April 7, 2015 - Beginning in the early 2000s the SuicideGirls have been putting on their acclaimed and sold-out Blackheart Burlesque shows across the United States. They've opened for legendary acts including Guns and Roses as well as Courtney Love, and eventually conquered Europe and Australia where they opened for music festivals.
To be honest, I haven't been legal for too long, so I am unaware of how often the ladies have come to Vancouver but I had gone for my second time when they arrived on April 2nd at the Rickshaw Theatre. To sum up what the performance entails, it is a blend of sex-positivity, raw energy and humour - drawing their satirical dances from pop-culture references such as Game of Thrones, 50 Shades of Grey and Star Wars. Much of the choreography was put together by Manwe Sauls-Addison, whose clientele has included Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and the fame monster, Lady Gaga. Essentially, it is a paradox of sexy and geeky; a night of fun for anyone who has loved the look of the "bad girl" to know that they're just like us!
The lineup changes depending on locale, but on the Canadian leg of the tour, Sunny Suicide (all the girls have a persona followed by Suicide, as their names) was hosting with Radeo DJ-ing. The other dancers included Whiskey, Liryc, Cadorna, Mahneeguh and Peneloppe. A lot of the local girls came to support too, so it was nice to meet others such as Ceres and Stormyent. Here's a quick pic of the crew that I caught:
The Rickshaw doesn't have the best lighting situation, presenting a challenge but a very rewarding payoff. Let me know in the comments if you can get all the pop-culture references! You can click on the photos to enlarge them :). Gear list at the bottom for you photo junkies.
Gear List:
- Nikon D610 using 24-70 2.8, 50 1.4
- Nikon D7000 using 10.5 2.8 fisheye, 35 1.8, 70-200 2.8