The heat was on at Summer Jam!

Bling Dawg - Michael Sloley

BLING DAWG'S 'Summer Jam' was this, that and more. It rocked, it blinged and it sizzled. The jam-packed crowd at the Ken Wright Pier in Portland got a balanced diet of musical splendour. The singers thrilled and the deejays and sound systems provided vibes.

To describe an event such as this, a deep breath is in order ­ there were so many good aspects. Renaissance, Stone Love, Fire Links and Tony Matterhorn 'blazed a hot fire' that had the patrons screaming at the top of their lungs, flicking lighters and blazing torches.

Then when it was time for the entertainers, it was then that the show became a choir practice. The entertainers were the maestros and the crowd the choir.

Earlier, the patrons had become a bit restless while waiting for the start of the performances. They booed and even threw a few items on stage, but that was soon forgotten after 2 a.m. when the live performances got under way.

As usual, the show kicked off with the fresh acts who tried hard to prove their worth ­ some of them did. Night Hawk, Pinky and The Brain, Phantom and comedian Real Idiot got good responses.

The professional segment 'jump-started' with the hilarious Captain Barkey and Wickerman who had the crowd in stitches. The comic relief rose to its highest level when local emcee/comedian Major Buck took to the stage.

His greatest moment was when he made a comparison with some females and cellular phones; "Some girls come in like Digicel, every place dem go dem pick up."

Monster Shack exhibited good chemistry and left a high standard for the other performers. Roundhead was his usual self - calm, cool, collected as he launched into his marijuana campaign. General B provided the energy and Ghost thrilled the ladies.

At 3:20 a.m. Mad Cobra took to the stage. In his set, he lashed at Mr Lex before bringing another act, Singer J, on stage. The latter was pulled into the crowd by rowdy female fans while he was performing. Cobra was also accompanied by Sukku from Ward 21 and Kip Rich.

Portland native Louie Culture took to the stage at 4 a.m. He received a warm welcome from his home crowd and did not let them down. He was most impressive when he took them for a stroll down memory lane with hits such as Gangalee and Malfunction.

The next segment came from Shocking Vibes' youngsters Kitty Paw and Little Shotta. They danced and delivered a set like seasoned professionals and had the audience at their mercy.

Mega Banton held his own before calling up Tanto Metro and Devonte, who in turn introduced Tony Curtis and Singing Melody.

It was not until sometime after dawn that the man of the hour, Ricky Rudie, a.k.a. Bling Dawg, took to the stage. Lighters flickered in the early morning sky, torches blazed and shots rang out in salute for the Portland native.

He delivered hits such as Kiss My Baby Good Morning, and the self-titled Bling Dawg while the crowd showed they were behind him all the way.

Other performers such as Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Frisco Kid and Wayne Wonder delivered outstanding performances before the show ended at 6:30 a.m.

Overall the show was well organised with the artistes and even the emcees ­ Shakka Flame, Richie B and Big A ­ being outstanding.

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