Fabian Ledgister, Staff Reporter
This lady has quite a few eyes on her as she 'shake a leg' during Heinekin Good Times at Mass Camp on Saturday. - PHOTOS BY WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
TIME WAS up for 'Heinekin Good Times,' at Mas Camp on Saturday night, as members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force prematurely ended the session, enforcing the Town and Country Act upon the promoters of the oldies party, at 2:34 a.m. Patrons were highly disgruntled, as selection from Renaissance's Jazzy T had the event at its peak at the time of the forced closure.
The event officially began at approximately 9:30 p.m., with a heavy presence of police both uniformed and plain clothed, along with a number of Atlas Security members, ensuring a safe and event free night. By 11:30 there was hardly an empty space at the Mas Camp venue, as patrons, young and old, came out in droves for the 'Good Times' experience.
They didn't have long to wait as a string of '80s dance hits including Madonna's Like a Virgin, and Cyndi Lauper's Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, got the party in stride. Patriotism was strong that night, as the crowd's response to the local oldies was overwhelmingly greater than that of the international disco, dance, and rock 'n' roll hits. Songs like Arlene and Tenorsaw's Ring the Alarm, had patrons in a dancing frenzy. Topped with a string of soca oldies like Dollar Wine and Conga Line, the local hits were the clear crowd favourites. Along with Mack D's and bmobile, Heineken was the major sponsor to the event, and as with the beer priced at a reasonable $100, there was hardly a hand void of a green bottle.
NOSTALGIC JOURNEY
By 1:30 a.m. the venue was nearly filled to capacity, as overseas selector Richie B, from Miami, took party goers on a nostalgic journey, expertly selecting '70s 'yardie' rockers and '80s dancehall hits in the order of their year of release. In fact, listening to these hits from the past reveals how many recent songs are replicas of these timeless classics.
'Heinekin Good Times' officially kicked into full gear when Jazzy T took the turntables at 1:50 a.m. Being in tune with the patron's preference, the selector commenced his stint with a string of Supercat hits, including Under Pressure, and Boops, among others. Not to leave out the fans of the international hits, Jazzy treated the crowd with a series of '80s dance hits including Wake Me Up and Footloose. He then went into a string of '90s dancehall hits including Beenie Man's Nuf Gal, Chaka Demus and Pliers' Murder She Wrote, and at 2:35 a.m., whilst playing Shabba Rank's X-Rated, the music was abruptly cut off.
COMPLAINTS
Members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force were the cause of the musical stoppage, as they were allegedly enforcing the Town and Country Act, stemming from complaints from apartment residents in the area. Despite attempted negotiations from promoters, and chanting pleas from the crowd to resume the enjoyable party, police officers were adamant in their decision to close off the event.
"We are locking off the event based on the Town and Country Act, which says that the promoters have until 2:00 a.m. to wrap up ... it is specified on the permits that they apply for," stated a constable who was with the group of lawmen who had arrived to enforce the Act.
Another police member told The Gleaner that it was not on their initiative to end the night's festivities, but simply a response to complaints from residents in the area.
"If it was up to us unu woulda party till morning," stated the officer.
Promoter, Desi Wilmot, clearly displeased, instructed Jazzy T to apologise to patrons, promising he would 'make it up' at the next event's staging.
"In my 12 years as a promoter this has never happened to us ... I have always abided by the stipulations of the law," stated Wilmot
The evidently agitated promoter angrily related the story of a Caymanian patron who had just arrived due to a delayed flight, only to have the party end soon after her arrival into the venue.
"What can I tell her?" shouted the angry promoter.
Party goers were equally upset about the party's closure, cursing both promoter and police officers alike. Some Patrons relocated to the 'Quad' nightclub in New Kingston, as they had planned for an all night event.
