Photos, Video & Review: Summer Splash Concert
[Written by Nadia Laws]
Last night’s highly anticipated Cup Match Summer Splash, featuring Grammy award-winning artist Sean Paul and soca queen Destra Garcia, included its fair share of highs and lows.
It’s best to look on the bright side of things, so let’s start with the positives.
According to a search online, it’s been as many as 20 years since Sean Paul last graced our shores with his catchy dancehall tracks – and judging by the size of the crowd, the Jamaican rapper, singer and producer had been greatly missed.
Slideshow of photos from the concert:
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Par-la-Ville Car Park was filled to the brim with music lovers looking to start the Emancipation Day holiday off on the right note.
The reggae headliner hit the stage just after midnight and worked hard to make up for lost time, performing a slew of hits from 2002’s ‘Gimme the Light’ to more recent chart toppers like ‘No Lie’ [featuring British newcomer Dua Lipa].
You could see the sweat literally pouring off of him, as he jumped, whined, waved and did whatever possible to rev up the local crowd.
Crowds out to enjoy the concert:
The high energy set, which lasted more than 90 minutes, included some of his best collaborations over the years, from Baby Boy, his #1 single with Beyoncé, to Clean Bandit’s Rockabye and Sia’s Cheap Thrills.
It was an awesome show – complete with talented backup dancers, live musicians and a hype man, not to mention a short freestyle inspired by the women of Bermuda.
However, the night wasn’t without its hiccups.
Earlier in the night, shortly after Trinidadian singer Destra Garcia took to the stage to belt out tunes like ‘Lucy’ and ‘Call My Name’, she took a serious fall and had to be sent off to hospital on a stretcher.
Quick video showing part of the concert:
Our hosts for the night – radio personality Nizzi Z and Qian Dickinson – tried to keep the momentum going after the incident, but it was tough for the crowd to carry on with the party atmosphere, as the Queen of Bacchanal lay injured on the stage for ten minutes.
The audience was encouraged to pray for the singer; Sean Paul later updated the masses saying ‘I want to big up Destra. She isn’t seriously injured, we just got the news. Thanks for your prayers’.
DJ Rusty G kept the vibe going with a mix of old school and new hits; he was just one of a handful of local talents who shined at yesterday’s sold out event.
Premier David Burt and former Premier Michael Dunkley take to the stage together in Cup Match unity:
C’Daynger represented Bermuda well with his unique brand of socially conscious reggae, including one song ’22 Miles’ highlighting the scourge of violence on the Island; and his most well-known tune, Dark Clouds.
Live Wires, who was riding high off of a successful performance in the Opening Ceremony for the 35th America’s Cup, joined along with his cousin, Desta Zion Wilson for songs like Reggae Highway, Gombey Warrior and a Bob Marley tribute melody.
From our vantage point right next to the stage it was an altogether amazing night, providing a rare chance to see one of the world’s most popular artists in action.
But whispers could be heard suggesting not everyone was pleased with the night, particularly those general admission ticket holders who had a heavily obstructed view of the stage and didn’t feel they received good value for money.
Click to enlarge photos:
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I loved seeing Premier Burt and Dunkley sending a message together. Hopefully, they can continue to work together. Maybe there is hope afterall.
My favorite photo of the year was seeing Mr. Dunkley and Premier Burt in unity, we all want hope and this photo represented that.
Yes great to see Dunkley and Burt! Can we have more of that please,we are too small an island to have 2 parties at odds with each other dividing the country! The tickets were too expensive at $85 to be miles from the stage.
Worst concert EVER!!!!!!!!
The layout of the concert space was just terrible for general tickets. You could not see the stage because of the space was taken up by the trees, gate and tent right in the middle of the viewing area. There were so many people squeezed into a space too small for all the general ticket holders. We got 3 Soca songs and by the time Sean Paul came on I was just fed up with all the people and the lack of space. There are much better venues for the number of people at this concert. I’m surprised it met the capacity requirements for the space it was held in.
Worst concert EVER!!!!!!!!
@Sickofantz – “…to expensive at $85 to be miles from the stage…” Really? HA! Next joke. Don’t make me laugh! I doubt you have ever been to a substantial concert in a REAL venue overseas….as opposed to a downtown parking lot…? My family (4 of us) recently went to a U2 concert in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada – part of their world tour of 164 venues. We were there along with 110,000 (yes, one hundred and ten thousand – nearly twice all of BDA’s size!) other U2 fans from all over the world. We sat along with 45,000 others in a horseshow shaped set of bleachers whilst the remaining crowd spilled out of the horseshoe and up the side of the mountain where we all were. The beyond spectacular stage was in the middle of the horseshoe and rose to nearly 200 feet in height. The multiple banks of speakers on this thing were awesome to behold and hear. We were SEVERAL hundred feet away from the stage – but we could see the band (Bono, The Edge and the others) both live on the stage as well as on HUGE screens hanging from the stage. The sound was so intense I felt every thump of the base and drums as if I was sitting right next to them. We ALL did!! The price? Over $2,000 for the 4 of us…..as opposed to $340 for 4 on Wednesday night. Trust me – you were NOT far from the stage!!! (And no, we didn’t mind paying that much because we know all about the VAST charitable giving that U2 does with a lot of the money it gets from its concerts.)
PS – totally agree – more of OBA and PLP (photographed as well as working) together would be fantastic! Do it guys!! It’s what all of BDA wants from you.
Steady on with the ranting. It was not a great venue – there are better ones. The trees, the high fencing and the tent in the middle made it very claustrophobic and when we wanted to move back to avoid being crushed, we are pushed and shoved and shouted at.
By the way, U2 are not in the same league as the artists on Wednesday so I not surprised you paid so much to see them – U2 are legends. Wednesday was pretty mediocre and we waited ages listening to pretty crap warm up music.
“PS – totally agree – more of OBA and PLP (photographed as well as working) together would be fantastic! Do it guys!! It’s what all of BDA wants from you.”
Wow!! Oh now you want to hold hands singing kumbaya?? I wonder if PLP was still in opposition if your sentiments would be the same…… Some of you are really laughable.
yawn no one cares about your story in canada. sickofantz is correct for what you paid for general admission it was ****!
SORRY BUT THAT WAS THE WORST CONCERT!!!! keep it real!!!!!!!!!