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It’s Reggae v Soca as concerts clash

Andrew Holmes, Rowland Ramotar and Declan Haris are putting on a concert that will star reggae act Beres Hammond (photo by Glenn Tucker)

This year’s Cup Match clash won’t just be between St George’s and Somerset, two sets of concert promoters are getting in on the act as well.And local music fans will have to show their true colours the night before the big match, when three global music stars go head-to-head.Reggae artist Beres Hammond will headline a concert in Par-la-Ville car park on Wednesday, July 31, while Shabba Ranks, king of Dancehall, and Alison Hinds, the queen of Soca, perform at the same time in Tiger Bay.Organisers for the two gigs tried to avoid the clash, but fans have been left disappointed, and now both sets of promoters face a nervous wait to see who will come out on top.Veteran’s in Action spokesman Declan Harris, one of the promoters behind the Beres Hammond concert, expressed disappointment that the two sides were unable to avoid the clash. However, he said that they had already sold some 2,000 early bird tickets, and were expecting a crowd of 4,000.“We announced our event first in February, long before there was any mention of Shabba or Allison Hinds,” said Mr Harris. “July 31 was the only time we could get him to perform in Bermuda, and so for us it was that or nothing.“I was contacted by one of the people responsible for the other show who demanded that we change our date.“Either someone’s going to win, and someone will lose, or we’ll both break even, or take a loss. I’ve heard people grumbling but we’re expecting a bumper crowd of 4,000 people.“While I feel their pain, at the end of the day you can either have apple pie or pumpkin pie. I can’t say which one you like better; it’s up to the consumer to decide.”Meanwhile, Executive Events Coordinator Vivian Millings said Spectrum Global Entertainment’s plans for Tiger Bay on July 31 is also a big draw.“My first reaction was let’s merge. I then asked if they would consider moving their date to August 1, since their show is more of a lover’s rock vibe, and ours is more high energy.“By this time both shows had already been contracted and our hands were tied and we were left with no choice,” said Ms Millings.“I really don’t believe that someone has to win or lose, for me it’s not a competition. It’s about bringing quality entertainment to Bermuda, it’s two totally different vibes.“Our ticket sales have been extraordinary and we expect it will continue to grow as the day draws near. I’m confident that we have the best there is to offer on the night before Cup Match.“We’re bringing back those Byron Lee days that we all long for — it’s all about a big party at Tiger Bay.”