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Busspepper's Eighth Anniversary Review
- By Liz aka Posh Juice
- Published 30-May-11
- 2011 Events
- Rating:
>> View Busspepper's Eighth Anniversary Gallery
Well well well ... tonight ,month end and the May Bank Holiday weekend, as always, marks the commemorative anniversary of Busspepper Promotions Ltd. Known as one of the premiere Caribbean fused party promotions in London, everyone knows that this party is going to be huge! When we say huge, we mean crowd size, we mean patrons coming out in their "huge" outfits, their "huge" hairstyles ... yes people! It is an Anniversary party! 2011 marks the eighth (8th) Anniversary for Busspepper and everyone is coming out. We hope that they have prepared for this event and we would like to think they did especially after having 8 years of experience under their belts ...that nothing could possibly go wrong?!
Now the crowd was a mixture of old and new faces, mainly new faces and the masses came out in their numbers tonight to celebrate and show appreciation to Busspepper Promotions Ltd. Without fail, the crowd was numerous and plentiful. From as early as 9:30 pm when doors only opened at 9:00 pm, there was a mas influx of Caribbean enthusiasts waiting to have a fabulous time at this big big big event. As always with a Busspepper party, clothing and attire would always be an important factor in presentation...shades at night seems to be very popular in all circles of life; Oh My Is That Ray Charles? No Mate ... It Was Busy Signal!; women who appear to be "balanced" and "blessed" with a big curvy bottom and a big circular belly always wear the tightest dresses; Oooh Look at me in my Velvet Jacket in the club; Shall I wear my black push up bra or my blue push up bra? Is this slit on this dress too high? Let us tell you, fashion will never make a party stale ... never! We love it and we respect everyone's fashion sense and Busspepper provided it all. So with a huge fashionable crowd a remarkable question comes to mind and that is where would they all fit??
Let's start by saying that if Busspepper entered into The Apprentice and, Lord Sugar/Donald Trump said that to win a load of cash, your task was to pack as many people into the smallest space possible with no air conditioning then they would have won hands down!!! Wow...this was certainly a new experience...let's break it down...
Tonight saw a change of venue to 'The Clinic' at The Piccadilly Institute (formerly known as "Onanon" ... and apparently where J'Ouvert Business 2010 was held); Not surprisingly designed to look like a hospital complete with freakishly naked mannequins hanging above your head and bar stuff dressed in hospital scrubs, the Piccadilly Institute is wonderfully located in Piccadilly Circus, Central London, Accessibility was Perfect!!!. 'The Clinic' itself is just one small part of the overall Institute which consists of about 6 rooms all playing different music! Busspepper Patrons were ""blessed"" with a special stamp which gave them entry to the entire Institutue and giving them that exclusive access to "The Clinic" which was absurdly reserved for Busspepper's anniversary party. This then lead to a bouncer having a hard night of observing and counting who was allowed entry and who was not, and within every party, there will always be people who want to get into somewhere they have not been given access to... which then creates a bouncer having a hard time and then the bouncer's rudeness factor/level INCREASES. Some might have said that yes! Busspepper had a reserved area but we still have access to the whole club... sounds good... but with dub and soca blasting from "The Clinic"... guess where everyone wanted to be !!!
When someone pays money to attend an event, service plays an integral part in their enjoyment. Asking patrons tonight to give a score out of 10 was our main objective...Some even gave negative figures. We do not know who was to blame? Whether it was Busspepper or the Venue Management ... but, Busspepper your venue choice was poor ... Why?
1. Lack of bar staff;
2. Lack of air condition;
3. Rude bouncers;
4. Venue design is a hazard under health and safety;
5. Speakers only located in one room;
6. Venue is not spacious taking into consideration Busspepper was upstairs; and
7. There is no dance floor, no actual dance floor.. instead everyone jam up trying to dance in one long 'corridor'
Poor POor POOr POOR ... venue choice! As a result, this then had a knock on effect ...
If people can't find space, and even when they do find space they are moved on by a bouncer on a power trip then we must say as good as the music MAY HAVE BEEN TONIGHT (yes props to the DJs who played a really good selection from hip hop to new and old soca and back in times dub ... However, dot dot dot ... ... ... ) no body can really enjoy themselves and therefore the lack of space and air condition killed the vibe... after an hour and a half we were ready to leave! There was nowhere to stand or breathe, we couldn't even find our limin' partners!!! What could potentially have been a great vibe was .... Destroyed!!! Killed!!! The lack of bar staff meant no one could get drinks, and at one point 40 people were waiting for just one bar tender!!! But let's be honest it's a good thing no real drinks were passing, because if there was a fight to erupt in there ... Due to health and safety issues as mentioned above ... Where would you have gone ?... Now questions may arise ... Why would a fight break out? ... We are sorry to report ... But there were some unusual characters in that party ...'unusual'... And we will leave it at that! As said before people made the effort to dress up for the event but as one patron told me 'what is the point of dressing up if you going to get wet from sweat in 5 minutes - the place was too hot, no air condition' ... hmmm!!!!
On a positive note, even though we didn't get to sample the food, it was being served and we heard it was easy to get with a good selection of Caribbean goodies!
All in all a bitter disappointment for what had the potential to be a great night! It could have worked with just a different venue, because the peeps came out to support and the music was good... unfortunately the venue killed the party and it was downhill from there... Like a snowball going downhill ... Busspepper you have a lot of die hard fans and we hope you can choose a big and cool enough space for next time...it will make all the difference!!!
We remember when we said change is needed due to the effect that Abacus was having on patrons i.e. ... Busspepper you outgrew Abacus at one point in time. Time for a bigger venue, that is what we meant, we did not mean to just change the venue ... We meant you have outgrown your underwear ... TIME FOR NEW ONES THAT FIT!
'2 words... Sweat Box!!!'
Posh Juice
(Scorn Juice contributed HEAVILY to this review)
Did we forget anything? Add your 2 cents below...
>> View Busspepper's Eighth Anniversary Gallery
Well well well ... tonight ,month end and the May Bank Holiday weekend, as always, marks the commemorative anniversary of Busspepper Promotions Ltd. Known as one of the premiere Caribbean fused party promotions in London, everyone knows that this party is going to be huge! When we say huge, we mean crowd size, we mean patrons coming out in their "huge" outfits, their "huge" hairstyles ... yes people! It is an Anniversary party! 2011 marks the eighth (8th) Anniversary for Busspepper and everyone is coming out. We hope that they have prepared for this event and we would like to think they did especially after having 8 years of experience under their belts ...that nothing could possibly go wrong?!
Now the crowd was a mixture of old and new faces, mainly new faces and the masses came out in their numbers tonight to celebrate and show appreciation to Busspepper Promotions Ltd. Without fail, the crowd was numerous and plentiful. From as early as 9:30 pm when doors only opened at 9:00 pm, there was a mas influx of Caribbean enthusiasts waiting to have a fabulous time at this big big big event. As always with a Busspepper party, clothing and attire would always be an important factor in presentation...shades at night seems to be very popular in all circles of life; Oh My Is That Ray Charles? No Mate ... It Was Busy Signal!; women who appear to be "balanced" and "blessed" with a big curvy bottom and a big circular belly always wear the tightest dresses; Oooh Look at me in my Velvet Jacket in the club; Shall I wear my black push up bra or my blue push up bra? Is this slit on this dress too high? Let us tell you, fashion will never make a party stale ... never! We love it and we respect everyone's fashion sense and Busspepper provided it all. So with a huge fashionable crowd a remarkable question comes to mind and that is where would they all fit??
Let's start by saying that if Busspepper entered into The Apprentice and, Lord Sugar/Donald Trump said that to win a load of cash, your task was to pack as many people into the smallest space possible with no air conditioning then they would have won hands down!!! Wow...this was certainly a new experience...let's break it down...
Tonight saw a change of venue to 'The Clinic' at The Piccadilly Institute (formerly known as "Onanon" ... and apparently where J'Ouvert Business 2010 was held); Not surprisingly designed to look like a hospital complete with freakishly naked mannequins hanging above your head and bar stuff dressed in hospital scrubs, the Piccadilly Institute is wonderfully located in Piccadilly Circus, Central London, Accessibility was Perfect!!!. 'The Clinic' itself is just one small part of the overall Institute which consists of about 6 rooms all playing different music! Busspepper Patrons were ""blessed"" with a special stamp which gave them entry to the entire Institutue and giving them that exclusive access to "The Clinic" which was absurdly reserved for Busspepper's anniversary party. This then lead to a bouncer having a hard night of observing and counting who was allowed entry and who was not, and within every party, there will always be people who want to get into somewhere they have not been given access to... which then creates a bouncer having a hard time and then the bouncer's rudeness factor/level INCREASES. Some might have said that yes! Busspepper had a reserved area but we still have access to the whole club... sounds good... but with dub and soca blasting from "The Clinic"... guess where everyone wanted to be !!!
When someone pays money to attend an event, service plays an integral part in their enjoyment. Asking patrons tonight to give a score out of 10 was our main objective...Some even gave negative figures. We do not know who was to blame? Whether it was Busspepper or the Venue Management ... but, Busspepper your venue choice was poor ... Why?
1. Lack of bar staff;
2. Lack of air condition;
3. Rude bouncers;
4. Venue design is a hazard under health and safety;
5. Speakers only located in one room;
6. Venue is not spacious taking into consideration Busspepper was upstairs; and
7. There is no dance floor, no actual dance floor.. instead everyone jam up trying to dance in one long 'corridor'
Poor POor POOr POOR ... venue choice! As a result, this then had a knock on effect ...
If people can't find space, and even when they do find space they are moved on by a bouncer on a power trip then we must say as good as the music MAY HAVE BEEN TONIGHT (yes props to the DJs who played a really good selection from hip hop to new and old soca and back in times dub ... However, dot dot dot ... ... ... ) no body can really enjoy themselves and therefore the lack of space and air condition killed the vibe... after an hour and a half we were ready to leave! There was nowhere to stand or breathe, we couldn't even find our limin' partners!!! What could potentially have been a great vibe was .... Destroyed!!! Killed!!! The lack of bar staff meant no one could get drinks, and at one point 40 people were waiting for just one bar tender!!! But let's be honest it's a good thing no real drinks were passing, because if there was a fight to erupt in there ... Due to health and safety issues as mentioned above ... Where would you have gone ?... Now questions may arise ... Why would a fight break out? ... We are sorry to report ... But there were some unusual characters in that party ...'unusual'... And we will leave it at that! As said before people made the effort to dress up for the event but as one patron told me 'what is the point of dressing up if you going to get wet from sweat in 5 minutes - the place was too hot, no air condition' ... hmmm!!!!
On a positive note, even though we didn't get to sample the food, it was being served and we heard it was easy to get with a good selection of Caribbean goodies!
All in all a bitter disappointment for what had the potential to be a great night! It could have worked with just a different venue, because the peeps came out to support and the music was good... unfortunately the venue killed the party and it was downhill from there... Like a snowball going downhill ... Busspepper you have a lot of die hard fans and we hope you can choose a big and cool enough space for next time...it will make all the difference!!!
We remember when we said change is needed due to the effect that Abacus was having on patrons i.e. ... Busspepper you outgrew Abacus at one point in time. Time for a bigger venue, that is what we meant, we did not mean to just change the venue ... We meant you have outgrown your underwear ... TIME FOR NEW ONES THAT FIT!
'2 words... Sweat Box!!!'
Posh Juice
(Scorn Juice contributed HEAVILY to this review)
Did we forget anything? Add your 2 cents below...
>> View Busspepper's Eighth Anniversary Gallery
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9 Responses to "Busspepper's Eighth Anniversary Review"
said this on 31 May 2011 6:29:42 PM UTC
The heat was unbearable ... People was wet ... It was like Celebs - but worse ... And at least Celebs had good music .. Busspepper pulls a crowd - so the venue is important and trinis like space to jam - then they need space to walk to the food - I didn't even buy food - 1st time ever ... I ran out of that place fuss I was hot
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said this on 31 May 2011 7:04:33 PM UTC
....So I was uber curious about the choice of venue for the pardy.. Looked good after the "renovations" etc..But that was quickly erased by the melee upstairs...The layout of Clinic, was not fit for the numbers or the expected crowd...
It was advertised that there would be other rooms but if there were it wasn't apparent on the night.. Howwwwever.. The music was bessss .. That's the only positive I can find! .. Bit of everything, at the right time.. Oh and what was up with the dodgy photographers?? Do they not vet those randoms at the door? |
said this on 31 May 2011 7:07:58 PM UTC
In a word: hot....in every sense of the word. The vibe was nice, the party was bouncing, but a crowd of (apparently) 700 in that main room meant effortless unforced bumper to fender & sauna like temperatures. The heat did mean though that I swear I sweat out any alcohol I consumed on the night so that at least eased the head the next morning. I lost a friend for around 45 minutes & all the while they were at the bikram bar....slow staff or just a whole load of thirsty people? Probably both. But that didn't stop the Busspepper revellers...the vibe was nice as always...it felt v.unified (maybe because we were stuck to one another). Markee was on point...although for me I'd have preferred a little more air time dedicated to soca, but overall he hit a good balance dropping in some more mainstream nuggets to keep the newer faces in the party hooked in ...
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said this on 31 May 2011 7:09:05 PM UTC
well this seemed to be lots of young chicks straight out of school and well the party was ram, Hard to get drinks, Very sweaty and well Music was good but u couldn't even dance because of how crowded it was...shame
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said this on 31 May 2011 9:02:34 PM UTC
I enjoyed myself as I had my friends with me but it was way to packed and hot! Don't like that venue..shape v bad!
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said this on 01 Jun 2011 9:34:22 AM UTC
poor poor choice of venue. Been going every busspepper, but this one was the worst. Invited some non-trinis to experience a trini party, and they were quite alarmed. All trinis want is a large, air conditioned room to dance in! Please, take note next time!
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said this on 01 Jun 2011 11:54:32 AM UTC
I am a die hard soca lover (and back in times dub too) and whilst I love most types of music if a club has 6 rooms and other rooms are dedicated to specific music genres, I wasn't that impressed with "The Clinic" playing such a wide range of styles and limiting the soca (and dub) even though Busspepper were promoting the diffrent rooms before hand so much. As a Soca Lover in london where it is so hard to hear our beloved music its a shame even busspepper now are moving more and more towards a commercial product as opposed to the original concept that everyone fell in love with back in the day....possibly my last busspepper for a while now as am feeling so disillusioned with it and will just wait til I go back Trini for a real fete where yuh can wine til ya drop!!
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said this on 02 Jun 2011 12:14:38 AM UTC
I totally agree with 'Disillusioned'. Plus the beer was way over priced!! and not enough bar staff.
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said this on 02 Jun 2011 2:27:37 PM UTC
I brought some non-Trinis as well and was so SHAME. The party was a disaster. That venue was over poor. The heat was unbearable, you could barely breathe, far less, move. The bar was a mess...waited ages to get a drink and the bouncers were really rude as well. I hated this BP experience to the max even though i came intent on having a great time. I heard a girl say after the party that if this was representative of Trini parties back home, she eh going Trinidad. Poor performance, Busspepper. I was really disappointed. But I will support you guys still...is a love.
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