Meanderings of a Monkey Juggler

I wrote me a little review on rec.juggling so here's an expansion of it:

It wasn't an early start and we got there after noon.  There weren't that many folk there tho'.  It never really got busy which has its positives as well as the obvious negatives.  The gym was quiet so there was lots of room to play.  But then nobody to play with.  I did some passing with Rosie and we went to a "Beginners 7 club passing workshop".  There were 2 other people there.  I was probably the best 7 clubber there and Rosie the least practiced so we didn't really do very well but the other 2 obviously had been working together for a while and were ok but no Galchenkos.

There was one other workshop I fancied but ended up meeting 2 of Rosie's friends and going out to watch the football and eat Chinese.

Back for the show and what a show!  Sometimes for the wrong reasons.

• Compere: I can't remember his name but he was excellent.  Witty and talkative and didn't hammer the "come on clap properly" bollocks that many do.
• Breakdancers - the best bdance act I've seen.  They cut down the posturing nonsense and stuck with the tricks.
• Maxlastic - contortionist.  Nice act and good music.  Didn't like looking at it though.  Probably professional worry.
• Eccles - the P word.  I switched off from looking at the poi but watched him move instead.  He's really very graceful.  He should not bother with the poi but work on his dancing.
• Zack and/or Josh Turner. Some juggling at last.  Lots of ball stuff up to 7 ball half shower.
• Salwa - belly dancers.  Some people didn't like it.  Even those who did thought it went on a bit. I found it very entertaining and was pleased to have seen it.  Some of the girls were part of some of the demographics that you wouldn't expect to be into this stuff.  I particularly am thinking of the huge Goth girl.  Plenty of booty to shake.

End of first half.

• Josh and/or Zack Turner.  Diabolo stuff.  As you'd expect he's very good.  I reckon he was using this to get some practice in before Crawley.
• TimFoolery.  We've seen Tim and he was as good as you remember.  Notable for Sam coming out with the "Come on Tim!" line as nicked from The Now Show/Wimbledon.
• Chris and Rich.  Magicians with some danger.  What to say about this one?  Everything went wrong apart from neither of them managed to drink BBQ lighter fluid.  Think a very low rent Derren Brown bit with the volunteer getting his job wrong and announcing the word on stage when he should have kept it to himself.  And then they set fire to the backdrop.  Chaos but strangely dull at times.  It dragged on and on to the extent that the compere came on and gave his: "We are all united.  We all managed to get through that.  It's like coming back from Vietnam - I was there man!" spiel.  That was an excellent summation done on the spur of the moment.  Well done.
• Olly and Ryan.  One of these guys was the man who climbed through the shopping basket at BJC (and was picked up by his hair).  Lots of energetic acro stuff topped off with a shoulder stand on a rola bola followed by a mildly uncontrolled dismount!  And if we merged them together then the merged being would have a normal haircut.

I liked it a lot with an occasional yawn.  But all the acts had their high points.

Home to Rosie's for sleep with Phil and Camille (I can't use "P and C" I must find another.  Perhaps "C and P"?).

Up late and back to sit around and talk a bit some more.  Ended up in pub for dinner with Sam and others.  That was a giggle.

And now I'm at work and not going to EJC.  Sigh.

Have fun.