By Coral Consciouslee
16th March 2018
Saturday 10th March 2018, I was privileged to
attend the 12th year of the Annual UK Legends of Legends hosted my
Gatecrash Promotions.
This was my third time, so I was familiar with what the
evening would entail. Even though I attended this time as a representative of
Reggae Fraternity UK, I asked myself the question: Why do the same people
support and attend this event each year? Indeed, Dennis Bovell stated the next
morning, that it doesn’t matter where he is in the world, he will make it his
duty to be a participant in Legends of Legends.
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| 12 Years and STILL going strong! |
I wondered what was the appeal? Having been unable to make
it last year, I was curious to see how the event would be perceived at
Parklands Banqueting Suite, instead of The Drum as in previous years. As someone who has been involved in a lot of
events over the years, I love when an event is organised and details attended
to. Therefore, it was a pleasure to see
that the event started on time with a full house no less! Sharon “Shazzy”
Bhola-Harris and Trevor “Rankin Gatecrash” McIntosh took their place as
comperes on the stage and the show was underway. Artist after artist came on and sang the
familiar songs that we knew so well, but we danced and cheered as if hearing
the song for the first time.
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| The dynamic duo |
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| Organised, attentive and smiling! |
Where hospitality was concerned, nothing was omitted or
overlooked. I was allowed backstage and
had the opportunity to mingle with the artists and catch up on musical
news. As per usual, refreshments were on
hand for the artists who had their own special room. That’s when I finally
realised what the appeal was. This
wasn’t just an event, this was a community, a family coming together in
appreciation of the artists who performed and also showing their love and
support for the hosts. I use the word
‘family’ deliberately because families form a strong bond that is cultivated
over years of interaction and love. The
crowd roared with laughter at Shazzy’s antics and became emotional when
Gatecrash was surprised on stage by an appearance from his sister from Canada.
Those who had recent birthdays were asked to come on stage and were given acknowledgement
and a present. Likewise mothers were highlighted and applauded, in recognition of Mother's Day.
It’s those little
attentions to detail that I suspect is the key to the success of Legends of
Legends.
Whistles blew and cheers went on for hours! Even backstage
we danced and congratulated artists as they came off the stage. In addition to London, people attended from
all major cities in the UK. I am not
writing this in amazement, I am writing this because it is the norm. In the
current economic climate Legends of Legends have managed to attract a full
house every year, early-bird tickets being sold out almost as soon as they are
issued. Shazzy and Trevor have developed
a tried and tested marketing technique that has stood the test of time like a
well-oiled machine. We applaud them and
many would do well to follow their example of diligence, determination,
consistency and organisation.
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| Another fantastic show!! |
It is because of this dedication that UK Reggae will
continue to be heard and treasured for years to come. Roll on year 13!!
Pictures provided courtesy of Jackie Higgins - with thanks!
