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Did you know the domestic adoption and use of the vibrator preceded the home vacuum cleaner by nine years?

Neither did I?

And that once upon a time medically administered manual masturbation by your local doctor was the standard treatment for women suffering genital congestion and hysteria and that it was not regarded as anything to do with sex?

But could you claim it on Medicare?

All these tit bits, and historical pink bits, are contained in cabaret song and delicious silliness in this production by Isabel Hertaeg on “the little death”, La Petit Mort – The Orgasm.

Accompanied by her talented pianist, Geoff “Magic Fingers” Urquhart, this sexy siren, a metaphorical and literal Lady in Red, gets us into the mood with a good dose of Luciferian lavisciousness as she serenades the Devil’s horn.

Alternating between story and song she takes us from period Germanic art song dripping frank Freudian connotations to lesbian laments for labia left behind.  If I could critique one thing, it would be that the strength and delivery of her dialogue maybe didn’t carry the gravitas or conviction of her singing, less vamp, more vixen.

La Petit Mort has two more shows, 11 & 12 March at the Promethean Theatre.  Grab a ticket, but not yourself, and see why this show received rave reviews at the Edinburgh and Melbourne Fringe Festivals.

On the related topic of vibrators, and the absinthian cultural mores of neo-Victorian Steam Punk, here is a website by a creative genius who has managed to bring the two together.

The Promethean Theatre, an Edwardian era Church, one time Liquor Trade Union Hall, now a gothic grey and plush velvet performance venue, is an excellent and intimate location for a witty night of bad German accents and cabaret.

Supported by the virtuosic Berlin Cabaret Micro Orchestra (read three piece jazz ensemble), Gerhardt, Lux and Rudi play up to every hokey hun caricature straddling the Weimar era and period of Nazi ascension.

Gerhardt was the charming, crooning Master of Ceremonies for the evening, with plenty of bad-but-good puns and blue banter. Lux is the resident alcoholic lush, strutting the stage in fishnets, corsetry and wine bottle belting out her particular penchant for American jazz numbers. Overplayed to the max, but then I think this is a necessity (even if her German accent seemed to be sliding at times into Slavic territories like all so many invasions of the era).  Supporting act, the Tin Can Alley, are an extremely talented and ageing decadent duo who specialise in catchy cabaret – from well known standard such as “Non, je ne regrette rien”, or more obscure Indian show tunes about oversized tomatoes (in Hindi!)

The gangly, shy and awkward Rudi, however, steals the show.  One minute delivering operatic overtures with Wagnerian largesse, next (un)dressed as ol’ Adolf himself in a fetching negligee.  His voice is either angelic or infernal as the tune and context demands. Glorious stuff.

I’m not sure what it is about this particular company of performers, but the average age of the audience was closer to 60, which I found curious – but maybe the “classic” form of Weimer cabaret holds an appeal for the older set that differentiates them from the new generation of neo-cabaret. At the very least it demonstrates that the cabaret and vaudeville arts still hold a broad appeal across many generations, and that the Fringe is not just for the young and tragically Boho.

The Berlin Cabaret have two more performances this Fringe - alas all sold out. But keep an eye out for them at other events such as the Adelaide Cabart Festival.

Bogan’s are funny. And so are Catholics (thanks Tony Abbott). Regional centres where the world is as big as the town limits are will always be funny as long as it is mixed with a dose of nostalgic & affectionate pathos.

Make it into a musical gala and you have WrongTown.  Think of the Andrew Sisters after a drug binge. Performing in an outer suburban Westfield. Outside a Supré.

But oh, these girls can sing.

Why a musical tribute to the Snowtown Murders in the form of the Beer Barrel Polka (aka Roll Out The Barrel) has not been done before is beyond me?  If tour buses can now stop at the infamous disused bank in Snowtown so tourists can sniff under the door, then I say enough time has passed for us to laugh through song and wimsy at one of the more recent episodes in Adelaide’s Bizarre Murder Capital scrapbook of infamy.

Of course the mid-North Coast’s very own “Summer Bay” with industrial slag & drag, Newcastle, is not forgotten.  And if it wasn’t for the fact that Jetstar has tricked many a passenger flying to Melbourne, by taking them to Avalon Airport instead, well, would anyone know that Geelong existed?

But far from the industrial and residential wastelands often portrayed, these places are hotbeds of intrigue, with a song in the fractured heart of all these places: married mothers discovering lesbianism, Catholic schoolgirls in need of confession, burgeoning drug cultures amid Americanisation of white bread rural youth and suburban murder tales worthy of their own ballads.

WrongTown is your town. Admit it -  you grew up, got trapped, maybe escaped, and possibly returned to places like this. And when you can acknowledge that, WrongTown will stay in your mind for all the right reasons.

The promise of music, magic noir, comedy, escapology and modern vaudeville drew me to this performance held at Live on Light Square.  I came away feeling like a promise had not been quite fulfilled.

I would like to emphasise though the ability of many of the performers cannot be faulted. The first magician, Jamie, while being a bit of a nervous chap was very adept, and certainly his confidence and projection carried increasing weight as his performance progressed.  Consuming a banana full of razorblades and a classic escape from a straight jacket was well executed adorned with some quite witty banter.

Matt the Mentalist came across quite reserved and shy, but this is part of an act where the harmless introvert unexpectedly proves an uncanny ability to dig into the unsuspecting mind, innocently read body mannerisms and reveal that which is hidden – or have an unwitting audience member perform some quite dangerous acts.

Then came Dan the comedian.  Billed as confronting and politically incorrect, frankly he was a bore who told dirty jokes that related modes of transport to sex acts with a complete absence of comedic timing and delivery. This was the evening’s achilles heel if anything.

Concluding the evening was the most debonaire MC/magician Kamal who delivered some nicely delivered comedic moments amongst some quite simple but impressive trickery. If the whole performance can infuse a good lick of his delivery and savoir-fair in future it will solidify the dynamics for their next performance on the 12 March 2010.

I must sympathise with the performers though, in that the venue decided to start the doof doof music of its neighbouring dance club before the performance had even finished – rather bad form I thought.

One of the great things about getting off the Garden of Unearthly Delights trail for the Fringe is discovering some of Adelaide’s less well known performance venues, such as the Holden Street Theatre housed within a delightful sandstone heritage church building.

On this occasion I am here to be delighted by the Vari-A-Tease troupe who have successfully assembled a broad cast of performers highlighting tremendous individuality and artistic flair.

Mr Gorsky was the first act, with some classic performance mime and balance work invoking physical comedy archetypes reminiscent of Chaplin or Keaton – whether fighting against an ill wind that blow’eth his way or demonstrating his dexterities with a derby on his dome, his routines were extremely well staged.

Kitty van Horne is the sort of school teacher you remember fondly about, elegant, stylish but always the sense there was something hidden and noir about her.  Thus emerges her alter ego, The Queen of the Nile, who belts out show tunes to gyrations and gutsy gesticulations guaranteed to bring your father to the next parent teacher night.

Maxi Man blurs the gender divide with a very Victor Victoria woman being a man being a woman routine. Dark, dirty and evocative with rampant use of processed smallgoods. Beware of her bung fritz dear Fringe-dwellers.

The Divine Danica Lee oozes sensuality and sass with her classic fan dance burlesque and highly imaginative rendition of events in the Garden of Eden – if she had been teaching bible class I’m sure I would have paid more attention, although with commensurately more reason for frequent confession.

Speaking of the infernally good, Cherry Valens showed us the Devil inside her with catchy well choreographed bump and grind, her routines extending to south of the border down me-hi-co way in some classic Tex Mex tease.

Poppy T - bright and stygian in equal measures – inviting us to an evil night together in a modern burlesque number or something more turn of the century with fine Belle Epoque sensibilities and titillation.

Whether flinging herself on a horizontal pole as everyone’s favourite living dead doll, adorned in shibari rope and PVC, or revealing the naughty world of bored housewives discovering how much joy a wooden spoon, decent cake mixture and a Britney Spears soundtrack can bring, Zahra Stardust is a truly versatile performer.

Liam Power added some conjuration and illusion to the proceedings with simple but clever card tricks (with oversized audience friendly cards so we could genuinely ooh and aah over his hand quicker than eye machinations), and supplementing his iron intake with a fist full of steel pins down the gullet.

And then there was the crowd favourite, Missy, acrobatic aerialist pole dancer extraordinaire who brought us a Puck in the Green fantasy routine, like some untamed wild Maenad but showing great discipline and skill in her balance and movement.  Her mechanoid Android routine left no one sleeping, let alone dreaming of electric sheep.

With remaining shows tonight (Friday 26 February) and tomorrow night (Saturday 27 February), both at 10.30pm, there is time to get out now and see the show – let them give you a damn good Variateasing while you can!

Salutations Libertarian’s all,

there is a smorgasboard of decadent entertainment, titillation and whimsy coming in a few short weeks with the Adelaide Fringe on our doorstep once more.  We will be giving extra attention to the burlesque arts this year with the following on our shopping list:

Vari-A-Tease – with the divine Danica Lee, mischievous Missy and a cast of performers delivering a menu of burlesque, vaudeville, magic and cabaret.

A Deli Burlesque – A cross-pollination of neo-burlesque and vintage charm.
Babes on bikes; hula-hoop aerobics; exotic bird rituals and more.

Burlesque Beauties - Reminiscent of 1920s, 30s, 40s and50s, three sassy burlesque beauties present their unique blend of classic burlesque, comedy, music and vintage sass.

For events closer to hand – 2pm Saturday the 13th of February at Gallery Serpentine, in Newtown (Sydney) are having  special Valentine Day event, with Jocelyn from the Cult of Scent showcasing a range of new and favourite hand crafted artisan fragrances.

Come and find out which of the Cult of Scent perfume best suits you and - if you’re very very nice -get your bottle of Cult of Scent perfume customised especially for you!

That Countess of Cabaret entertainment, Sarina del Fuego, must be among the hardest working lasses in industry at the moment.  Seldom in one place long enough to let the grass grow under her feet, she is nonetheless ensuring that all the Eastern seaboard, including the oft-forgotten Tasmania, will get a taste of her style - from art exhibitions, charity galas, Halloween Spectaculars and hands on workshop.

There is something for everyone this October - although maybe not the kiddies. To be sure I would have appreciated my parents more for taking me to burlesque shows…oh anyway..here are the dates.

Friday 9th October - Cita Daidone’s exhibition opening
Bondi Beach Opening Night October 9th at 7pm. Come and see Cita’s paintings of the female muse, birds, cats, trees and flowers whirling in an imaginary dreamscape. Sarina Del Fuego one of Australia’s top cabaret artistes will be performing.
Exhibition Dates- 9th October until 13th November 2009 7:00pm - 10:00pm Ruby’s Place Performance Cafe @ Bondi Beach 95 Roscoe Street (crn Gould St)

Saturday 17th October - Gangster’s Ball at the Tivoli, Brisbane
The Gangsters’ Ball 2008 was an amazing success, selling out 700 tickets some 4 weeks in advance with nearly 200 people queuing at the door for up to 3 hours to purchase the remaining 50 tickets… It was widely regarded by those who attended as “the best event of its type ever held in Sydney” and voted by the Drum Media Street Press Magazine in it’s 2008 Readers Poll Edition as the “best Swing/Rockabilly Event of 2008”.The Velvet Set, along with Meow Meow and Sarina del Fuego, Mark Winmall, Rosy Rabbit, Imogen Kelly and many more.

Sunday 18th October - Girl’s night Out - Fundraiser for Breast Cancer
Get the girls together and join us for our annual Cancer Council fundraiser to help raise money for the fight against women’s cancers! WHEN: Sunday, 18 October, 2009 WHERE: Pink Salt Bar & Restaurant, 53 Cross Street Double Bay THEME: ‘…A touch of pink’ TIME: GIRLS from 3pm / GUYS from 5pm TICKETS: $70 per girl (Includes a glass of bubbly, canapés, a gift bag, entertainment, guest speakers)

Saturday 24th October- Burlesque Basics Workshop in HOBART
Come learn the basics of burlesque performance - classic movement, along with how to use props such as gloves, boas, stockings, suspenders, feathers and fans!

Saturday 24th October- Toussaint (a Halloween Spectacular)
The Playhouse Bathurst St Hobart Tasmania. The Southern Belles are proud to present “Toussaint” the biggest burlesque show Hobart has ever seen. Starring Burlesque Sensation Sarina Del Fuego. Also featuring Miss Kitty’s Meow Madame Goulash Miasma Sister O Plus many more for $15. From 19:30 - 22:30. Tickets can be purchased at centertainment.

Adelaide Fringe Review - Shakti: Classical Hindu Temple Dancing, 21 March 09

Our closing review for the Adelaide Fringe (and what a festival it has been - kudo’s to all the hardworking organisers), touches on many diverse points, and for me sums up something of what the Fringe is about.

Shakti is a bit of an enigma.

Of combined Indian and Japanese heritage, this dancer represents a fierce alchemical polarity, the yub-yum if you will.  Her performance of Classical Hindu Temple Dancing represents one extreme balanced against another perfomance of hers in the Fringe, an adaption of Oscar Wilde’s play on Judean Princess, Salome, (a performance of which I am now kicking myself over for not seeing).  The latter performance, Salome, projects raw sensuality, human, physically manifested in an earthly domain, grounded.

The Hindu Temple Dance however wears a more conservative veil, seemingly more restrained.  However the energies invoked are in fact no different, no less potent and transformative, just channelled differently - the key difference is that these dances were originally were reserved for the Gods themselves.  There are striking parallels to traditions such as Vodou where there is a saying “You are not praying if you are not moving your feet”.

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Die Roten Punkte - Adelaide Fringe, Bosco Theatre, 17 March 2009

Have you ever wanted to think the worst of the White Stripes in a dirty Perez Hilton sort of way?

Now you can get your chance by indulging in the eurotrash high-jinks of Die Roten Punkte (which actually translates as the Red Dots – geddit?!? – and not a homage to John Lydon as you might badly translate if you only know your German from repeats of Hogan’s Heroes or reading subtitles of Inspector Rex).

This show is ultimately about therapy.  Certainly for our brother and sister act, Otto and Astrid, who through the therapeutic powers of drum and power chord written songs come to grips with family tragedy, alcoholism and suppressed incestory tendencies.  But maybe therapy for myself also, causing one to reflect upon ones younger formative musical years?

Our protagonists explore the fringes of straight edge and old school punk, Nick Cave-ish poetic indulgence, EBM/Eurosynthpop and yea verily, Bavarian beer hall songs.  I have to admit a guilty familiarity to the various musical phases one passes in one’s ‘yoof’, and scarily so I seemed to identify with the show with more irony then should probably be permitted.

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Adelaide Fringe Review - CW Stoneking @ The Spiegeltent, 15 March 2009

Society loves a personality that is seemingly bigger than the frame in which it is carried  – individuals with a specifically tailored functional reality that invites a response from peers and public.  They are not necessary fictional, but rather an amplification of select traits of real individuals, and executed such that the character is self-sustaining and independent. They truly have a life of their own.

This is of course nothing new.  Artists and intellectuals have been indulging in literary creations as living breathing expressions of the Self for centuries  - authors such as Giacomo Casanova being an adept at exaggerating his own adventures, and his character being all the richer for it. But how many of them can truly use Casanovas reflective self-epitaph “I have lived”?

The personality under scrutiny tonight is Mr CW Stoneking, the son of noted playwright and poet Billy Marshall Stoneking.  If there are any inherited sins of the father, then it is the ability to tell a tale or two.  His songs are back stories. A musical biography.  Ship wrecks off the coast of West Africa, apprenticeships to Hoodoo root doctors in New Orleans, the life experiences of this Warrnambool warbler are the foundation for his style of Hokum Blues.  While Hokum is an oft used a synonym for fabrication – his voice and style are real, and by extension, CW Stoneking the Bluesman is real.

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