BLISS VS TRIBE

Well unless you have been living under a rock, you would know by now that the management of the band TRIBE has decided to produce a new separate band called BLISS. BLISS is being touted as the "Intimate Experience" with the smaller band size while TRIBE is still the "Ultimate Experience". Since this revelation I have been bombarded by questions about the differences between the two and find myself almost being a marketing representative for the new band Bliss So much so , that I did not even want to tell anybody about when I first found out because I thought it was such a fantastic idea. I have personally been campaigning for a smaller Tribe band for some time; there was my social commentary The Tribe Mentality where attempted to determine what was the driving force between the obsession to get into Tribe,then there was The Lost Tribe where I lamented the loss of the 'Tribe experience' and then there were several other rants about TLC. I also have this theory that Tribe being spawned from Poison had a great advantage and increased probability of being successful by being able to learn the ropes and get their working formula sorted in Poison before creating their own entity. In such a way, I have no doubt in my mind that BLISS as spawn of Tribe can be just as successful as they already know the gameplan. I am therefore an avid supporter in the venture! Will I actually play with them???...well that remains to be seen.....

Firstly, I think a reality check is in order:

1. TRIBE intends to reduce their band size for 2k11 to approximately 4000 ppl or so
2. BLISS will be a small band with approximately 2000 ppl or so
3. There is no more TLC
4. According to a Bliss committee member: TLC is not a requirement for Bliss nor is previous participation in Tribe.You just need to know a committee member willing to register you.
5. It is unclear how the abolishment of TLC will affect the TRIBE band sequence of registration.
6. You cannot shuttle back and forth between Tribe and Bliss.Each masquerader id band entitles you to ONE band i.e drinks, permission to be behind the ropes
7. Everybody can't be in Tribe!!!
8. Everybody can't be in Bliss!!

In my opinion, part of the reason for creating Bliss is so that all the people who can't get into Tribe will have somewhere to spend their money that is still in the realm of Tribe but not have to move to another band completely. This is not a bad idea at all cause you still 'kinda' in Tribe and still get the level of service that you are accustomed to. This works even better for those who don't want the jam session Tribe.

Unfortunately I think BLISS is shooting themselves in the foot (or maybe even the head!) for several reasons:

1. The Costumes: You would think that as a new band they would ensure that the costumes are ALL hot!!! Now I think the costumes are pretty good but very few can be considered great. My personal hypotheses: If I pool all the costumes and take my top 5 picks, my first 3 will be in Tribe and my 4th and 5th would be in Bliss. Even though I loathe,hate and detest the overcrowding in Tribe I am CERTAINLY not throwing down a hard $5 grand on a costume that is my 4th or 5th choice! Comparatively if my costume selection went like #1 in Tribe and #2 in Bliss or even vice versa I would be there in a heartbeat!It only takes one look at Saucy's polls to know that in Tribe the popularity of the costumes are evenly distributed between 3 or 4 sections. In Bliss ,one costume has almost half the popularity! So true talk, doh lie!! Point in fact again, Knights Templar vs Ice Warriors. Same designer, one in Tribe and one in Bliss respectively. Templar is clearly superior so if I am fiercely loyal to this designer why would I not go for her best costume first?And yes I know that Bliss size is limited and I not telling TRIBE how to run their operation but I should also point out that people will want to know why this private section designer has a section in both bands while others do not. I'm jus sayin....
2. The Costumes!! Lets not forget how skimpy they all are ! I love my skettel costumes and I am not playing in any section with no set of cloth but some of the choices in BLISS take things to another level. Yes wire bras are popular but contrary to popular belief not everyone wants one..especially not in if you just want a floor costume. So Bliss as just excluded the average female masquerader who has an average body type who does not want to be so risque by limiting their options (on top of their first 3 choices being in Tribe). Considering that they have also placed many of the older Tribe committee members (25-35 age group) on Bliss' new committee it can be expected that many of their market are also more mature and quite likely more modest in their choices. So having older people market over skimpy costumes to older people (25-45) makes no sense to me. Its almost to the point where you wonder what you are getting for your money cause I am not seeing as many of the wonderful accessories like Templar has or Xi'an has on most of those costumes. Should I therefore expect a cheaper price???
3. Marketing: Exactly where are the costumes? No seriously, where the site?Where the book? Where the mas camp? Hell, who selling for allyuh?? Tribe sent out this info blast announcing the band Bliss and since then ...nothing!!! You guys seem to forget that it has now been a week that people have been talking TRIBE costumes non stop! They go on the site they stare at the costume , they hold telephone conferences with books in hand, they shopping for boots and they designing monday wear...all based on a TRIBE costume that they can SEE. To add insult to injury, we all know the demand in Tribe is so high so if I have access to a private section that I have stared at for a week , even if i was contemplating Bliss I am going to make sure my spot in that private section is booked! Why? Because I am not going to hang my carnival future in my bff band Tribe on uncertainty for something I have not seen or have any info on. I have nothing to compare, no prices, no perks. I would love to know how they splitting the music trucks up.
4. Exclusivity: Right now Bliss seems to be so exclusive that everyone is afraid to even try to get in! Because of the lack of information and explanation of the registration process, many people I know who are interested are either intimidated or turned off at the prospect of Bliss. At the end of the day (past costume choice) they still want to be with their friends and no one wants to feel that if they get themselves in, their friends are going to be out. Bliss has not hit the road and they already have a stush reputation.By being so clandestine in all their dealings they are actually repelling some of their target market.

So in summary, the typical current Bliss masquerader is 30 something (average), with a really hot body, who knows all the right people to know, does not care about how much they like their costume, happened to decide up front that they want the smaller band and did not really like Tribe costumes to begin with. Any how you take it,it's going to be really difficult to find 2000 people that fit that criteria.I really do not want Bliss to suffer the same fate of "Poison 2". If you don't know what that is then you should probably be in Bliss! Bliss please get your act together!!! Let us know what is happening!!! Its an easy fix...hot costumes...more information....where do i sign up! Don't let me down!

BLISS 2K11: REVIEW

Well I certainly got my wish when I asked the TRIBE gods to give me a smaller band. Unfortunately I am not sure if all my other criteria has been met because although I wanted a smaller band I did not want to give up the stage or my favourite costume. It will really be tough for some people to decide between the two depending on what their priorities are..size? friend quota? costume? stage?

If nothing else these costumes were designed to keep people moving as there they are all very skimpy. Floor sections with cage bras well boy! This might be the most ventilated band ever, less people, less costume. Soo my take on the costumes:

CAPRICA

Things were off to a strong start with this one. This is one of my favourites. I really loved the colour combination. It really caught the light very well. I like both versions but would probably pick the starburst headpiece version for myself.

ICE WARRIORS

Its a basic costume but still very attractive with a popular colour combination. The waistband gives very little coverage and is more like a gemmed belt really. I do like the gems used to decorate the bra. I do think however, that the collar on the FL is hidden by the massive head piece. So much so that in pictures they blend into each other.

PELE

Very nicely done but everything here is teeny tiny. You MUST be in top form for this one!I am really loving the plunge bra option for the floor. Its interesting to see a cage bra option for floor as well. Reminds me of Machu Pichu which is one of my fav costumes of all time. The Frontline monokini is gorgeous but I am not really feeling the choker. Love ,love the headpiece!!

CYCLON

Well this year is definitely the year of the shoulder pad and I love them! No feathers and lots of silver give this costume the robotic look that I believe the designer was going for. I really like the headpiece.

SOLARIS

I don't know where they hiding the rest of this costume. The frontline is so skimpy it is almost invisible, i dunno if that was the intention. I guess the beauty is meant to be in the accessories like the leg/arm pieces and the head piece. Even so I don't really like the leg pieces. Would love to see how much this one will cost.

TRAKSON WARRIORS

This colour combo is always difficult to get right but I think it came off pretty well. I really like the bra but not so sure about the waistband. I think the headpiece could have had a bit more to it to give some sort of wow factor. The sleeves are an interesting idea but I would like to take a closer look at them before I decide if I am feeling them or not.

IZUMI CLAN

Another one of my favs. A very pretty colour combination and I love the detail on the bra. The waistband is also very skimpy but it has some detail and the fabric helps to balance it off. The floor shoulder pads are too cute! The frontline is also gorgeous and I love the necklace! The wire bra is very daring but I like how it ties into the waistband.

TITANS

A top pick for sure. Love all the monokini options. The use of the fringe is very well done. I would have a hard time picking which version one I would want if I was in this section.Love it.

So my top picks are (in no order): Izumi Clan,Pele, Caprica, Titans
My least favourite : Solaris

Tribe seems to be taking their time to get Bliss' website up and running and I would love to take a closer look at them all. I think if you choose the Bliss experience you wont have a problem finding a costume you really like however the choice may be driven by how much flesh you are comfortable with showing. Choose wisely!!!

TRIBE 2k11 : Way of the Warrior review

Ok, my apologies for not getting this out sooner but had a whole lot going on this weekend and staying up after the launch to blog was just out of the question. Right! So TRIBE !!!! I really must applaud Tribe for their marketing strategies this year with the social media. Most especially for those teaser videos!!! By the time the teaser video with the costumes was released I was bouncing off the walls in anticipation.

So lets talk launch.... we found ourselves back to where it all began in the Savannah. I actually prefer this venue because although you may have some parking issues, I would rather fight for a park than sit in traffic for 2 hours. Also the venue holds so many more people that it does not feel like a outdoor sweat box as Pier 2 tends to. As per usual I was running late only to realise when I got there that I had left my memory card for my camera home, so meggie if you were expecting pics. Quite unfortunate cause I actually had one of the best spots I have ever secured without having to elbow anyone out the way or fight with the 'real media' for shots. I got some pics via my blackberry which should have posted to twitter @carnivaljumbie but didn't! So please peruse www.carnivaltribe.com , Saucy's galleries and the many other online media outlets pics.

I did not have to wait long for the show to start and thought the stage looked great with the all white background and the long runway. In general the show was good not great. Compared to past years the models did not look like they got their rehearsal time in, several looked very confused and even bored at times. I was quite amused to see one having a full conversation while on stage when trying to decide if she should proceed or not. I was pleased when at one point a portion of a costume fell off and the model maintained her fierce stride, I was horrified when on her way back she stopped to pick it up. I really wish they would spend some more time with the models to display the mood they want as well as where they supposed to walk. And of course it would not be TRIBE launch unless we got to watch costumes in the dark. I really cannot understand why after all these years they STILL cannot get that crucial factor right!!!! We all came to see costumes and we need LIGHT to see costumes. It was quite ironic that they actually had a male costume equipped with built in lights.... yeah that one we were able to see.

As we all know, we were to be presented with costumes from both Bliss and Tribe and as two separate bands i will comment on them separately as well. In general, I prefer Tribe's costumes overall compared to Bliss as I can see many more options to my liking in Tribe. This might surprise some people as I have been one of several clamoring for the Bliss experience. With that said, I want to play in a TRIBE costume in Bliss.This goes to show you how important costumes preference may be to some ppl and it may even outweigh their band preference. Both bands have extremely skimpy costumes! So here is my review on Tribe:

GLADIATORS

Like it don't love it. I think it has a really strong presence visually but some of the details are just very typical to what I would expect a store bought 'gladiator' costume to look like. More precisely the strips hanging down and the arm bands are a bit boring . I would absolutely love to bling out that shield with gems so I hope that would come with the costume. I think what troubles me the most is the bra, is it a bra or is it a bandeau top?It does not seem to have much structure to it which cheapens the look. I guess I will find out soon enough. For those of us who are not very well endowed, a bandeau top is the equivalent to me duck-taping my breasts flat, they will disappear. I would definitely want the option of a strapless bra for this one like we had with Dragon. I do like the asymmetric strap detail . Of course the headpiece is fabulous. Its a safe costume with a literal translation and what you see will be what you get.

MONGOL WARRIORS

I really appreciate the design elements in this costume and I love it. The shoulder pads are fantastic and for that alone I would play in this section in a heartbeat. Rihanna eat your heart out. I can't wait to see it close up to figure out how she got the bra too look like a copper metal moulded bra which is very Princess Leia (my number one female warrior) and I love the bent wire details around the bra. The wrist pieces just rock and I love the waistband with its different levels of banding. I have yet to figure out how you get into it and from experience I hope there is room or adjustment cause if you are a bit thick in the waist those bands are going to just cut into your skin and be very unflattering. The FL version is even more edgy and I was a bit on the fence about the spikes in the headpiece. But I do get it and just for the inspired design I will give it a thumbs up.

PERSIAN GOLD

I think I am going to have to give this costume my top choice award! I love it. Wow! There is nothing I would change. Now before anyone says I am a bandwagonist because I played in this designer's section twice before, let me just say two things. One, I voted for a purple costume for next year as its a colour I have never really played in and two, my all time favourite colour on the planet is teal. Purple+ a hint of teal= no brainer for me. Aside from my personal preference the costume is well put together in every detail. It's just gorgeous. As Saucy says, yes its a girly warrior but really very few of my costumes have ever directly gone with the theme. I don't particularly care either way. My intention was to scale back a bit on the costume but how could I when the FL bodywear is calling my name? I have always gone for the bras with a halter style as it helps the cleavage.Although I am not a big fan of the bejewelled panty where the gems are stuck directly onto the bottom piece,this was a clever way to get the same effect thing without being limited by the fabric stretch. I love how the rings are used to hang the belt decorations which means the stretch is not limited by the fabric. You can tell how particular the designer is with the almost obsessive detail in the bra.I I absolutely adore the arm pieces and I think that's my favourite part of the whole costume. I have had bad backpack experiences before so I probably would not wear it anyway as beautiful as it is. I will be too happy get a rest and have that small FL head piece after Loulan.

XI'AN WARRIORS

This costume caused quite a stir when it hit the stage. The headpiece is sky high!! This is one of my favs in the band. I love how they used the metallic feathers rather than regular feathers for the headpiece and backpack of the frontline. The floor costume is gorgeous with its dripping gems and the frontline is just fierce. I like the style of the cage bra and although I am not a personal fan of the bejewelled panty , it looks good. You definitely need a banging body to pull off this one!

KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

A very pretty costume. I thought the choice of colour was a bit odd for the theme, I am sure the Knights Templar never saw hot pink in their time but I am sure it will be a very popular section. As with some of the other sections I think the arm pieces are my favourite part of the costume. The floor waistband is extremely skimpy and it basically depends on large gems for coverage.My one issue with this section is that the floor and frontline are too similar. A casual observer would probably not notice the difference other than maybe the headpiece size. I always modify my costume whether it is floor or frontline but I think that if I were to have the backline here that it would not be a stretch for me to bring it up pretty close to a frontline. The frontline does have the perk of having a blinged out arm piece for each hand.

IROQUOIS

You can't have a TRIBE without the traditional american indian mas. The headpieces are fantastic. The floor costume is simple but effective. I really like how the diamond pattern was translated to the frontline wire bra. I actually prefer the wire bra option to the monokini option because I like how the wire bra is decorated compared to the monokini. .I do think both versions could do with some more accessories. It would love to see a bustle option on this costume. This is sure to be a popular pick.

SASHURA

I must admit this costume took a bit to grow on me.It is definitely one of the better costumes from this designer in recent times. My first impression was "I hope that is not irridescent purple plastic sheeting in that waistband". Thankfully its not, its completely gemmed out and I like both the bra and the waistband. I think I would probably have preferred if the waistband had chains hanging instead of the strips but that's an easy mod. I was also a bit concerned about the white fur at first but when I saw how it was used in the foot pieces to look like mock fur lined boots I was sold. The head pieces are nice as well. I am a bit on the fence about the shoulder pads on the frontline. I live the shoulder pad idea in principal but this version is a bit too wide and too busy to be cute. I think the length and type of feathers was not the ideal choice.I would definitely like it much more if it was just a collar . I don't understand why you would have such an overdone shoulder pad and then still have upper arm pieces. Then there is the back bib..why?Overkill. The jury is still out on the frontline bra until i see it in person.

AMAZONS

Beautiful colours and one of my top 3.I love how the bra has the illusion of being made of metal. The waist band is teeny tiny but has lovely feather accents. The frontline is absolutely gorgeous! The back pack is one that really made me saw wow! Wow! Really can't say more than I love it.

MASAI TRIBAL WARRIORS

I love the fact that the male and female are contrasted with a multi colored female to a black and white male. There was a lot of hype to this costume before the unveiling and I must say I am not disappointed. I cannot wait to see the beading on the bra close up as it seems so intricate. It is really fabulous. As is the norm, the costume comes with fantastic accessories and is that a standard I see!!??? Can't say when is the last time I saw one of those but love the idea with the draped cloth. I also like the beads draped across the chest. There is so much colour in this costume that it will look vibrant on the road and I think the male and female mix with create quite a striking show.

ARCTIC WARRIORS

I have very mixed feelings about this costume but I think it is my least favourite in Tribe. I really think I need to see this in real before I make my final conclusion on it. I like the monotone and the construction of the head piece, arm and leg pieces.It looks like the bra and waistband is blinged out which is good but I am not sure if I like how it was decorated especially the waistband We shall see. The finger pieces are a novel and interesting idea but are actually very Thai inspired.I think what really disturbs me is the frontline version of this section which was the first version I saw close up on stage. There is really nothing I like about the costume other than the head piece. The wolverine claws are not cute and the bodice portion had me wondering what if you could stab yourself if you bent over.Not the best bra and I do not like this waistband at all! Oh btw the male costume headpiece gave me bad flashbacks.

MAYAN EAGLE

Fantastic!I absolutely love this costume, the colour alone sold me. The design of this costume is both original and innovative. Imagine a costume with no waistband!! All the decoration is within the neck piece. The neckpiece itself is just gorgeous. The style of the body wear is different to what we have seen before and I this is another costume where I can appreciate the design elements in this costume. I love the bra from the back as well. Although I love it I don't think the style of the body wear is suited to me personally but it surely will be a top seller. When i saw the booklet one of my issues was the chain belt should have been made with the circular decorations. I was glad to see just that as a larger circle belt was used at the launch. This section has my favourite male costume hands down.

Ok, my top picks in no order : Mayan Eagle, Persian Gold, Amazons, Xi'an warriors, Mongol Warriors

My least favourites: Arctic warriors and Gladiators.

The rest of the party was just a blur and I spent most of the time chatting with friends about the costumes and not paying much attention to the party itself. The party itself is rarely worth staying for in my opinion but it was a nice lime all the same. Next up...Bliss!!

TRIBE PORK LIME

So Tribe had their pork lime Friday night. Its a semi annual event that they have just to get together and have a nice time with their colleagues and friends. Attendance was by invitation only and they were indeed checking names at the gate. However security probably was not as tight as they intended and I saw quite a few stormers making their way inside lol.

The festivities were scheduled to start about 6pm and people slowly but surely trickled in. The pig was already roasting away on the grill. One very interesting cutter available that I have never seen before is the 'Chip stick' which is basically a spiral cut potato on a stick which is then deep fried. You can then put an assortment of powdered 'flavours' onto your Chipstick. Flavours range in everything from garlic to pizza and even fried chicken! Quite a novel idea and it was a big hit in the lime.*Yum*

By about 9pm the lime was turning into a full jam session with food and drinks flowing and a live dj. I must say , hands down that is the best roast pork I have ever eaten. Unfortunate if you were one of the ones who missed out on that! The latecomers were consoled with geera pork with paratha and jerk pork with potato salad. The crowd became thicker as the evening progressed and several people commented that the crowd may very will be those who have the access to get registered in Bliss. I don't doubt them lol! The evening would not be complete without the recommended dose of Punchy Punch and the lime was no doubt in full swing up until the music was turned off. Tribe again justifying their new tag line that "Nobody can fete like we."

BLISS IS BORN!

Well the secret is out today!! Official word from Tribe that they will be offering a second smaller all inclusive band as well as the original TRIBE. As per their info blast today :

"As Carnival continues to evolve and the masquerader demands shift,TRIBE's cutting edge approach enables us to adapt to these varying needs.As such, Tribe has heeded your suggestions and willoffer two different Carnival experiences for Carnival 2011. We are pleased to introduce two smaller bands,TRIBE & BLISS, which will improve managability and manouverability on the road, thereby significantly enhancing your Carnival Experience.

Those of you who enjoyed the "organised bacchanal" can continue to "palance" in TRIBE..THE ULTIMATE CARNIVAL EXPERIENCE. Those who desire a much smaller band with the same high quality product and service that they have become ccustomed to in TRIBE, now have teh option of BLISS...THE INTIMATE CARNIVAL EXPERIENCE.

This carefully studied and planned approach allows each band and its respective masqueraders to have its own distinct identity with each having its own parade route and band management."

Well I for one am glad that my prayers have been answered and have great respect for the fact that Tribe is consumer aware enough to actually take action and do something to solve their overcrowding problem. Personally I am on the fence about which one I would choose. With reduced numbers and still a very high demand across the board (and TLC is where?) it still remains to be seen how they going to decide who gets to go where. Its already serious stress for any 'group' of people to register in one section in Tribe...imagine trying to get your whole crew into Bliss! Then you need to think about whether you want to stick to your preferred designer.

Although I appreciate the 'intimacy' that Bliss proposes...it doh mena I want to palance any less...I just want to be able to palance in my costume without 10 people on top of me and 3 people trying to break my backpack/headpiece. Well we all wait with bated breath to see how this works out.

Oh btw..newbie bands that is a spanner in yuh wheel if I ever saw one. Humph!! Hope them costumes HAWT!!