First off THANK YOU SAUCY SOOOOO VERY MUCH for all of your valuable time and info leading up to the Carnival Season!!!! The information you supply is very much appreciated, especially the band launches, fete calendar and makeup/accessory/styling vendors you give us access to.
After a long absence from playing mas ( last time was Poison)....I joined some friends and played with Pulse8...Naughty Nymph. The costumes were well made, not a bead fell off, although I think ALL but 1 of the headpieces of my group came apart Tuesday, I know mine was from abuse, but I also think inferior gluing may also be to blame. The pickup was a breeze, but then again my friends have played with them previously, a few live in T&T, and they seem to have a working relationship with one of the designers, so that maybe the reason. I was able to exchange my boy-shorts for a smaller size without a fuss, and quite possibly if I tried on the belt could have exchanged it for a smaller size also.
Monday
We headed straight to the Savannah, from what I understand this was the 1st yr the band crossed the stage, after being upstaged (no pun) by larger bands in the past. Crossing was great especially to ADVANTAGE!!! Cant say I missed de stage as ah done say when was de last time ah play mas. BUT ah still stamp on it, jump on it, and ramfle it!!
SECURITY......ON POINT!!! Some ah de hardest working eva!!! They really deserve a special " THANKS" cause I am a wayward masquerader and must have come in and out more times than I can count.
DRINKS TRUCK........well I was "forced" to drink Johnnie since Smirnoff is not how I spell vodka....& since I saw they had Johnnie Red and Black I made sure and requested BLACK at every fill up & watched to assure........with that said that man walked in my cup with coconut water all day, there was no wait, no fuss & they were very courteous.
LUNCH.........hmm well ammmm lets just say thank goodness for ketchup and pepper and even then it just had no taste. I thought it was just me, but then I overheard others complaining that it needed salt....personally some Maggi, any flavor would have brighten the entire pot!
MUSIC........not sure how many trucks there were, but the 2 I heard had me whinning in de middle ah de road and gettin on wotless all Monday
Tuesday
Well I did done know from jump I wasn't meeting de band at de Oval for 6:30 am and it was a HIGH possibility I was not crossing de stage, so after dressing and applying my Exotic Eyes makeup ( thanks again ) I decided to get my headpiece and head town, that's when I heard on TV Pulse8 is getting ready to cross the stage, so I stayed and watched them....was very happy for the band leaders and the loyal masqueraders who very much took ADVANTAGE of the stage. I met them later on Tagarete
SECURITY......same if even not better than above
DRINKS.........Johnnie Black walked and walked and walked and walked........along with coconut water ALL DAY.
LUNCH....after walking thru a square and some people beginning to get comfortable, we were told "dias not we square" a little walk later we bounce up on we square. NOW I don't know what I was expecting, but some or any kind of accommodations would have been appreciated. Thank goodness for all the rags we accumulated throughout the road, we had somewhere to park we ass. I didn't think the FOOD could have been worse than Monday, but it WAS!!!. I ended up buying something on the road which was both tasteful and fulfilling, plus I needed something to cushion Johnnie's impact.
MUSIC...........not sure what happened between Monday and Tuesday. Everything was going good, but then as the situation called for keeping us vibed and pumped there was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much TALKING!!!!! on the lead truck. Now I take full blame for this as I could have very well moved to the back, but chose to stay put...........but still OGAWD.......too much CHAT!!!
ALL in all I had a GREAT time.....for me playing mas is about being on de road with your friends, drinking, de sun beatin yuh like yuh runway from de plantation, somebody theifin ah wine on yuh and you theifin a wine ............ALL and more was accomplished so YES I well enjoyed myself, and grade my experience a B+
I wish I cud say an astounding YES I will play with Pulse8 in the future, only time will tell. They are a young medium band, this being there 5th yr I can only hope the hiccups, I and any other masquerader had will be worked out in the future and Pulse8 will continue to prosper for many Carnival seasons to come.
