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


Posted:
Alright....
So...

The phone call I have been dreading just came in.

I got a gig. I got a **large** gig...that I didn't want. I was told after the 3rd interview what it entailed...

I have to emcee for a bunch of bands on two stages. No Problem.
For several thousand people. No problem.
Alone. No problem.

However...I have to also fill 5 -15 minute slots with acts large enough for the audience to see.
Problem.

I am going to do fire, obviously, in one set.
Bellydance with sword maybe snake or fire in another set.
Stupid Roulette in a set.
Bed of Tetnus/Double Bed/Pele surfing in a set (can't be broken down as they are all variations of the same thing)

After this...I am lost. Everything else I have at the moment is either not workable for the stages I will be on or more suited to a smaller cabaret crowd or a smaller circus crowd.

They were not supposed to confirm anything until tomorrow afternoon, so I was going to call them tomorrow morning and gracefully back out. I just got the call that they are really excited to have me emcee and my pay has been approved and such.

So...I am freaking out. Freaking...majorly.

Maybe I could do fire to open and close it to fill in the sets?
Roving and Cabaret and small audiences are my forte. I have done large crowds before, but not where I have to also talk to them like an intimate crowd, and do stunts, and pump up them for the bands (of which I have only ever heard of 1..and then I haven't even actually heard their music).

I think I can do it. I hope. I don't have a choice. My heart is literally pounding when I even remotely think of it.
I can not remember the last time a show had me reeling like this.

Thoughts? Advice on killing time?
And please, no imagining them in their underpants. It doesn't help, it just grosses me out.

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


MikeIconGOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA


Posted:
Man, what an accomplishment if you pull it off! Im afraid I cant offer much help here because something like that is certainly beyond me at this point but I have faith in you. I know you want it bad enough that youll make it happen. One thought, however... Have you ever dabbled in magic? Im sure there are a few tricks you could easily pick up which would be a good time filler.

I wish you best of luck, Pele. Its quite an opportunity.

Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.

-Me


GherkinGOLD Member
Inventor
117 posts
Location: Australia


Posted:
Is the event large enough for one of those huge screen things, so that you could do some of your less easily seen stuff, but still be seen on a big screen?... Sorry, I don't have anything to suggest.

I hope it goes well!

hug

TheApprovingNinjaFrom the Ashes of a Ninja Rise THE HIPS OF RAGE
371 posts
Location: Edinburgh


Posted:
Do you do any acro?

something that can be seen from a height, anything placing yourself onto a platform can help as well.

Audience participation games work for great time killers as well, at the cabaret I compere we just make up some silly games and get people up on stage to compete for free stuff.

I don't know if it counts as a spectacle but it gets a good laugh and kills loads of time

Viva UGLY STAFF


JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
Just stand there bouncing a yo-yo for a while.

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


Mags The JediGOLD Member
Fool
2,020 posts
Location: Cornwall, UK


Posted:
OK. Start thinking of other performers that you know who can either:

A> Quickly teach you something cool to do

or

B> Join you for one of the 15 minute slots and you kinda drop back to an assistants role for that bit. You could give her/him some of your money.

Alternatively, have you considered discussing the problem with the organisers. They may say that you can do fire twice or some other solution.

Never panic until you've tried everything. You are the pro that all us semi-pro's look up to. We know you can do it. hug

Much love

devil

"I believe the cost of life is Death and we will all pay that in full. Everything else should be a gift. We paid the cover charge of life, we were born."

Bill Hicks, February 1988


pricklyleafSILVER Member
with added berries
1,365 posts
Location: Manchester, England (UK)


Posted:
I don't really perform myself, so don't know how good my advice is but here it goes anyway.

I don't think I would open with fire as won't that steal the climax of the show?

And have you thought about Flags.

Also would you be able to do UV, that always looks impressive.

And just think of all the skills you have and what you could adapt. For instance can you juggle/unicycle (a giraffe could be good)/ stilt walk (yes i know but thinking of what you can see from a distance) etc

good luck!

Live like there is no tomorrow,
dance like nobody is watching
and hula hoop like wiggling will save the world.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson


Anna-panannaThinking...
179 posts
Location: Oxford


Posted:
Written by: TheHIPS


Audience participation games work for great time killers as well





Yeh I agree with this...don't know how long you could make it last, but teaching them all a simple song that they could sing in a round could work quite well, with thousands of people it would sound amazing if they pulled it off, and would probs really warm them up for the bands. What kind of music are the bands by the way? Cos presumably that will affect what kind of audience you're going to have...

Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great! The organisers obviously thought so, because it's YOU they've decided to hire. Keep us updated. smile

Practice as if your hair was on fire...


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


Posted:
Okay...no screens, so, as much as I would love that, no.



I'm not allowed to have anyone but myself and my assistant on the stage.



The magic I can pull off is small, and my escapes/equilabristics/large magic won't be ready until July.



I open with fire often as it catches attention, and know enough of it to have more-larger for later on. That is not really an issue, as much as I would like to not have to if possible.



In my Stupid Roulette routine there is a game of Simon Says already incorporated into it.

And when I do bellydance I do a couple of games with them which are based in the culture as well.

If I had 3 more things like that, I would be a very happy camper. Suggestions beyond the song?



In essence, picture a concert venue with a stage at either end. I start by introducing the band on stage a and doing something. I run to stage b. When stage a is done, I start up again on b and introduce the next band and back and forth... So, stilts don't really fit. It is crazy and has my head reeling. I think I have it figured out and will obviously keep working on it.



It just motivates me into my larger stuff...to be sure! wink



And the bands, btw, are soooooo varied it blows my mind.

1 Country-ish

1 Jazz-ish

1 Punk-ish

1 Rock-ish

1 Edge Rock



The benefit will be that the audience will change over so that if I do fire a few times, and use different props each time, it won't be so big of a deal.



Thanks all for the support and suggestions, they have really gotten me thinking!



And Mags, I may be a "pro" but I am still human first. wink

hug



beerchug

Thanks all!

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


Mags The JediGOLD Member
Fool
2,020 posts
Location: Cornwall, UK


Posted:
Have you ever done an angle grinder show? It's p*ss easy and doesn't take much practise.

Just a thought.

hug

devil

"I believe the cost of life is Death and we will all pay that in full. Everything else should be a gift. We paid the cover charge of life, we were born."

Bill Hicks, February 1988


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


Posted:
I did it! Cha-cha-cha
I did it! Ah-ha-ha

And I will say more when it is not 2:30 am and I have a 7 hour long show tomorrow... but I will say...

It went *so* well I have been invited back for the Autumn version of the festival. bounce2 bounce clap

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


JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
Awesome!

I'm glad it went well. hug

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


MandSILVER Member
Keeper of the Spitfire
2,317 posts
Location: Calgary Canada


Posted:
Yay! biggrin
Glad it went well.
I can't wait to read all about it after you've recovered.

Lets steal a spaceship and head for the sun, and shoot the stars with a lemonade ray gun.


margitaSILVER Member
.:*distracted by shiny things*:.
3,777 posts
Location: brizvegas, Australia


Posted:
clap congratulations!!! *standing ovation* clap biggrin clap

do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and good to eat!



if at first you do succeed, try not to look too astonished!



smile! :grin: it confuses people!


Anna-panannaThinking...
179 posts
Location: Oxford


Posted:
Excellente! Well done indeed, we knew you could do it! beerchug
clap clap clap
(blatantly all down to the HOP advice wink )

Practice as if your hair was on fire...


MikeIconGOLD Member
Pooh-Bah
2,109 posts
Location: Philadelphia, PA - USA


Posted:
Congratulations, Pele. I knew you could!

Let's turn those old bridges we crossed into ashes.
We'll blaze a new trail,
and torch the rough patches.

-Me


GlåssDIAMOND Member
The Ministry of Manipulation
2,523 posts
Location: Bristol, United Kingdom


Posted:
smile nice one

colemanSILVER Member
big and good and broken
7,330 posts
Location: lunn dunn, yoo kay, United Kingdom


Posted:
bounce2

see, all that worrying for nothing wink hug


cole. x

"i see you at 'dis cafe.
i come to 'dis cafe quite a lot myself.
they do porridge."
- tim westwood


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


Posted:
Alrighty...

I think one of the reasons it went so well was because the schedule was all messed up, which sucks for the organizers but worked in my favor really well, since I then only had to do 4 things and not 5 (and in the end we thought of 6 but two were questionable). It worked sooooo well for me in the end.

When it started almost no one was there and I had the time to talk to the bands and such, which was great. Then all I had to do was pump up who was there for them, do the "commercials" for the sponsors (which I had cue cards with lame stuff on them...that I refused to use! lol ) and leave the bands to it.

During the switch for two of the bands there was a 20 minute breaks so that is when I did some of my stunts (stupid roulette, monkey in the middle, the bed of nails) and then announced the next band. That went awesome and was on the main stage.
The ent. organizer looked at me before I went on and asked if I was nervous, and that is when I realized I wasn't. When I said no, he laughed and said "Hell, I would be!" Thanks dude. rolleyes

The band on the 2nd stage played for 2 1/2 hours (long story there but the other two bands both cut out early and this band picked up the slack) and I gave them a break and did a fire eating routine on the stage, then the commercial, then reintroduced them.
As I walked off the stage the fire marshall came up and tried to tell me I was fire breathing (umm..no) and that I needed a permit (I didn't, I know the city laws on it). It was interesting and effected the shows I had the rest of the weekend. Oh well. Forgiveness was given wink

Then I intro-ed the end drag show and it was over. It all took about 5 hours, and I met alot of awesome people and had alot of fun. All of my stunts and presentations went awesome. Lots of drunks there which was interesting. My safety (snailshells) was incredible thwarting this one drunk guy who insisted he could do the fire.

I thrive much better in chaos and doing one lump show more than a series of small ones worked better for me, so it was fantastic.
I am looking forward to the fall one, and to working with the bands we met! wink

Thanks everyone for the support. You have no idea how much I appreciate it!
hug kiss hug

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


UCOFSILVER Member
15,417 posts
Location: South Wales


Posted:
When I saw the title of this thread... I thought it would be about a performance you did in which you did nohting but over the head moves (butterflys, windmills etc).

I was almost disappointed..

hug
Im glad it all went so well for you sexy! spank.

AdeSILVER Member
Are we there yet?
1,897 posts
Location: australia


Posted:
nice one ubbrollsmile

JauntyJamesSILVER Member
Carpal \'Tunnel
3,533 posts
Location: Hampshire College, MA, USA


Posted:
Well, now you can start getting a set ready for the Autumn festival!

-James

"How do you know if you're happy or sad without a mask? Or angry? Or ready for dessert?"


loki.c1687SILVER Member
addict
546 posts
Location: Leeds, United Kingdom


Posted:
pupet show????

Rules and responsibities:
These are the ties that bind us.
We do what we do,because of who we are.
If we did otherwise,we would not be ourselves.
I will do what i have to do
And i will do what i must..


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


Posted:
Can you believe this?

I got the call today to perform at the next one. I went through all that with this first one so I can do this more often. In the message he said they *really* want me back very much, are willing to up my pay even.

And then...

He gave the date and I have to be at a wedding, and it is not one I can wiggle out of (since there are only 5 guests!!! I will be noticed missing!).

Ugh! I am soooooo disappointed. I am telling him to keep me in mind for next year in the Spring, and I won't be so freakin' nervous! wink

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



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