YEAR OF THE BIRDMANN

Come the end of every year I do three things…

1.      Visit my family in Surfers Paradise

2.      Buy a new Moleskin Diary

3.      Start my Summer Tour

2008 brought me back to the roots of my first solo street festival- The Taste of Tasmania in Hobart.  I hadn't done this festival since the turn of the millennium when as the critical Y2K clock turned I was sitting alone on a verandah patting a Labrador, eating a watermelon and looking at fireworks explode over the harbour.  This New Years Eve I did the same thing but accidently patted a watermelon, ate a firework and watched a Labrador explode over the harbour. 

I toasted to the Tasteful crowds from my nostril tea filled shoe with the knowledge that my life and show had definitely developed over time.  The cabarets of night at the Peacock Theatre went off and it was a treat to hang, live and perform with Perdro Tochas famous Portreguese Clown.  Also good to do the festival with Spanna again who is an old friend and one of the top Australian Clowns.  Not to mention the Pitts.  I then went up to Launceston and Golconda and did my yearly rituals of visiting Sarah then Tony Rooke respectively.

I hopped the Spirit of Tasmania to the mainland and cool to be on a ship but I think it was better in the old millennium.  Did my visit to Melbourne to catch my crew and do some prep for the Comedy Festival then back to the land of the Gong where Momo sings sweetly.

Within a few days I was off to the land of the long white cloud- New Zealand.  Now, they call it the World Busker's Festival and it definitely was big!  Everyone was there from Tumble Circus to Abby Collins to the Space Cowboy.  We all stayed at the YMCA but we remixed it so it was fun to stay at MACY's!  A few nice things of the festival where compliments from street legend The Piano Juggler and hanging with the Hawaiian Queen of the Street Kim Kaos.  She was just hanging out but always a treat to hear her words of wisdom and witness her style to match.  There was also the first Club Birdmann in my room with Mr. Spin, Pandora, Abby, Kim, Ken, Tina and the Chipolatas.  It only lasted fifty minutes… due to noise complaints.

I played the Civic nightly with Derek Flores hosting well and NZ comedian Dai Henwood wooing his home crowd.  This went off nightly with crowds of around 500 and daily I did the occasional street show.  The last night of the festival I was put on at the Festival Club and the festival director Jodie, who is renowned for her minimal reactions to performers, gave me a few high fives on leaving the stage.  All this combined with getting some new pointy shoes from the Shoe Club and meeting free-lance journalist Emily Weekes made it a truly wonderful festival.

Leaving on a high I was ready to do a bit of exploring of NZ yet my life seems locked in a working holiday as while hanging at Momo's Mum's in Auckland I get the magical call from Nik Nikolas to do a fill in at the Auckland Busker's Festival.  Thanks must go to Pane Temov the Macedonian Puppeteer who couldn't make it due to family matters.  This fest was city busking with a few gems amongst the many pitches and some interesting spots at the smoothly set Classic Comedy Club.  Momo was also a great roadie and as always a wonderful songstress.

Next I was back home and into the office to write my new show… Also dropped into 34b and Sketchys in Sydney to stay in touch with the Burlesque scene.

Now prior to the Hobart Taste I hadn't done the street for about 2 years but come Easter I hit the Fremantle Street Arts Festival.  This meant I had done the 'big four' festivals in the region and by now they were calling it the 'Year of The Birdmann'!  Brendan runs a fine fest in the West with diplomacy, fun and audiences that love the street performers and come out in there hundreds to make them feel welcome.  I also MCeed the cabarets at The Little Creatures Loft and finaled the closing night cabaret at the Fly by Club.  It was a nice time with all the usual street suspects Scott Chocolate, Spin and Pammy, Leopard Man, Oz Star, Tumble, Popeyed and Pedro just to name a few.  Swims at South beach by sunset were also a fine perk of the lifestyle.

From the street to the stage I blinked and was into my new show at the Melbourne Comedy Festival.  'The Birdmann in Episodes of Significant Timing' was what I imagined which is always a nice feeling.   A vaudeville theatre show that incorporated acts, jokes, and a little message all into a story.  It had a good style and is the way I want to go.  At this massive festival with about 250 shows down in The Cellar of Trades Hall I found my underground audience with the help of Rocky Road Rena and even did an extra show to a full house.  Also some very fulfilling side gigs at Anna's Go-Go night, Red Door Burlesque, the Collingwood City Children's Farm, and introducing Mario the Queen of the Circus for the Big Laugh Out at Federation Square and the National Gallery of Victoria which my folks even came to and seemed to like just as much Guys and Dolls.

Not sure where my latest show will go as while there is a bit of a street scene for Vaudeville in Australia and New Zealand this unfortunately doesn't translate to the stage.  Anyway the Year of the Birdmann is not over yet and I continue, soon to be on the other side of the globe, I hope it reflects to be as fine as this first half of the year.  The Birdmann flies to the future with fluent forms, fresh ideas and open wings to find folk and lands that want that too…