Kicking Off its 2012 Tour in Europe, The Squidling Bros. Circus Sideshow Offers a Fresh, Edgy and Humor-filled Twist on the Classic American Sideshows of the Early 20th Century
The two Philadelphia-based brothers who stepped right up in 2007 and created The Squidling Bros. Circus Sideshow (www.squidlingbros.com) emerged with quirky, unforgettable monikers fitting their one-of-a kind traveling extravaganza. “Matterz Squidling The Impenetrable Music Man” and “Jelly Boy The Clown Squidling” put a fresh, cutting edge 21st Century rock ‘n roll, dare-devilish and burlesque spin on the classic American Sideshows that accompanied traveling circuses in early 20th Century—the era when the Ringlings merged with Barnum & Bailey.
The internationally successful show just wrapped a six week, 22 show U.S. tour and heads back to Europe in early 2012 for performances everywhere from Berlin and Austria to Switzerland, Holland, Slovenia and Croatia. But like the 80-100 shows they perform annually, there’s nothing conventional about the venues the Sideshow plays with its small traveling crew of performers featuring “Betty Bloomerz” and “Penguin,” a classic ‘freak (and proud of it!) covered in tattoos and huge body piercings.
The Squidlings perform at dive bars, art spaces and theatres displaying their comical routines that defy possibility. They have become known for their original innovative approaches to fire arts, pain proof acts upon beds of nails and broken glass and their trademark performance of unusual sword swallowing.
Over the past few years, the Squidling Bros. Circus Sideshow has performed with Primus, Exploited, Prodigy, The National, Circus Contraption, Rev Horton Heat, Mudvayne, Suicide Silence and Merle Haggard. The have also appeared at the Ink N Iron Fest, Bohemian Carnival with the Vau De Vire Society, Sweden Metaltown 2009 in Gotenburg, The Coney Island Rockabilly Festival 2008-10, The World Steam Punk Expo Detroit 2010, Sweden’s Pedal to the Metal Tour 2009 and Opatijske Barufe 2011 in Croatia.
The Squidlings earlier in their career created the gory yet campy horror film “Freakshow Apocalypse.” Set to be distributed by Chemical Burn Entertainment this spring, the fantasy zombie apocalyptic tale also stars renowned, full body tattooed sideshow performer, The Enigma. They are also working on a documentary about their sideshow.
