FRINGE WORLD FESTIVAL

Spiegeltent Seduction

The Fringe World Festival runs from Sunday, January 29, ’til Sunday, February 19. For the full program of events hit up fringeworld.com.au.

Roll up, roll up, the Fringe World Festival is about to hit Perth, and it’s bringing with it a rag-tag bunch of performers who will excite, amaze and confront audiences. In addition to the beautiful Spiegeltent, Fringe World will also take in a number of other venues across town in 2012, including the Art Gallery Of WA, the Perth Centre For Photography, The Treasury, The Blue Room Theatre, the Northbridge Piazza, and many more.

During the Festival there will be plenty of events on offer, suitable for young and old, including cabaret, circus, comedy, dance, music, theatre and visual arts. Read on for our top picks from the jam-packed program.

Neil Watkins in The Magical Year Of Wanking
Performer Neil Watkins has a healthy sexual appetite, and wanks more than most of us can comprehend. Combine that with a Jesus complex and you’ve got one hell of a Fringe World show. He’s been nominated for the Best Performer and Best New Play award at the Dublin Fringe Festival, so you can be sure this guy knows how to captivate a crowd. Neil Watkins will take centre stage at the Metcalfe Playhouse from Tuesday, January 31, ’til Saturday, February 11.

Barry Morgan in Barry Morgan’s World Of Organs
If you love organs of the musical variety, then you won’t want to miss out on Barry Morgan’s hilarious romp into the world of the 1980s Hammond Aurora Classic. A patron of the safari suit, Barry Morgan puts the ‘boss’ in bossanova. Season runs from Friday, January 27, ’til Saturday, February 11, at the Perth Town Hall.

Meow Meow in Feline Intimate
A diva in the true sense of the word, Meow Meow knows how to work a room, seducing onlookers with her unique brand of exotica performance art. Loved by critics and punters alike, Meow Meow is a prize winning cabaret star who is sure to get the Spiegeltent sizzling with Feline Intimate. Meow Meow’s Fringe World season runs from Tuesday, January 31, ’til Sunday, February 12.

The Wau Wau Sisters in As Naked As The Day They Were Born
Returning to Perth after wowing audiences with their inaugural Fringe World visit in 2011, the sexy ladies known as The Wau Wau Sisters are set to confront the west once more with their sly and seductive show - As Naked As The Day They Were Born. Expect the unexpected, and a whole lot of nudity. As Naked As The Day They Were Born runs from Thursday, February 2, ’til Thursday, February 9, at the Spiegeltent.

Tim Watts in Pollyanna
Fresh from a season of The Adventures Of Alvin Sputnik at the State Theatre Centre, Tim Watts returns to the stage with Pollyanna, a theatrical event that promises to be as immersive as it is engaging. Audiences play the part of a guest at a surprise party, witnessing secret scenes, while the protagonist is nowhere to be seen. Season runs at The Treasury from Wednesday, February 15, ’til Saturday, February 18.

BALLS OF STEEL

Hair metal throwbacks Steel Panther are “more infectious than a bad case of herpes” and they’re set to bring the love back to Perth this year. After rocking the main stage of Soundwave back in March, the LA rockers will hit the stage of Metro City on Wednesday, October 10.

RIDE WITH ME

Do you remember what you were doing in 1992? Well, Mark Gardener does: he had just released the masterpiece Going Blank Again with his British alt-rock group Ride. To celebrate that momentous year, Gardener is heading to Australia on an acoustic tour where he will revisit some of that shoegaze classic as well as other hits from across his career.

BAKED SALMON

With his name synonymous with The Scientists, The Surrealists, Beasts Of Bourbon, and oh so many more, Kim Salmon is one of the most influential musicians ever to have cut their teeth Perth. He promises to “guitarfuck” Perth when he drops by The Bakery on Saturday, July 28.

SKY’S THE LIMIT

Combined their talents on full length album Songs Of The Southern Skies, Katie Noonan and Karin Schaupp are now joining forces for an Australian tour. The album features contributions from the likes of artists Iva Davies, Gurrumul, The Living End’s Chris Cheney and heaps more.

GROWING UP

You may have seen them on the Rage couch over the weekend, but you will have to wait until August until you see them again. They are Melbourne rockers Children Collide and they’ve just released their third album Monuments.

SKULL CANDY

Fresh from the announcement that On The Bright Side is taking a year off, we get one more Splendour In The Grass sideshow announcement. UK trio Band Of Skulls are returning to our shores for their Sweetening Up Winter tour and they will step into The Bakery on Monday, July 23,

SMILING POLITELY

It’s official: there is not going to be an On The Bright Side festival in Perth this year, but we can tell you that at least one of the Splendour In The Grass headliners is making their way to Perth in 2012! The Smashing Pumpkins are true survivors of the ‘90s grunge movement.

WAKE ME UP

After pulling the pin on his proposed stop in WA earlier this year due to a stirring bout of pneumonia, George Michael has announced dates to make up for it, including a stop in WA which will go down in history.