The stars come out
Words: Curio   
Saturday, 18 August 2007
I gave myself the day off yesterday, and spent most of it eating, snoozing
or reading.  I knew tonight's show would be a stormer and, as our headliner was the
cabaret goddess Amanda Palmer, I wanted to be on top form. And I was not
disappointed.
Every act was wonderful, and when the Luminescent Orchestrii
took to the stage in the second half (with a slightly belated and tipsy
introduction from yours truly) they absolutely rocked. I met the Lumis on
that very stage in 2005 and much joy has come from that encounter.

To cover a lengthy setup I sang an old Kurt Weill song - one of the less
morbid ones - and was stymied by a snagged mic lead which prevented me
getting as up close and personal as I would have liked with a handsome
punter.  Ms Palmer leapt to my rescue like a true trooper, but even with her
timely assistance, the lead didn't stretch.  Is this a metaphor for
something?

Amanda's own set - which featured an amazing collection of backing clowns -
was divine.  Not many singers can bring about hysteria with a cover of My
Umbrella with a ukelele (and clowns) and then, in the next moment, stun an
audience into silence with a passionate, biting chanson.  She can.  She is a
kind of magical magnet for talented people drawn not only by her own talent,
but by her incredible generosity to other artists. She is one of a kind.

We closed with a gorgeous aerial act from Empress Stah and then were whisked
to a party at the Assembly Rooms, where my neighbours Mark and Svetlana (the
ones with the banana-chewing act) and I took turns on the empty stage
delivering on 'challenges'.  Mine was to do a burlesque routine, which
involved partial nudity and high kicking.  Mark's was a mimed version of a
one-man bukkake video.  This was inspired by my own comedic stream of
consciousness earlier in the evening.  If you don't know, Google it.

It struck me this morning that I've never before hosted a show where so many
of the jokes revolved around spunk.  And probably never will again.  But the
Bongo does throw up these opportunities and it would be churlish not to take
them.

P.S. To all the various people I drunkenly tried to snog last night, I
apologise.  But it is a Festival. I'm being festive...  I can't promise
there won't be more festivity.