SYDMOB #27
Part One

"Cheese"
Back by popular demand……

Make your way towards The Opera House by the way of the promenade in front of "The Toaster". By 1.40 pm, you will be outside The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar (those of you who were at Mob#27 will remember the spot well) Play the tourist, enjoy the view. There will be a Rasta Mob Rep in the vicinity, use this person as a marker.

At 1.45 (or there abouts, all going well) the other mob reps will appear, wearing their Rasta apparel. This is the tricky bit. You need to be within easy "Bounce into photo range", but not be too obvious. The reps will signal "On your mark" by drawing attention to themselves, talking about the view, whilst bumbling for a camera. They will ask a passer-by to take their photo. As the reps take their time, issuing instructions on how to use the camera and pose, jump into the photo, and bellow CHEEEEEEEEEEEESE! (A long drawn out eeee is required). Throw your arms out wide, and smile. Wait for a startled look, and hopefully a pic, and then mock disperse. Head towards the Opera house. On a day like today there should be lots of easy targets.

Keep an eye on the Reps. They will pick a random tourist who is posing for a pic, they will jump into that photo. Be ready to lunge with them. Outrageous poses are encouraged. We will do this several times as the opportunity presents itself.

To signal a disperse, we will pick one couple to "Worship". When the reps throw themselves down in adoration before a tourist crying out "The Messiah! The Messiah", do the same. Genuflect (Oh. Okay, Bow subserviently,) before them. Fall to your knees in awe. Carry on with this till the reps signal the disperse by standing up, saying "They are NOT the Messiah, they are just very naughty people!
Disperse

SYDMOB #29  
Part Two

Jumper

Hey there fire fighters…What?, Who me, you ask? Fire fighter? YES! You! You are a brave and valiant defender of the people today, and you are about to go and save a poor invisible soul who is attempting to leap from a building. By 2:20 you will be within the vicinity of the grassed area at the Quay side of the MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) The mob reps in the Rastafarian hats will be in the area, chatting with companions.

At 2:25 two of the mob reps, will look up, and notice the make believe “Jumper” on a building. THIS IS YOUR FIRST CUE!!!!!! Quick Sticks people!! QUICK!  GET WITHIN RANGE! Drawing attention to the top of the building by pointing etc at the imaginary jumper. The reps will have a small but noticeably urgent conversation. Inspiration will strike, and they will pull a large sheet out of a bag, and begin to hold it between them and their companions as if it were a stunt movie landing pad.

THIS IS YOUR SECOND CUE!! As soon as you see the sheet come out of the bag, run forward looking up at the top of the building. Grab a onto the sheet, or, if there is no room, cluster around and lend support, calling out “Don’t Do it! DON’T DO IT!”, “WE will save you!!”, “We love you!!”

A keystone cops feeling would be cute with this. The mob reps will call out “RIGHT! RIGHT! He’s going right!!” Shuffle, en-mass to your right. (No, not that right, your other right) When they call out “LEFT” Shuffle left.  We will go backwards and forwards a few times until the mob reps start cheering HURRAH! HURRAH! They will throw their hats into the centre of the sheet. Cheer with them. Drop the sheet on the ground and go into an impromptu jig. Dance around linking arms with your fellow mobbers cheering until the mob reps pick up the sheet and disperse.

Hey there Mobbers!

Good job Sydney! What a lot of fun we had!

Great to see so many familiar faces, and so many new faces! Hope you all had a blast. A particular shout out should go to some of our youngest mobbers ,who seemed to get a HUGE kick out of hurling themselves into the mayhem of the day. We LOVE having kids along to a mob. Good on the Mums and Dads who make flashmobbing a weekend treat!

So, what did we do? Due to overwhelming demand, we brought “Cheese” out of the cupboard to give it another whirl. Always a huge crowd pleaser, that one. The confusion, trepidation and laughter we cause is really what mobbing is all about.

The second mob was a bit different from things we have done in the past. The scenario being that we see an imaginary “Jumper” about to hurl themselves off the Museum of Modern art. Quick thinking individuals produce a huge sheet of cloth from their back pack, and are rapidly joined by 50 or so helpers, holding the fabric taught, running backwards and forwards, shouting things like “Don’t do it!” “We’ll save you” We probably looked not unlike a work of modern art ourselves.

The sheet was dropped, a quick “Reel, or Jig was engaged in, and we dispersed, back to the Orient for a few drinks and some laughs. A big hello to the German tourist who realised she had witnessed a flashmob, and came chasing after us to express the joy she felt at having seen one.

Some very kind shutterbugs promised pictures of the day, which have not got here yet, so a general plea. If you have some photos to share, please send them to mal@sydmob.com or tempest@sydmob.com we are a little short of images from this event.

The next mob will be Next Saturday the 19th of March. It will be a CBD thing, around midday. See you there!