Poison on the Road to Rotterdam

Just received from Poison UK, its real ramajay in Rotterdam!


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Picture a Caribbean styled carnival with over 700,000 spectators, 40 mas bands (Including ours) all with live and DJ music on the floats, loads of pre-carnival activities, several live stage TV coverage, lots of food and thrown in the free spirited liberal Dutch folks, then you’ve got Rotterdam Carnival!

Date: 30 July - 1 Aug, 2010
Venue: Rotterdam Carnival
Address: Rotterdam, Holland
Package Prices: From £285.00
Easy Payment Plan of £25 per month and you're good to go!

This event will seriously wake you up to the fact that there are so many other people in the world who celebrate life in true Caribbean Carnival style – Our gift to the world.
Last year’s excursion was over subscribed and we expect the same again this year. We have officially stopped calling Rotterdam Carnival a warm up to Notting Hill as it has the same energy albeit with Dutch sweat, wining and drinking.

Our weekender will mean that you only need to take the Friday off but you will come back feeling as if you went for a month. The party starts from the time you get on the luxury coach till the time you get off in London on Sunday night. By the way, walk with your vitamins cause its non-stop partying from the time you get on the luxury coach till the time you get off on Sunday. Once we arrive at the 4* Hilton Rotterdam on Friday afternoon you will be in the heart of the city centre with shopping, the parade route, clubs, outdoor parties, and even the main judging point right on our door step.
As part of the neXt Level PoisonUK package we will be taking you to a party hosted by our Dutch sister group Trini Connection in Amsterdam on Friday night. Both Dutch and UK DJs will be blazing the Soca and Reggae on tap in a really swanky venue. Transportation to and from this party will be provided. Saturday in the parade day and after awaking to a full English breakfast we will be joining the Trini Conncetion/PoisonUK float at the start of the parade route just after noon for all the fun and action.

The silver package (listed below) includes a t-shirt, lunch, snacks and drinks option to take part in the band. Saturday night is open for you to explore the several clubs, parties, coffee shops, and live stages of events happening around Rotterdam city centre. After breakfast on Sunday we will be taken to the Kwakoe festival in Amsterdam. This is a Caribbean, Latin, African festival with food, music and activities. We then leave directly from Kwakoe to head to the ferry port and then back to wonderful London.
We have three packages all designed to ensure that you have the time of your life:

Bronze Package ( £285 ) will include:

- Luxury coach with DVD, toilet, reclining seats, air conditioning and refreshments. There will be pick up points in Shepherds Bush, Embankment and Lewisham.

- Return ferry-crossing Dover to Calais. Friday Early AM Pick up and Sunday Late PM drop off.

- 2 nights bed and breakfast accommodation in the 4* Hilton Rotterdam hotel. Note: All accommodations are based upon in twin/double ensuite rooms.

- Travel Tax and service charges

- Free entry and transport to the Carnival Friday Night Party in Rotterdam

- A Trip to the Kwakoe Festival

The Silver Package ( £315 ) will include:

- All items in the Bronze package.

- The exclusive opportunity to follow the PoisonUK float in one of our lovely supplied t-shirts.

- Lunch, Snacks and a well stocked bar for the duration of the parade route.

The Gold Package ( £385 )will include:

- All items in the Silver package.

- A lovely full and fancy costume for you to look the part and feel good. The will be unveiled at our UK Season launch.

- You will then be able to use the same costume and take part with neXt Level PoisonUK in Notting Hill Carnival’s all inclusive section.


The Single Room Supplement ( £120) in addition to any of the three above mentioned packages.

What do you need to do now? You can reserve your space by booking online at www.poisonuk.com or by contacting us on 020 7913 5859, or you can also email us at rotterdam@poisonuk.com.

Please note that Visas are required for some non-EU nationals to travel to Rotterdam. We recommend that you make an appointment at least 8 weeks prior to travel and that you request a Schengen Visa as our entry point will be Calais France. You are fully responsible for obtaining your own Visa. However, we can assist in providing the necessary travel verification documents to anyone who has booked to travel with us.

As Always, if you have a PUK card then you will be entitled to a 10% discount!

Reading 2010

Ah primer! Like a boss fete before jourvert, like some fishcake before you gorge on the Oildown, Reading Carnival is the official warm up before the real mayhem of Notting Hill Carnival.

In the heart of the Thames Valley, every last May Bank Holiday (this year May 31) Reading comes alive with steel, mas, pan and kaiso. Whereas Notting Hill has a cosmopolitan flavour, Reading is rootsy- local UK artists like SW Storm, Scrappy and Chardonai regularly *mash up* needing no imported accompaniments. Last year's Carnival featured a blazing hot sun and riotous creative costumes that made you feel that you were celebrating somewhere else island-style. The Carnival is community minded in nature which makes it very kid-friendly- an ideal family outing. The Carnival weaves its way through the streets of West Reading and ends at Prospect Park. We have been advised that this year that there will be no sound system playing in the park because of its proximity to a residential homes (wha de ass is that, give dem people music to waylay nuh?).

(Pic from BBC Berkshire. All their rights are reserved).
Anyway this is a great alternative to an expensive citybreak and with at least two Carnival bands from London already making the trip- you have no excuse!

Review, First Band Launch of the Year! Dragons: Underworld Uprising

Dragons Mas Band is a relatively new band (edited to say it is not a new band, it has been going for a few years), it is now associated with Release D Riddim, the award winning central London soca fete. I would describe Release D Riddim/ Dragons as what it really means to be all inclusive. Not in terms of amenities that it offers but in that its patrons and bosses truly represent the spirit of carnival- all the islands (and even a few non islands) are represented. At the launch I heard Grenada’s party hit “Accident” played alongside Palance, and bouyon and zouk interspersed with the staple hits of Machel.

Dragons was the first mas band (to my knowledge) to do a full launch this year (Bachanalmas had a prelaunch last year) and they surely kicked off the Carnival season in a big way.

Venue

The venue of the launch was Inn on the Green in Ladbroke Grove. This pub is located upstairs a large building on the Green near Cambridge Gardens and if you didn’t know where it was you would ketch you ass a little bit. This was not helped by the fact that the Hammersmith and City Line was down and so, because I came via P11 (on foot), it was a bit of a trek. That said, when I arrived, music was pumping, food was on sale and the patrons were arriving in steady numbers. There was a good, mellow Caribbean vibe and the music was on point.

Costumes

At about 9 pm, the show started to the delight of the almost 100 patrons, and we were treated first of all to the Dragons presentation for Reading and Huddersfield presentation Palancing Gladiators.

As this costume only cost 35 pounds (including drinks) I was not expecting much especially as a lot of bands go to the regional carnival with Tshirt mas, which in my opinion kills mas-making culture and the spirit of wire bending. The costume (see above) is a standard black bra and belt combo, and I think the Grecian style headband and the Serica inspired cape to the side adds a bit of flair. I would definitely play in this for Reading Carnival, after I added a bit more sequins and braid to the bra. It would work with a pair of knee high gold gladiator sandals and some braid on the arms. Good try! A recession buster- value for money.

The launch then really started in earnest and Underground Uprising began with....

Renegades!

This was one of my favourite costumes of the evening. Renegades are naturally deserters, persons who abandon a cause, the epitome of rebellion, and so black is the natural background on which to hoist this portrayal. I love the movement away from the standard "panty and bra" here to something reminiscent of a warrior like vest, the silver and cape representing armoury and the asymmetrical neckpiece gave it just that bit of added edge. The costume reminded me of Black Spider (in a good way) and the leotard version of this costume actually accented the design.

This was followed by the all male section - Poseidon Enforcer. Poseidon in Greek mythology was the God of the Sea so this costume was (understandably) blue.  I did admire the effort to give the males a real costume (the belt) but I think that some more needs to be added to actually give it the WOW factor. I am also not sure that the males would be wearing the masks all day- they would want to see what bumper they shadowing!

 

Then came the Sirens. The seductresses, bird women by nature.  First of all, I have to say that I found that Dragons catered to women of all shapes and sizes and the models were very much "real women". Kudos for that. As to interpretation, I think the cape and the headpiece certainly gave the impression of birdlike flight but I am not sure that I totally loved the colour palette and the shiny material on this costume. It is extremely blingtastic and I know that some people would love it but I find the costume just a little bit busy. The model sure rocked it though!

The section that followed was Erato, the Greek Muse which means lovely or desired.

I thought that the colour combination of cerulean and silver complemented each other very well but there was something about this costume which wassimple and standard, The headpiece looked sturdy  and because I am sick of feathers, I appreciated this good old craft- back to basics. However, maybe this one could have  beefed up with a few armbands and some more detail on the bra. All in all, basic and cute.

Next was Hestia, Virgin Goddess of the Hearth (Home). I would have thought that a natural colour palette for virginal was white but hey ho, this is Mas! They chose purple and blue and executed it marvellously. My third favourite costume. Again, someone thought of the fuller sized women and they did not let the side down, the second model owned this costume.

For all the divas who love big dramatic feathery headpieces, this one if for you. The passion purple, baby pink and aqua certainly stood out in a big way.

Then came my favourite costume. I am a sucker for a blue costume but that's not why I liked this one. It was not overdone, it was sexy, it was pretty, just enough applique and diamantes to make it sparkle without it being gaudy. This was Demeter- goddess of the harvest. Again here, I thought an plantation green would have worked better but the blue here was rich and I felt that the accents were just enough- not overdone.

The children's section brought up the rear but it was certainly not "last but least". The costume itself  was pretty without being too revealing (I am not a fan of revealing kids' wear) and boasted one of the better designs in my opinion. The multicoloured gemstones set against the irridescent palette was a winner. The headpiece looked dramatic enough and I am a fan of the shorts and vest combo for kids.
(Hmmm wondering if they go to a large?)

I have tried above not to judge the costumes above by TNT standards as the designers are not working within the same price range. I left the launch feeling satisfied with what could be achieved right here in the UK. The costumes are varied enough to have something for everyone.

The costumes cost 110, which I think is on the higher end of the scale but there is also an option to pay in instalments. Overall, I would give Dragons a sound B. There are a couple of really great costumes but probably more just good costumes.I do think Lauren Alexander and her team have done a great job and maybe some more embellishments on a few of the plainer costumes will be added closer to THE DAY. However, based on the enthusiasm of the patrons, the band should have a real "bachanal" atmosphere which I think would catapult it to an A on the band charts.

Notting Hill Carnival In the Air! The Intro

For the newbies, this is a sticky on what to expect for the largest street festival in the world (apart from Rio!)

How it Began


The Notting Hill Carnival has been held every bank holiday since 1966 and has evolved to become the biggest street festival in Europe, and the biggest Carnival outside of  Rio (in terms of spectators). Notting Hill Carnival was born of two separate but connected roots. Claudia Jones (to whom the Carnival Village in Notting Hill was dedicated) began in January 1959 and was celebrated in St Pancras Town Hall as a way for black people to celebrate in face of the Notting Hill Race Riots the previous year. Ms Jones was a Trinidadian campaigner who began her political life in the United States- she was a noted human rights campaigner and was deported from the United States- she was granted asylum in the UK (thank God) and after she witnessed the public outcru over the death of Kelso Cochrane, she began focusing on ways to celebrate our culture and the first indoor Carnival was a huge success. At around the same time, Rhaune Laslett began an outdoor festival known as the London Free School Festival to promote cultural unity. She featured a steel band and so the very first Carnival as we know it today was an attempt to showcase the steel band musicians who played in the Earls Court of London every Weekend. When the bands paraded through the streets of Notting Hill, they drew black residents out on to the streets, reminding them of the Caribbean homes they had left behind.
This year's Carnival will be held on the 29 and 30 of August 2010.

De Carnival De Bacchanal

Although most people see the pretty mas side of Carnival, the NHC is traditionally made up of four components- Mas, Steel, Kaiso and Static Sound.


Kaiso Kaiso? Yes Kaiso

(Pic courtesy socanews.com)


The Kaiso aspect of Notting Hill (which would not be neglected in this blog) is run by the Association of British Calypsonians. The Tent is now based at Carnival Village, Notting Hill in a venue that is also known as The Tabernacle. I call it The Tabby ;). It is a divine venue with a ground floor bar and basement and superior sound and stage. For five weeks, every Friday night, the Calypsonians perform a song from their repertoire (usually one social commentary and one groovy tune). There are about 18 calypsonians from all the different islands who sing on a regular basis. In 2009 the tunes ranged from "Passport Love" to "Jail Dem" and "Kelso Cochrane". The Tent also usually features the TNT Junior Calypso Monarch from that year and a featured artist. It is a great lime- there is usually roti and pholouri on sale and rum to make this into a "bess lime". It all culminates with the Groovy Monarch Competition and the Kaiso Monarch Competition. Last year Akima Paul picked up the Calypso Monarch and last year's Monarch Brown Sugar took home the Groovy Title.

Steel- Oil and Music!

(Pic courtesy globalvoicesonline.com)
Nothing can reflect Carnival better than the sound of Steel and oh yes we will be also focusing on the sweet sweet sounds of pan music . Panorama takes place on the Saturday night (this year on the 27th) and these bands in the UK can rival any Trini band for their money. Mangrove, Ebony and Metronomes are some of the big ones but there are lots of other contenders including bands from Croydon. Lots of local composers like Leroy Clarke and Kyran Akal are noted for their stunning arrangements.

Static Sound

(Pic courtesy bbc.co.uk)
I must say that this to me is not the essence of Carnival- deejays but now all yuh young people eh? Anyway Static Sounds (aka djs) are usually strategically positioned around different liming spots on Carnival Day. If you are a spectator, this builds the ambiance as you are able to pick up a plate of curry goat or jerk chicken and rice and walk with your rum and witness the spectacle as they pass. Lots of static sounds play a wide variety of music so its not just soca- be prepared for lots of reggae, dub, some rnb and rap and lots of house music!
Mas in yuh Mas

(Pic courtesy IsisMas)
Carnival Sunday begins with Jourvert in Ladbroke Grove. It is certainly not the jourvert experience that we know at home as it is a very small minority of persons who actually come out at daybreak and they are usually concentrated in the Ladbroke Grove area. Powder, mud and paint plus oil (Grenadian massive!!!). Sunday is also Kids’ Day, but for adults it is also T Shirt Day. Most bands have a Tshirt section and on the Sunday after breakfast, the bands roll on the road with t-shirts and paint, t-shirts and mud, t-shirts and chocolate. The vibe kicks in from about 9 onwards and follows the parade route beginning on Great Western Road, winding its way along Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and then Ladbroke Grove. The parade is certainly kid friendly until at about 6 pm- that's when most adults would have infiltrated the band and the atmosphere becomes like a fete. It's a great precursor to the main day.

On Carnival Monday most bands meet near Great Western Road at about 7 am. That's the day when over 1 million visitors come into London so spectators and participants need to get there early. The vibe starts of slowly but from midday it becomes jamish.

(Pic courtesy bbc.co.uk)

A big part of the vibe is the residents participation: they fill the streets and their balconies and hang flags out and its literally a kaleidoscope of colours- masqueraders in their finery palancing and locals dancing to the sounds of music. Lots of police man the parade so it is fairly safe. The parade suffered its fair share of violence/riots over the years but this should not be overstated as I have seen the parade go up until 10 pm at night :) without any major incidents and alcohol is drank in copious quantities  (no ban like TO and New York!) so once you don't make no confusion, given the circumstances I would say it is fairly safe. Most countries have their corners (Trinidad Corner, St Lucia Corner, Grenada Corner) so the bands would catch a stink when they reach those areas. The day begins to wind down at about 9 pm (it is usually still light then). Most people (like me!) continue partying at the many Notting Hill Carnival after parties.

BachanalMas also in Reading!!!

Ay ay all yuh have choice now....Bachanal Mas will also be attending the 33rd Annual Reading Community Carnival!!

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Costume Masqueraders - £40.00
This package includes - You can wear your costume from 7 Deadle Sins, 7 Heavenly Virtues 2009, your coach journey and drinks for the coach ride.
T Shirt Masqueraders - £45.00
This package includes T shirt, drinks and coach journey.

Due to legislation at Reading Carnival, we are only allowed to provide soft drinks on the road but please feel free to bring your bottle to stock up on the coach from our reserves.[ Edited to add ay ay Paul, but like Dragons go be having alcohol, you betta check those rules!]
Please contact a member of the management to book your seats:

Richard – 07958 362 160
Kelly – 07909 616 251
Andrew – 07919 254 693
Paul – 07507 864 809
£20.00 Deposit secures your seat!
Payable via website/online banking/cash/cheque/credit or debit card
Final payment date 17th May 2009
Coach Departure times:
EAST - 8:00 am (SHARP)
NORTH - 8:30am (SHARP)
SOUTH - 8:00 am (SHARP)
WEST - 8:45 am (SHARP)
Pick up points:
EAST - Leyton High Road J/W Midland Road - E10 6JT
SOUTH - Lambeth Town Hall, Acre Lane off Brixton Hill SW2 1RW
WEST - Harrow Road J/W Chippenham Road - W9 2AH
NORTH - Town Hall Approach Rd Haringey, London N15 4RY
Please note the pick up times listed are the times the Coaches will depart so please be on time! otherwise you may get left behind!
Beverages ( ie Alcohol including Richards Famous RUM PUNCH ) :-)
The Journey time from West and North to Reading is approx 1hr 30 minutes depending on Traffic.
Music for Reading carnival is supplied by:
SSS AKA andrew
Djs:Shaker, Drizzle
I think this line up will have us hype all day long!

You ALL know 2009 was good, but 2010 is gonna be the year we blow Reading to pieces! so come on and get ready to PALANCE with us!!!

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On the Road with Credable for Reading and Huddersfield Carnival

For those who don't know Credable, he is a young enterprising Ghanaian with an *incredable* love of soca which he has unleashed at the popular weekly soca fete- Release d Riddim. Run by a pure soca aficionado, this fete is a die hard fete- one of the ones where you dont dress up- you wear flats, sweatpants, short pants- real jourvert, the only thing missing is the mud!

I got this from him and think this is a fantastic idea- please go ahead and show your support!I will be going to the Dragons launch (first launch of the season!) and will have pics for your review on Sunday!
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D 'NCREDABLE MAS BAND is a newly formed band of carnival loving friends who this year will be heading to both READING and HUDDERSFIELD carnival on the 31st MAY and the 10th JULY Respectively!

We will be launching Registrations for these carnivals at the Dragons & Release D Riddim Band launch for Notting Hill 2K10 this Sunday 28th March!! £5 entry to get in going from 5pm - 11pm.

Venue: INN ON THE GREEN, 3-5 Thorpe Close, Ladbroke Grove, London, W10 5XL

Prices: Reading Carnival - £35

Huddersfield Carnival - £45

Both Carnivals - £65

Price includes Coach Ride there and back (leaving from West, South and North London picking up people from East London), food and light refreshments (if rum is considered light) on D coach, Your Gladiator costume, (used for both carnivals) and great sounds on d road!

Costume includes:

Ladies: Gold reef, Bra, Gladiator Skirt

Men: Helmet, Cape, Gladiator skirt

You can wear what you want underneath, colours are Black, Gold and Red

Bringing you the Music will be the Prince of Soca 'Big Pappy' Martin Jay, Shakatak, and D RDR Crew Mr Hardwine, DJ Bliss, Hyper Spice and Credable!

A non Refundable DEPOSIT of £20 is needed to SECURE YOUR PLACE!

You will be able to register at any RDR event and other events to which will be named soon!

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Sweet like Burrokeet?

10 years ago if you were talking about Mas, you would hear about two big names- Cocoyea (we soon come!) and Burrokeets. Burrokeets was formed approximately 20 years ago and is among one of the hard hitters for Notting Hill Carnival.

I have had limited exposure to this band- but they are certainly among one of the top choices for masqueraders. Their theme last year was Amazonia and consisted of three sections- Tribe (gold), Rainforest (Green) and Iguazu Falls (White). The costumes sold out as they were very good value for money (£85.00)- the headpieces were a reasonable size, and the conceptualisations were non generic. I did not find it the best in terms of costume design (y'all dissed it real stink on TCD, oh lord all yuh wicked!) but they at least tried to come up with some original concepts. And I actually think the costumes looked good on the road- much better than the prototypes.

I can't fault or knock them for that especially when most bands buy costumes from Trinidad or from China. Not everybody could be a Paul or a Sonia Mack. In terms of cost to benefit ratio I thought it was a good buy cause you know that these young and up and coming designers are working with very little support.

They have a working and operating website and persons wishing to visit the MasCamp are encouraged to visit in person. Some of the highlights of Burrokeets is that Jewels de Carnaval has its own private section within the band with a determinedly Trini style atmosphere. The Soca Prince in the UK Martin Jay (one of the top DJs) is always on the road with the Keets so you are guaranteed to get hit after hit. Another added benefit is the £15 T-shirt and mud section for Carnival Monday if you are a masquerader. Dey ehn soff at all!

If I had to compare Burrokeets to a TNT Band I would say Legacy or Trini Revellers. Very authentic Carnival feel, people out to fete with no behaviour and a long long tradition meaning that people of all generations and nationalities are out on the road to get on bad. The Young Burrokeets have also added a fresh flavour to the band- the ladies looked sexy on the road on Carnival Monday and there were a mix of good strong back men. The band also has a Tshirt section which is very well patronised every year and they hire a lot of security so your road experience will be great. Last year they mash up "Trinidad Corner :)

They will be holding their launch at the Black Grape soon soon so look out for a review coming up!!!

(All photographs belong to Young Burrokeets UK... all their rights are reserved)

ZomerCarnival

This blog was set up to chat about NHC but another Carnival that is also good fun and one I attended in 2008 is ZomerCarnival in Rotterdam. It is organised by Joyce Warner and because I played mas with them in 2008, I am always lucky to get an advance preview. This year it will be held on July 31- I won't be there as I will be playing mas for Caribana this year (I follow mas wherever it goes!) and the following week in Grenada :) It is quite easy to get to- you can take the Eurostar to Paris and then Thalys (less than 2 hrs to Rotterdam- my preferred route as I can stop of in Paree and get some croissants and macaroons!) or you can jump on a quick flight. The parade is lovely and there is a bit of a continental flavour to the Carnival so if you want a Trini style experience (and pelau) this is the band to go with. Poison usually links up with this band just to give you a general idea of what it entails.

For the past two years the band has used costumes from Trinidad Carnival. Last year it was TRIBE but this year they are selling SPICE! Yes, maybe that's maybe how SPICE was able to tag sold out on all their costumes! Orders in euros come in at the last minute boy!!! The sections that are available are China, Rumbies of Mumbai and Wings of Isis.

Lemme doh make more bacchanal eh. Dat's not why I set up this blog. (Ah lie, ah like plenty melee!).

Getting into the details, the band is all inclusive and costs 190 euros although there is a discount to 150 euros if you are under 18. It is all inclusive, with unlimited drinks, food (snacks, breakfast and lunch), security and roaming photographers.

You can contact joyce at missjoyce60@hotmail.com

Bachanal Bachanal Bachanal Mas!

Bachanal Mas is relatively new on the scene. I started hearing about this band two years ago. Headed by Paul O Donoghue who is in charge of the creative side, this band burst onto the scene with flair, colour, and flamboyance to recreate and elevate the standard of mas in Notting Hill Carnival.

Bachanal Mas was my band of choice last year (until I got a free costume, Caribbean people love ah freeness eh?) and from my very short exposure to Paul and the gang- the registration process was seamless. After registering online, a few moments later I got in touch with some very friendly and accommodating reps who did their best to accommodate me finding a full frontline costume at the last minute.

As for the costumes, there is nothing else to say other than they are absolutely gorgeous. I will be attending the Mad Hatters party for the launch in a few weeks and will be posting a full review, hopefully with an interview with the persons at the helm. The theme last year was Heavenly Virtues and Deadly Sins- I personally think the "virtues" did not square very well with the "sins" and the band should have just stuck with the sins-but I understand in terms of marketability where Carnival often gets a bad rep, it might have been necessary to sell it that way.

This year BachanalMas is offering "Traditions", pretty personifications of mas from eras gone by- I am in love with Fancy Sailor so far but my impression based on the sketches will also follow in subsequent posts.

Based on what I saw on the road, the band was very well organised. There was lots of space for palancing and spreading out with those bee-yoo-ti-ful costumes. The only downside I would say was that the male-female ration in the band was not that great, so if you are looking for winery and bad behaviour and this is your primary reason for hitting the road, then this may not be completely fulfilled here. The crowd, however, is a mixed one- the band has people from all walks of life and is certainly not associated with any particular "in crowd".

All in all, THE one to beat if you want to look gorgeous on the road.

(Pics taken from BachanalMas website and all their rights are reserved- www.bachanalmas.com. Their launch will be held on 10 April at Abbey Bar)

Deadly Poison

Since this is not Trinidad where the bands launch 9 months in advance, I thought that I should begin with a short taster of what has been on offer over the last few years just so that the newbies would know what to expect. I do not propose to go into a lot of detail (I would save that for the actual reviews) but as a starter, I thought it would be good to give a little breakdown of what's on offer.

I should begin with Poison UK. Poison describes itself as the premier Caribbean Entertainment Company in the UK. Poison is great at fetes (Wet Fete, Carnival Friday (de traditional Machel Fete) and is a fantastic innovator- this year's PanJazz Events and the annual excursion to Rotterdam are testimonies. What Poison does it usually does very well. It is not known how the closure of its trademark big venue (SE1) will affect it.

Mas in the UK on Carnival Monday falls into three categories: - traditional costume mas (my ting!), fun mas (a hybrid kinda costume, usually without feathers) and T shirt mas (ewww!). For me, Carnival Sunday is the Tshirt day and I must admit that I do look down at Tshirt masqueraders. hehe. Okay back to Poison. Poison is excellent at catering for mas of all genres and for all persons. Poison has about four different options traditionally- three fun mas sections and a costumed section. Last year they called their band "The Red Army" and went with a red theme. This meant that the two variations on the costume were red along with a good few fun mas sections. I personally thought that was lazy.

As to the costumes themselves, they did not really depict anything in particular (although I am sure there was some made up generic description on the website) but there were lots of feathers and some very pretty headpieces (as you can see from the website. There were two basic designs- one with a tankini and the other usual bra and panty mixup. I did not play with Poison this year as I had a free costume for me and my friend with another band and I was also seduced by Bachanalmas (I love freeness!)but they have been my band of choice for the last two years. As to how much it would usually cost, costumes started from 120 pounds but you got a 10% discount if you were a Poison UK card holder. Ah tell yuh de ting set up nice!

Okay moving on to the fun mas. My favourite Fun Mas section this year with Poison was created by Fiona Comption of Dynasty and consisted of some rather cute army wear (one a dress and the other a shorts and jacket combo). They were thankfully not red and also bore country allegiances (e.g. Barbados, Trinidad etc.). I thought that was probably the best of the Lot. The costumes were sexy and tempting and beautiful. This chick is one to watch- she did a really beautiful carnival angel theme a few years ago- I will hopefully be featuring and interviewing her for the blog quite soon. This section is also all inclusive and costs about 65 quid. Value for money in my opinion!

Poison also gives the option of coming adorned with any Carnival costume and playing in the callaloo section for one las jump up. I think this is at a cost of between £60-£80. Good idea but good for all yuh oui, Me, I like my mas too bad to repeat a costume. I like to look fresh.

As for ambience on the road, they do not have a reputation for being stoosh.(My pet peeve). They are probably the Island People of Notting Hill Carnival. They attract a very mixed crowd- a few of the wannabes, a few regular folks, and a few gettoners! Security is always tight however and they are a well oiled organised machine. There are usually a few allowed stragglers in the band but overall, the vibe is nice. For us non trini islanders, the downside with this band is the fact that its strictly Trini soca and nothing else (like Lucia and Grenada and Antigua and Vincy doh exist) but once you get used to it, you will have a good time on the road. There is a good men to women ratio in this band making lots of wining a must.

Definitely one to watch for 2010.

(All pics from Poison UK website- their rights and the rights of the photographers in question are reserved).

Notting Hill Carnival Griot

I ent lying to say this page was born of envy. After reading and subscribing to Saucy's Trinidad Carnival Diary for a few years, I realised that we did not have news and information feeding through for what is the BIGGEST street party in Europe- the Notting Hill Carnival. We have to rely on scraps of information (like carnival pothounds) to decipher which band to play in (as if is some sudoku), band launches are held in some very hard to reach locations making it difficult to compare and contrast and band leaders are certainly behind times in terms of harnessing technology. So I thought why not build up a space in cyberland where we could discuss, compare, review and keep in the loop on all things NHC! The melee, the confusion, de kaiso, de mas, de costumes, de fetes, de everything. Its the Greatest Show dis side of the hemisphere at least!