By Sebidde Kiryowa and Denis Jjuuko

Let us dispense with tradition for a change, cut out the localng acts (to whose competence we are accustomed) and cut straight to the chase. In a nutshell, was the ‘Bombastic’ show at Speke Resort, Munyonyo on New Year’s eve worth all the pomp and hype it generated? Let’s break down the show.

We had a mammoth crowd by any standard. And, Shaggy is not exactly Pastor George Okudi when it comes to stage showmanship but he knows how to have a good time and invites his audience to join him on the joy ride. And that is exactly what the boombastic concert was, a joy ride. That is if you are the type that does not take offense at an occasional command to get on up and shake you’re a**.

Oh yes, Shaggy quite liberally threw in some moderate profanity every now and then, so much, at one point he warned not to be surprised about the negative influence he would have on their kids. Hmm!

And, as a matter of principle, Shaggy never rocks a party when the crowd is seated miles from the podium where he is performing like it was in Munyonyo. So, second thing he did when stepped on stage was to call the crowd up front, trigging off a crazed stampede as the crowd surged forward to make contact.

That’s not to mention the deafening uproar that greeted him when he appeared on stage clad in a pair of blue jean trousers, a white long-sleeved shirt,jacket and white sneakers. He sported an Afro and diamond stud in his left ear.

But the first thing he did on stage was tease us with some ear-tickling guitar licks before exploding into an electric performance of That Girl. This he did with all his four hook singers — Brian & Tony Gold, Rayvon and Rick Rock who flanked him. The quartet bustled with palpable energy.

His next offering, the popular Mr Boombastic could not have fallen on readier ears and (in this case) hands, that fluttered in air, seeking to grab Shaggy’s trousers seams! The resort reverberated with wild screams as the excitement reached a feverish pitch.

Oh Carolina, his breakthrough hit from 1991, came next with a tantalising vocal interlude of Rivers Of Babylon by Rayvon. After another wildly welcomed Two Way by all five of artistes on stage Shaggy had every one leaping in the air with the up tempo, slamming and highly energetic Big Up!

The threatening rain and an interlude of relatively unfamiliar songs marked a transient low, but his performance of the mega hit Summertime ensured that he soon regain his control of the party. As he gyrated, prancing about the stage and grabbed his crouch every now and then, the crowd, spell bound, followed his every move religiously. Then it was time for the hit Angel.

A stormy drizzle and later light down pour threatened to spoil Shaggy’s performance of It Wasn’t Me with Rick Rock as some of the crowd scampered for shelter, while he asked all horny babes to scream on This Is Your Lucky Day.

From Strength Of A Woman through to She’s Mine, the most engaging and energetic performance of the night proved to be Hey Sexy Lady. It incorporated interludes of Ha Hi He Ho and an inkling of Full Control. Shaggy summed up the show with his sample of the Michael Jackson hit Let’s Dance and Shout which had everyone do just that!

Published on: Friday, 2nd January, 2004