Posted on by

‘Greg, the redhead, bought a sousaphone so then we decided to make it an official band. People were loving it so then we kept going and started getting offers for gigs. We’re lucky now, we’ve got a bit of a following especially for the busking thing. We can start huge dance parties in the street. It’s awesome – we love it!’

What’s one of the best things that’s happened while you’ve been busking?

‘We were marching down Crown Street in Surry Hills. A lot of the pubs there are double story and people were throwing money off the top. We had our girlfriends there with buckets catching the money. A guy gave us a $100 note once too. That was pretty cool.’

Posted on by

‘I’ve been studying music at the Conservatorium. I’ve actually got my graduation this afternoon.’

If you could describe the trumpet as a human, how would you describe it?

‘Like a drunken boxer – it feels like getting punched in the face a bit. It’s like mashing a piece of plumbing in to one of the softest bits of my body.’

Have you ever been punched in the face?

‘Yeah… It’s got its comparisons.’

 

Posted on by
‘My philosophy in life is to live life to the fullest, to love and be empathetic and to spread that.’
Can you tell me about a time when you’ve found it difficult to be empathetic?

‘Recently I was on a train and I was in a lot of physical pain – I had a bad injury to my leg. I sat down in the area for disabled people and someone was actually racing me to the seat. I ended up getting there first b…ut they got very angry with me. The way that they talked to me was very sad. Looking at me, you couldn’t tell that I was injured and that person wouldn’t know. To be understanding of their anger as well while still feeling my pain and not lashing out at them was really difficult.’

What kind of message would you give to someone like that?

‘Think twice. There might be a reason as to why someone is doing something. Sometimes you don’t need to question them just go with it.’

Posted on by
‘I love that it’s a sport for women that’s about contact. I didn’t know that was an important thing to me until I started playing. Full contact sports like this where women are physically supporting one another, standing in the way of someone else, protecting them. It’s really wonderful. I’m really proud to be a part of it.’

What does that do for women?

‘Women are strong and we can protect one another. We can protect and defend ourselves. Derby’s not about violence. It’s a game about strategy. When I see two blockers protecting their jammer, I actually do get a bit teary. I get a bit emotional about it. It means a lot. I don’t want to paint Derby as a violent sport because it’s not. It’s about strategy.’

If you could describe Roller Derby as a person, how would you describe them?

‘I’d say they’re feisty and never say die but they’ve got a really big heart. They care about their friends but they’re dedicated and focused and they work hard.’

Do you think that ties in with Jackie O?

‘Yeah, I think it does. She’s an incredibly strong woman. She has amazing style. Derby is all about having your own style!’

How would you describe the partnership with the Inner West League and Young Henrys?

‘It’s just a really great opportunity for us to hook up with a crowd that know how to get the Inner West people together which is what we really want people to do as well . We just want people to understand what Derby is as a game and how much fun it is and come and support their local team.’