I’d booked my 8th BTTI on the wake of the 2023 event, which had been my 7th after a two-year break during the pandemic. 2023 was a really good one, the setlists were great, the band was in top form and I was glad to be back at the Jewel, the resort that had hosted us in 2016 and 2017. Would 2024 be even better?
Controversial Opinion #1
The main difference from 2023 was an overspill of around 80 extra guests in another resort who would be bussed in an hour before the first show of the day. Now, 80 bodies might not seem many, but in a small resort like the Jewel I found it to be really noticeable at show time. In addition to that, the section of beach behind the seated ADA area had been designed as a general seated area, with row upon row of chairs, ‘Isaac side’. That made the standing, ‘GA’ area of the beach a lot narrower. While in previous years you used to be able to rock up to the stage shortly before start time and still get a good view from the sides, that was no longer possible, unless you wanted to sit down for the whole show. On the other side of the beach, also known as ‘Taylor side’, you could barely move for the discarded sun loungers that people had been using to stage sit. What happened to just using good old towels?
Controversial Opinion #2
I found this year’s overall vibe way less chill than in past years. The crowd was also different, with a lot more husbands/boyfriends in the audience, some of whom fit right in. I made friends with a couple of such specimens, who were not only supportive of their wives/girlfriends but also friendly to everybody else in a really cool, nice way.
However, some of the other guys seemed to have been dragged there by force. I saw many just stand there during the shows, pint-in-hand and a look of existential dread. There was way more drink-fuelled rowdiness than in previous years, especially during Family Feud. The vibe was more sports bar than Hanson event.
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| Existential dread in 'Anxiety' by Edvard Munch |
Controversial Opinion #3
Go and sharpen your pitchforks now, because I am about to reveal to the world that I don’t see the fuss about Allen Mack Myers Moore. Aside from their individual bands, in their current incarnation they’re a very middle-of-the-road, Americana-lite pub band. They certainly rescued the party-less, otherwise damp squid of Night 4 at BTTI 2023 with their impromptu beach bonfire set, but this year’s encore on the first night of the event had lost much of its magic precisely because it was planned and, well, it was not the last night. The main highlight for me was seeing Taylor watch the set from inside the sound tent, and joining the band at one point for a cover of ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody’.
Hanson fans (of which, admittedly, I am one) are a strange breed, and when they latch on to a Hanson-adjacent act, they do not let go - ever. As a result, I fear that BTTI will now become a ‘Hanson and AMMM’ event for good. Personally, I’d much rather have another Hanson show - maybe an acoustic set, or a capella - anything but another band of white dudes playing the equivalent of a Spotify “Americana on the beach” playlist. And if we really must have another act on the island, why not have a local Jamaican band or artist - something that happened the one time I was not there, during the Covid-era BTTI 2022?
Taylor joining MMM for 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody'
Highlights
The Wildlife
My friend P. and I spent a delightful couple of hours watching a hermit crab reorganise his den. Or maybe we could say that he was watching us watching him? Either way, Kermit, as we had named him, is my favourite memory of this BTTI.
Observed a new (to me) species? Check.
The M&G
My colour scheme for this year was gold, and gold was the dress I’d chosen for my picture with the band.
‘I like your dress’ Isaac said, after the picture was taken.
‘Thank you’, I said. ‘My husband said I look like C-3PO’.
Isaac burst into laughter.
“I hope that’s a compliment?” Either Isaac or Zac asked.
“Not really”, I said. “He hates Star Wars”.
Assorted Hanson brothers laughed again.
Making a Hanson laugh? Check.
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| Unofficial Picture |
Friends
This is a predictable one but BTTI is half about Hanson and half about seeing the friends I’ve made over the years and this year was no exception. What made it even extra special this time was to reconnect with some of the Jamaican staff that I had got to know last year: Evette, Witney, Teeka and Sophia, all of whom hugged me and made me feel like an old friend. Like in previous years, I really enjoyed chatting with the staff, from the breakfast staff to the coffee kiosk. I’m an incorrigible extrovert and I can extract a conversation from a mineral if I set my mind to it, and by the end, even the surly girl at the smoothie bar had defrosted. Making some human connections and hopefully making the world a better, friendlier place? Check.
Conclusions
The shows were 10/10, the resort was fine, I was there with good friends. So why did BTTI 2024 feel a bit lacklustre compared to other years? Maybe it’s because it had started so badly for me: it’s bad enough to have to travel on New Year’s Day, but when your body is itching all over, the last thing you want to do is fly to Jamaica. The noticeably less intimate vibe had also something to do with it: the bigger crowd at show times created what my friend C. defined as a ‘tour energy’. Most likely, it was a combination of all of the above, and just the fact that, after eight times, things are feeling decidedly samey.
Don’t get me wrong, I will go Back to the Island again. But I think that Year 9 bathrobe will have to wait until 2026.
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| Year 8 Merch |
Back to the Island is an event run by Hanson and Island Gigs.
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