Last week-end, at the Archeon, the Noorderwind had a show that turned out to be one of my best experience with the group. Here is a short report:

(Picture taken by Eelke Klein.To have a look at the photo gallery of the event, click here)

The MidZomer Fair is a medival/fantasy fair taking place at the Archeon, an attraction par featuring several small historical sections (roman, viking, medieval…). The Noorderwind already had the opportunity to perform show there on several occasions but this time, we were one of the main attraction of the festival. After the success of our “Knight Tournament“at the Goth and Fantasy Beurs and at the MidWinter Fair, we decided to use this show once more at tried to push the interaction with the public a notch further. Judging by the reaction of the public, I think we can call it a success. Not only that, it was a great deal of fun too!

Of course, now that I watched the videos of the show, I can’t help but noticing all the stuff that could be improved (and sadly, there’s a lot) but a show is first and foremost and experience shared by performers (of any kind) and an audience. Based on that, I still thin it was one of our best outing and certainly my best (and most enjoyable) experience so far. It was my first show since I came back from Denmark and I started to get back into shape [1]. I also got the chance the play one of the main character again and, since I don’t think I am very good at being a proud, chivalrous and noble knight, I was the great villain of the show. Violent, dishonest, killing people for fun and laughing at the referee… that was awesome!

The public was organized in sections cheering each for one particular knight and booing the others. Each day, I got to be the most booed and that was even more fun that I thought. I also had some of the loudest supporters and it was really great to walk around and shout at the audience when they were giving such a response back. I have to apologize to a couple of kids who supported me on Saturday and were disappointed by my behavior but I mainly want to thank the people who cheered for me, asked for my signature after the shows, congratulated me etc…  Who knows, maybe some will read this. I am not really used to be recognized once the shows is over and even less to be asked for a dance or such things [2], it really pays off to be a bad guy in the end! I even got to take part in an interview by 4gm. I have no idea when that will be online but I’ll let you know. So, if you didn’t get the picture yet, despite bruises everywhere and a nagging pain in the right knee and the right thumb, I am still Saturday’s show is available in videos if you follow the following links and I thank the German guy who also shot some of my reckless killing compulsions. ^^ Thanks also to all of the Noorderwinds for all the fun and to the people I met during the fair, which was a lovely and unexpected surprise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_g94ZROzmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCt9uN74hUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Lqm5JvQRI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBrQ2Z3_EbI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYIWVFQYS5Y

Last thing, coming back to the name of this article. All the knights of the tournament had “fancy” old medieval sounding names. That’s were it is actually handy to come from an old Celtic region. Goulven du Trégor was not just as name for the occasion.  The Trégor is a region of Brittany were I was actually born and Goulven is my real first name [3]. I guess I can thank my parents for that.

[1] 8 kg lost since February, I’ll stick to my resolutions this time! ^^

[2] I guess I know now what it feels to be like Youval (whom, I think, was the only one to have louder supporters than me on Sunday… and just barely ^^).

[3] For the Record, Goulven is also a small village in North West Brittany, about 50km for where I grew up.