The Town Bikes - Milk

@ 45downstairs

Thursday, 24 th August 2006

WARNING! LACTATION IN YOUR EYE!

I was looking forward to this show heaps as I hadn’t seen the Town Bikes perform since Melbourne BBQ Day last year and even though I had kept in touch via email it is not the same.

Another reason I was looking forward to the show was that it was the first time the Town Bikes were going to do an extended performance as show of it’s own as I am used to seeing them perform in between bands and as backup dancers.

While I usually take my camera to any shows I go to, I decided not to this time as it was in an art gallery and I didn’t know if they would let me. I also wanted to have fun just watching the show.

I knew there were going to be heaps of people there as I saw an ad in the Herald Sun for it last week. Luckily I booked my ticket last week, as there were quite a few people who turned up on the night and were turned away,

Mingling with the crowd before the show and introducing the show was Nanna Doris. She is like any nanna you see down the shops, but she has some strange hobbies like dieing babies with jelly, insulting cripples and getting it on with coma patients. Some lucky audience members even got some of her shopping straight from her green Coles bag.

The Town Bikes have lots of routines, but this show was all new with some highlights from their past routines that you would notice if you are a fan of theirs. There are so many new things in this show it is difficult to know when to start.

There is even a set for this show with snow covered mountains, apple trees and fake grass down the front. There were other props around the stage that I didn’t see until after the show.

The costumes they come out in are great – red PVC dresses with Friesian cow pattern chaps and horns. Gabi had cheeky stumpy horns and Carla has long skinny horns.

After Carla sprays milk everywhere, they change into the milkmaid costumes we all know and love and the show really takes off. It was a very energetic and funny show and I highly recommend it if they ever decide to stage it again.

The soundtrack was also great, with lots of high energy music and sound effects, including some from 1930’s Warner Bros. Blooper reels (I remember that video had a cow’s backside in it – hmmm), Looney Tunes and lots of other pop culture references.

After the show I got to give Carla & Gabi a big hug, but I didn’t stay as they had heaps of people to talk to and were really busy. I even bought some of their merchandise including a bag of milk bottles and a farm in a bottle. Other things for sale included their popular t-shirts and calf supports (fnarr!)

The Town Bikes will be judging the Burlesque Battle Royale II next week so hopefully I will get to say hello again. I would have liked to see them in that show, but having seen their performance this week it more than makes up for it.

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