Forums > Social Chat > When is it concidered paranoia?

Login/Join to Participate

PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
So I was reading through some of the threads, discussing safety and clothing and hair and such...I see so many people who have safety protocol from the non-exsistant to discussing the possibility of Kevlar suits, which I personally view as extremes.My question is, at what point do *you* (as individuals) feel that it crosses the line from safety conciousness to paranoia? Do you feel that too much safety detracts from a good show? IMHO, I think it does. I take all precautions to make sure I won't die, to make sure my audience won't die and to make sure that the venue won't burn to the ground.I look out for my health and safety. Hell, I don't want to get burned but I think that wearing kevlar suits and gloves does tend to remove the element or illusion (depending on how you view it) of danger from the audience perspective. I have watched the crowds watching my friends juggle fire balls barehanded and they were in awe. I have watched the crowds yawning at someone who had gloves on but was doing more intricate moves.It's like watching a trapeze act while their wearing safety harnesses, you understand why but thrive on the exhilaration of wondering will they or won't they make it?I wear clothes I feel comfortable in. I practice moves til I can do them in my sleep on my practice poi, then on unlit fire poi so that by the time I light them I *know* I am not going up in a cloud of smoke. Quite honestly I also enjoy taking that risk myself, no matter how slight I know it is in the back of my head. However I am sure there are some out there who practice lit up with Kevlar suits on until they feel comfortable taking it off (I would think it changes the dynamic of body movement, I know leather coats in winter do).It is personal choice, which is why I am interested in hearing what you all have to offer up.------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


adamricepoo-bah
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA


Posted:
It's an interesting question, but I have to ask the counterpart--at what point does one cross the line from acceptably risky to reckless? I don't *think* I'm reckless, but several people who have seen me perform exclaim "you really aren't afraid of the fire!" Which is more or less true (I am concerned about what could go wrong, and do flinch sometimes, but I don't worry about incidental contact), but it makes me wonder--am I being reckless without even knowing it? I know nobody on this board can answer that directly without seeing, but are there some warning signs I should be looking out for? I'm not talking about stuff that surrounds the actual twirling--having a safety person, a clear zone, etc--I'm talking about the performance itself.To answer Pele's question though--I haven't seen a performer showing excessive caution (and on one or two occasions, real, stupid recklessness), but I do think it would detract. Danger is part of the appeal, and frankly, sexiness usually is too--it would be hard to look sexy in a kevlar suit. Then again, a leather catsuit a la Emma Peel would be both protective and sexy.I'd also like to mention a concept called "risk compensation." Basically, each person has some mental balance-point for acceptable risk. If you do something that makes you feel safer in a certain activity, you'll do something else that is riskier, because, at a subconscious level, you aren't interested in risk minimization, just keeping the risk at that balance point. This leads to several interesting possibilities:1. A person really doesn't feel that twirling fire sans protective garb is safe enough to contemplate at all (which begs the question--if they're not comfortable with it, should they be doing it?). Or--2. A person will don protective gear, and then start doing riskier stuff than without. Or, more seriously--3. A person will don protective gear that makes him/her *feel* safer, but that doesn't reduce actual risk by much, and will then do riskier moves. This increases the actual risk.This is a concept I ran into first in relation to cycling, where people will wear helmets (making them somewhat safer) and then ride dumber. Or will ride on the wrong side of the road, which *they think* is safer, but actually increases the likelihood of a car/bike collision by a factor of 6.------------------Adam Rice :: www.fire-gear.com

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy


adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
personaly i think it is safer to whear NO protective garb...i only whera pants and boots(because i dont like being naked infront of ppl and i only whear boots) when ever i play with fire, i think that any clothing on my top half restricts the movement i have andalso restricts the manovers i can do, foe exampol when i do a horisontal mexican wave with poi without a top on, the poi come verry verry close to my body, if i were to whear a shirt it woould catch on the cloth thus tangeling and killing the move, and i i spilled fuel on the shirt it might egnight. personaly i think it looks better when the pirson whears NO protective clothe as it gives the impression of professionalism in that your so confident with your moves you wont stuff up.....if you practice your moves well enough you wont need kevlar suits, and if you are so afraid of the flame then perhaps you should stick to commet or beaming poi.i lurned the quick way for most of my moves, unprotected and light, burns heal but the moves stick with you, the flame itself seldom burns you, its usualy the hot metal contact, i know this as i am currently nursing a burned top lip.its all about what the audience likes, and ppl like danger, protected or not if you know what your doing there is verry little danger but your audience doesnt know this, so if you persorm in hardly any clothes they will think your extra brave and extra tallented and consequently they will watch longer, and if your busking, you usualy get more money....------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


Thistleold hand
950 posts
Location: Nottingham UK


Posted:
What an interesting question you pose. I think that, whilst there is a need to keep ourselves as safe as possible, the whole kevlar suit thing is soooo OTT. I agree with the other replies that what keeps the audience enthralled is the danger element of fire. No one would pay us if it weren't a bit dangerous. If anyone feels the need to don a kevlar suit then, in my opinion, maybe they would be better off getting a safer hobby such as knitting or macrame!When I perform i wear lovely little sparkly outfits that show a lot of flesh. I spray them with a fire retardant to be on the safe side and always make sure there is someone keeping an eye on me who has a fire extinguisher to hand if I get into *real* danger.My daughter,who is twelve, is also into poi & I let her use fire chains when there is a responsible adult present. She knows the rules of fire and has never burned herself.I once saw a girl doin firestaff in a club, she forgot to take off her furry legwarmers and they caught fire. She tried frantically to put them out (with one hand while still spinning the staff in the other!) and the fur melted into her hand quite badly.She eventually extinguished the flames, but no one came to her aid and I found out that the promoter didnt even have a fire safety plan or a fireman watching the performance. I decided there and then that when I started to perform I was going to take my own fireman with me and rely on no one else. My lovely boyfriend Lee watches over me and keeps me safe. Is this paranoia? I think not.As a totally unrelated footnote Pele I am also a lovely Libran. Is there a connection between the Libran need to be the centre of attention and this whole fire swinging thing? Maybe it's all in the stars!Onelove, Thistlefirepixie.

Are we nearly there yet?


PeleBRONZE Member
the henna lady
6,193 posts
Location: WNY, USA


Posted:
What an interesting antithesis to my question Adam, one I hadn't concidered.Since I am a risk taker by nature, I do agree that their is a line on that side too.Just like I believe going to far on the cautious end of things will detract from a performance, I agree that too much flippancy will as well.Where that line lies for me are the areas where someone, other than me, can really stand to get hurt. Obviously, everytime we light up, no matter how comfortable we feel with the flames, there is a chance we will get singed or burned. I have these safety guidelies set in mind which are more to protect those around me than myself. Breaking any one of those is a personal cardinal offense I would never concider. If I am ignorant enough to light up without a safety, without shaking excess fuel off, or any other of the hundreds of variables (which I don't do by the way, I still don't want to burn either!) and I get hurt, then I only have to answer to me when something goes wrong. But for some poor innocent bystander to suffer even the slightest injury due to my ignorance, then guilt just kicks in. Thankfully it hasn't happened. *knock on wood* I guess my lines are focussed around my audience more than I thought. While taking "reasonable" risks with my own body for the enjoyment of the audience is acceptable, protection beyond that seems too much and destracting for them, yet anything more than a personal risk is also too much. Hmmm.. food for thought.And yeah, Thistle, I was a performer long before I was doing fire (according to my mom it started at day one! wink). Maybe it is in the stars! Or maybe my head is in the clouds! grin------------------Pele Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir...[This message has been edited by Pele (edited 23 February 2001).]

Pele
Higher, higher burning fire...making music like a choir
"Oooh look! A pub!" -exclaimed after recovering from a stupid fall
"And for the decadence of art, nothing beats a roaring fire." -TMK


FrenzieBRONZE Member
member
515 posts
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia


Posted:
When it comes down to it, we're taking risks all the time. You could cross the road and get hit by a bus, but that doesnt stop you crossing the road.I used to work at a horse riding school and had some nasty falls doing that, horses falling on me and the such, but it was like brush the dirt off and get back on, its the joy off what you are doing. Some people wear back protectors riding... if they feel more comfortable doing that then fine, of course its a little different than laddening yourself in a full suit while twirling, but its a personal choice. . . As long as you are willing to accept the outcomes of your choices.Taking steps to ensure that the possibilities are covered, like thistle said, someone watching out for you, ready with a blanket, or fire extinguisher, which is hardly paranoid, is just being sensible.No one knows whats about to come around the corner, im of the opinion live life for today and for the fullest, there may not be a tomorrow (at the rate humans seem to be able to degradate the earth...another discussion all together).Just my small input.

- Industrial design knows of no article more useful than the milk crate -


adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
i agree with Pele in the fact that i do all i can to protect my audience. the risks i take are known to me and i am prepared to take anything i do to myself on the chin, but if for exampol someone in my audience were to get sprayed with excess fuel from my poi and it stung my skin i would feel as bad as all hell.but as far as my owne saftey goes...i have to lil sayings, carpe deum (seise the day) and, carpe cervasi (seise the beer)wounds heal and burns only hurt for a while.ill live smile------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


FrenzieBRONZE Member
member
515 posts
Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia


Posted:
ill get caulises soon :PIn the same respect though, if ur audience was to come to close (not mentioning that woman letting her kid run up to simon on wednesday)...u cant always help others actions.Must do what u can, but there is only a point that you can go til until it becomes out of your hands.

- Industrial design knows of no article more useful than the milk crate -


CAINED-AND-UNABLEmember
214 posts
Location: Manchester


Posted:
Saftey when doing fire is always important to me. When practicing with my UV poi before a fire display, i have been hit in numerous "sensitive" areas,,, So, when i do poi i wear a large black, baggy coat with a large hood.I sprayed it with a fire proofing agent like the ones used to protect material draps and banners in clubs It gives me enough confidence to try the newer moves in my perfomance,(also, several people have commented on the aesthetic value of a 'mysterious' dark, hooded figure doing a routine). I dont think a kevlar suit is in order though, no matter how uncofident you are. in my oppinion, if you are not confident enough in your own skill, the chances are your not ready to be doing fire poi. I was doing UV poi solidly for around two months before i started on fire-poi. Now after practicing more, and gaing more experience i feel confident enough to do poi wearing any-thing.Cained-and-Unable. tongue

ffirebellGOLD Member
member
44 posts
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand


Posted:
For me a big safety aspect is in spinning off so the little drops of kerosene or whatever fuel I'm using doesnt drop onto my usually bare arms (mostly wear tank top, or my funky firefairie t-shirt). I usually end up getting some little drops on me, so I'm considering using a barrier cream, on my hands/arms where the drops tend to land. I also like to have fruit juices/water on hand. Love fire, have thee utmost greatest respect for it, also love my liver/kidneys, and know that fuels arent very organ friendly, and no matter how careful I try be, I usually end up getting some on me, so I treat with due respect. Really dont like using gloves, as far as hand protection from fuel, find they get in the way too much, as I discovered spinning in -15 deg C while on Canada's East Coast, and in Central Canada! Other than the fuel thing, I always like to have a little 1st aide kit on hand, with like a burn/scrape cream. I used to have a cool little fire extinguisher but I couldnt take it on airplanes. So i make sure I have dousing water on hand, and some kind of shirt/blanket thing.. never had to use any of that safety equip. (except burn/scrape cream), hope never to have to use it!!! Whenever I meet new fire cats, I always explain my little safety zone, make sure everyone knows where the 1st aide kit is, some kids dont seem to care, most appreciate it. Most kids I've played with are somewhat safety concious. I dont think I'll play on a slanted roof again... Happy twirlin' n' burnin' all!

Fairie's wear boots.


CAINED-AND-UNABLEmember
214 posts
Location: Manchester


Posted:
Fairie, i know what you mean about drops dripping on bare arms. I always give my freshly soaked poi a good fast spinn to get off all the excess paraffin. Also, ive heard of people using all sorts of fuel but ive never used anything other than lamp paraffin. It burns at a lower temperature than most fuels so ive never been burned or had to use any creams.CAINED AND UNABLE.

melissaBRONZE Member
member
156 posts
Location: madagascar, USA


Posted:
for me i try to maintain my respect for fire through basic safety protocol. for me this means:1. never light up when intoxicated2. wear all natural materials3. seperate fuel from light up area4. shake off5. wet down hair and tie it back before lighting up6. when ever possible have a fire spotter with a wet towel handy7. if performing indoors be aware of all fire exits, ceiling height, and possible hazards.8. know what direction the wind is coming from9. follow intuition and don't light up if you feel imbalanced or in distracted mental state. 10*extra brownie points if equipted with burn cream and extingisherto me, all of these things seem like common sense but i have been to one too many events where i see fellow fire performers being careless and stupid. this tends to piss me off because it gives a bad name for fire performers and as a result it can become more difficult to negotiate with police or fire marshals. fire is risky, acept that as a given rule. use it but never let your ego make you underestimate its power. playing with fire you will get burned- the variable that you have some control over is where and how severe. when i started fire performance i was very cautious based off of my respect for the element. before lighting up i spent an extensive amount of time researching safety, first aid, costume & equiptment design, and practicing for months unlit. in the past i have used the kevlar arm shields to protect my wrist area because i know from experience that that is one of the most likely areas that i will hit (i do fire fans.)i tend to use more caution when experiementing with new moves. when performing i try to stick to what i feel comfortable with. the vast majoriy of the movements that i use were self taught simply because it not as common as other fire types to learn from. as far as costuming goes i feel the most at ease when naked. feeling more intensly with my skin and as a result i better understand where the fire is in relation to my body. with too much clothing i feel akward and numb. they only time that i would recommend kevlar suits is if you are doing some hard core pyrotechniques (more than poi) that involves extensive use of explosives, fireworks, raging infernos, etc...

adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
Reading all these replys im starting to think. either the whole world is over cautios or i just dont take the precautions that everyone elts does. i mean i watch out that no one can be injered by my actionsbut personaly(and im not taking a dig at anyone, each to there owne) i cant imagin playing with fire with protective clothing or a guy holding a blanket or fire extinguisher off to one side, to me thats just waiting for something bad to happen.i have a verry healthy respect for the flame, i have had all my life, i been a fire bug sinve as long as i can remember and i have an almost spiritual bond with the flameive never been burned by a flame in my life, hot metals yes but flame no. to me takeing all these pracutions would seariously detract from the flow and the meditative spiritual state that twirling flame puts me in. its like i would be expecting to get burned or something.call me crazy if you want tongue but i comunicate with the flame and it doesnt hurt me.but if it makes you comfortable wraping yourself in flame retardent meterials and haveing a fire truck off to the side to put you out when you catch on fire then do what feels good...dance as if no one was looking.adrian.[This message has been edited by adrian (edited 26 February 2001).]

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Thanks all for another beefy thread. Adrian, I have to say I'm concerned for you. I'm concerned that you're taking much more risk than you need to. I'm not saying drag out the fire brigade, just use some common sense precautions. All it takes is a friend holding a damp towel looking after you to be a whole lot safer than you are. And frankly, if you don't have a person with means to put out a fire when you play, you are not doing everything you can to protect your audience. I understand how precious fire is to you. It's precious to a lot of us. But I can't see how having a fire safety person would interfer with the meditation you go into as a performer. It's never interferred with mine. Remember, please, all, that fire will never be tamed, not by any of us. Diana

adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
well diana perhaps we have different forms of meditation. all i know is i have performed with guys with thick wool blankets and fire extinguishers to one side of me before and i couldent achieve anything becides spinning the flame, there was no comunication with the flame only a dark place where there should have been joy.it feels like i am expecting to get burned by the flame, like i am just waiting to be horribly scared and that feels wrong.and i never said we had no means of extinguishing a fire, there is always something to do that with. so my audience is always protected. but me on the other hand.you say i take too much risk...i dont see it as risk. i know if i get burned it is only ever small and by hot metal. to me playing with fire is nowhere as dangerous as it is made out to be if you know what you are doing, but i dont say that often as the audience needs to BELIEVE it is verry dangerous for the show to have maximum afect on there lives.i wouldent encourage anyone elts to do it the way i do it with fire, but i have the experiance to be as lacking in "common sence precautions" as i want. its like a rock klimber, amitures might have a big safe harnus with lots and lots of extra prusicking ropes and caribinas, even decending devices like a couple of racks. but the more experianced climbers might only take half that equipment up a rick face with them, they dont deed deceinding devices, cos they know how to react if something happens and how to improvise....im the same with the flame.

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Adrian,I do understand your reticense to embrace fire safety. You're obviously a very sensitive creature. Noone wants to think about the bad things happening. I want you to understand that the folx who look after me as fire safety as forces of light to me, guardians of my safety. I have a bond of trust with them different from any other relationship. I suppose it might help to share some of what I've seen. I have a very good friend who is a amazing and very experienced fire performer. She was performing once with her partner at the time. They did what we call the "hug of death" around here, butterflies behind eachothers backs. Their chains got tangled on the way into the move. My friend got lit up in three places. Even though they'd spun out before lighting up, when a poi hit her temple the velocity was enough to spread lit fuel all over her face. She was very blessed not to been scarred. Others are not so lucky. It doesn't even have happen from working with someone. Some dumb ass could come up behind you and get whooped before you even know it. If you have noone looking after you, you don't even have someone to keep people at a safe distance while you're spinning. And I don't care how much experience you have. I know some madly experienced and skilled kids and accidents still happen. Anyway, thank you for reading. I don't suppose I'll change your mind but at least I've said my piece. If you would allow me to entertain your climbing analogy, I look at it this way. If you're not using fire safety, you rock climbing without a rope and harness and there's nothing to catch you if you fall. Diana

adamricepoo-bah
1,015 posts
Location: Austin TX USA


Posted:
It's interesting that Adrian's outlook is so perfectly opposite mine. I'm still pretty much a beginner (so that might be part of it), and have only lit up a handful of times. Each time a towel person has been present. Once I light up and start twirling, though, there is *nothing* else in my mind. Not the towel person, not the audience, just my body and the fire. I'm barely even aware of the music (which is kind of a problem). But in the back of my mind, I know my towel person is there, and I feel more comfortable pushing myself a little further out on the ragged edge, doing moves that are still reaches for me.I've known of twirlers who have gotten their chains tangled in their hair, and I've seen twirlers whose chains got hopelessly tangled behind their backs. I've seen twirlers whose wicks went flying because of bad hardware. Towel person good.

Laugh while you can, monkey-boy


adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
if i should catch on fire i will stop drop and roll....that will put out any minor flames on my body, and minor flames is all that might(1 in a million chance)catch on meas i use fuel with a verry low combustion rate, ie it needs to be airated to butn,ive put in on my skin before and tried to light it, it doesnt light. i mean this is how low combust it is, i use it for fire breathing, then i eat fire sometimes extinguishing the flame in my mouth sometimes closeing my mouth for about 5 seconds then bringing it out still alight....i do this after useing this same fuel for fire breathing. i know how to do what i do, and i do it well. a pirson holding a towl for me is a waste of time and energy for that pirson.lets just agree to disagree on this one, some of us just like liveing on the edge a lil more then others, adrenolin is good,seise the day, you might wake up dead tomorrow.------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


Peregrinemember
428 posts
Location: Mystic, Ct. USA


Posted:
ok i would like to weigh in here on the safety person issue. ok yes. the fire safety person is 1. resposible for the safety of the person twirling the fire. we have i think pretty much established in this thread that people who are doing the fire spinning/dancing accept a certain amount of risk to themselves and may feel that they dont need a person to put them out should they catch themselves on fire. this may be true (though i dont see how you would put yourself out easily if, say, you wrap the chains around your wrist or something, but anyway). I have twirled without a person but i would rather have at least someone around.2. the safety person is there to watch out for any other safety issues that may arise whilst you are twirling. this includes the safety of your audience should the very worst occur and you fling a flaming ball of kevlar at them (which i have never heard of happening but it probably has) or something happens like you set the grass you are standing on on fire with a spark of fuel or the like. this I have seen happen, malcom has video of it. you may be so oblivious in your meditative tai chi eyes closed one with the fire state that you dont notice that...and unless youre twirling in the middle of a parkinglot or something theres stuff around that will burn. this could really suck, especially if you are someplace like california or southeastern australia which are particularly fire-prone. they dont have total-fire ban days for nothing and its not just fire prone on the days that they declare it! theres not ponderosa pines and Banksia spinulosa that require fire to release their seeds for nothing! I spent a lot of time in bush-fire burnt areas in the last few years and yes its a natural part of the ecosystem and all that but i dont want to hear about "fire dancer accidentally starts huge conflagration that destroys california/oregon/nevada/Washington"! the controlled burn people have a hard enough time as it is.this is all tongue in cheek of course i hope you realize but i do think that a fire safety person is really important. i really dont understand how one can be in meditative-tai-chi-eyes-closed-one-with-the-fire state while constantly being alert to stray audience members, flammable substrate and other property etc. if you have a safety you can let them worry about it and they can stand unobtrusively off to the side and not be a distraction. maybe you can make their damp towels into flags they can twirl smileanyway Peregrine

adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
you make a good point and i understand what your saying. and i thank you for putting it diplomaticly and saying things about me personaly be an irrasponcibal dude. this itreasure.i thank you verry much for this.i do live in one of these high fire earias(west sydney) and while this place does have a good part of the year with a total fire bann( BBQ's included) i never twirl in arias that might cumbust, and as for haveing a permenent fire saftey pirson, i never have one but there are always ppl watching me that can spring into the roll at a moments notice, they will take action if something un forseen happens. they dont stand there with a wet towl but i have friends who are in the SES and the bush fire brigade so they know what there dooing. im not saying accident dont happen. i mtself have had my chains wrap hopelessly around my wristand it took me a few minuts to untangle them manualy but there tricks i know to avoid getting burned.i do take risks with my owne saftey when fire spinning but i see them as exceptible.this is verry hard to convay in a BB but if you ever see me in action or ask some of the ppl i twirl with you will find out that despite the risks i take i never get burnedand im totaly safe, and should i burn myselfwell i only have me to blame.in my oppinion life is short so dont play it so safe it takes the fun out...you could wake up dead tomorrow. the risks i take with myself make the experiance 5 times more enjoyable for me and my audience.footnote: when i am in my meditative-tie-chie-eyesclosed state....i am verry awear of everything around me...its a verry spiritual thing for me... smile------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Ha! I fear no flame! If you're scared of the fire then there's more chance that you are going to mess up. once you've hit yourself a few times you'll realise that there's nothing to be scared of, it's pretty easy to put yourself out anyway. Think about it, if a fire eater can stick a lit torch in their mouth then bouncing a ball of fire off your skin isn't going to do much damage (the metal in your poi might give you a bash, but we're talking about fire here). Don't get me wrong, I do take safty into consideration I wouldn't use fire while wearing nylon cos that would be stoopid. It's just no big deal, I've even set my head on fire before.

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
Interesting point, Fruitcake. Better to not be scared. Yes and no, I think. It's better not to be trembling in your shoes, for sure, but I'll tell you a story. First, I should say that to me, that barring any accident if I burn myself I take it as a personal failure in my performance. I do a lot of fire eating and transfer as well as spinning. I'd gotten to a plateau particularly in my transfer and eat act, where I wasn't feeling challenged by what I was doing. I got the transfers down. I got volcano, the double entendre. "Now what?" I thought. Frankly, I was taking it for granted and I was fucking up (burning myself). I decided, among things, I'd up the size of my eating torches. They're big enough at this point, they are a challenge for me. I can't eat them like falling off a log. I really have to pay attention. Anyway, I went out to do a show the other weekend. And when I went out to do my set, I was scared. I was actually scared. And I've been doing some pretty intense stuff for a while. But I felt the energy of the audience. I looked my wands and I thought about what I was about to do. I thought about walking off the stage, but somehow I knew that fear could be harnessed. I went out and did some of the biggest, longest transfers I've done and without even a tinge of getting burned. Long story short, I think as much damage can be done by being fearless as by being paralyzed by fear. For me, it's much more about being attentive. That's somewhere in the middle. Diana

AnonymousPLATINUM Member


Posted:
otay. i cannot resist. i must write in my 2 cents. i do not always have a fire safety. i don't find it neccesary if i'm spinning at home. i always always always have at least one, but usually 2 during a public performance. i have never seen a perfect fire performance. something always goes wrong, and when it goes wrong, who's there to help? yep, the fire safeties. they are there to take the brunt of the safety responsibility off of your already stressed out brain.. we have enough to worry about while performing, it's great to have someone there who can alleviate some of the stress. now just in case someone is going to point out that performances go wrong because the performers are unpreparred or aren't experienced enough- wrong. i have seen some incredibly experienced and highly skilled performers have a show go awry. it's fire. we can only control it to an extent. it's great for when something does go wrong, you can let your safeties handle the problem while you continue the show. it's a really great set-up.another point about having fire safeties.. they make the audience feel better and the make the venue/ person who hired you feel better. they can control the crowd, make sure your perimeters are set up for you... etc etc.. they're a bit like roadies in a way. and last but not least, the seattle fire department has added to it's list of performance requirements this year, that there needs to be at least 2 people to spot, and an additional one to light and extinguish props. a very wise decision on their part i think.--end transmission-flavio

adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
thank you fruitcake....finaly someone with the same oppinions voiced them, you rock.and flavio. well whenever i do a performancesay at a festival or a function or even a party there is a saftey pirson there, the only thing is i dont do gigs like that verry often. but i do twirl at least once a weekin the city and there are a heep of us dooing it just for the fun and learning and friendship of it all...none of us have saftey ppl there but all of us being spinners know what to do if something should happen to someone....i prefer to have no saftey pirson, thats just the way i like it, but for paying performances, like a festival i have comming up in a few weeks, there is someone, it reasures the event organiser...dance as if no one was looking.adrian smile------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...


CAINED-AND-UNABLEmember
214 posts
Location: Manchester


Posted:
i believe,(and this is only oppinion),that having someone watching over you is bad for two main reasons:1) i find that it spoils the trance i get into when i fire.2) it tempts fate.I fully believe in saftey first but not to the point where it ruins my enjoyment or ruins the whole ambiance of the performance.c+u

adrianmember
58 posts
Location: sydney


Posted:
YES....WOOHOO, finaly.thanks cained and unable and fruitcake.you guys came just in time, i was beginning to think i was the only one who felt the way i do about too much fire saftey'n'stuff.rock on dudes coolcarpe cervasi.------------------ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...

ladies and gentelmen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice...



Similar Topics

Using the keywords [concidered paranoia] we found the following existing topics.

  1. Forums > When is it concidered paranoia? [25 replies]

      Show more..

HOP Newsletter

Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more...