For a bunch of nearly has-beens, Shaggy, Inner Circle and Arrested Development put on a smoking show at 2009's Raggamuffin Reggae Festival on
Australia Day.
The reggae and Afro-centric artists proved to be the crowd favourites with the red-eyed partygoers.
The venue for the second of five shows across Australia in this touring festival had been moved from Byron Bay to Ballina's Kingsford Smith Park, in what can be described as one of the worse decisions since the Italians milked a penalty against the
Socceroos in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
It seemed the blokes coordinating transport couldn't organise a piss-up in a brewery. There were massive gaps in between each set and there was only one choice of beer, but three different types of frickin' lolly waters.
However, Inner Circle brought the house down with their classic 'Bad Boys, Bad Boys'. The reggae dinosaurs pumped out their anthems with the same intensity as Ron Jeremy on his fifth Viagra.
Arrested Development, who appeared last year at the annual concert, also got the crowd revved up with 'Mr Wendal', 'People Everyday' and 'Tennessee'. Baba Oju, the old tribal elder of the band looked as if he was going to need CPR as a result of his onstage grooves.
Shaggy made a superstar entrance and had the crowd eating out of his hand with 'Mr Boombastic', 'In the Summertime', 'It Wasn't Me' and 'Hey Sexy Lady'. His onstage banter and moves were right up
RALPH's alley with comments like "I didn't come to Australia for the weather or food — it's the Aussie women."
Former UB40 frontman, Ali Campbell, performed his solo wigger act with classics like 'Red Red Wine', 'Would I Lie to You' and 'Kingston Town'.
Not many knew Eddy Grant's Rastafarian rhymes like 'Electric Avenue' and 'Gimme Hope', but the big fella still put on a good show with his ample-sized back-up singers.
Ziggy Marley, the son of late reggae legend Bob Marley, was the headline act of Raggamuffin. The Jamaican fella has talent, but the crowd atmosphere died quicker than Craig McLachlan's stand-up comedy career.
Saxon Cheng
Other than Bob Marley, who's your favourite reggae artist/band and why? Leave your comment below.
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