Can't-Keep-Them-Off-the-Street Parade

Linsey Pollak (far left) is renowned for his amazing musical inventiveness and his ability to convert just about anything into a musical instruments. He is also one of Australia's finest instrumentalists and this was his second visit to Cygnet.

In three 90 minute rehearsals Linsey created a Macedonian Gypsy Street Band from a group of local brass and wind players, with driving percussion led by Jessica Ainsworth.

The Black Nonnas, outrageous, black-clad Italian grandmothers, brought an air of Italian-delicatessen-gone-made to Cygnet with flailing small-goods superbly handled and brilliantly choreographed. [No animals were harmed in the making of this parade.]

The male singing ensemble from Melbourne, Gorani took a break from touching the hearts of audiences with their sublime Georgian and Bulgarian harmonies and turned out in striking Bulgarian costumes. They added some juggling while on the march to prove that these men have balls!

Local Country and Eastern Bloc gulag a-go-go singing group, the Kazakstan Kowgerls, in an advance and rear guard brought up the beginning and end of the parade, exerting some post-Soviet discipline where necessary to keep the show on the road ... or off it ... depending on the traffic flow.

Circosis rocked up, striding down the street larger than life and much more than head and shoulders above the crowd to wind up the parade gloriously.