Saturday, March 01, 2014

Carnival Season 2014

First post for 2014...so as is obligatory "Happy New Year"!!!

I've not done much feting this Carnival season.
Also it's the first year in ever that i collected on the absolute LAST day of collection!
This year as well, I am feeling seriously unorganised...so unlike my usual well-prepared self.

Let's see:

  • Costume - check
  • Tuesday Boots - check
  • Wearing Monday - who knows?!!
  • Shoes for Monday - again...who knows?!
  • Bag - uhmmm nope
  • sunblock and vital supplies - again...nope
  • stockings - check
So, there's lots to secure tomorrow in order to get ready for the road Monday/Tuesday.

Otherwise the Carnival season has consisted of:
  • ONE Fete 
  • HNC's Vintage Fuh So!
  • Kerwin and Friends @ Zen
  • Soca in B Square
  • Army
  • Different
  • Caesar's Army AMbush
I am very happy and ultra hyped to be on the road, especially since I didn't play last year!
I'll do mini reviews of the events and the Carnival experience in subsequent posts.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

YUMA 2014 Launch 'Cirque' - The Review

Coming out from the slumber...a brief review.
Rating Scale 1 to 5. 1 absolute crud, 5 fabulous

The Event: YUMA Launch of their 2014 presentation "Cirque"
Venue: Hasley Crawford National Stadium
Date: August 10th 2013
Time: 10:30pm to 5am (I think)
Price: $300 per person

The Review:
Bar -  shit! Yes drinks were free, but...The bar served White Oak rum, Black Label rum, Forres Park Puncheon, Correira's Hard Wine and Skyy Vodka. Utter shite!!! Thank goodness for the BrewHouse with Stag/Carib/Carib Pilsner/Heinekin on tap. There was a Cafe Patron booth for shots, as well as a booth serving what looked like a 'punch', but the signage had Skyyy vodka so I steered clear. There were also Angostura Rum Cocktails bar, and a Chivas bar which was solely for those with 'special bands'. Rating - 2.5 

Food - Wendy's and Macco Taco's were the options. Partook of Wendy's (yess it is unhealthy!!) Rating - 3

Amenities - porta-potties of the basic type, they were kept relatively clean. Running water and soap provided. Lighting was not the best, and no mirrors available. Female patrons however were not very dignified and discarded paper towels in the sinks even though a garbage bin was within 5 ft. Rating - 3

Layout and ambiance - decent. It was very different and innovative I guess, of Yuma to utilise outside the covered stands area on a straight stretch. It allowed visibility of the stage from almost any vantage point within the area. Stage was a long wide stretch, decorated in white, with YUMA banner stretched across the back. Lots of screens to aid in visual. Ambiance was kind of bleh and generic. Rating - 3

Presentation - Good that it was introduced by a Cirque-inspired dance performance. Did not like that section names were not announced. Only realised half-way through the second section parade on stage that section names were being displayed on the screens...not cool, since keeping track of names and matching to costumes was thus a bit difficult. Rating - 3

Music -  ok I guess. They played a good mix and had the crowd moving and involved, then lost me completely with the rap session. Rating - 4

Costumes - not bad at all. The designs were pretty decent. Some were a bit 'out of the box ' (ohhh how I loathe that cliche!!) Some strong backlines, and some notable frontlines...a brazilian wax is required for some of those frontlines ladies! (Ohhh and the model for one of the FLs gave us stage-side a show we did NOT need) Rating - 3.5

Overall - 3