Christchurch 2003-The Main Event

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  • nick nickolas
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2000
    • 528

    Christchurch 2003-The Main Event

    The 10th annual Christchurch World Buskers Festival

    “promises to be the largest yet “

    Jodi Wright the Festival Producer says,

    The line up which is strong can be broken in to sections

    The main core who can be seen performing each evening at The Dux De Lux hosted by

    Hot Nuts and Popcorn(Canada)

    as well as the streets by day

    Amar (Netherlands)
    Skate Naked (UK)
    Sublimit (Japan)
    Coexistence (Netherlands)
    The Blackstreet Boyz (USA)
    Planet Banana (Brazil/USA)
    Judith Lanigan ( Australia)
    The Individuals (Netherlands)
    John Hicks (UK)
    Loop Art (Germany)
    The Yo Yo Guy (USA)
    Rumpelstiltskin (Australia)
    Fraser Hooper(UK)
    Shirlee Sunflower & Miss G-nee (Australia)
    Andy Zap (Australia)

    The Late Night Crew at The Loaded Hog

    Nick Nickolas (UK/NZ)
    Peter Mielniczek (UK)
    Pieter Post (Netherlands)
    The Rhona Movement (Australia)

    The Statues

    Jeanne d’Arc (USA)
    Matthew Flinders (Germany/Australia)
    The Gargoyle (NZ)

    The Musicians

    Roving Opera (NZ/Ukraine)
    Dan the One Man Band (Canada)

    Open Pitch

    Mainly locals who have trained at CircoArts The only Circus School in NZ

    Basketball Jones
    David Ladderman
    Lucy Griffiths
    Dan Tastic
    Suprya Rastogi
    Jason DeLaat


    The gig this year was much the same this year with street shows in the malls during the week days and in the Arts centre during the weekends and the big Dux de Lux gig 7-10pm every evening.

    Jodi had thrown in some extras this year...Buskers at Brighton at the weekends and the 10.30- Midnight Show at The Loaded Hog.

    As I was part of the late shift crowd at the Hog I didn’t manage to take in any of the day shows but the couple of days I wandered down the Malls it seemed much the same, massive crowds whooping and laughing at the spectacles in front of them.

    The Dux de Lux was hosted again by the sublime lateral spoutings of Hot Nuts and Popcorn.

    A lot of acrobats/dancers this year,

    Skate Naked- A couple of blokes from Bristol donned in G-strings, using whips, fire, pratt Falls and that sort of edgy humour that only the English seem to be able to produce had the audiance in Stitches,Performing high hand stands with fireworks inserted in their anuses as a finale.
    Sitting next to Seymour from the Black Street Boyz watching them one evening and witnessing him wiping the tears from his eyes crying “These Boys are Funny’, where do they get the energy?” I'm laughing and thinking how can you say that mate....
    The BlackStreet Boyz Alfred & Seymour a couple of cats from LA, fast talking, sharp costumes and shit hot dancing made them one of the favourites, young girls would scream and wet themselves.

    Co-Existance a Russian Circus trained Trio from the Netherlands a brilliant 2 man dagio routine with the statuesh men dressed in only underwear, middle aged woman were swooning.

    Andy Zap stripped to a Lavender lycra cat suit got three people up for the 70’s disco story, Afro Wigs, Glitter balls and silver medallions had some of the men trying to catch his eye.

    Sublimit were Japanese and very bendy,

    Amar from the Netherlands featuring John (ex Bomba Bro) and his beautiful red headed partner produced a middle Eastern Cartoonish feel to the slow physically demanding two people balances.

    On the Clown front we had Fraser Hooper aka Strawberry perfect comedic timing and silent stupidity was once again delivered by this Englishman finally catching a plastic Duck in a hoop from the ladder of ^&%&*$ .

    Loop a mime from Germany white face and picking mime apples from mime trees and eating them in his mouth not mime,
    was a complete paradox to Rumple who hit the stage with a keilodoscpic explosion, springs on his feet and pixie stories, snakes and cheap chinese millet were thrown around on a unicycle, giant underwear was restrictive when he finally started to bash brains, armadillo’s, eyeballs, pixie lips, barbie dolls and sheep into the crowd with his guitar.
    Performers howled backstage then all ran on to pick up the remains of the exploding clown.

    Planet Banana a hot comedy double act had a great dance routine which included a sticky bit of bog roll and a doctor, closing with a high uniclyle after some hot juggling,

    Talking of juggling Mikhail from the Dutchmen has teamed up with Maika (Venus) to form The Individuals an act which got better every time I saw it they were working on new routines daily and it is always a pleasure to watch Mikhail doing things with 5 clubs we can only dream of.

    i saw The Yo-Yo guy a couple of times, wicked Yo-Yo tricks combined with that boy next door niceness that only the North Americans seem to be able to produce, great act and great ending when his girlfriend comes on as a rik

    Shirlee and Miss G-Nee started the Festival as a double act, something happened ...Rani (Miss G-Nee) left town and Shirlee was back on her own,a case of don’t bring a never performed new act to a World Festival I think.

    Judith Lanigan Hula Hoops and The Dying Swan I didn’t catch and only caught a brief glimpse of Jon Hicks the artist painting away to a large crowd in the Sq.

    Everytime I passed a statue they just looked at me as big crowds stared at them.

    Dan the One Man Band I caught and the Opera People, good to have some music interspersed with all the circus people methinks.
    Though I do think they would have been great to play at the Dux intermission

    The Circoarts grew always had big crowds whenever I walked past them great to see that the only circus school in NZ is churning out new talent

    [ 01-28-2003: Message edited by: nick nickolas ]</p>
  • nick nickolas
    Senior Member
    • Dec 2000
    • 528

    #2
    Highlights

    Singing on stage was something that was a first for me.
    .Yep I did it, dyed my locks black (Thanks Rhonda girls ) donned the make up and went out..
    Ozzy Osbourne made an appearance singing Paranoid with Skatenaked on Lead and drums and Meilnick on Bass...
    twice...once at the Dux on Sunday night then once again at the Hog on the same night.

    Swimming underwater at an outside pool with Eric listening to a steel band orchestra through specially designed underwater speakers

    Pointing out the Hog dish ‘Pete’s meat between two breasts’ to the many Peters on sight.

    Ulla arriving on Friday in the midst of the madness, staying up, sticking it through with laughter ‘till the end.

    Skatenaked grooving into the Blackstreet Boyz set Sunday night at the Dux...
    The Whiteroad boyz out danced them and took the stage,,,
    Alfred & Seymour left, only to return in g-strings with fireworks up their arses...(were they washed?)
    The crowd roared the young girls went so gooey they were left stuck to their chairs screaming..

    Patrick Duffy (The Gargoyle) being dragged up on to the stage with rope by a 3ft something bald gargoyle midget called Jimmy.

    Watching Strawberry learning breakdancing moves with Seymour

    Quote of the week.......

    ” A punter is just a prop you don’t have to carry round the world with you “ Pete

    Comment

    • Mr.Taxi Trix
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2000
      • 1273

      #3
      More, Nick, more!

      Comment

      • DEBBIE ROBINSON
        Senior Member
        • May 2001
        • 131

        #4
        Aaaahh....Dux, Christchurch, well anywhere in New Zealand at this time of year - the only place to be.
        Wish I was there instead of freezing my butt off here here in icelandic UK.
        Ditto ... more Nick

        Comment

        • Butterfly Man
          Senior Member
          • Dec 2000
          • 1606

          #5
          Talked to Al & Sey re: the Fest and they told me some stories that made my hair stand on end ... now I look like some sort of freshly mowed Chia pet ...

          Nick ... Gazzo called from Tampa yesterday and wishes you well ... he said he's added a tennis ball to his act and he's makin' bank with Venus and Serena jokes.

          Comment

          • Butterfly Man
            Senior Member
            • Dec 2000
            • 1606

            #6
            Blackstreetfighter boys



            watch the video ...in the middle is al & sey kickin' ass or the other way around, I'm not sure.

            Comment

            • gav
              Senior Member
              • Apr 2003
              • 916

              #7
              Yo Bfly
              That link came back with this message
              The url contained a malformed video id.

              Could you try again for me.
              Cheers.
              ps.
              Do magnum and higgins live any where near you on the estate of Robin Masters?

              Comment

              • Butterfly Man
                Senior Member
                • Dec 2000
                • 1606

                #8
                Book 'em Danno

                Sorry ...it was too violent anyway.

                Comment

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