Mel Cooke, Freelance Writer

Christopher 'Johnny' Daley - File

After the results came in and Dwight Samuels was, unsurprisingly, declared the 2007 Comedy Buss champion in a live broadcast from TVJ, the action turned to Backyaad on Constant Spring Road where Pretty Boy Floyd was keeping the fires of laughter burning.

He had just cracked up the audience with the tale of being robbed under the threat of a bucket of water in New York, when it was time for Everaldo Creary and Christopher 'Johnny' Daley to drop the Comedy Buss jingle to the music played by DJ Inferno.

Judges Winston 'Bello' Bell and Audrey Reid stepped out to applause, Reid giving a sinuous walk that moved the audience, which occupied about one third of the chairs provided. Bello decided to do a little walking himself, taking off his jacket and tugging at his belt. "No tek it no further," Daley said. "We no waan have a total blackout."

After Peter 'Time' Heslop was introduced in timely fashion, there was a blackout of sorts when fourth-placed Tashawna Gayle entered with her Michael Jackson dance routine, as the stage lights went. Floyd demanded that it be done over and it was, with the lights. Gayle said that Beenie Man liked to watch his wedding video in reverse, where he was taking off the ring, waving goodbye to her, going back into the limousine and "reverse de ting".

In the end, she dropped a few more Jackson moves to exit, her sequinned jacket glittering.

Deep-water laughs

Dwayne Smith, who placed third, started on a PG-13 note, saying that he saw a man crying on the beach that the waves had washed his radio away. It was not so much the device that the man was concerned about, as the man reading news, as he was not sure that he could swim.

He soon went to a different level with his jokes though, many a pause and uproar coming between the strong sexual jokes.

Gabre Nelson, who came second, was rapid in his delivery, then it was time for Dwight Samuels, who got the most cheers and the most extended stage time. He said that the Jamaica Constabulary Force was looking for a man to lead from the front, but went to the army and got a rear admiral.

Outstanding Samuels

He was on a roll and there was no stopping him, Samuels saying that women were so important to Christians that they created a day for the men who had none - 'Palm Sunday'.

Samuels raised an impressive sermon as he read from the Dancehall Chronicles, Chapter 24, on the tales of Beenie, D'Angel and Bounty Killer, closing in full pastor flight to a delighted audience.

Wendell Etienne from Trinidad was the last solo performer of the night, starting off with a tale of using his car as a taxi and, for his first fare, a lady offering him pay in fleshy kind. There was laughter when he asked her if she did not have anything smaller.