The Veterans In Action concert series has delivered top shelf reggae concerts for several years now, treating Bermudians of a certain age to the best of the Reggae stars they grew up loving. The most recent show in the series was no exception, boasting a first ever Bermuda performance by the legendary Mr. Johnny Osbourne, and a welcome return of the inimitable Singing Melody.

It was the eve of Veteran’s Day 2014 and the timeless BAA Gymnasium was once again packed to the rafters with grown and sexy Reggae music fans. This would prove to be a great night by all accounts, continuing a well-established tradition of paying homage to our veterans through the music of legendary Reggae luminaries.

After a generous portion of local entertainment which featured a standout performance by Jessie Seymour and expert juggling by King Jyrus, Singing Melody opened the headline portion of the show at around 12.20am.

Singing Melody delivered a very high quality 45 minute set that extracted numerous hoots, hollers, and ovations from the capacity crowd. The silky-voiced crooner opened his set with the Beatles’ standard Let it Be, followed closely by the Surface mega-hit Shower Me With Your Love. He had us at hello …!

The melodically gifted artist then navigated effortlessly through Groovy Kind of Love, Sole Provider, Let it Flow, and a stunning rendition of the fabulous Chicago power ballad You’re the Inspiration. This was, indeed, a set designed for lovers.

The audience showered Singing Melody with admiration throughout his set, reserving the biggest responses for his massive hits Say What, and the gorgeous Take That adaptation I Want You Back which, in this writer’s humble opinion, Mr Melody delivers miles better than the original.

The last moments of this wonderful set also featured a hauntingly delicate performance of the Howie Day classic Collide, and a powerful rendition of the superb Just As I Am. This was certainly a set littered with highs, and the crowd eagerly devoured every moment this talented vocalist provided.

The legendary Mr Johnny Osbourne was introduced by the MC (B Roc from 98.3 Irie FM, who was competent throughout) at sometime around 1.10am. Mr Osbourne wasted no time making his presence known with a pitch perfect rendition of the instantly recognisable Rock It Tonight. The crowd was in the palm of the legend’s hand for the remainder of the 50 minute set.

Mr Osbourne delivered a vocal performance of surprising quality; matching each track perfectly, and exhibiting vocal mastery fitting of an artist who recorded hits for Sir Coxsone Dodd at Studio One, and boasts a definitive hit on King Tubby’s revolutionary ‘Sleng Teng’ riddim. The fact that it took Mr Johnny Osbourne this long to make it to Bermuda is something of a cultural anomaly; thank heavens that that anomaly has been corrected.

Mr Osbourne delivered brilliant renditions of several of his own original Reggae classics like Ice Cream Loving, Water Pumping, Folly Ranking, and the massive Truths and Rights, as well as stunning covers like Earth, Wind, and Fire’s sublime hit Reasons. The crowd absorbed his every vibe, and responded accordingly with lighters, song lyrics, and, of course, applause.

Crowd response was, in fact, great throughout the night. This was a mature crowd, comprised of individuals who know how to have fun in a safe and responsible way. The atmosphere was nostalgic and the patrons were mostly veteran dancehall denizens; the kind of people who remember when going out in Bermuda was all about having fun and enjoying vibes. Monday night was certainly a throwback evening.

By the time Mr Osbourne delivered his era-defining hit Buddy-Bye the long-memoried crowd was pretty much in its glory. That moment represented the climax of the evening, and was certainly worth the price of admission.

Ice Cream Sound was Mr Osbourne’s encore piece, and I was a bit disappointed that I did not hear the 1988 smash hit Trickster on Monday night, but that is a minor complaint, because the evening was an exceedingly good one.

Skratch Bastid, the celebrated Canadian DJ, took over after Mr Osbourne retired for the night, and the nimble record spinner had the crowd bubbling well into the night with a devastating array of vintage dancehall hits. It was an old-fashioned session at BAA, and a good time was had by all.