As I begin to pack my grubby little knapsack full of the essential trappings necessary to spend another week in the countries centre of debauchery and deviancy I am forced to reflect upon the journey that brought me here. I guess I’m what you could describe as a Boomtown veteran, I have watched the fair grow from a shindig to a spectacle and I’m proud to say that the core ideology that brings us all together remains the same. The collection of mystical misfits and rampaging revellers that come together at this time is truly one of the most pure and meditative acts of escapism I have ever witnessed, it’s something you can’t help but dive into and I fully intend to jump in fully clothed letting it soak me before falling down on all fours to wallow in the muck of it.
Let’s quickly check the itinerary. Three bottles of rum? Check. A crate of beers? Check. A saucy selection of silly costumes and outfits? Check, check and double check. I have a tent too but it seems secondary to these far more important things. You see before heading off to Boomtown you have to be prepared and the best way to do so is ensuring that you can let your mind wander away from sanity or sobriety, whether you do this with chemical compounds, lots of liquor or by outfitting yourself outlandishly and giving into the child within is up to you, but this is I must stress this is of the up most importance. Boomtown is not a friend of the sane and if you expect to retain any sense of self at all that illusion will be shattered violently upon entry, being deemed “normal” within the confines of the fair will have you outcast so give in now to that twisting, beautiful creature living deep in your soul, let it come out and dance under the pale moonlight with us, we can’t wait to marvel in the stark naked wonder of that repressed beast inside you.
Last year saw the site under the dictatorial control of Mayor Jose and the whispers of an uprising fed the anarchist in us all encouraging a dystopian atmosphere and heightened abandon. It was a bleak and blurry time and if you flared your nostrils in disgust the reeking scent of revolution pierced and pervaded through to your very core. This year the promise of anarchy is a very real one and we can all hope to pick out something truly unique from the destruction and debris. I had at the previous fair seeking greener pastures and perhaps the promise of employment but alas it was not to be, I couldn’t have picked a worse time. This year I think I shall make use of my perhaps overestimated affinity for writing and head straight to the offices of the Boomtown Gazette, see if I can perhaps scam my way into some form of employment.
The fair itself will in all likelihood provide the same dreamlike platform for us all to dance out our demons. The neon glow and ever present pulsing fire plumes of downtown providing a counterpoint to the bright lights and glamour of the uptown swank. This year whilst expecting a much larger crowd the fair has understandably had to limit citizenry and tickets have sold fast, you can possibly still secure a place if you petition through their online registration service and I highly recommend you do, else you’ll be left out and wondering why everyone else is grinning ear from ear like a demented lunatic. The talented roster of musicians is just as drool inducing as always we can’t wait to walk through the gates, see you in there folks.
Words by Ace Freely, Yack’s Boomtown correspondent.
Read a slightly more conventional preview of this years festival here and a review of last year here.
Get your tickets for Boomtown 2016 here.
