Amazing spin on circus brilliance

Prepare to be amazed when 360 Allstars, a modern and awe-inspiring reinvention of the traditional circus, arrives at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre next week.

Created by Australian musical maestro Gene Peterson, 360 Allstars replaces clowns, trapeze artists and magicians with breakdancers, a basketball freestyler and a BMX flatlander, among others, creating a jaw-dropping spectacle that must be seen to be believed.

Binding the show together is an underlying theme of rotation, with all the acts and even the accompanying live music featuring an imaginative take on the repetitive.

Perth-based live looper Sam Perry teams up with Peterson to create a wide variety of innovative soundscapes using little more than his voice, a microphone and a guitar pedal.

“All of the music in 360 Allstars is created live using an effects pedal and a looping station,” Perry said.

“Gene is an incredible drummer and keyboardist and he lays the foundations of the music which I then put on a loop and build on using just my voice.”

“It’s pretty challenging because we’re 10m away from each other in a dark room, but it works really well to create specific atmospheres for the show.”

After just three weeks of rehearsal beginning at the end of February, 360 Allstars hit the road on a national tour and has so far enjoyed a rapturous reception all over the country.

“Gene is the mastermind behind the whole thing and recruited everyone involved over the internet through social media and email,” Perry said.

“We all met up in Brisbane and immediately started putting a show together.

“The performers are all world class acts and able to improvise a lot of what they do, so it was really just up to Gene and I to lay down a consistent sound and let them go for it.”

The result is a showcase of some of Australia’s and the world’s most talented acts, including a world champion breakdancer, internationally acclaimed basketball freestyler and two time world champion BMX freestyler.

Sam Perry and the rest of 360 Allstars will be at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre for shows at 1pm and 7pm on Wednesday May 22.