Nautical but Nice | Ruckus Slam

Yo ho ho and a barrel of fun. Ruckus Slam, purveyors of poetry, cabaret and alt-arts for the indie kids of Brisbane, have delivered another sterling production in their most ambitious venue to date. Nautical but Nice was presented as part of Anywhere Festival, which is fast becoming Brisbane's most-loved performing arts festival, filling the space where a fringe festival would normally fit, but also taking it next level by activating all the nooks and crannies of our river town.

Set in what is possibly the most amazing location in Brisbane, it was literally under the giant battleship at the Maritime Museum. Yes, to get into the gig you had to walk to the far side of the parklands, cross through a chainlink fence and descend two flight of stairs until you were literally in the dry dock. The massive metal boat above us was something else. Something about the proximity and the sheer size of the hull just made the space electric. And of course, you are literally below the level of the river, with a dam holding back the brown snake from filling the space.

The set was a mashup of performing arts, from a fab open mike (gosh there's some talented peeps in our community), to some emo sea shanties, and a highly energetic set by The Mailbox Crew. My personal favourites were Ethel the middle-aged mermaid and her lady-crab companion, who entertained the crowd by throwing fish at them and general heckling the hell out of people.

Another highlight was the sensual performance by Miss Bubbles who has started performing some adults-only UV bubble shows, taking an innocent past-time into a whole new arena of awesome.

Smashing night by a smashing crew, the crowd loved it and the dancin' kept us warm on a cold night in May. That and the rum. Ahoy me hearties.