Grotesque | Alison

Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce the wonderful world of “Grotesque Burlesque”!

This art form, otherwise and more derogatorily known as the “Side Show”, has been a fascination of mine ever since I discovered the art of tattooing. I have no tattoos, mostly because I also have no money, but my boyfriend has several and in the past few years I have become obsessed with them. I’ve researched and studied every type of tattoo I could find and of course, as the leaf littered path leads into the woods, I’ve moved on to more “extreme” art works. “Grotesque Burlesque” is a group of performance artists who perform to shock. They themselves have been known to use the term “side show” or “freak show” when discussing what they do. They have mastered the arts of sword swallowing, fire eating, and the infamous “Bed of Nails”. Others have simply put a spin on the original “Tattooed Lady”. There is a debate on who is the most tattooed person in the world, but it is generally accepted that the only two competitors are The Lizard Man(Erik Sprague) and The Enigma who both have full body themes, and suits. Please check out their websites, you won’t be disappointed, disturbed maybe, but not disappointed.

I’d also like to introduce you to my personal favorite performer: Lucifire. She is a headlining act in “The Grotesque Burlesque” doing everything from traditional singing burlesque to standard freak show acts. However, she is best known for her industrial acts. In her “main attraction” she wears a metal body suit and uses an angle grinder to throw sparks into the audience and all over herself. She is also one of the first performers to implement a now growing art form, suspension. Six to eight piercings or hooks are placed in the back and the artist is hung from them. Odd, beautiful, and probably psychotic, she is the epitome of grotesque.