Anthea McGibbon

Photographs by P Gavin James.

Although it took some to get the vibes going, the tempo for ‘Ultimate Addiction’ was set at good pace by the various selectors Saturday, November 21 at The Pantry, Dumfries Road, New Kingston. The theme for the night was ”Chocolate, fast cars and sexy girls — Fetish of world’s fantasies.”

Hardly enough of the promoted chocolates, cars, girls to hook addictive souls, beyond the regular swing of parties, was evident at least not at first. The items were just enough to tease the palate. Outside Raymar Automotives being barred from occupying the  theatre’s inside vehicular space, displayed cars at the lot. Inside, a Redbull and Cadbury sponsored Sweet Seductions Addictive lounge. Llit with soft red light, and decked with a Cadbury chocolate fountain, Red bull counter,  love seats, and flowing cloth set the mood for ‘mooners’.

P Gavin James photo: Numbered chocolate, cars, girls, were good teasers, but addicted patrons couldnt get their fill of good vibes, energetic sounds and danced away the night.

Not totally catering to the chocoholic nor the car addict, nor offering too much liberated girl power, the all inclusive event fully catered to another addiction. Sure enough the spacious dance area, upper and lower level and several shadowed areas were well utilised. Patrons wasted no time in dancing to the rythmic music kept mostly cultural, even long after the fairly placed  bars ran dry.

At 11:55 p.m., the venue was sparsely filled, by patrons socialising or checking out the exotic bar provisions of the sponsors Rum Bar, Creepa Rum Punch and Power Wine.

The early vibes for the party were championed by DJ Karyzma who led passage back to 2003 with copious selections from Good to Go, Rebirth and Stepz Riddim. Early patrons rocked for about half an hour. Phenomenal Systems provided excellent sound systems, teasing lights to compliment the offerings.

The first sound at the turntables, Coppershot, brought the heat up a notch to maintain vibe  in the early segment with a mix of recent and not so recent hits, ranging from Never Never courtesy of Vybz Kartel to Bounty Killer’s Nuh Fren Fish. It was a good attempt to satisfy all the patrons, but it was TNG who would complete where Coppershot left off.

A slew of gangster tunes ensued from 50 Cent, namely Many Men (Wish Death), Wanksta, and P.I.M.P., before deftly segueing into The Airwaves Riddim playing hits such as Pon Di Gullyside from Mavado, Defend It from Vybz Kartel and the crowd pleaser Nuttin Nuh Change courtesy of dancehall veteran Bounty Killer.

Evidently at around the 2:00a.m.  juncture, most patrons wanted to let loose and ‘bruk out’ and were given Bicycle from Vybz Kartel. At this point in time, the dance floor was an inferno – couples lost their inhibitions in daggering songs such as Aidonia’s Hundred Stab and Busy Signal’s Up In Her Belly in contortions, dancing crazily for the cameras, enough to make mothers blush.

Throughout the event patrons made use of the X-Bar and Cadbury boothes, which could have been better placed, satisfying their sweet tooths. At the X-Bar boothe, some patrons complained about not being able to sample their offerings, and the Cadbury chocolate fountain malfunctioned too soon. TNG’s set which included Love Dem and House Cleaning got particularly strong response. One female in particular took to the centre of the venue declaring her unswerving loyalty to Vybz Kartel and the Gaza, with her own beat.

Despite the bars going dry too early, service was smooth and the attendants were courteous. The five bars were 2 chocolate bars and 3 rum bars namely  (1)  Chocolate Bar - chocolate mixes) boasting a Chocolate Fountain by Cadbury; (2) X-bar decor corner, whose girls also distributed Chocolate (Booby chocolate) at the entrance of the event; (3) Rum Bar; (4) Creeper and O’Rliey Bar; (5) Power Wine Bar. By 2:30 a.m., peace officers entered the venue tempering the surmounting vibe. While some patrons fumed at the police presence and left, Yardcore Music turned the wheels of steel in a frantic soca set. 

After, the volume of Dollar Whine, Bachelor and Big Truck was kept low, patrons who lacked satisfaction earlier now got their fill. Addicted to dance, exhausted patrons kept dancing, energised by the sounds. On the outside, some patrons perused numbered hot cars and after close inspection, realized that were on display for addicts.  

Even when making a 4:00 a.m. departure, some persons were enjoying the final moments. While the partying vibe was hot, some patrons criticised the insufficient numbers of girls, chocolate and cars to satisfy their  ‘Ultimate Addiction’ as promised. Nonetheless, the night was a sizzle.

With first time Ultimate Promotions event planning team, including Rayan Campbell and Thwait Hanson, at the helm, Ultimate Addictions will be bigger and better next time around. For now, its all about teasing the palate of patrons. At the end Campbell, tired, but heartened took time to express gratitude to his support base including sponsors, close friends and patrons.

Editor Anthea McGibbon contributed to this article; All photographs are by P Gavin James (Patrick).

cars, chocolate, girls, New Kingston, The Pantry, ultimate addiction