SYDMOB #21 Saturday, 21st August 2004 - 1st Birthday --- Yippeee --- Approx participant count: 70 +

Emailed Instructions

SYDMOB #21 Our 1st Birthday Bash

BRING A BANANA!

On the afternoon of Saturday 21st of August, you should have already synchronized your watch to the time of the Telstra clock available by calling 1194

By 1:00pm you should be in the inner city. Go to Herald Square at Circular Quay (lots of funky sculptures) This runs between Pitt and George Street, along Alfred Street. Corner of Alfred & Pitt Street. (UBD Page 1 ref 12 H)

The Mob Reps will be present at this location only between 1:15pm and 2:00pm

Within that vicinity locate the Mob Rep, who has a fluffy neck. Once found, say "I have a Banana, and I am not afraid to use it" you will then receive your instructions. The rep will direct you to a second party, to pick up your mystery item.


Move away, read your instructions, then follow them
 

 

Script Instructions - This Flashmob is in two parts....c

SYDMOB #21 - 1    Looking Good

Flip a coin. If it is tails, you are to follow the lead of the female mob rep, if it is heads follow the lead of the male rep.

By 2.15 pm you will have found your way to Playfair Street in the Rocks. (Off Argyle Street, this is the street that leads past the Lowenbrau Keller, through to the markets.) Casually admire the shop windows, stroll about a little, if there is a band, listen to them for a bit. Keep your scorecards concealed within a newspaper, handbag, under your jumper, where ever.  Keep your eyes out for the mob reps, who will enter Playfair street from the Argyle street end, and begin to make their way down the mall. Follow VERY discreetly..

At 2.17, the 2 mob reps will assume a position directly opposite one another, with a fair bit of a walkway in between them. They will take out their scorecards. This is your cue to line up beside them, as if we are on either side of a fashion catwalk. If you are following the female rep's lead, line up on her right hand side, if you are following the male line up on his left. Leave a bit of room between one another, and do not block shop doorways.

The aim is to form a crowd who are cheering on competitors in say, a beauty contest or fashion stakes. As people go past, hold up a scorecard. Yell encouragement. Hoo Baby! Looking Good! Gorgeous! Hubba Hubba! HOT! You are HOT! Work it bay! Work it! Whistles etc.

Applaud anyone, especially those who enter into the spirit of the thing and play up for us. We are cheering on both men and women, and NO-ONE gets a bad score. Give them all happy excited signals. Give them encouragement! Call out "Work It !", "Strut your stuff", "You are gorgeous" etc. It is a "Feel Good " vibe we are after, we don't want to scare anyone! Some of you may even feel inclined to walk down the line for a bit of encouragement yourselves. If you do, Strut it! Vamp it, blow kisses etc.

Approximately three mins after the line up started the mob reps will wander off. This is your cue to disperse.
 

SYDMOB #21 - 2 Banarama

You are a secret agent! Well, you always knew you had it in you, didn't you?

By 2:55 you will have made your way to Pitt St Mall. Locate yourself as close to the entrance to Sky Gardens as reasonable. Look wary, eye people around you very suspiciously (Especially if you think they are fellow mobbers.) Be Alert AND Alarmed is the motto here folks.

At 2:57 the mob reps will move towards the centre of the mall. Their Banana phone (which is on silent) will ring in their pocket. They will begin a loud conversation into the banana. This is your cue to talk on your banana phone.

You are getting information that there are people with banana guns in the area. You can loudly say things like: "Where? Here In the Mall? How many? I need back up! I need back up! Call Headquarters THIS MINUTE!! Etc etc".

Then, your Banana phone is now a weapon. Look around you quickly and efficiently. You are a professional. Either duck and scurry between cover, or assume a Dirty Harry stance. Locate people with guns, or without, and have a shoot out!

Approximately three mins into the shoot out, the male rep will yell "It's Gunna BLOW!!!" and run towards a garbage bin, to safely dispose of his banana. This is your cue to blow the heat off the end of your gun, holster your weapon and disperse. Feel free to give your bananas to the homeless. Not millions to one person, of course, but a couple may be appreciated

Rock On Australia?
You bet!

 Hey there Mobbers. What can we say? As always, you guys ROCK!  Sydney turned on glorious weather for us, and we came out in force to baffle the public. The inventiveness of people telling me they had a banana was a riot. Loved the guy who came up, flashed his jacket open at me and said “Don’t make me have to use this” Then there was the woman who said “I have a whole bag of bananas, and for the life of me, I can’t think WHAT we will be doing today.

 One of the side amusements was the increasingly suspicious fruit seller located not to far from the pick up point, who sold a heap of single bananas to dubious looking characters. This was noted by our Bathurst contingent, who got out of bed at 6 am to make the schlep to Sydney, just to flashmob. Ian and Sue, you guys show true dedication. Good onya dudes!

The first flashmob was a bit of a surprise, in that no bugger was prepared to run the gauntlet of our cheering and encouragement. I was very pleased we had thought to throw in a “Walk the aisle yourself” bit, or it may have been a very lonely catwalk indeed! It certainly had a ”Feel Good” vibe though, and, as Mal said. If ever you are going to have to run a gauntlet of appraisal, that would be the best one you will ever do!

So, then it was on to Pitt Street Mall, which is rapidly becoming a favoured flashpoint. We can always count on a crowd, and there are plenty of exits to enable a smooth disperse.

Mal and I led the charge, with the yelling into our Banana phones, screaming for back up. That in itself drew laughter from passers by, but then it was on! Bananas being drawn all over the place, and used with deadly effect. I had, in a flash of misguided genius, decided that if I was going to be a spy, I needed to look the part. What on earth was I thinking? Since when is running in stilettos and a corset a good idea? Shhheeeesh! It nearly killed me!

Anyway, ducking and covering and shooting innocent bystanders, we made our merry way all over the Mall. It was looking deadly, bodies all over the place, hostages being held, when Mal yelled “It’s Gunna BLOWWWW!”  and legged it down the Mall like a maniac. Banana outstretched. Disperse was so quick and well done, I did not even see it. We shall have to see how it looked on Mondo Thingo I guess.

So, battle fought, off we went to The Cat and Fiddle to catch up, and to see the excellent job the crew did on Mob Mentality. I suspect that, judging by the quality of their work, we will be able to say. “I knew those guys before they were famous!”  Well done guys. You deserve every success.

I must add, whilst on the subject of the Cat and Fiddle, that it was dammed good of Tim to grant us access to his projector, and It was a real pleasure meeting all the new mobbers. Especially the Rovers, who are wildly enthusiastic about mobbing. There will be hordes of young men and women joining us at future mobs. That has to be a good thing!

So, stay tuned! Don’t forget Mondo Thingo at 10 pm Thursday the 2nd of September, and make a note of  Sunday the 11th, which will be our next flashmob.


XO Mal & Tempest

MOB IMAGES

                 

Thanks to The fabulous Geoff Fraser,

who is rapidly becoming Official Photographer for the mob and to Ray Falzon. He of "OH GOD Falzon! Are you lost AGAIN?" fame

VIDEO FOOTAGE (and other media)


Listen to Triple-J's Hack reporter Ali Benton story on GFM#2 - Click Here

In the near future we may have some video footage and/or audio for you too take a look at...stay tuned.....

As always, any other footage or photos people wish to contribute is more then welcome.