By Simone Morgan—-
BASSIST and leader of the Warrior Love Band, Joseph Graham, said he and his colleagues are disappointed with the behaviour of singer Leroy Smart at the recent Rebel Salute show.
He told the Jamaica Observer that it was the first time they had been abused by an artiste on stage.
“Leroy ‘Don’ Smart was booed at Rebel Salute because, to put it mildly, his performance was lacking and he repeatedly disrespected the band throughout this performance,” Graham said.
He disclosed that the veteran singer was slated to rehearse with the band but did not show up.
“After we left the rehearsal studio, Leroy called me to say he is no longer performing at Rebel Salute so we should not rehearse his songs. At that point we had not received his material (set list) for the rehearsal,” Graham disclosed.
The musician said as the band prepared to leave for the venue, Smart contacted him, requesting a rehearsal to which they agreed, although it was last-minute.
“Within less than 10 minutes after collecting his material, [and] heading to the rehearsal studio, Leroy called me again to say ‘no rehearsal for me because I am not doing Rebel Salute’. And he repeatedly said ‘do not rehearse my material’,” Graham explained.
Regardless, Graham said the band went to the rehearsal room and
selected 10 songs from the Leroy Smart 20 classic hits album in the event he showed up.
Graham said it was minutes before Smart’s scheduled slot that the band was made aware that he would be on the show.
What resulted was a fiasco.
Smart openly criticised the band during his performance, and was roundly booed by a frustrated and impatient crowd.
Warrior Love backed over 30 acts at the two-day festival. Graham noted that Smart was not the only artist who failed to show for rehearsals.
“(Singer) Leroy Gibbons did not turn up for his rehearsal, and we did not get a set list from him, either. Yet, he was as professional and talented an artist to deliver a well-received performance based on an old set list that we had for him. That’s a professional artist,” Graham said.
The seven-piece Warrior Love (which also includes Oniel Walters, Dwight James, Jeffery Graham, Ian Williams, Miguel Edwards, and Andrew Branch) has backed a number of dancehall/reggae acts in the last five years.
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