Poison ruined my Carnival experience

THE EDITOR: Being a Grand Stand savannah spectator on Carnival Tuesday for the past three years, allow me to comment on my 2004 experience at the Savannah. My Carnival Tuesday was a pleasant experience. I witnessed the bands “Legends,” “Barbarossa,” “Masquerade” all put on excellent performances, all excellent displays. When the band “Poison” came along on stage my whole Carnival experience was ruined. To describe the entire band, it was a “mass of confusion,” they were disorganised, disorderly, even at one point in time the security men manning the band just stepped back and allowed the stampede to continue, they could not hold them back. I left the Queen’s Park Savannah disgusted, frustrated and unhappy after seeing them. I did not stay for the remainder of the Carnival Tuesday presentation/celebrations.

I would go as far as to say put a “temporary” ban on them, until they can get their act together. For almost two hours patrons in the Savannah were walking out, leaving. After the band had passed the Grand Stand was empty. I am saddened by what was portrayed, and in doing so, why allow them to compete at various competition venues? If they want to compete, compete in an orderly fashion, if they do not want to compete do not crowd the competition venues, parade elsewhere. The band should take all their supporters and parade all over the city and forget entering the Savannah or competition venues, if they want to have fun. I don’t know what the National Carnival Commission (NCC) can do about this band, but some ruling should be applied even to “Poison,” so that spectators can enjoy their Carnival even more.

KEN SMITH
Woodbrook