At the 25th anniversary staging of Sting, held at Jamworld, Portmore, St Catherine, on Boxing Day, the MCs constantly reminded the huge audience of the responsibility they have.

Not that they used the word responsibility; instead, the crowd was constantly asked to keep things peaceful at a concert billed as 'the final frontier' and 'the settlement of all argument'. And apart from two stampedes early Saturday morning which did not disturb the running of the show, it was peaceful.

There was no on-stage fracas, as happened when Vybz Kartel and Ninja Man tangled at Sting 2003, and there were no missiles flung on stage, as has happened on several occasions in the past. Of course, the restriction on bottles in the venue would have helped tremendously.

For the organisers, the relative calm at Sting, even throughout the closing clash with Vybz Kartel and Mavado, must have been a relief and triumph. And although the thousands who turned out for the 2008 staging of 'The Greatest One-night Show on Earth' may not have thought of it that way, they helped to sustain dancehall by their relatively good behaviour.

Sting is the event which critics have pointed to, year after year, as the low point of dancehall; this year, though, they cannot.

The Sting organisers managed to strike a balance and do what has previously been impossible. They have managed to satisfy the war-hungry crowd while having an event which did not end in chaos.

It is a good sign for dancehall.