Hot Pink is a regular column on nzgirl that's sure to have you in stiches! Don't miss your weekly fix.
To find out all about its author, Penny Ashton, just click here
Yesterday I watched a man do a headstand on the seat of a bike and still manage to navigate it around a corner. Then I saw another man dislocate both his shoulders for our entertainment pleasure before ramming his body through an aptly named squash racquet. Two women swirled a multitude of hoola hoops around their body before juggling fire and finally two men with the most cut bodies this side of the Russian gymnastic team did unfeasible feats of strength dressed in some tidy whities.
Ahhhh the Christchurch Busker’s Festival is in full swing.
I love this festival. I was here briefly last year and saw such amazing world class entertainment that I was right chuffed to be invited back to perform.
However, let’s get one thing straight. I ain’t no street performer. I have no skills whatsoever to attract a crowd, can’t juggle to save my life and the only feat of strength I have is to resist a full fat Coke. (I am of course very good with balls but usually only two at once or four if I’m very lucky.)
I was invited to be the comedy element in the nightly gigs at the Loaded Hog because the only money I could earn on the street would be from turning entirely different tricks.
HHHHmmmmm
My parents have come along to watch a number of times which has caused much hilarity when I swear more than a Russian sailor.
What people don’t realise though is that I learnt my vocabulary from my father. He used to be a condom vending machine salesman and actually put the condom machines into the Loaded Hog (incidentally one of the most lucrative locations) and sold them for two for two dollars or as he put it “A buck a ….” so he’s fine with me saying golly gosh quite a lot.
Busking is one of the only art forms in the world where you get to enjoy a show and then decide how much you want to pay for it. It can be frustrating when you’ve juggled seven clubs, eaten fire, hoola-hooped then dived into a thimble of water from 15 stories up only to see people walk away laughing but not digging deep.
Luckily Christchurch crowds are fabulous and you might be interested to know that Buskers all over the world are desperate to get to this festival as it is known as one of the best on the planet.
That’s cool eh?
So if you’re in Christchurch come down and check out some shows, you can see crowd surfing, sword swallowing, nails being banged into heads, unicycling, street karaoke and a little bit of Hot Pink Poetry to boot.
Wicked.
Penny
Last updated: 30/04/2008
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