Jouvert With D Boom Battallion 96.1 FM

Ah kno ah late but ah been busy making a living and too lazy to finish up dese reviews.  But later better dan never.  Is always pressure fuh me to convince meh pardna to play Jouvert.   But he is a good fella and does accommodate he foreign pardna.  Ah remember meh first jokey Jouvert down in D west chasing a truck in D back ah d Chaguaramas Convention Center. 

Traditional Jouvert has become a bit dangerous as I saw with the stitches meh lil nephew who dumb ass forget ah chain arrung he kneck…….result………8 stitches in d back ah he neck.  But he learn a lesson.  So we now play organized Jouvert like some Manhattan yuppies.  Last year we played with Red Carpet….a not so popular band…….but they provided a decent time for us.  After looking at their artist line-up we decided not to go with them because it was looking to Reggaeish……not Carnival time.  Arrung 6 in d evening meh partner decide he wah try “Bubbles”……….I agreed only because he was excited bout it.  So we go down by D radio station office to register and d security guard tell we registration closed (ah was secretly happy……..wah d ass is bubbles jouvert). 

So meh partner call he sister and she mention dem fellas from 96.7 FM.  We was skeptical because we didn’t know wat kinna crowd dey would attract but we went wit dem anyway.  We get there and register…….we get a knapsack, whistle, t-shirt and a camouflage bandana, but ah fuhget to ask ah very important question………wat kinna alcohol we getting fuh we money…..ah tink we pay somewey between $300-$350…………it was a rookie mistake on my part but meh brain was near dead from days a drinking and sleep deprivation……but dat still eh no excuse.  So 4 oclock come and we meet d truck in St. Clair. 

Music start pumping and d truck rolling……..well is time fuh a drink…….gone by d bar d woman say dey have Dewers……mudderkhunt Dewers fuh $300+…….well I eh get vex.  Ah have meh rum pouch half full wit some Johnny dat go have to work.   Tings started off slow because it seem like we was on d route wey all d police and ambulance have to pass.  Everytime yuh start getting a nice groove going…..yuh have to pull to d side to let an emergency vehicle pass.  Eventually things pick up nice and we was chipping down d road and having a time.  At 1 point in time we had to stop for a band wit some glowing red horn masqueraders to pass……..ah swear it was like a million ah dem……dat band was huge.  We end up reaching to the beginning of St James and turning back.  On d way back ah notice Yellow Devils on dat back road behind Long Circular Mall and dey was looking stagnant……from d review Robber give ah blame it on d chupid bar man who was playing d ass wit people drinks.  It was also on this corner I was sexually assaulted by 5 women.  I standing up minding my own business and I feel ah sharp pinch on meh left bamsey cheek……..ah look and is not meh female fren……when ah look on d odder side is because is 5 woman looking at meh and 1 say “fix yuh face”……….well I eh say nuttin cuz dem look like dey mean business………..so we truck start back moving and I juss trow meh frame in d direction d truck was moving…….in all meh years ah never felt so vulnerable and intimidated……..woman eh easy nah.

B4 ah forget,  we get Sauce doubles too, doubles man was slapping doubles together easy easy on d back of a van………ah eat like 4 and didn’t go fuh more since ah didn’t want any unexpected and explosive bowel movements.  Ah tink besides d doubles there was breakfast but I didn’t check to see.  It was really a good time playing d simple and controlled Jouvert out of town……..we even take a chip here and dere wit other trucks passing by.  Playing Jouvert does really set d stage for pretty mas Monday and Tuesday, but it really doesn’t take much time to decide who to play with.  It seem like a lot of people like to run to the popular and heavily advertised bands, past few years I decided the night of who I was playing with and yuh make it work for you.  Its carefree and stress free. 

In retrospect I did pick up a little negative vibe from d shittong fella who was handling the initial part of the registration at the Radio station but didn’t dig no horrors because ah was too tired to be bothered.  But once we got inside the female who was handling the other part was very pleasant and helpful.  Ah wouldn’t mind giving dem a bligh again next year…….but fuh dat price ah need some Johnny.

****I need to say sorry fuh not takin any pictures to share………….but meh hands was full****

A.W.O.L Day Fete

Last year was d first year of this fete and I was present fuh d virgin voyage.  1 of the changes I saw that dey implemented this year was dat dey offered parking from on the main road dung by Pier 1 as opposed to last year when parking was only available up on d backroad approaching Tucker Valley.  It was encouraging to see something new put in place to accomodate patrons.  I like d location of A.W.O.L and the overall bush and bamboo ambiance.  We got there kinna late and it was a littl challenging parking and den walking in d dark to ge to d maxi dat was shuttling folks back n forth.  Well look pressure…….we get in d maxi and boss man take off in a dash of speed……..now he have to buss a turn……..next ting yuh know we feel like he reverse down into a ditch and we about to turn over……luckily it was a false alarm. 

We get there and my goal is to recoup as much of my $350tt in 3 hours.   And recoup my $350tt I did.  At first ah was getting a little pissy because the bartender at the booth was giving drinks in some small baby cups like is juice time at d local kindergarten.  Well I decided to get me a big person cup at d regular bar and get my drinky drink on.  So in a nutshell the drinks were good and up until I left arrung 10 P.M. it was still pouring strong. 

As far as d food…….I is a man who doh really eat out other than to help maintain meh drinking prowess………and ah does also limit meh eating out because ah doh like using toilet bowls outside d Camboulay residence fuh comfort and sanitary reasons.  So wit dat said ah couldnt tell allyuh wat was really on d menu odder dan d pelau……..which im convinced dey put crack in because @ 4 in d morning while driving home after EWS (yes I hit 2 fetes) ah was swerving on d Lady Young trying to eat some dat ah took wit meh.     So overall as far as food and drinks were concerned I had no complaints. 

The DJ’s were pretty decent too considering the “exuals” dey had to work with.  D fete comprised of metrosexuals, homosexuals, bi-sexuals and poseoffexuals.  There was a missing ingredient in dis fete dat just did not promote true Jamishness.  Maybe there was a need for locals and not so many foreigners………..maybe dey need to change the layout so that people are forced to be in a central dance area and not spread out.  I cant put my finger on the solution right now.  There were a few pockets of people making a bachannal and having a time……but d place wasnt mashing up.  This fete has a lot of potential and I like the fact that dey did not raise the price and still maintained a good product.   If dey doh change d price im going back again next year.   I do hope dat dey come up with a new strategy to have more bachannal and less profiling in this fete.  And bigger cups fuh big drinkers like me.