By Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

After the earlier performers had presented their material to recorded tracks, the selectors had a turn at Saturday night's 'Riding West', put on by Supreme Promotions at the Llandilo Cultural Centre, Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland.

One set wrapped up with Love and Affection, then another took the stage in a less loving mood, proclaiming "dem a sey c-cman no fi get gshot. Me no business", as he played Sizzla's No Time To Gaze. He then asked for a show of hands from "all who sey bam fi get gshot" and the hands went up as he played Bounty Killer's Cyaan Believe Me Eye.

The song was stopped quickly, though, and there was an angry buzz from the audience, which fell way short of being a large gathering as the selector asked "wha, me performance done yasso?". One man in the audience shouted over and over of a popular music promotion figure "How yu a fight gainst bam fi get gnshot? Yu fi get gnshot. Yu a bn too".

A promoter of 'Riding West' explained "we have a discipline here. We have sponsors and we have to look at that".

The audience would have none of it and there were some boos and shouts of "bam fi get gunshot", but before the situation escalated the band, which had been fine-tuning, struck up and MC Nuffy was out to get the live performances rolling again with Benetto, who started out with 'Where I'm From'. But when the people were asked if they were alright there was a chorus of 'no'.

When Father Bookie, who followed, said "Bam fi dead an dat a law" there was a very positive response. And when he encouraged "all who a bun bam come so", spinning an extended arm, they cheered.

He closed with a 'double b' onslaught on bam and bcats.

Whiskey Baggio, who came next, after declaring "No one cyaa lock it like me" demanded "whe dem sey, c-cman no fe dead? Me cyaa sey c-cman fe dead?", asking for a show of hands from all those who love the woman, before advising lyrically "wuk gal an' wuk dem hard"

"All who sey c-cman fe dead put one han' inna de air," he said and the hands duly went up. "Whe dem sey, promoter deh ya, sponsor deh ya?" Baggio demanded before deejaying "when me a shoot bm me no have pity".

A number of performers later, Jigsy King, after opening with 'Gimme De Weed', said "me nah support no bman no lesb. All dung ya whe know b..m fi dead, wave suppen" he said, then deejaying "bm fi dead, gshot fi buss inna dem head".

"Laing an Heavy D big up oonuself," he said to members of the Supreme Promotions team. "Me no understan' what a gwaan. After God sey man an woman, how me fe see inna STAR sey bn a keep contes' inna Kingston? Dat cyaa happen inna Westmoreland," Jigsy King said to a chorus of 'no' from the audience.

The song was stopped quickly, though, and there was an angry buzz from the audience, which fell way short of being a large gathering as the selector asked "Wha, me performance done yasso?". One man in the audience shouted over and over of a popular music promotion figure, "How yu a fight gainst bam fi get gnshot? Yu fi get gnshot. Yu a bn too".