Star photographer Dennis Bouman sent us even more pictures from the Rock ‘n Rave parties in Hengelo’s Metropool and Amsterdam’s New Year’s Eve party in Krasnapolsky. We were thinking about keeping the pictures for ourselves, but then we remembered our resolutions for this year: to share more. So here goes, more pictures of the party in Metropool! (The next series of pictures from Krasnapolsky are in the next blog we’re publishing)

We already let Bas talk about the costumes he designed for the Rock ‘n Rave Circus, but now the time has come to answer some personal questions. He won’t get off that easily!

You rode an elephant. Dressed like a clown. With a pack of screaming people around you. In a crowded city centre. With clinking trams. What was it like?
Who can say they rode an elephant through the Kalverstraat (the busiest shopping street of Amsterdam)? It was hysterical! I must say I was a bit in shock, because I had been working non stop on the costumes for three weeks and when I had just finished them I had to jump on an elephant. It was a lot of fun, but also very scary for there wasn’t really something to hold on to. And when Suzy the elephant lifted her leg, it felt like I would fall off. But I had to play my role of course, and looking like a scared sissy wouldn’t make the ordeal any better. I tried to make contact with her by petting her, but she just felt like a living stone. Really weird.

What would you like the world to look like?
That is a difficult question, because – and this is a cliché – a lot of things happen for a reason. But I wish the world would be a lot cleaner. I hate those black circles of trampled chewing gum on the streets and poo in the parks that ends up on your pants. And wouldn’t it be nice if this fashion centre had a green rooftop filled with trees? We really need garbage men and cleaners, they are crucial in this world. Therefore I would never wish for everybody to be creative. That wouldn’t work.

photo by Alex Post

We asked the guys of Boemklatsch some questions. Mike Magoo, Illvester, $jammie the Money, Ramkraak en Atactic answered, but don’t ask us how. DON’T! Just have a read for yourself.

When is a party a good party and what is your role in it?
$tM: When you come home and you think: “Wooow, what was that? Who am I? Where am I?” And then you discover you are not at home.
Ill: Can I have a coke?
At: NO! Don’t give him coke!
MM: When is an interview a good interview, and what is your role in it?
RK: Aux Raus

When trapeze artists enter the circus ring, the public always holds its breath in anticipation. How do you like your crowd best?
MM: I am not drunk. I am a dinosaur.
Ill: I…am…the…robot….of…the…future.
At: I…am…coming…from…next…wednesday.
RK: Aux…Raus

Before you take your places behind the decks, you wrap Joost van Bellen in a net and take him off stage. Is that how you treat the elderly?
MM: Yes.
$tM: We do with older youngsters.
RK: Raus Aux
Illv: My dad is with the police you know?
At: My dad is Jesus.

In your costumes made by bas Kosters you look like a captivated herd of zebra’s. How does that feel?
MM: Like a dinosaur.
RK: Aux Raus
$tM: Superhip. I mean Bas Kosters. HA-LO-HO

There’s eight of you so who does what? We don’t get it. Explain!
RK: Aux Raus
MM: Illvester does everything. We just look tough.
$tM: Did you ever see how much buttons there are on a mixer?

When you’re on stage with a numorous crew like yours, aren’t you ever in eachother’s way? That you end up with your crotch in somebody’s mouth?
$tM: Sometimes I end up with my liver under Illvester’s armpit, but not a lot. And there’s something to it.
Illv: What’s the practical use of that?
At: Nothing, it’s quite painful actually.
RK: Aux Raus Aux Raus

Describe your ideal groupie.
$tM & MM: Wannabeastar!
RK: Aux Raus
Illv: I hate mushrooms!
At: PIZ-ZA-CAL-ZO-NE

Who is the biggest kamikaze pilot among you guys?
MM: Atactic, another dinosaur. All he has to do is look tough.
RK: Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus

Can any of you do a circus trick?
MM: Sjam can pull his teeth from his mouth.
$tM: Mike can pull hairs from his ass.
RK: Aux Raus

What anecdote will you be telling the people in the nursing home in 60 years?
Illv: Piet is a thief.
At: Jan fucks goats.
MM: That we saw dinosaurs once.
RK: Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus
$tM: That we got to go on a circus tour with Rave Grandpa.

What is the strangest thing that happened to you during the Rock ‘n Rave circus?
MM: One time we saw dinosaurs.
$tM: Wat heppens beksteetsj stees beksteetsj.
MM: That dinosaur too.
Ill: Ha ha ha, haven’t laughed like this in a long time.
At: Speak for yourself!
RK: Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus Aux Raus …………………….Aux Raus

The people of Hengelo had a lot of fun dressing up, apparently, and these pictures are proof. They were made by Alex Post, who dressed up like a giant elephant in a bikini by the way. But he couldn’t take a picture of himself because his trunk was in the way.

Saturday it was time for the Rock ‘n Rave Circus to hit Hengelo, and we had to go right through a snow storm to get there. It was so cold we lost our feet along the way. Luckily the people of Hengelo were among the sweetest people we ever met. They gave us some new feet to dance on, and we were so thankful we just wanted to kiss them all. Even the guy with the Hitler mustache. It was a good party, and here are the pics, shot by Alex Post.

Begin 90’s Shirley Hart worked as a club dancer al over the world, like Ibiza’s Pacha and Miami’s Bash. There she was discovered by Joost van Bellen, and she joined his team in the legendary club RoXY in Amsterdam. Now she’s a clown in the Rock ‘n Rave Circus that at one point in the show will blow up like a balloon at a terrorist party. We asked her about dressing up and her crush on the drummer of Diesel:U:Music contest winners The Melomanics.

When is a party a good party and what is your role in it?
Well, the other night I went to Italo Elite, a monthly party in Amsterdam, and when I entered people immediately yelled: “Shirley is in, let the party begin!” I guess that says it all…

How do you like the shiny costume Bas Kosters made for you and would you wear it on a Tuesday morning to buy croissants?
I love it! The other day I was riding my bike back from a promotional photoshoot for the Rock ‘n Rave Circus. I was still wearing the costume and left my make up on. People in the streets were staring at me with an expression that I could only interpret as: “She is not crazy, she just looks very good!” So I would go to the bakery for sure in it, no sweat!

At a certain moment during the night you are wearing a blow-up costume that transforms into a huge bouncing ball. Are you never afraid of exploding and ending up in a thousand pieces?
What a fantastic costume that is! It was made by Nepco (costume designers, specialized in blow-ups, red.) so I am never afraid it will explode. You know what would be great? If I could swing through the venue on a rope in this costume with Joost van Bellen clamped between my legs, wooooeeeeiiii!!

How do you like a party crowd best?
That depends on whether there is a theme or not. Sometimes I am really astonished by the creativity of the public and how they make something of it. For example during a party called Manifesto last year the theme was: financial crisis. I saw this girl dressed like an ATM looking very depressed. That is hilarious and really ads to the whole atmosphere!

Can you describe your ideal groupie?
Haha, well if I can choose, I would go for the boy that climbed up the stage during the opening night of the Rock ‘n Rave Circus in Amsterdam to give me a French kiss. I was so perplexed I couldn’t move for a few minutes and just enjoyed it.

What is it like to be working in an almost all male circus?
They’re all nice boykes. And with some of them I have a really good connection.

Like you have with the drummer of the MeloManics? Might Shii-Chii be a little bit in L-O-V-E?
Ow deary, I am blushing, leave me ALONE!!

Backstage paparazzi photo’s by Mirla Klijn

Which anecdote about the Rock ‘n Rave Circus would you tell your grandchildren 60 years from now?
Listen kids: the way you dress now is how I looked on stage back in the days. Because I believe that how I dress up for an act nowadays is how people will dress for work in 2069.

Photo by Alex Post

MeloManics are the winners of the Diesel:U:Music golden turd, which means they get to travel along with the Rock ‘n Rave Circus now. We talked to their almost unnaturally blond singer Guido about bull fighting.

You won the Diesel:U:Music contest! How did that feel?
We didn’t expect it, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t extatic to receive that golden elephant turd. A certain type of pride came over us. We didn’t play at safe, we played three new tracks and flamed like we never did before. And that was appreciated.

What is MeloManics’ part in a good party?
We’re about two things: going through the roof ourselves and letting other people go through the roof because of our music. Our part is clear in that. Usually a crowd could use a little push, and we give them that.

What kind of audience do you like  best?
Dutch people tend to check out the band or DJ with dead eyes from the side. But secretly everybody wants to go crazy. It’s that moment, the moment when the audience loses all its shame, that’s what we like. Sweet, a bit naughty and no embarassment at all.

In your outfits, made by Bas Kosters, you look like a group of bull fighters that has just visited a vodka brewery. Do they fit you well and are they convenient for doing a gig in?
The outfits are perfect. It’s good you mention the bull fighting, because that’s how we see ourselves, actually. The bulls in the audience have to be tamed. And everytime they think they’ve got us, we turn into a whole new direction. If you look at the set we play at the Rock ‘n Rave Circus, you’ll see that we’re quite diverse. Fucked up rave, an ultimate disco song and two floorfillers to end it. What were we talking about again? Right, the outfits. They fit like a glove, that was what I was saying, and it looks good on stage. The red flag is a little inconvenient sometimes, but the show must go on. The circus band from hell won’t give up that easily!

You were the last ones to enter and complete the circus crew. Were you received with open arms by the rest of the crew, or did you have to clean out the horse stables in the first weeks?
One of the reasons we were added to the circus crew was because our attitude towards music and throwing a killer party is the exact same as Joost and the gang. We want to throw a party together because that is awesome. For us the night isn’t just our set; we’re helping the strongest man in the world, and in the end of the evening I bring a serenade to Joost. It’s a bunch of mutual respect mixed with an elaborate dose of underwear jokes.

What is your favourite groupie like?
Sweet, silent, shy, but in the end he or she will come by to tell us they loved it, and then they’ll leave with a shy giggle and a MeloManics sticker on a random bodypart.

Which of you guys makes the most mistakes?
Everybody makes them, but when it comes to ruining the most important and greatest MeloManics shows, I’m the worst of them all. Tearing up the guitar cord during Lowlands so the guitar got unplugged… For some reason nobody ever said something about it.

Describe every band member in one word.
Jeroen is a sound lab worker. He owned at least 18 different synthesizers, 8 drum computers, 5 compressors and an infinite amount of great little effect machines. I’m a stage animal. Hans is living imagery. He tattood the name of a band that played at his bar on his chest, just because that band paid for the tattoo costs. Put together, we’re music freaks.

What is your greatest trick?
Our greatest trick is our upcoming album, that we’re working on really hard right now. It’s meant to be done at the end of this year. Our new single, Spices, will be out soon too. The video is on MTV regularly already. And it’s hypnotising. We’re not even kidding.

Check out the video:

This Saturday night our circus tour will travel all the way to Hengelo, in the far Eastern side of the Netherlands, to have our little Rock ‘n Rave Circus show there. So people of Hengelo and all of the towns and cities around it: come see the Greatest Circus Show you’ve ever seen and ever will see! We would like it if the people of Germany that are reading this came to Hengelo too! This is your chance to come to Holland and see the circus show for yourself. The show is at the Metropool and will start at 10 pm, and will be your only chance in a long time to dance around in lion vomit. See you there!

The real couples are:

˙ǝldnoɔ pɹıɥʇ :ʍoɹ pɹıɥʇ
˙ǝldnoɔ pɹıɥʇ puɐ ʇsɹıɟ :ʍoɹ puoɔǝs

PHOTO’S BY ALEX POST

Bjorn (23) from Eindhoven can stand on his hands. "In a circus I would be a lion tamer, because it's a tough job with big pussies and burning hoops. And some very pretty assistants."

Teun (29) from Amsterdam is a jumping broccoli. "In a circus, I would feed the animals because I'm a broccoli. Nobody likes broccoli, so I'm here to stand up for this hated vegetable."

Robin (19) from Spaubeek can juggle with beer glasses. "In a circus, I would be an acrobat, so I can swing on the trapeze and fly through the air. Come on, anybody can be a clown, that's not special. But not everybody can be an acrobat."

Manon (22) from Den Bosch can stand on her hands and feet like an upside down dog. "In a circus, I would be a flower tamer. Many flowers are wild, not just animals need taming. I would go on a trapeze with meat eating plants, and walk around with a big watering can full of green tea, and then we all will sing."

Jaleesa (20) from Tilburg is lifted by two unknown guys whilst scratching her head. "In a circus I would like to be an acrobatic dancer that hypnotizes the audience by doing something they would never expect. A bit like I am doing now."

PHOTO’S BY ALEX POST