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| | Shows That Won't Be Touring the USA
Posted on 6/8/2010 by Isabella
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Todd Various says, "Have you seen the German fire show? It kicks ass." There's no good place in my schedule, so when I see them start up, I walk away in mid-conversation and start pushing to the front I'll sit on the ground, which Macedonians won't do, so I might as well get to the inner circle. It's easy to get through, because the crowd is moving backwards.
Rapidly.
Because Eddie Egal, head German, is backing them up WITH A FLAMETHROWER.
Now, if you're a busker fan, or hang out with hippies, you've probably seen a fire show in Canada or the USA. Usually, the crowd is safely back, fire permits have been issued, fuel is stored separately from the equipment, and the equipment is only lit up once a safe boundary is in place. Then some greasy dreadlocked guys spin poi, girls in leather bikinis wave some fire fans, they all pass the hat and go smoke up backstage.
The Germans have set up a mad scientist's lab with fireball tubes on a 14-foot high scaffolding proscenium, a fire cannon on the stage left side pointed mostly up but a little towards the audience, and Eddie Egal and two sidekicks in lab coats with clipboards moving through the whole steampunk setup. THERE ARE PROPANE TANKS EVERYWHERE. You know, the ones where in the states you can't smoke a cigarette within 15 feet? And while the female "scientist" is checking levels and setting fire to a watering can, and the male "scientist" is inspecting with a large magnifying glass and testing buttons that fire flames 25 feet up, Eddie is striding through tanks and pointing the FLAMETHROWER! IT'S A FLAMETHROWER! With a steam whistle! Mostly up but also sort of at the audience to get them to move back. Which they do. I sit in the front row while Eddie drops flaming pellets on the ground two feet in front of the audience to mark the line. Children poke at the pellets until Eddie waves the FLAMETHROWER! OH MY GOD IT'S A FLAMETHROWER! at them.
The show is a long buildup to one stunt. There's an open shower with water tubes that fire into the center, and flame cannons that blow fireballs through the center. They water down the female scientist, mask and glove her, and set her up in the shower. Fire, water, awesome trance music, she's overcome, strips out of the lab suit, and does a sexy dance in a thong bikini while water and fire rain over, around and through her. The fire cannons shoot. I think there's another flamethrower section. Then they pass the hat.
After the hat pass, Eddie says, "Wednesday night, anyone who wants can try the fire shower."
I say, "I'll bring my bathing suit." |
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