Audience members gave a less-than-warm welcome to Premier Dr. Ewart Brown when he took the stage to introduce rising reggae star Collie Buddz on Saturday night.

MF and Animal Promotion were hosting a two-night reggae fundraising event that featured David Rodigan from England and Stone Love's Rory from Jamaica as well as Bermuda's own Collie Buddz, the headliner at Saturday's event at Snorkel Park. However, when the Premier took to the stage to introduce Collie Buddz, the crowd reacted with boos, yelling and car horns to the point where he could barely be heard.

While The Royal Gazette was told by a number of concert attendees that the majority of the audience was boo-ing, last night, the Premier's Press Secretary Glenn Jones said that there were only "patches" of hecklers and they only proved a point the Premier was trying to make when he removed his shirt to reveal a Collie Buddz T-shirt.

"I don't want to spend too many words on this because I think the spotlight should be on Collie Buddz he is the Bermudian worth celebrating, considering his recent accomplishments," Mr. Jones said. "I hope you don't gloss over that point because it's an important one.

"The concert was a non-political event. The Premier was invited to attend because he is the leader of the country. Almost every day, people and organisations with no political affiliation request the Premier attend their events.

"He accepts as many requests as his schedule will allow, especially when his appearance benefits a youth organisation. At the concert the Premier made no political comments.

"Meantime, the Premier's introduction on Saturday was built around a Collie Buddz lyric that he has been identified with: 'I'm blind to you haterz'. Based on the song, I guess you can say the patch of hecklers at the concert were 'haterz'. Perhaps unknowingly, they helped the large crowd get the message the Premier was sending.

"Really, they should be thanked. Once the crowd got the 'blind to you' message figured out, I think even the 'haterz' would admit, the overwhelming cheering and applause for the Premier and for Collie Buddz was undeniable."

Andrew Phillips of Animal Promotions, however, denied that the disquiet in the crowd was even linked to the Premier's appearance, saying instead it was over the sudden departure of David Rodigan from the stage.

"The audience was booing because the music stopped," Mr. Phillips said. "Suddenly everything went black and so people got upset. But when the Premier introduced Collie Buddz he received applause."

After David Rodigan finished, an MC came on stage to introduce the Premier who took the stage, saying: "Good Morning Bermuda. I called up a friend in Jamaica and said tell me something about Collie Buddz. My friend said he's not just big in Bermuda or Jamaica, he's big everywhere.

"From the man who brought 'Mamacita', from the man who brought you 'Come Around', from the man who brought you 'Defend Yourself', and the man who brought you..."

The Premier then stopped, undid his shirt and revealed a Collie Buddz T-shirt underneath which said on the back "I'm blind to you haterz." It was at this point the audience broke into applause and Collie Buddz took the stage.

The concert, which is held annually by Mr. Phillips to raise money for Youth News, had almost 5,000 people in attendance and proceeds from it will go toward Youth News, a youth-produced newspaper printed in The Royal Gazette.

Mr. Phillips added: "It was an apolitical event. The Premier is the leader of the Country and he received our students when they came back from the United Nations. Collie Buddz is Bermudian, so who better to introduce him, but the leader of the country."