Hey people, its your girl Kami McSassy, I am very excited to say its officially Band Launch season!!!! For those of you who are like me, know this time is critical for those looking to jump with a band.

You’ve probably got a list of bands you would like to see. With a lot of bands launching on the same night you may not be able to make it to all of them, so make sure you keep up with my reviews this season. You also need to keep your eye on our UKSS Fete Guide so you don’t miss out on any launch dates.

So, I took my first ever visit to Vincy Alliance this weekend and I have to admit I had never been to a fete of theirs so I had to do my research.

So here’s a little history lesson for you:
Vincy Alliance has been on the road for 4 years now, spearheaded by DJ Tate and team, they are dedicated to representing St Vincent and the Grenadines in the UK and at Notting Hill Carnival. This being their second year venturing into the world of costumes.

This year saw them launch two sections:

INFERNO

Female- £230                                                     Male -£130

BALIENE

Front line – £ 200

Backline- £150

MAD MAS

Package £75

In my honest opinion, Vincy Alliance may have made a mistake with their choice of theme. ‘Togetherness 2015‘.

The pure essence of your band starts with it’s theme. It is the trigger to every true masquerader’s senses. The theme sets the tone for the portrayal of the costumes and I feel that anyone who neglects to take note of this, may as well name their section after something simple like colours or numbers.. The costume sections names also didn’t really adhere to the theme, Togetherness; the whole concept seemed like an afterthought.

The presentation of the costumes left you a little lackluster. A very simple portrayal, this is exactly why a theme is so important as it brings your portrayal to life. Music choice for the costumes didn’t really interpret the nature of the costumes, which I feel is super important. If your going to present mas, all the theatrics count.

Now this is where you all may cover your eyes but I’m going to say it… If you have models portraying a carnival costume they need to be these following things….

1. Confident enough strut in front of a crowd.
2. Be able to dance and show off the aspects of the costume.
3. SMILE. You are representing what the masquerader would look like on possibly one of the best experiences of the year. Smile, sing the lyrics, play ya mas!

It’s so important to have the right people performing…not always the ones with great bodies.

They also offer a Mad Mas section which is a premium t-shirt package. The vibes from the ladies portrayal alone made me want to order a t-shirt straight away. This section looks like the life and soul of the party, so if you are not a confident costume wearer this would be the ideal  section to pump with. It’s £75 and offers a tshirt and shorts and headchain.

The costumes on offer are not spectacular, but they’re a reasonable offering for a ‘new to mas’ band. The finish and presentation however were better than most big mas bands. No glue stains or any trimmings falling off after one whine. The fit and movement not restricting, styles to suit many body shapes too! Love the idea of a high waisted hot pants, and monokinis to cover those areas that ladies may feel are not so happy to expose. Mens costumes are always hard in terms of trying to suit every man’s shape, but I think this choice is great, love the collar detail and design.  So in terms of quality it was very impressive, and I feel that important for bands. As last year many other bands from Notting Hill fell short due to many issues last year.

However, I have to be honest, and after researching the prices on these costumes I feel that the price is a little high, as it’s difficult to see what they are offering over and above any other mas bands.

Vincy Alliance are still a young mas band and this is only the beginning for them. I hope when expanding they continue to take into account that not only the quality, but also the essence should remain. However from the vibes from those that attended the event I have no doubt they will have a fun-loved carnival day. They are definitely a band I see building for the future.

MY MAS SCORE:

6/10

You can check out the Vincy Alliance band launch pictures here.