IN terms of reggae families, the Marleys and Morgans certainly dominate, but the talent of the Bonner Brothers — Richie Spice, Pliers, Spanner Banner and Snatch — is undeniable.
Therefore, a performance featuring the four should have brought out a bumper crowd. That was not to be on Thursday night when they performed at All Spice at Cafee Delight in New Kingston, another of the live music events for Kingston Music Week. But the low turn-out did not in anyway affect the quality of the performances.
The responsibility to bring the show to a close was put in the hands of Richie Spice and he did it justice.
From the time he stepped onto the stage just after 11:30, he brought a high-energy level which never waned for the one hour-plus that he performed. It was just what the small, yet appreciative audience was looking for.
The Bonner Brothers
The lanky, dreadlocked singer dropped the tunes which he is known for, and then some. Blood Again, Earth A Run Red, Black Like Tar, Righteous Yute, World Is a Cycle. Youths Dem Cold, Gideon Boot and Di Plane Land were delivered from his arsenal in rapid succession.Richie Spice dedicated a segment to the females. For this, he drew on tracks such as Brown Skin, Groovin’ My Girl, Ghetto Girl and Can’t See True Love and Walk Away which all went over well.
Earlier, Pliers did some of the classics he and his musical partner Chaka Demus are known for, as well as tracks from his solo career. These were done in a medley of Your Love Is Burning, When You Love and Cover Me. He said he was fighting the flu which may explain why his voice was not where it usually is, but nevertheless he was still exciting to hear.
Chaka Demus
A cover of Maxi Priests’s Wild World was followed by a string of hits — She Don’t Let Nobody, Tease Me, Bam Bam and the monster track, Murder She Wrote on which he stood in for his missing partner and deejayed.
Pliers was preceeded by Spanner Banner. Best known for the single Life Goes On, he saved that for last. What We Need is Love, One Love, Gotta Be and One Day at a Time were among the songs he also performed.
Snatcha, perhaps the least known of the Bonner clan, was the opening act. Although his tracks are not as well known as his siblings’, he clearly possesses the family trait of good vocals and engaging stage presence.
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