Frontline or Buss?

Reading Rene’s review of Spice I could not help but chuckle when she described the other Frontliner in her section as a “Betty” ie Backline Betty. You see for Carnival 2009 there was an unprecedented demand for frontline costumes, being as elaborate and gorgeous as they were in most bands. However it seems as if some of the frontliners forgot to read the 10 Commandments of a Frontline H.O. or we need some new ones!!

Being a frontliner is not for everyone, if you are not ready to commit to it 100% don’t even bother or else you risk being eclipsed by the other frontliners who had their act together. This year I saw too many frontlines who missed the bus or who simply looked busted. So for 2010 if you DO decide to pay all that money for a frontline costume, do it justice and please, wear it well!

1. Frontliners do not do sneakers; boots are the footwear of choice when wearing a frontline costume. Heeled boots are for the TRUE divas, I think I will be testing out wedge heels for 2010 as as much as I love the look and admire the tenacity of the girls playing in heels I just cannot put my feet through that torture. Sneakers are for Backline Betty’s (no offense to the back line babes who were stunning in their boots or sneakers customized to match their costume)



2. When taking up the responsibility of being a frontline you also take up the responsibility of looking impeccable from head to toe that means shelling out extra for proper makeup and having your hair styled to match your headpiece. Weaves, wigs, braids are all acceptable in managing the hair. RAGS on your head are unacceptable!



3. Leave the knapsack behind! I cannot believe how many frontlines I saw lugging around the Goody Bag (knapsack) on the road! First off get a man purse to do that job for you; the only thing in your hands should be a matching mini bag or a pouch. No totes, no sequined hobos; make the purse small and cute, you will be surprised how many essentials can fit in a tiny bag! That knapsack is a big FAT no; it does not even MATCH!

4. Frontliners “glow” we do not sweat, therefore make sure that in your mini pouch are blotting sheets. When you pose for the hundreds of photos you are guaranteed to be asked for, you do not want to be looking as if you just ran a 5k in broiling sun.

5. Frontliners do not do runs! Ick, I absolutely HATE runs in stockings and with the rhinestones on costumes that are now a trend (which I hate) most of us wearing stockings were either shredded by the end of the day or shredded other’s tights. Although I coated all my rhinestones I still managed to snag my tights on my hand band, luckily I walk with EXTRAS as well as clear nail polish. In the event that you do not have extra tights simply dab some clear nail polish on the run to prevent it from shredding. Ideally you can also wear two pairs of tights and just peel off the one that gets damaged. Of course I applaud all the ladies with the perfect legs that went tights-less, I think this is the first time I ever saw that as being a good thing in the face of all those ugly ripped tights.



6. Personalizing your costume is a nice touch, go the extra mile and add body jewelry, body art or even some extra feathers and bling. However there is a fine line between cute and cosquel. If your costume is mainly earth tones why add yellow feathers to it? If you are looking for a contrasting colour to turquoise and brown why fuchsia pink? Customize the costume to make it look better not worse!

7. Plus sized frontliners please represent! Ask for a corset and get it totally blinged out (I saw some gorgeous ones in Spice!) if you are not comfortable doing a bikini. No need to try and squeeze a size 16 into a costume designed for a size 6!



8. Be gracious for photographs and practice your poses BEFORE Carnival so that your best side can be captured. Do not let the backline Betty’s jump in and steal your thunder in photographs.


9. On that note stake your claim in the front of the section when crossing the stage. The Betty’s did not pay extra for the frontline so therefore they should respect your space and stay behind! Kudos to section leaders and security that made sure frontlines got to cross the stage first and in all their glory.

10. And finally wear your costume, and wear it proud! I was so happy this year to see frontline ladies in full costume down to last lap! Headpieces and backpacks still intact, you did well.

The job of a frontline is a tireless one with no glory except for the adulation and constant demand to capture your spectacular beauty by so many adoring spectators. Many have attempted and many have failed to truly embrace the role of a frontline. Those that do it and do it well, realize the totally addicting high one gets from being a Carnival Superstar! And if the frontline is just not for you, no shame in being a backline BABE ..just don’t be a Betty!

Spice Review

Hi Saucy ,

I would like to say thanks to you and your blog that had me looking fab on the road your tips are remarkable .I want thank you for saving my headpiece no wet fowl over here lol .Keep up the good work long live the blog! Ok on to my Spice review

As everyone know Spice was a new band and everyone was skeptical about if they can pull it off, well they did in my opinion here I go on to explain now.

My collection of Sea Salt Frontline was due the Thursday before carnival .When Thursday came I got a call and a text early morning from Anya stating my belt and bra was ready not my head piece I can collect it Saturday .I was so pissed and worried about my head piece I said I will collect everything on Saturday I did rush them I give them some time so when Saturday come I hope everything was ready no room excuses or they would have hear me .Saturday finally reach I headed to mas camp for 2pm well a lot of people were waiting in the tent out side I passed the tent straight and went to the show room I spoke to Anya and told am here to collect and she said everything was ready just have a seat in the waiting room .There were two cashiers one for cash and the other for card (linx) .They move relatively fast I had about and half and hour wait then I was seen about I had my invoice ready so I just needed to pay the balance it took awhile for them to sort me out .

During the wait club social (crackers) was handed out as a snack to people who were waiting. When my payments was done I shown to a room where I could collect my costume. There were a lot of people still fixing costumes in the room and at the same time other people were collecting it was not too crowded but it could have been executed better .Anya was helping out in costume collection room so I handed her my paid invoice and she quickly got my bra and belt and told me to try it on in a changing room. the belt looked exactly like prototype the bra looked a little different but for the better it was much more neater .I tried on the body it fitted great she got the accessories for me and packed it in the spice box . I had to wait awhile for the head piece because it was down stairs and they did not want to get it wet. I did not mind because I was waiting for my friend who was having costume problems.

So I waited more than an hour for my friend’s costume issue to be resolve, eventually the rain cleared up and my headpiece was brought upstairs .So at the exit there was a lady handing out the goody bags and explaining about the wee wee truck and spice band must be worn both Monday and Tuesday and I was handed a booklet that explained route, drinks and food to expect on the road; I love this book idea .So in conclusion my collection was not bad at all if I did not have to wait for my friend it would have been a very quick collection .And I absolutely loved my costume , but I did rip apart my boy friend’s headpiece and added his feathers to my upper hand piece which I find was looking plain .Just my added touch .My goody bag was also packed with a lot of stuff,;gum and condoms though but I got stuff for face , makeup worth over$125 etc.

Ok on to the road, Monday the band was set to leave Memorial Park (Upper Charlotte Street ) time 9 am. That was very early but no scene I left home around 9am went to meet my friends and we all looked for the band together but duh they are still at the meeting point around 10 am haha spice played us they know that Trinidadian always reach an hour late .So they were organizing to leave there point around half 10 .The band look small around 400-500 people, no scene even better rope team security and three music trucks was ready .Drinks had to meet us after the Savannah some NCC thing .So we start moving it was relatively smooth Monday After we passed the savannah after 11 am people went to drinks truck which was very high sorry to the short people including my self but don’t worry I got my drinks , note the wee truck and shuttle was present too .

So we chip down to QRC where we had lunch about 12 pm yeah on time. There we had to wait so the security could check everyone’s Spice band so they could enter the ground to have lunch. Spice only provided about 5-7 tables and about 100 chairs not enough Spice, honestly I did not count so it was rush for table .I was lucky my friends reserved a table for my group I was liming with so I had a table whilst other people sat on the wet ground. Spice needs to improve on that next year. They had about 6 tents 5 with food and 1 for the masqueraders to freshen up. Different types of food was advertised for Monday but all looked the same to me I took Bar b q chicken I got a leg and a thigh, rice vegetables and a separate salad. Too much food, I could not eat it all but it tasted well no complains there.

So it was back on the road we headed to Woodbrook smooth sailing so far .One thing I must comment on, Anya and the Spice team were going through the band making sure masqueraders were ok, I must commended them on this.Then unto downtown, Spice rope was very lax going in to downtown. We had some stormers and but they were kicked out eventually. Aloo pies and lollies were given out as snacks .The rope team did a poor job in down town , the DJ announced to the rope team to do a better job so I can safely say spice officials were aware of the crap the ropers were doing. Anya’s father kept going back and forth trying to make sure the rope team was doing their job around half 6 spice was still coming out of down town so the security need to be alert at all time cause darkness was approaching .They tried their best until we reach up town about half 7 to beef up security. Spice needs to manage their time as they ran really late Monday. OK so Monday was not bad just the rope team and security need improvement so I said to myself don’t worry I am sure they are getting a talk from Anya’s father about their improvement for Tuesday.

Tuesday the meeting point was the same place as Monday just this time we had to reach for half 6, yeah right half 7 for me! I had to glam up before I go and play mas .So I did my own makeup it took me a long while ,I overdosed on gems .So I met the band half 7, same place and they had not moved off as yet .When I saw the costumes I was like wow, they were looking muy caliente! The older women playing looked hot .Spice did a wonderful job and their corsets were blinged out to the max, 5 stars for them .So we had little wait Tuesday because there were 2 other bands in front of us before we reached the Savannah .People gradually came as we waited to cross the Savannah but the band still look small a little bigger than Monday but nice even though.

So around 9am we were on the move a lot of us was starving but going by the NCC rules we had to wait to cross the Savannah to see drinks and food truck .So we gradually chip to the Savannah the shutter bugs was in full force well if u all know I don’t like nothing better than that ,FLHO attention .And I got it cause there was one other girl in sea salt fl but she looked real plain she need to start reading the blog to get some FLHO tips lol .So more attention for me even though I thought I had to be battling 15 FL that was supposedly sold out in Sea Salt! I was glad just to be frontline as I alone was in front, the other girl stayed in the back like a Betty.So I had a ball passing the Savannah .

After I was hungry so I got bottle of water a 2 ham croissants, I was filled. We went on the route to QRC right after. It was still early for lunch so Spice brought some dancing guys to perform it was very cool they even encouraged masqueraders to join in one lady did some crazy flips and stuff real entertaining. So that killed time for lunch so it was the same set up as Monday just rain was falling lightly so I went straight in the powder tent to have lunch I really was not in the mood to get wet. I had lunch, same food as Monday with a little twist, potatoes instead of vegetables.
After lunch it was still raining but we had to go to Woodbrook, thank God for fletch dry everyone looked like a wet fowl except me and my head piece was huge so rain hardly hit me so I was still looking good in Woodbrook and when I cross Synergy stage more shutter bugs again whoo hoo lol .Unto downtown rope team was ready .I know they get a buff the day before, they were sharper than Monday. The journey to downtown was slow a lot of stopping, the sun came out in full force. Spice officials gave out lollies to cool the masqueraders down it really did work as I ate about 3 lollies, they kept asking me if I wanted, what do you want me to say lol? We again had aloo pies as snacks.

When we got to the Twin Towers the rope team were not as vigilant and stormers were present and getting drinks from the bar, but it was quickly addressed .So we crossed down town stage, last lap you know I have to get on bad, and then we chip back down to uptown darkness came upon us fast though half 6, still in downtown by 7pm. We got to uptown where you thought you were safer, but safe some young guys stormed the band and was giving trouble to come out. The security had to enforce full force and throw them out, but they kept making a block so the security ran them down and gave them some good licks real chaos! That’s was the only serious problem the security had to deal with whole day and they handled it quite well as no masqueraders were hurt. We reach our final point about half 8 by the Spice mas camp where Anya tried to have road party with cool down truck I don’t know who stayed back but I left.

So my overall review of spice 4/5 they need to work on there security, timing and other minor stuff. I had a great time, the DJ dj played good music; a little old, new scoa and chutney. The band was diverse a mixture off all kind of people, food was hot drinks flowed right down to the end. To Anaya and spice family a job well done, she made sure her masqueraders were happy and comfortable both days thumbs up for the first time and I will play with you all again.
My photo is below and check out my bag from mimi!



Rinell (Rene)