In a business where hot spots come and go and are generally accepted to have a lifespan of about five years, the Asylum celebrated its 11th birthday in big, bold dancehall style on Saturday night.

The party, which featured a number of mainly brief live performances (Baby Cham and Shaggy having longer stays) and also saw the smashing debut of Shaggy's Jay Will directed Bad Man No Cry music video, transformed the Asylum into a bigger, open-air version of its Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston, home at the nearby Mas Camp.

However, although bigger meant a higher capacity (and a large crowd did turn out, many of the women decked out to show their assets), the 'roofless' version of Asylum had its drawbacks which caused it to fizzle badly in the end. At 4:30 a.m. yesterday, as Stone Love's Geefus was hosting the final set of performers in which the big guns were supposed to come out, the police instructed that the sound system be turned down.

A low-key end

This started the general drifting away, even as Chino, Laden and Konshens performed without much effect on the diminishing audience. It did not help when the speakers at the rear of the venue were turned off. And, when a light drizzle started a few minutes later, the Asylum's 11th anniversary celebration had officially come to a low-key end.

Still, in the earlier going, between Ragashanti's boisterous, humorous hosting, 'mad' giveaways of cash up to $10,000 (Raga asked for a confirmed 'man tief' to step up) and Digicel phones, selections from Stone Love, Bloodline, Code Red and the Asylum deejays and the performers (including dancers Short Man and Dance Xpressions), the party was a blast.

Stone Love took the 'madhouse' people on a musical trip from the House of Leo and Adams Lane days to the present and Baby Cham, who got a relatively cool reception at first then got the ladies squealing.

Conclusion

The sight of selector Sky Juice's stomach heaving as he puffed down the road after being nearly caught with the 'don's' woman, Usain Bolt among those on screen watching him sprint past, tore the house down and the conclusion seemed to be that it 'sell of'.

D'Angel, Renato Adams, Josey Wales and Danny Champaignie, Mavado and Bounty Killer are among those who appear in the video and many cast members, including former television host Amelia 'Milk' Sewell came up with Shaggy after the world premiere.

I-Octane stabbed vampires with a peg, Nesbeth informed "I love her, she loves me", Anthony B teased and Cutty Corn celebrated his Lucky Day, all to good effect.

But after more sound system juggling the expected climactic ending simply did not materialise.

Left: Miss Hennessy was out to have fun and to mingle with the rest of the Asylum Night Club Anniversary crew. Right: This woman dressed 'pretty in pink' checks herself out at the Asylum Night Club Anniversary Party, held at Mas Camp, Oxford Road, New Kingston last Saturday. - photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer

Asylum's Brian Chung hands Shaggy the microphone as the two interact backstage at the Asylum Night Club Anniversary Party.