Phase II blows them away

AT the stroke of  3 am yesterday when Petrotrin Phase II struck the final musical bar of their rendition — “Trini Gone Wild” — as the saying goes,  ‘‘it was all over bar the shouting.’’ No one needed a judge or an applause metre to know that the band led by Len “Boogsie” Sharpe had won first place to take home a magnificent challenge trophy and a cheque for $400,000.

While much credit goes to Boogsie, the band owes as much to its ‘‘Drill Master,’’ Ray Holman. They both deserve awards. Of the 16 bands that had performed, including the medium and large bands, Phase II, playing in the last position, was the only band that ‘‘rocked the Savannah.’’ It was a precision musical performance that contained all the ingredients, including drama, verve, and vitality. Trinis, and foreigners too, really went wild as the band swept all before it. Even the judges gave them runaway marks because in no Panorama did a winning band ever get 20 points ahead of the runners-up — Sagicor Exodus, who played De Fosto’s “From Beyond - 2005.”

Phase II was awarded 478 points; Sagicor Exodus, 458; WITCO Desperadoes, 454.5 points; followed by bpTT Renegades with 437.5. Others were BWIA Invaders with 433 points, followed by RBTT Sound Setters of Tobago, 431 points; Neal and Massy Trinidad All Stars, 429.5, and TCL Skiffle Bunch with 427 points. Exodus, hoping to score a hat-trick, did improve from the semis, but was nowhere near catching Phase II, despite their good melodic development, strong bass line and clean harmonisation. Generally, the tune was well executed. Renegades, currently going through a transition period, remains the only band to complete a Panorama hat-trick — 1995, 1996, and 1997. The band came a notch higher than in the semis. From fifth spot they climbed to fourth with a much more spirited arrangement of De Fosto’s From Beyond - 2005 with good tempo. Despers — ten- time Panorama champs — clearly did not do enough to even move the crowd. There was need for more zest and cleaner playing among the middle pans. With all the work by Clive Bradley and his very knowledgeable assistant, Andre Robley, this time around was clearly not Despers’ year, or Renegades.’

From the start of the Panorama period it was clear to pan enthusiasts that the jostle for top position would have been among five of the “big guns” — Despers, Exodus, Phase II, Renegades and All Stars. Most disappointing among the lot was All Stars, who was pushed back into seventh place by Invaders and the Tobago band, Redemption Sound Setters. In addition to the $350,000 second prize which Sagicor Exodus won, they came out richer by $10,000 more having won the TSTT-sponsored ‘‘People’s Choice’’ among the large bands. Among the medium category bands, the TSTT $10,000 ‘‘People’s Choice’’ went to NLCB Buccooneers of Tobago.