STAGE DISCIPLINE AND crowd control ruled at Carder Park in Portland on Friday night.
Probably it was the chilly Portland wind which blew steadily through the night, or the respect Louie Culture has earned over the years, but both audience and deejays alike showed discipline and restraint at his show, 'Portland Splash'.
For one, it was a stage show where the VIP/backstage area usually reserved for artistes and media personnel had no barriers
separating it from the general admission area. Anyone could walk from the entrance gates around to backstage and even on stage if they tried.
Usually at stage shows where this is so, chaos reigns backstage as artistes tussle to get on-stage, and crazed fans try too get attention from deejays. None of this happened however. Deejays went up only when announced and the crowd kept a humble presence in front of the stage.
Police reminders
Added to this, with the police constantly reminding them of the time limit for the show, and a seemingly inexhaustible list of performers, they all were required to to do quick sets.
Even the magnetic Beenie Man, who is accustomed to having over an hour on-stage to work, settled happily with his half an hour. The show's promoter, Louie Culture, settled with working for under an hour as well.
The effect of this was a light hearted, snappy paced show which lasted right through the night. For the crowd, this was value for money. Long after 3 a.m., the lines to get inside the venue were still long, and hecklers still tried to sneak past security personell.
The night's performances ranged from comedic, to entertaining, to energetic. Patrons got variety for their money.
Coco Tea, Beenie Man, Richie Spice, Bling Dawg, Zumjay, Junior Murvin, Louie Culture, and others all had exceptional acceptance to their performances.
Beenie Man, who said he flew from a recording session overseas just to be there, was brisk as he flew through his now lengthy catalogue of tunes. Loiue Culture could do no wrong. No matter how old the tunes he performed were, the response was just as ecstatic as for the new ones from his present album. Richie Spice was more laid-back than normal, but the music starved crowd loved him just as much.
Tolerant audience
Even up and coming artistes got their own appreciation from the tolerant audience. Among these were Fantan Moja, who blessed them with three quick tunes, Razor, Mr Wiseman, Ninjastar and a few more.
The only drawback to the show was that no one seemed able to find bathrooms in the venue. If bathrooms were there, they were well hidden. While walking between parked cars, or in the darkened areas of the park, many patrons stumbled on dozens of women crouching to relieve themselves, while others who walked too closely to some men barely missed getting sprayed. Cautious walking was the order of the night.
