This Was No Ordinary Cruise: Kesha’s Weird and Wonderful Rainbow Ride
Pack your glitter, not a geriatric in sight!
On the 17th February. The Norwegian Pearl set sail from Tampa, bound for the Bahamas. Passengers were no doubt excited to experience the on board entertainment, endless booze and food, and their destination: The Bahamas. But this was no ordinary cruise. This was a curated sailing city realized by pop songstress Kesha.
Rolling off the back of her 2017 record release Rainbow, the event—aptly named ‘Kesha’s Weird and Wonderful Rainbow Ride’—was host to a throng of weird and wonderful ‘Animals’ (Kesha fans) with energy to burn. Given the hardships (pardon the pun) the pop star has faced in recent years, and subject matter of this latest LP—self-worth, letting go of past mistakes, personal growth, empowerment—it was fantastic to see Kesha and her resilient crew letting everything hang out. Throw out all expectations of cruise life; bingo was not on the menu.
“There are only two rules: bring some glitter and be yourself unapologetically.”
There was, however, a lovely brunch. More accurately ‘Drag Me to Brunch’, hosted by Bob the Drag Queen, Thorgy and Thor—performance and mimosa all round! The ship was also host to a plethora of musicians and DJs across a variety of stages. Aside from a few performances from Kesha, the lineup throughout the four days included electro duos Matt & Kim and Super Fruit, the soulful Betty Who (who also pitched in by leading cycling and Pilates classes for guests), and Girl Talk.
The proceedings began on the first day with a sunset sail and photo opportunity with the fair lady of cruise: Kesha. Throughout the event, there were pop up glitter stations, a tattoo parlour, Karaoke, and errr…. Dirty Bingo (Ok, we lied!). Landing in Nassau on the third day, the crew spent it frolicking in sand and sea before piling back aboard to revel in another day at sea. Videos from the event certainly are eye-opening, proving the ‘Animals’ can certainly follow instructions and let their “freak flag fly!”
Bess the freaks, each and every one of them!
So, we wonder—will this become a semi-permanent fixture for future years? Perhaps popular demand will dictate another Kesha cruise. But what of those stars we yearn to be marooned with? Will we ever see a Rolling Stones cruise? (Speaking of Geriatrics). Perhaps more likely, we could see a punk or metal ship of fools? Sense would dictate a more Europ
ean destination (perhaps Metal centres Norway or Denmark), though the Volcanoes of Hawaii wouldn’t go amiss! We will hold out hope for an Alkaline Trio, Iggy Pop or Ozzy Osbourne led cornucopia of frivolity on the open ocean. Punk Rock Yoga and Jägermeister would be the order of the day! More likely, could we see a new lineup led by Kesha & Lady Gaga? We might need a bigger ship…
Write to your favourite artist today and let’s commandeer all ships for music festivals, please! This could usher in a modern (albeit semi-corporate) form of piracy.