With Spice's launch of "The Spice Route" injecting a much needed dose of Carnival crack into us Carnival junkies, the excitement is building up to fever pitch for TRIBE's launch on Saturday. The buzz for Spice, albeit, is one of pure enthusiam with several persons I know sure they will be in Spice for Carnival 2010, some making the switch from popular bands TRIBE and Island People. Post Spice launch everyone is anxiously awaiting prices as well as more information on registration. For the record I was told Spice's Showroom opens next week for costume viewing at their new mas camp located on upper Rosalino Street.
Every year it is the same scenario repeated, a band launches, you fall in love with the costumes but then you wait around on friends to make a decision and getting into your band of choice becomes a panicked, stressful affair especially if your band of choice is notoriously difficult to get into. So, I am here to dispense some advice for those of you hoping to secure your dream costume for 2010.
First of all have a BUDGET for the limit on the price you are willing to pay for your costume. This will guide your choices and kick some sense into you when you realize that your rent needs to be paid instead of shelling out money you do not have just to get into a particular section of a band that is priced beyond your budget. I don't think I have to stress this but your deposit money should be in hand NOW. Not tomorrow, not next week.. not at the end of the month! If you cannot afford it today chances are you will be scrambling to find the rest of the money to pay off for your costume later.
Which leads me to my next point, always have a plan B, C and D. Make a list of at LEAST 3 costumes you love. With so much competition all around there has to be more than ONE dream costume in your band of choice, so to avoid the heartbreak when that ONE costume is sold out while you take time to make up your mind, have more than one option when it comes to costumes. I would go so far as to say have a possible second BAND as another option,one that you would have no problem playing in, no use settling for an ugly costume just to be IN a particular band. I never understood that mentality of not caring and taking anything you get just to be in the IN thing. For me personally if my plan B,C and D were gone before I had chance to register best believe I would also have a plan E if I REALLY wanted to play mas and that would be another costume in another band!
You do not have the luxury of waiting around for friends, I am a firm believer in being a solo superstar when it comes to getting the costume I want. My friends can choose whatever section they want I will be in the costume I want. However, I know some of you like to be in a group and do the group thing so start the costume discussions NOW, before the bands start registration. If you know your carnival posse numbers more than three people forget trying to get everyone into a band like TRIBE in the same section unless you have some serious contacts! Reality is that even if you are first in line or first to register online you may not get ALL 10+ of your friends into the SAME section. My advice is each man for himself! Selfish, I know, but imagine by the time you register two people out of 15 the section is sold out! If you simply cannot bear not having the other 99 of your friends around you on the road Carnival Tuesday, choose a band that is EASY to get all 99 of you into , simple advice right?
Finally true Carnival devotees know getting your costume, THAT costume, the one that makes you feel like the most *insert adjective here* creature to parade on the streets Carnival Tuesday when you imagine yourself in it, takes willpower, determination and focus. This is not for the slow, the unsure or the ones who fall for peer pressure! If you want THAT costume preparation is key and know that you have to be swift, no time for indecisiveness! I applaud my friend who showed up at TRIBE's registration before sun up last year because she wanted THAT costume; my girl was first in line and got it, though she eventually SOLD the costume and switched to another section (another post for another day) she has the right attitude.
Carnival 2010 is going to be an exciting one, already we have one band spicing up things with pretty, pretty costumes and I expect that other bands are going to bring it to the table as well in the coming weeks. I love that as masqueraders we have choices and really hope that the mania, panic and pathetic desperation that took place last year for registration in a certain band is tempered this year by knowing that the world does not come to an end if you do not get into a PARTICULAR band, people you have a CHOICE; get on a next bandwagon!
