Even though he is already getting very good forwards, Bounty raises the pressure a little more with his Yuh gawn on the Coolie dance, Sadda dem on the Good to go and Stand firm on the Thrilla, and it is a pleasure to take a break with somewhat calmer songs, such as It's OK on the Drop leaf and Gangster love on the Istanbul, even if Bounty's singing qualities live leave a little to be desired, especially after such a relentless onslaught of devastating flow.
The godfather of the Alliance then launches into his most recent tracks, with Bullet on the 12 gauge, Bulletproof skin on the Show off and of course Talk to dem on the Anger management. A few last butcheries, such as The highest on the Dreaming and Nothing nuh change on the Airwaves, finish the crowd off. The Warlord then leaves the stage, to return briefly accompanied by a young local DJ, whom he presents as the British representative of his Alliance. When the MC raises the possibility of a father and son combination to close the night in style, the crowd shows its enthusiasm one last time in an indescribable din, but receives in return only a brief "good night", as the "curfew" hour (set for 2am) passed some time ago and so does not allow extra time; a shame.
Mavado, more than anyone else, literally delighted all his fans, who came in great numbers, and even managed to outshine his mentor, Bounty Killer, who, although he gave a most energetic and effective show, still lacked a little daring and magic to make it truly take. The downside remains the sometimes very approximate quality of the mix, which drowned the artists' voices more than once, even Bounty's deep and resonant one, in the band's chaotic racket.
gandja star va t'acheter des oreilles, movado le sosie de kartel? mais t'a rien compris mon pauvre! ton avis on s'en fout Movado n° 1!!!! dem a loose again!! dutty soundbwoy!
mavado est une grosse merde pour le dancehall, aucune musicalité, un flow de merde, des lyrics sans aucune originalité. On dirait le sosie de kartel mais en mauvais.
SNIIIF....
c'est clair qu'on s'y croirait ! bravo !
par contre le concert à durer combien de temps ?? 1h30 on dirait, non ? avec autant d'artistes et une des 2 soirées annulées, ça me parait bizarre que le public est pas été un peu dégouté...
excelent le report!
on aurait voulu y etre!
anywayyyy!
il vient kan en france mavado!ce serait bien un petite date avec busy!
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