Payback tyme Records: Magazine articles

Three Bands Qualify For Benson & Hedges Grab the Mike Final From Weekend Vanguard, June 12, 1991

The Northern regional final of the Benson and Hedges Grab the Mike Band competition has produced three finalists for the grand final in Lagos in December. In a keenly contested show among the bands that had emerged from the preliminaries, youthful Mr. G. Feelings and De Vision Band representing Abuja beat seven other bands to emerge tops.

The Six Foot Plus band representing Bauchi State and Olly boy and the Juju Band which representing Kaduna state came second and third respectively. Though 10 bands qualified for the Northern regional final, two were absent. They were Lexy T and the Bushman from Katsina State and Gazali Tsu Tsu from Sokoto. Both bands according to officials of Benson & Hedges had sent in words that they were part of inauguration ceremonies of the new civilian administration in their respective states and would both come to Kano. However the eight bands that contested did not disappoint the fans who started arriving the Kano Pillars Stadium ass early as 6pm for the two-in one bumper show by Benson & Hedges on Saturday May 29.

Initially planned to hold the previous day, the Grab the Mike Band competition had to be moved to Saturday to precede the Gold and Tones concert the same night because of what an official of Benson& Hedges described as hurdles put on the way by the management of the Kano Pillars Stadium over the use of the venue.

But this did not take from the quality of the Grab the Mike contest as even the bands were happy to play on the same night with the big stars in the main Gold and Tones concert .The audience was also better for it as they watched two shows for the price of one. The Joe Brass Band, a reggae group from Makurdi played the John the Baptist for others as they mounted the imposing hi-tech Benson and Hedges stage at exactly 6.30pm. They played very well, warming up the audience. They made way for Six Foot Plus band after the expiration of the 20minutes allotted. Six Foot Plus band was quite dramatic on stage and won a great applause from the audience. Leader of the band, Alfred Atungu, a University of Nigeria Nsukka Dramatic Arts graduate brought his educational background to bear on the performance of the band. The Habila family band {Yola}, the Cyprus Band, Jos and others took their turns.

Mr.G.Feelings and De Vision Band were outstanding. Led by youthful Godwin Ibe, a former keyboardist with the St. Peters Band, the band left no one in doubt about their preparedness for the snow, Fine vocals, perfect choreography by the three female dancers, good rhythm and meaningful and relevant songs distinguished the band from the others.

It was therefore no surprise that they scored high on the judges' five-point criteria of originality, stagemanship, professionalism, presentation and audience appeal. The three bands will qualify from the Southern tour soon to begin for the grand finale in Lagos in December.