Music Is....

We started with the National Anthem behind closed curtains. Nothing special there; we got it right. We had to play below the rest of the band, as per ususal.

Rosemarie welcomed our guests/audience and the show began. In the Hall of the Mountain King we took the stage walking with an undulating motion. The lights cut before the cellos could see Aleiya's count so they came in late. We waited for Aleiya to turn as if to play and then we began. This worked beautifully. We adjusted volume for the theatre and worked with the piece going faster than expected. With robotic fashion we executed the playing of the piece. Lights dimmed.

Welcome to Cuba began and went as expected. Stick flipping, body twisting, bass dancing, agile prancing. Bienvenidos a Cuba!

Arm outstretched to God in heaven as Rosemarie introduced the piece garbed in a choir robe and hyping the crowd to experinece the power of an Awesome God. The moves were spirit filled and during the acapella the band sang:

" Our God is an awesome God
He reigns from heaven above
with wisdom power and love
our God is and awesome God"

The crowd loved us!!

Curtains closed and the stage was set for The Prayer. Two DTs, Mark B on a baby grand and a violin. Fabulous with Dts playing different roles. Violin was different every show.

Air on a G-String was next and the "unique tension between the sweeping, characterful, highly individualized melody of the upper voices and the steadfast stately BASS!!" was fantastic. They got a write-up in the Observer.

The band took the stage and we began Human Nature, a pice that the band feared because of its slow nature and ability to lull to sleep even the fleetest of hands. Dr. Bailey's piece was still ahit nether-the-less and even more so with the fear of Leo at the helm of the traps.

The half was closed with Diallo's arrangement 'Oye Como Va'. This piece had so much potential when we were earning it but we just couldn't seem to get it to work in the panyard. Well it worked in PSCCA. It worked so well that I was in shock.

Intermission always felt like it lasted longer than the 15 minutes advertised.

Sermonette, jazz piece was bashy 3/4 shows. The first night it wasn't so hot for the bass but it went unnoticed to the audience. After that it had so much attitude it was ARROGANT!!!

I heard Les Deux Bavardes (the 2 gossips) from below the stage in the change room each night because I had to change into costume for the second half. As such I have to defer to others to tell me how it went, but since it was Gay and Mark B. and they are both experts I have no doubt that it went brilliantly. That extrapolation is backed by what I saw them do in practice otherwise.

The skit to begin Workout was light fare which drew laughter and allowed time to set up the stage while on the stage without looking too awkward. The piece is indeed a workout and each section managed to put in their own version of dancing to make it seem like fun. The basses allowed them to do their stuff and tried to keep a low key during this piece. But alas we are Bashment and that is not possible. So we began our choreographed exercise routine and began our solo (incidentally we realised that the tenors also play during our solo and not just introduced us as previously thought). Our deft playing and tightness had the crowd eating out of our hands.

Anthony worked in a percussion flash of brilliance to introduce Pandora. The piece had less energy than Workout most shows but last show it held on for dear life. This isn't becasue energy isn't engendered, but because it follows Workout which saps energy. Still it was played well and evolked much energy from the crowd. The skit ended this Act with a blatant plug for SeaGrill which bought a full page ad in our programme. For 3 shows I advertised their crab cakes only to find out that they don't sell crab cakes. So for the final show I ran down the menu as best as I could remember it.

We donned our caps crocheted by Rochelle K. and took the stage for Is This Love. I believe the tenors have some dancing in that number. The basses put ina skit where one player is giving another the eye. He stops playing during the cello lead and starts trying to get her attention. He eventually gives her flowers but still all he can get from her is some coy smiles. Another crowd pleaser.

Sizzla was a sssssssssizzzzzzzla!!!!! Having the propensity to run long and perhaps lose people lots was added to this song to sell it to the non-sizzla listeners. Sizzla fans didn't have any problems with it and enjoyed the extras even more. The song starts with the basses doing the H.I.M. salute and this changed to the bubo-shante salute. The basses then switched back and forth playing each others pans and even both at times. The second song from the medley was left to other sections to shine. The third song being hype enough was left to stand on its own especially since the fourth song was the killa! It started with the basses passing the chalice while the percussionists worked wonders in the engine room. As the song kicked in.... in came Sizzla kalonje himself (rohan in disguise), flag waving and wheeled up the song before dancing off. Then pandemonium as the six basses seemed to climb atop their pans ato play the last song. All an illusion but effective . Standing on the traps stage one bass played his pans from the outside, while another mounted on a box precariously played his from dizzying heights before jumping down to end with furious rolling along with the drummer.

Mi Tierra, a song which still runs away with the band at its best, was not top-a-top, but it was decent. Individual dancing showed who had rhythm and who didn't.

Carnival is over was well received and well executed despite its sad tones that indicated the end of the carnival/concert. Bashment fancy moves and stick twirling and a killer clean bass line was exceptional.

DEAD or ALIVE. Lawks!!!! What to say without leaving out anything. The colours, the revalry, the carnival constumes (head gear at least). It was fantastic! Stupendous! Bashmentiferous!!! Again dance moves dance moves dance moves to kill. The tenors did the moves they borrowed from the basses. The basses went wild and bashmentified the place.

I love the stage and I love performing. It makes the preceeding months of hardwork worthwhile. Big up to everyone for the effort, the energy for everything. Behind the scenes ppl, arrangers, choreographers, Rosemarie, drummers, tenors, cellos, DTs, DSs, RITCHIE!!!, Giselle, Gillian, Gay, Rohan, Tenielle, all those whose names slip my mind now, and finally to all my BASHMENT BASSES!!!! Aleiya, Adrian, Camille, Debra, Kadeen, Richard.

Di STAR big wi up.

And di Gleaner big wi up as well.