Cup Match Eve has become prime concert real estate of late, and the Promised Land has been the ideally equipped Snorkel Park over the last few years. Well, 2009 very definitely continued the trend – and to great effect!

The Fully Animal crew put together a dancehall fan's dream of a show, and over 1,000 fans braved a monsoon of rumour, doubt and innuendo to show up and express their love for two Jamaican dancehall giants who have become international superstars in the new millennium.

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because there were local acts to consider as well. I rolled in at around midnight to be greeted by the always potent juggling of magic from Souljah One. The modest crowd was already in good spirits, and the bubbling was in full swing. Soon after my arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I had not missed the local portion of this quite well designed show.

The show itself was pretty concise. The local acts began around 12.30 p.m., and offered expert entertainment with very little stress and strain; the perfect beginning to the best four days in any Bermuda year.

Jozelle opened the night with polished renditions of recent pop hits, and she was closely followed by the multi-talented Propa, who wowed the crowd with his vocals and rap style. The reggae portion of the local acts started after that, with Zenji San, Rasta Rebel, Corvan Melody, and Stevie Dread bringing the righteous vibes with considerable aplomb.

All the local acts were showered with appreciation, and the now ample crowd was very receptive to the vibes on offer. Many of the local artists called for a stop to the recent spike in violent crimes, citing the need for the youth to 'calm down, cease and settle', and find strength in unity instead of recreation in war.

The international acts started around 1.10 a.m., and barrelled through the night like an unstoppable musical juggernaut. Tony Matterhorn was the first to front the absolutely outstanding Anger Management Band, working the crowd into a ravenous frenzy with relative ease. With hits like 'Good As' and the massive 'Dutty Wine' it figures that Mr. Matterhorn would have the crowd eating out of his hand in no time.

The only complaint is that Tony practically offered 'no time', completing a brisk 20-minute set and leaving the crowd salivating for more. The set was good to be honest, but it just seemed a bit too abbreviated, especially from an artist who started his set by referring to Bermuda as "my Island", pointing out that he has been coming here to perform since 1993. You'd think he'd be a tad bit more generous to "his people". But again, the set was energetic and quite good for what it was.

Next up was the man we all came to see: the self-proclaimed "Gully God" who has dropped hit after wicked dancehall hit over the last few years. The welcome was huge for Movado, and the crowd soaked him with adoration throughout his 45-minute set. The energy was high while Movado was on the stage, and he certainly touched on every recognisable hit in his extensive arsenal, to the audience's utter glee.

Songs like the belligerent 'Nuh Bleach with Cream', the sagacious 'Money Changer', the evangelical 'I'm so Blessed', the seminal 'I'm on the Rock', and the, well, special 'I'm so Special' dropped like manna from heaven, and we consumed every morsel.

Movado paid tribute to entertainment icons like Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, and Peter Tosh, and gave big respect to the Government of Bermuda, and the Police as well during his set, obliterating the sentiment that this artist should be deemed someone of questionable character; a theme that has affected this year's Cup Match festivities in a decidedly negative way.

Now, if you've been paying attention to this review, you'd already have figured out that 20 minutes plus 45 minutes makes an hour and five minutes. Now if that hour and five minutes start at 1.10 a.m., then they finish around 2.15 a.m. right?

So when MC Fully came on after Mavado left the stage for the final time and announced that, "Unfortunately, that was the end of Mavado's performance", the dazed and confused crowd, having grown accustomed to leaving a concert ground no earlier than 3 a.m., became visibly disillusioned.

The night was salvaged by house DJ Vybez Alliance, however, and the quality of the Mavado performance definitely resonated throughout the night, leaving most patrons satisfied that they had done the right thing by attending.

Timing aside, this was a pretty good show, and a worthy start to a positively absorbing Cup match holiday. Well done Fully Animal Crew. Keep the good vibes flowing.