by Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Macka Diamond performs during 'Island Explosion' at Leiba's Esso station in May Pen, Clarendon, on Sunday. - nathaniel stewart

It was joy to a significant part of, if not the world, on Christmas Eve into Christmas morning as 'Island Explosion' pulled a huge audience into the space surrounded by high zinc fences behind Leiba's Esso station in May Pen, Clarendon.

Most stayed until Beenie Man and Vybz Kartel combined to close the concert in a flurry of lyrics at 6:30, Beenie Man ending his showing that took the house down with pieces of Ol' Dawg, King of the Dancehall and Dude, among many others, with a lyric about Kartel's recent split from the Bounty Killer-led Alliance. "Whe mek yu so bad min' my yute?/Mek de Killa waan mad my yute?" he asked. "Yu jus' buil' it!" Kartel said. Before bringing up his 'uncle', Kartel himself had the audience going with Sen On, the declarations "no man cyaan b...dy me" and I Never, as well as the demand "who was Peter King man?", at one point hailing all Alliance, Beenie Man and Capleton fans.

Handclaps

It wasn't the only combination performance of the night. Bounty Killer called on Assailant, K Queens and Aidonia in a performance interrupted by impatient handclaps when he asked the audience to call out the 'fish' if they wanted a war, as well as boos later before he went Psycho.

Busy Signal stepped out before calling on his 'gangster singer' Mavado, whose first "anyway" sent the audience howling and whose every selection, from Full Clip to dreams of "floating on a thousand dollar bill", was met with overwhelming support. It was a night of major performers working in tandem, as after Capleton turned on the heat "or wha" and 'Slew Dem', Mongo Honorebel declaring "dem bway deh no bad like I", Ninja Man walked on to ask for a war with "sen on de whole a dem".

Just before, in one of the night's more extended performances, Elephant Man blazed his merry way through 'Inna Yu Nose', 'Bun Dung Dat' and 'No Junjo No Deh Deh', before hoisting a squealing, skinny girl on his groin and getting a photographer to deliver some wines on a woman, declaring the cameraman's jerky, off timing attempts "too stiff".

In the wake of Capleton and Ninja Man, Erupt, who saved his hot declaration "no gal cyaan save me from me fren'" for last got little attention, Turbulence building some steam with 'Natty Pon Har Frontline'.

In the earlier going Macka Diamond stepped out with a 'bad gal forward' after Spice had entered the Angel-Beenie-Bounty fray with "sey dem a gangster an gal a run dem head/have de two a dem like Barney an' FredÉ/cause she lef' de bal head an' go married to de dread". Shaggy appealed to his ladies, who screamed for 'Bashment Gal', 'Angel' when he took off his dark glasses. Little Hero observed it is gone back to 'King Solomon World', Cocoa Tea worked through much less than adequate band support and Vegas got substantial crowd support with 'Taxi Fare' and 'Constant Spring', muscled abdomen showing under his open jacket.

A single stampede at the rear of the crowd at 1:50 a.m. was quickly settled.

Matterhorn deejayed 'Goodas' and 'Dutty Wine' to delight the ladies, Top Secret dropped Buju Banton dubs, Maestro led Swatch International in an extended run and Richie Feelings appealed to the 'woah!' in the women, as the selectors also had their turn at 'Island Explosion'.