Isaiah Laing, CEO of the Supreme Promotions outfit that coordinates the prominent dancehall show,STING, may want to have a rethink about his strategy for future editions of the event as STING 2015 was brought to an abrupt halt early Sunday morning in Portmore.
Deciding to go old school with the theme From Then Till Now by bringing back many of dancehall’s foundation acts while ditching many of the current stars that shape today’s fabric within the sub-genre, STING 2015 failed to attract a large crowd to Jamworld this time round. Some of said foundation acts, such as Lady G, Professor Nuts, General B, Pinchers, Major Mackerel, Tony Curtis and others delivered solid performances, while esteemed reggae crooner, Half Pint was another notable standout.
Other veteran stars such as Mr. Lexx, Powerman and Turbulence delivered notable sets, as well as a set from famous dancehall selector, Sky Juice who did a tribute to incarcerated reggae legend, Buju Banton. However, despite getting the crowd rocking on occasion, they never seemed fully invested in the show on offer.
To make matters even trickier, promoters opted to throw on younger, somewhat unestablished stars during the prime time hours (4 a.m. and later), including Don Andre, Maestro Don and other local acts, as well as artists from Gambia and South Africa.
Raunchier, energetic sets from female dancehall acts such as Hungry Days singer, Konfydence and Stylysh as well as performances by Raine Seville and Sophia Brown were also solid, but by the time 5 a.m. rolled around, reports were that much of the crowd had already left, with one media outlet reporting that there were more people in the V.I.P section that the general admission area.
As if the show wasn’t hanging on by a thread as it was, that thread was cut shortly after 6 a.m. when a sexually-charged set by dancehall newcomer, Starface prompted police officers to call an early end to the show, before headliners such as Beenie Man and Elephant Man could take the stage.
STING 2015 struggled to attract general interest going in, with Laing choosing not to put some of today’s hot acts such as Dexta Daps, Alkaline, Gage and Kalado while I-Octane, Aidonia, Konshens, Spice, Tifa, Busy Signal, Gully Bop and several other dancehall and reggae heavy hitters were other notable absentees.
Additionally, the clashing theme that has been a staple of the show since its inception in the 1980s was left off, with Laing sighting last year’s fight between the camps of Masicka and Demarco during the show.
