Iwer and Kees dominate the big stage

There was little doubt as to what was the leading song at the Queen’s Park Savannah, Port of Spain on Carnival Tuesday. Nearly every band crossing the savannah stage crossed to Neil “Iwer” George and Kees’ Stage Gone Bad.

Large band, medium band, small and mini bands used Stage Gone Bad to move across the “big stage” although some of the smaller and mini bands used older songs like Tony Prescott’s All Aboard.

Although it appeared slow to start, the first band to come across was mini band Simply Cultural’s They Coming Again at 8.17 am. The Minstrel band was followed by another mini band Crick Crack Traditional Mas’ The Red Thread Cycle “All the Dead, All the Living.”

The Tracey Sankar-Charleau band put a new spin on the traditional baby doll mas. The baby dolls had large coloured hats and carried matching umbrellas.

The flow of bands across the big stage was steady with the third band being medium band, Image Nation, with its presentation of Glorious.

The first large band to cross the stage was Ronnie and Caro with its presentation called the Serengeti. They crossed at 9.39 am.

Its masqueraders danced and sang to Stage Gone Bad. It appeared as though the song was on loop as the masqueraders moved across the stage.

Its band leader, Ronnie McIntosh told Newsday that the band was having a good time as the savannah was usually its starting point for Carnival Tuesday.

“We’re having a good time. Everything running smooth so far,” he said.

He said the three-time large band of the year winner did not come looking to win. “We come here and stick to the rules and the timing.

“Whatever results we get we are thankful. The bottom line is that masqueraders are happy,” he said.

Reigning Calypso Monarch Terri Lyons played in Ronnie and Caro. She told Newsday she plays with the band every year.

“I am enjoying myself a lot with Ronnie and Caro on the road. I am here with friends. I always play with Ronnie and Caro because they have been backing me for years. I am always loyal,” Lyons said.

After Ronnie and Caro saw the appearance of a number of other large bands like Paparazzi, Entice Carnival, The Lost Tribe and Mardi Gras TT.

Some small, medium and mini bands like Esclipse with Birds of Paradise, Mysterry Raiders with Eco (Home) Livity 100 per cent Local 100 per cent organic and The First Citizens Original Jab Jab with Power of Plants interposed between the large bands.

The 2019 band of the year, Medium band K2K Alliance and Partners’ The Greatest Show (Welcome to the Circle) also crossed the stage with its masqueraders enjoying Stage Gone Bad.

Mardi Gras was one of the few bands who played Conch Shell sung by Skinny Fabulous, Machel Montano and Iwer.

As the bands kept coming and the mas kept playing it was evident that the big stage for 2020 had indeed gone bad.

National Security Minister Stuart Young and Police Commissioner Gary Griffith crossed the stage with the band The Lost Tribe.