If you click on these photos you will get to a photo slideshow of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp were some of my new friends who are now part of the Circuna project just lost their homes because their entire refugee camp got wiped out, yet their dedication to spreading happiness is still so strong. On our day off today we visited these friends at a celebration held by the NGO Handicap International where we could see the high level acrobatic and clown show that they have put together with their childrens groups.
Warning: Seeing these photos will not create happiness and might envoke a strong sense of “what the fuck!” but I feel that my friends stories must somehow be told. Maybe through these pictures. This is not “then”… this is “now”.
Filed under: Burnt out Punks, Circus wedding, Clowns without Borders, Photos
Click on the photo to see more wedding photos from Dag.
So we are back in Alby doing our thing after a wonderful honeymoon. Thank you to everyone who gave us cash to make it such a wonderful trip!
The only sad part was that as soon as we got to Berlin our friend Lina called and told us that someone had smashed a whole bunch of windows on our bus and on Angelas car. Luckily they didn’t steal our computers and Gagia coffee machine so after spending the last of our honeymoon money at the local window guy everything is back to normal again. Berlin was still excellent and highly recommended to all. Visit Berlin!
I have not written for a while but when I get caught up in too many interesting things I am not sure which one to write about.
Since the end of the honeymoon two weeks ago I have:
Hosted two parties with the Burnt out Punks.
Started the audition process for my new school. The International school of Stage and Street Performing.
Been Chairman for a Clown without Borders Board meeting.
Had a future meeting at a luxury spa with CwB CEO Kenneth.
Rented a 650 square meter space.
Driven our 12 meter long punks tour bus to the new space.
Emptied our two containers and moved them their too.
Seen the Cirque de Soleil show Delirium which was embaresing.
Built a new guest room in our bus.
Tried to figure out Swedish tax laws when artists work in other EU countries.
Finished reading three books. Two that where great.
Fixed my car.
Fixed my motorcycle.
Trimmed my dogs hair.
and about 100 other things…
but not written about them.
Which subject would you find interesting?
Nalles new Shoes…
Click on the picture to see the slide show.
After the hard partying in Copenhagen we needed some culture and so we decided to visit our friend Rasmus who is a jojo drag artist performing at the GOP Varieté-Theatre in Essen, Germany. So back onto the motorbikes we drove to southern Denmark and took the ferry to Puttgarten. The best motorcycle experience so far was the road between Putgarden and Kiel. Driving through a never ending magestic alley of tall trees on windy roads through the dairy farming hills of northern Germany.
Like Joseph and Mary, ever single f***king hotel was full in Kiel. After three hours of looking we finally found the last free room at the Kiel Yacht Club. A place so fancy I never would have thought of the possability of staying there. But since everything else was full we had to just face the fact that we were in for a luxurious treat! The room was bigger then most apartments I have lived in and the bed was definitely bigger then some of them. The four star restaurant overlooking the harbour was a welcome treat after a long day traveling and we actually felt at home using our only fancy clothes we had brought.
The next day after second breakfasts (4 stars as well) we drove the long haul to Essen. The only thing Essen seems to be famous for is shopping and coal factories. But our friend Rasmus and our new found friend Fleeky let us stay with them in the beautiful apartments over the theater overlooking Essen. Fleeky is an amazing handstand contorsionist trained at San Fransisco Circus School. The show was good and the atmosphere in the theater laid back. Really good artists performing for normal people on a night out on the town. It is surprising that we don’t have similur shows in Sweden.
After a good show with dinner, a long night of shooting the shit, good sleep, a lovely walk around Essen and breakfast the next morning we head of to the final part of the trip. Berlin.
In Berlin we get to stay in the fantastically shabby, run down and happening Krausburg in our friend Henrys apartment. She is performing elsewere so we have the place to ourselves. For days we visit circus schools, see varieté shows, discover new parts of town and eat amazing food from all around the world. Berlin truly is the melting pot of our times.
Most importantly I find the shoes that will kick start my new drag queen career and will premiere at our Moulin Noir show in November.
Tomorrow we drive to the At:tension Theatre Festival in Lärz where we meet up with the Burnt Out Punks for the final show of the season.
What could be a better way to end a fabulicous honeymoon after a storybook wedding then to star in your own show at a huge festival?
Life is gütt.
click on photo to get to slideshow
My girlfriend is so hot. Even though we just got married she is more girlfriend than wife. Wifes either pick up kids after school or have better jobs then you but girlfriends lie in sofas and look sexy. I always dreamed of being a girlfriend.
Our honeymoon adventure started out on a crisp and blue skyed indian summer day, driving our motorcycles on hilly backroads from Stockholm to a gorgous little bed and breakfast in Askersund. I had done a gig there a few months back and had thought to myself, I would love to bring Angela here. I picturesque sea town on the northern tip of Vættern lake with good restaurants and lovely walks.
Luckily the day was amazing with great motorbiking, great food and the cosiest bed and breakfast because the next day sucked…
We had decided to visit our friends in the Copenhagen circus world as our first adventure stop. Gry and Rune where to have a show at 8pm that we would catch and then live with Ronnie Roadkill.
It rained the whole way. Angela got totally soaked and started freezing on the bike. We both got sour on our short gasstation breaks. We made it … but there was no show. So what always saves the day?
Getting drunk with your own privat bartender Ronnie Roadkill.
So we have spent the last days getting drunk and laughing in Ronnies spartan apartment with her cold floor and warm heart. Taking her to her cafe job in the mornings and then going on adventures.
The new circus training space is amazing!
The red light district is creepy and exciting.
Christiania is the same but different.
Same streetperformers on Strøget.
Tonight we go to see a new circus show called Berzerk with juggler Samuel and tissue Anders and then off south to look for the sun and maybe sober up…
With love, Nalle and Angela
Dear circus friends, the first photos have arrived. Click on the photo to see the slideshow. Otherwise the link is http://www.flickr.com/photos/nalleblue/sets/72157601777743962/show/
We wrote our own marriage vows. It was a great exersise in communicating to each other why we were doing this.
Dearest friends and family of Angela and Nalle.
We are gathered here today under this oak tree to witness their marriage.It a joyous and special day for all of us to be here and share in their love and happiness.
For Nalle and Angela marriage is built upon two individuals helping each other grow side by side, though never losing their separate identities.
It is built upon the time spent together as well as the time spent apart.Do you Nalle promise to see the things in Angela’s life that make her happy and help her to do them more.
Yes.
Do you Nalle promise to see the things in Angela’s life that make her unhappy and help her to do them less.
Yes.Do you Angela promise to see the things in Nalle’s life that make him happy and help him to do them more.
Yes.
Do you Angela promise to see the things in Nalle’s life that make him unhappy and help him to do them less.
Yes.Will you Nalle and you Angela, continue to make one another happy until the day you don’t?
(together)
Yes.And now the rings.
(Nalle can’t find them, looks at his best men, they don’t know. Nalle whistles and Ingo the dog brings the rings.)Let these rings, forged by your friend Matilda, be empowered by all your friends and family that are here today.
Let these rings be a reminder of this day and for your love for each other.(Rings on)
I now pronounce you husband and wife.So go, Nalle and Angela, and continue this life that you lead together.
Continue making people laugh and making the world a happier place to be.And now…
The kiss…
You can read our story on one of the first blogs I wrote.
My fantastic sister Therese taught me early in life that we have two states of being.
The first one is the curious one. Looking for new impulses, ideas and adventures.
The second one is the processing state. The resting but that actually is the self, processing the information and new experiences.
Things can feel wrong if we are in the “wrong” state at the wrong time. For instance if we are about to make an exciting journey and when we get there the self turns off and goes into processing state. We feel we should be in the adventure state and get confused over why we feel bad.
It is the same with babies. I think they sleep so much, not because their bodies need it, but because they have so much new information they have to process.
So resting and sleeping is as important as working and adventuring.
Muscle mass is built when the muscles are resting, not when they are working out.
Anyway, this train of thought came about because a friend got mad at me for not calling her back. But I have to much information and adventure right now. I do not need more, I need to slow down and process.
So it seems I have to make a choice, her or me.
It is not really a big thing but I did find the connection to my sisters wisdom interesting.
I started writing this once but got stuck on the last one.
Any suggestions?
1. No fourth wall. Everything is about your play with the audiance.
2. Be real, not funny
3. Have a bag of tricks
4. If it works, do it again, more
If it does’t work, try something else
5. Dare to fail
6. Accept presents from the clown gods
7. No fourth wall. Everything is about your play with the audiance.
8. Every audiance is unique
9. Comfort the disturbed. Disturb the comfortable.
10.
Today was one of the last official burnt out punks shows before my wedding and before the final at the At:tension Theater festival in Germany. It was a weird 20 minute version of our midnight fire show, except in the daytime for a family audiance.
What was nice was that we tried to actually trust the material in the show and that it worked. The firestaff number still is powerful even when people cannot see the fire. But what did shine through was the concept of underselling.
Underselling would mean that we purposefully make the audiance think that we are unorganised, badly structured, badly maked up and with a garbage can as scenography. Trashy and punky but without being designed trashy and punky.
With good energy and audiance play something real happens and when it does it really shines. It is not the scenography, choreografy or designed anything. Its just the magic of us, meeting them, through the show.
In reality this inspires me to make our winter variete show Moulin Noir more trashy or homely to be able to create the same effect. Instead of trying to be classy and sometimes failing… be trashy and almost always suprise the audiance.
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