So I'm not going to give a detailed breakdown of costumes until I get to see them up close and in, well ... detail. That said, being the addict that I am, of course I had to be front and center at the first band launch of the season.

Throughout its devirginization on the Carnival scene for 2009, Spice stunned the mas world with some unique colour combinations, gorgeous attention to detail and some of the most blinged-out costumes outside of Las Vegas! So of course I expected nothing less at the unveiling of "The Spice Route" on June 19th (at the Zen nightclub in Port of Spain).

Was I disappointed? Somewhat. With the exception of an unfortunate choice of green for their Garden of Sage section, I'd been blown away by the uniqueness, quality and design of their costumes last Carnival. This year, while there are definitely some standout sections, I feel that they've fallen into the trap of almost every other Carnival band and I noticed a definite appearance by the ghosts of costumes past. But enough about that - at least until the mas camp visit.

 My major issue of the night was the fact that Spice had apparently only agreed to pay their models for three minutes ... at least that's the only explanation I can come up with for the speed with which they made it on to and off of the stage! Imagine I had eagerly positioned myself for taking the best pictures, made sure to walk with my zoomerific camera, and then couldn't get a decent shot because the models apparently had a private race going on to see who could make it through the Spice Route fastest. Not ONE model held a pose for longer than two seconds, and only two of them even bothered to dance to the music.

So some advice: Carnival is a business and the costumes are a major resource in band selection. To all bands, PLEASE encourage copious walk-and-wine practice sessions prior to launches. If you need someone to demonstrate my crew and I are always available!