Quick News Brief

My how the time has flown.

Distribution Schedules
Both Tribe's and Island People's Costume distribution schedules are out.
  

Check List Items

• Stockings - check
• Boots - check (yep ah doing boots dis year!)
• Money to pay off d costume - check
• Accessories - to be decided after collecting d costume
• Make-up - Pre-arranged with d resident artists!

Now, I wait patiently on Wednesday February 3rd 2010 between the hours of 5:30pm and 8:30pm, to collect mih costume.

TRIBE 'Secret of Silk' price review

Ok ok, I'm late commenting on these prices.

Read Sauce's price list before going any further aight.

My forecasted average backline price was $3700, as stated in the previous post.

And checking average price I was actually higher than the average price...By my calculations Tribe's BL price (basic options, nothing added, small headpiece) comes in at $3635. Not bad, not bad at all. Well with d FL prices, I was waaaaaaaaaay waaaaaaaaaaay off, with only FL three sections (Osage, Lapis Lazuli and Zari) priced under $5000. NB:- a couple sections do not have a FL option...what going on with that?!

I do know that many people are absolutely agasht at the prices and some stating that they not playing etc, BUT putting all things in context I really think those prices could have been MUCH higher. I'm not stating that they're not high, they are doh get me wrong, but considering that TRIBE kept prices more or less unchanged for 2 years straight then it just makes business sense that they would have increased their prices somewhat to compensate for what would have amounted to a year of less than normal profits.

• Sooo, will I register or not? Well I defintely am/will whatever (if pre-registration works, why not use it eh!)

• Will I have company? At least two friends will be registering, not sure if in the same section...but that's irrelevant!

Now to make sure that my a$$ is in that gym as often as possible between now and February 2010.

I plan to pay off that costume by year end ...doh want that going over into 2010.

The wait continues...

• Attended launch of Tribe's 2010 presentation - check
• Found myself in Tribe's mascamp to view the costumes up close and personal - check
• Noticed the price preview for Tribe's 'Threads of Morocco' section - check
• Read Sauce's Spice price listing (try saying that three times quickly!) - check

....and now the wait is on for the prices of the rest of Tribe's 2010 presentation.

As I mentioned somewhere before, each year I expect up to a 20% increase.

Which means I expect Tribe's backline prices to average just about $3700 (based on ALB's 2009 base price of $3150). Of course with bigger headpiece options, tankinis, collars, and of course if yuh go FL, den I think expect anywhere over $4500 minimum (and that's being very very conservative)!!

Soooo let's see how far off I am.

p/s:- I defintely agree with Jumbie, Mulberry is growing on me :-)

TRIBE 2010 - Secret of the Silk

Aight so TRIBE's 2010 launch has come and gone, and I am underwhelmed by the costumes.

Mind you, if ah playing it'll most likely be with TRIBE (as in like 90% positive), but seriously I was not AWED by the costumes.

The entrance: Nicely decorated, as it always is for a TRIBE launch...lots of themed cushions, pots, pillows, swathes of cloth. All very Oriental and Silk-themed. What's with the Digicel-thai dancers? Like the fans, wish I had one.

The layout: hmmm, a change from the norm, and that stage is SOOOO high! How people gonna take pics? Sooo many bars, nice :-)

The presentation: Like the idea of a little background, done by video(?), not sure 'cause from my position at the side of the stage I could not see :-( Costumes were paraded by models who did an ok job of showcasing the costume, they posed for pics, walked to both sides of the stage and posed in groups as well as individually. My only issue with the presentation: please please please someone tell these folks that they need to SLOW DOWN on that stage. Us folks in the audience are trying to take in the costume, but when yuh in a rush like that we almost get whiplash from having to spin in different directions trying to get pics.

The costumes: What can I say that hasn't already been said? check Sauce's review and Carnival jumbie's review. Don't really have much to add to those reviews, they pretty much said it all.

Do I regret attending the launch even though the pics were leaked? Nope, needed to see those costumes in motion in order to really appreciate them...especially since the lighting is not the best in some of those pics.

My favs in the lineup (backlines of course): Osage (hands down my absolute favourite), Mystery of Loulan (something about the colour combination), Xi Ling Shi (recylced Cotinga beads et al!!) , Tyrian Purple aaaand Mulberry is growing on me. Carmeuse is aight, but I wouldn't wear it.

My picks if I played FL or Individual: Mystery of Loulan (I would camp out in order to be able to register to play as the Super/Premium version!!), Xi Ling Shi (the cape of feathers, the dip-dyed cloth trailing to the ground, yep sooo would play in this), Osage (all those gorgeous feathers!) and surprise surprise Habotai (d corset version though)

So that's my opinion on Tribe's 2010 Presentation 'Secret of Silk'.

Since I've already heard that BL downpayment is $1500, I patiently await full costume prices...and hope that I am able to register in one of the sections that I picked.

p/s:- The pic is from http://www.trinidadcarnivaldiary.com/.