Today, Steel Bands are accepted everywhere and the pan is touted as Trinidad's national Instrument. It is the only musical invention in the 20th century. There is even a song that asserts that there is pan in heaven, but that wasn't the case between 1945 and 1965, pan wasn't heavenly at all. In fact, anyone associated with pan was labelled a vagabond, badjohn or a hooligan. This was a time of violent clashes between competing bands. One of these notorious confrontations was the clash between San Juan All Stars also known as the badjohn band and the joint forces of Desperados from Laventille Hill and Tokyo from John John. This clash took place in front the Port of Spain General Hospital on Charlotte Street in 1959. At that time Mas bands and Steel Bands were one and the same. San Juan All Stars was out for war portraying the theme 'war mas' (battle cry), they hid their weapons in their tanks of their mas band and broke up Tokoyo rendition of Sailor mas to get to Desperados who were portraying Noah's Ark. San Juan All Stars plans backfired as they became sandwiched between the two other bands who even used All Stars own weapons against them. It was a very bloody battle that saw individuals even being hurled over the hospital fence. Despite this fearsome clash, Desperadoes were still able to muster their forces to complete their journey which climaxed with the releasing of doves on the Savannah stage.
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