CHENNAI: You know it’s been one heck of a show when the crowd goes from playing ‘London statue’ to turning the YMCA Nandanam into a dance floor by the end of it. No surprises there, given the band was one that had everyone from grandfathers with grey hair to teens in low-waist denim coming together for a memorable Saturday evening. Boney M, baby. Does it get any better?
Well technically, there was only one member from the original band on stage — hence they call themselves: Boney M featuring Maizie Williams. But at 63, the model- singer-dancer has still got it. The band was in the city, as part of a tour of Oman and India organised by Black & White Magazine. And boy did they make an entrance? Lights flashing, drum beats going wild — the group, also comprising Rosemary Martin and Samantha Scott, looked like they were headed for Cinderella’s ball, dressed in floor-length gowns. The only gent in the line-up — Kelly Rahman, who impressed us with his smoking dance moves through the concert — sported a orange suit that pulled us way back to the disco era of the 70s.
Suddenly from a lifeless audience that seemed to have irked the emcee, people got out of their seats and started to move and shake as to their first number for the night Sunny. By the time, they sang Daddy Cool — one guy (we’re not sure whether daddy or not)— had taken off his shirt and begun swinging it up in the air to the beat!
You could say the other favourites of the night were Ma Baker, Belfast, a romantic Malaika and of course Ra Ra Rasputin... But the band really took things up a notch while performing a much- loved favourite Brown Girl in the Ring. Maizie Williams sang a portion of the song, walking through the audience and no, not just the front row. People stood up, waved, jumped, and smiles were inevitable. “Let’s not leave out the boys now,” she added, “we don’t want them to get jealous...” And so they did a variation of ‘Brown Boys’ in the ring as well.
After the final tra la la la chorus, made noticeably louder, courtesy the crowd singing along — it was time for final number of the night. “We want to thank all of you, our fans, without whose support Boney M would not still be alive today,” said Maizie, with a warm smile.
They couldn’t have picked a better tune to close with, we thought, as the opening notes of Rivers of Babylon rang out. No one was in their seats anymore. Instead, most folks were up in front, as close to the stage as they could get, dancing without care. Those more comfortable staying right where they were, formed a sea of waving hands.
Honestly, could you expect any less from a band that had us hooked to our cassette players growing up, rewinding back and forth just to catch that one song again?
A lot of fans are probably going to be digging out those old cassettes now, after attending the concert. The thing is, once you get a memory refresher, you know you’re never going to get enough of Boney M.