Dollman Disco, ‘Sherry Trifle’, New Years Eve 2006 Celebrations Dollman style … The Vines Ballroom, Liverpool, England.
Written by Gaynor Evelyn Sweeney – 03 January 2007
Photographs by Tony Knox
Gary Sollars produced another wonderful Dollman Disco, titled ‘Sherry Trifle’ for New Years Eve celebrations. The popularity of his events have earned him cult status, as people travelled from as far as London to Liverpool to share in this extraordinary experience.
The evening commenced with a selection of Dollman music, mixed by Sollars to cater for all tastes from the popular to the archaic. The impetus, as always by Sollars, is ‘Fun’, with a capital. Although saying this, the night is one that has evolved from his concepts and philosophies as a visual artist and painter. Similarly, he takes the contemporary, fuses it to realise something exceptional. Dollman Disco is not only a social event, but something where everyone can share and experience in an array of live art and performance events in a social and cultural platform with eccentric characters mingling with the crowds. The wild and wonderful of bizarre and intriguing performances and games through out the night.
There was a performance from Kitty O’Shea (aka Catherine Shea) singing out her heart. She also did a keep-fit routine to Sex Pistols with cigarette in one hand and inhaler in the other. Dressed very pink, she encouraged the audience to join with her punk aerobics.
A temporary ring was set up with one side a large torch and another a nest with eggs in it. Entered the Funkadelic Chicken (George Lund) and Moth Man (Tony Knox) with the Octopus (Agata Alcaniz) as referee. The Chicken and the Moth fought with large hammers in attempt to reach either the eggs or the light respectively. The bout was mayhem with the audience shouting on and a raucous of laughter at this peculiar vision.
In the evening, I moved around the audience, either as usherette or simply being, not the usual bunny girl, but something in red (I stole the wig from Ronald MacDonald).
Dollman and Sean Kenny did a marvellous duet. The audience joined into the rendition and the ceiling lifted with an immense round of cheers and applause.
Dan Inch did a performance to a rock song wearing a dark suit, shirt and tie, with a distorted mask of US President Bush. He undulated and writhed to the blasts of the rock music and then disrobed to underneath reveal tassels on his nipples and a puppet head of UK Prime Minister Blair. The audience were in hysteria and laughter at the performance.
Two frequent guests to Dollman Disco (Gordon and Paula) arrived dressed as outlandish, but spectacular, characters, something that reminds me from Japanese Manga or Anima. One in an explosion of black and white poka-dot fabric, including the face, with a mass of black hair and a hybrid of a Scouse-Geisha. I thought “Vivian Westwood eat your heart out!