Come along take a ride on the Fantastic Voyage
Welcome to our June 2017 REGGAEMANIA EVENTS — We present to you a look through the lens of past June 2017 Reggae-Dancehall Events that took place the Toronto and surrounding areas. See event Flyers, Reviews, Videos and Pics, and listen/download our Audio Podcasts.
See Hot Pics — Kranium Live @ Nugget Banquet Hall 06.02.17. Kranium performed live at Nugget Banquet Hall last Friday June 2nd.
I’d guess there were 500-600 people in attendance to see Kranium alongside show openers Shalli, DJ C Bird & RPM Band – plus music by King Turbo, Tasha Rozez, Chippy (Military), Street Team and DJ Oshawn. Kranium fans, just like in the case with the Popcaan show just past, had to wait until about 2:40am before Kranium finally took the stage.
Kranium performed for what seemed about 35 – 40 minutes, and he didn’t have much room to move on the relatively small stage due to it being littered with media and VIP’s. The crowd responded well to his performance, even though it didn’t go over so well with Kranium himself who on several occasions apologized for the lack of vibes due to the absence of his own personal band who were not on the show. He was careful not to personally dis the band members behind him, but it was clear he was put off by their level of performance despite the short notice they may have been given.
I doubt it will ever happen, but Kranium stated several times to the audience that he would return to Toronto to do a ‘free’ show as a make-up for things not being up to standards inside Nugget. Nevertheless, the show itself that Kranium did was a pass, although he did let the vibes get to him as he seemed tired and laid back throughout the majority of his performance. The audience though were very forgiving, and most people enjoyed the show despite it’s problems, and wouldn’t leave the venue afterwards because they still wanted to party. Big up to the promoters and early performers and sound men and women who all made this party the good time that it was.
See Hot Pics — Total Annihilation-Battle of the Kings-King Turbo vs. King Addies 06.10.17
The event was called “Total Annihilation – Battle of the Kings” and featured 2016 World Clash champions King Turbo going up against New York’s King Addies inside their hometown of Brooklyn, New York (06.10.17). I was magnetically drawn to taking a trip to New York to see with my own eyes how our World Clash champions would hold up inside enemy grounds. Adding to the drama was King Addies recent bad publicity resulting from the “konk” incident where they scrapped with LP International. As for King Turbo, they were being criticized for not clashing too much since earning their World Clash championship title, so this clash would be a real test for both Sounds.
A group of four of us, Lisa West, Fine China, and Natasha Von Castle, and myself, took the 8-hour drive from Toronto to New York so that we could personally experience “Total Annihilation” with our own ears and eyes. The move was somewhat spontaneous, but we were all King Turbo fans, and felt it necessary to cross the border to give them our support. Armed with Canadian flags, whistles, and instant Instagram accounts, we eventually made it into the venue and settled in to represent. I wouldn’t say we were in hostile territory, but the vibe inside the Paradise Hall was somewhat strange, I’m not sure how to describe it. It wasn’t like a Canadian Sound Clash, and the crowd there seemed slightly older in demographic than the crowds we see in Canada. The crowd size was about the same, about 150 people spaced out inside a low lit and medium-sized venue where hroughout the night, with the exception of a handful of people, this same crowd was generally quiet and unresponsive, more or less watching and waiting for something to happen, or just not impressed, who knows, it was hard to read them.
Now I will cut to the chase – this clash was a lob-sided affair. I won’t take anything away from King Addies – they won the clash, and we say congratulations for the victory. But if you’re a clash fan, you will relate to the kind of clash where one sound has all the fan support by followers who will stay stubbornly loyal from beginning to end. Yes, I know, all is fair in war and Sound Clash, but this was a night of ‘total annihilation’, because nothing King Turbo played all night earned them a proper forward. It’s not that big tunes weren’t played, it was more a case of the people staying blank faced and not responding to them.
King Turbo may have been World Clash champions, it didn’t seemed to have earned them any respect in Brooklyn – the fans were not there to support them. The experience was like being shut out (in sports), because on this night Turbo would not score any forwards, a rarity in any clash under any circumstance. We’ll give Addies credit for coming prepared, and will not make excuses for not winning. Besides, hi-impact speeches were lacking from Turbo that night, and champion Sounds should have it in them to go to a next Sound’s territory, overcome obstacles and win.
As a Canadian contingent out to support our champion Sound, we did not get any opportunity to wave our Canadian flags, cheer, or blow our horns and whistles. Eventually, the four of us, along with the small and unseen set of Turbo fans (big up Snowbank in the place – Turbo fan for life!) that may have been in the place, had to except defeat and go down with the King Turbo machine. King Addies themselves may have been a bit surprised as to how easy this clash was for them, a classic walk over. It wasn’t their fault that their fans were so loyal, the respect from an Addies point of view, had been earned. As for Turbo – they would live to clash another day, and would just have to forget all about that night. The drive home was somewhat quiet for our group of four, but we could only imagine how disheartening it was for Turbo.
Pics by Lisa West and Ron Nelson
See Hot Pics — Fully Loaded Night 01 @ Whitehaus 06.24.17
Listen &/or Download Night One of the ReggaeMania.com Fully Loaded Sound Clash Eliminations 06.24.17. Part One of this spectacular 3-night Ron Nelson Production event took place inside Mississauga’s Whitehaus and featured Don Rankin, X-Loaded, Webzites, Outlaw, Military, Turbalance, Hallow Point, Sound Elite, and Supreme Genes clashing for the Night One Trophy and a cool $1,000 Cash. The top 3 Sounds from Night One, Two and Three, along with a 10th ‘wildcard’ sound (based on points awarded by judges) live to Clash again on Saturday October 21st 2017 at the Fully Loaded Finals.
This clash went smooth from an organization and structural point of view – you can listen and judge for yourself. Big up the Judges who worked hard throughout the night. Big up everyone, the entire staff, Natasha the Judgemaster, Fine China the Accountant, Zykes the MC, Fatkat Ent on the Audio recording, Steam Biz on the Live Stream-Video, and Steppa Choice on the Sound System. This production would need the workings of over 60 staff and participants not including club staff or security, so big up to everyone who made it happen, and thanks to the fans who came out to support.
Don’t miss part Two coming back to Whitehaus on Saturday July 8th, featuring Killa Instinct, Noble Works, Insurgency, Black Lion, Royalty, Tap Shatta, Kat Attack, Zone Warrior, King Vower, and Typhoon.
Part 3 takes place at Whitehaus on Saturday July 22nd and features Sniper, Xixgon Intl., Killa Assassin, Laza Force, Jani, Majestic Vybz, Greenz Connection, Desert Eagle, V.I.P Sound, and Diplomat.
A group of four of us, Lisa West, Fine China, and Natasha Von Castle, and myself, took the 8-hour drive from Toronto to New York so that we could personally experience “Total Annihilation” with our own ears and eyes. The move was somewhat spontaneous, but we were all King Turbo fans, and felt it necessary to cross the border to give them our support. Armed with Canadian flags, whistles, and instant Instagram accounts, we eventually made it into the venue and settled in to represent. I wouldn’t say we were in hostile territory, but the vibe inside the Paradise Hall was somewhat strange, I’m not sure how to describe it. It wasn’t like a Canadian Sound Clash, and the crowd there seemed slightly older in demographic than the crowds we see in Canada. The crowd size was about the same, about 150 people spaced out inside a low lit and medium-sized venue where hroughout the night, with the exception of a handful of people, this same crowd was generally quiet and unresponsive, more or less watching and waiting for something to happen, or just not impressed, who knows, it was hard to read them.
