The League of Sideshow Superstars - Shep Huntly
Words: Andreas Heuer

“I’ve had a couple of coffee’s so shut me up if I’m rambling too much, just move onto the next question”.
It’s about half way through our conversation, that it becomes apparent Shep Huntly likes to talk. Such an affliction can head in one of two directions, often resulting in a tedious and boring conversation, but in Shep’s case it’s positive, uplifting and completely energized. These are the very same motivations behind The League of Sideshow Superstars, Shep’s very own “Extreme Circus” which he’ll be performing with at this year’s Harvest Festivals.
Shep is a busy chap these days, juggling two equally intense jobs, one being an Elite Sideshow Artist and the other a full time Dad, “You know, I set this interview up for this morning because my little girl goes off to play group and it’s one of the only times during the week when I have kid free time [laughs]. People say to me from time to time that what I do on stage is hardcore, and I nod politely, but in my head I’m thinking, not nearly as hardcore as looking after a two year old”.
It goes without saying, but one must wonder if the two year old daughter of a Sideshow Artist Father and Circus Aerialist Mother has shown any inclination of following in her parents footsteps?
“I actually think so, but it’s hard to know at this point. Everything’s potential at her age isn’t it? She’ll likely be an Accountant or Lawyer or something completely different. She did come to a gig last year at the Brisbane Show though, and actually got up and did a couple of acrobatic tricks with me. I’m not sure she’d remember it, she was just over one at the time, but jeez the crowd loved it. I balanced her in my hand so she was standing there with both feet in one hand, then she knocks off my hat, so I turn her upside down so she can pick the hat up, then I swing her back upright so she can put the hat back on my head. The crowd just went ballistic for it”.
So what is The League Of Sideshow Superstars actually all about?
“I suppose the best way to describe it is as an extreme circus and it’s all the stuff you won’t see in Cirque du Soleil. It’s sort of the inbred forgotten second cousin of the circus. It’s tricks that aren’t mainstream and people pushing their bodies in directions that circus performers don’t. It’s not mime and it’s not juggling, it’s hardcore, it’s physical and it’s extremely visceral.
“We’re not in it to gross anybody out, and we’re not in it to have this weird voyeuristic kind of thing, were in it to inspire and create this positive energy, all the time having a good time getting off on these crazy physical stunts”.
It’s about half way through our conversation, that it becomes apparent Shep Huntly likes to talk. Such an affliction can head in one of two directions, often resulting in a tedious and boring conversation, but in Shep’s case it’s positive, uplifting and completely energized. These are the very same motivations behind The League of Sideshow Superstars, Shep’s very own “Extreme Circus” which he’ll be performing with at this year’s Harvest Festivals.
Shep is a busy chap these days, juggling two equally intense jobs, one being an Elite Sideshow Artist and the other a full time Dad, “You know, I set this interview up for this morning because my little girl goes off to play group and it’s one of the only times during the week when I have kid free time [laughs]. People say to me from time to time that what I do on stage is hardcore, and I nod politely, but in my head I’m thinking, not nearly as hardcore as looking after a two year old”.
It goes without saying, but one must wonder if the two year old daughter of a Sideshow Artist Father and Circus Aerialist Mother has shown any inclination of following in her parents footsteps?
“I actually think so, but it’s hard to know at this point. Everything’s potential at her age isn’t it? She’ll likely be an Accountant or Lawyer or something completely different. She did come to a gig last year at the Brisbane Show though, and actually got up and did a couple of acrobatic tricks with me. I’m not sure she’d remember it, she was just over one at the time, but jeez the crowd loved it. I balanced her in my hand so she was standing there with both feet in one hand, then she knocks off my hat, so I turn her upside down so she can pick the hat up, then I swing her back upright so she can put the hat back on my head. The crowd just went ballistic for it”.
So what is The League Of Sideshow Superstars actually all about?
“I suppose the best way to describe it is as an extreme circus and it’s all the stuff you won’t see in Cirque du Soleil. It’s sort of the inbred forgotten second cousin of the circus. It’s tricks that aren’t mainstream and people pushing their bodies in directions that circus performers don’t. It’s not mime and it’s not juggling, it’s hardcore, it’s physical and it’s extremely visceral.
“We’re not in it to gross anybody out, and we’re not in it to have this weird voyeuristic kind of thing, were in it to inspire and create this positive energy, all the time having a good time getting off on these crazy physical stunts”.

You’ve been known to nail uncomfortably large nails through your nipples and proceed to hang car batteries from them via electrified chains, how does one find the motivation to come up with such a stunt?
“The easiest way for me to answer that is it’s whatever you’re into, then that’s what you think about. If you’re into mountain biking say, you walk around thinking about the best way to go down a hill or what the best equipment is to make this jump work. I’m not into mountain biking, so it’s a bad analogy, but you get what I’m talking about. I’m into sideshow, and I’m into extreme physical performance. I think about it consistently, just asking myself, what if I did this? Or how could we do that?”
So if your motivation comes from being into Sideshow, where do you find inspiration?
“Inspiration is really hard to describe, especially when trying to work out where it comes from, but again whatever your into, then that’s what you think about and that’s where I think inspiration, and motivation both come from.
“On a performance level though, my performance style is really a reaction to The Jim Rose Circus. They brought sideshow stunts back into the mainstream consciousness around the early 90’s grunge era. I looked at that and figured they were taking the easy option. They are dirty, they are mucho and they are gross. The easy option is to come out and go, ‘look how fucking hardcore I am’, people buy it and that’s what Jim Rose Circus did. Myself and my friends, we can do that stuff too, but we do it in a much more uplifting, positive, exciting and interesting way.
“On a personal level, I suppose I’m inspired by interesting and creative people doing interesting and creative things. Ultimately that’s a lot of my friends".
“The easiest way for me to answer that is it’s whatever you’re into, then that’s what you think about. If you’re into mountain biking say, you walk around thinking about the best way to go down a hill or what the best equipment is to make this jump work. I’m not into mountain biking, so it’s a bad analogy, but you get what I’m talking about. I’m into sideshow, and I’m into extreme physical performance. I think about it consistently, just asking myself, what if I did this? Or how could we do that?”
So if your motivation comes from being into Sideshow, where do you find inspiration?
“Inspiration is really hard to describe, especially when trying to work out where it comes from, but again whatever your into, then that’s what you think about and that’s where I think inspiration, and motivation both come from.
“On a performance level though, my performance style is really a reaction to The Jim Rose Circus. They brought sideshow stunts back into the mainstream consciousness around the early 90’s grunge era. I looked at that and figured they were taking the easy option. They are dirty, they are mucho and they are gross. The easy option is to come out and go, ‘look how fucking hardcore I am’, people buy it and that’s what Jim Rose Circus did. Myself and my friends, we can do that stuff too, but we do it in a much more uplifting, positive, exciting and interesting way.
“On a personal level, I suppose I’m inspired by interesting and creative people doing interesting and creative things. Ultimately that’s a lot of my friends".

How have The League of Sideshow Superstars dealt with finding a happy medium regarding suitability for a larger audience as well as maintaining your high level of integrity?
“Part of my brief, and I’m going back ten maybe twelve years ago here, back when I first started the Happy Sideshow, was to make sideshow mainstream again. It used to be really popular back around the turn of the century when Barnum and Bailey were huge and so was Major Tom Thumb. These genetic freaks were like the rock stars of their day, so part of the plan was to make sideshow accessible again.
“In The League of Sideshow Superstars we try really hard to make the material palatable to all demographics. Sometimes, and for shows like at Harvest, there won’t be any kids so we can afford to pitch it up a little bit, but generally to make the bread and butter you have to just appeal to everyone.
Why did you choose to focus on Sideshow Performance rather than Circus Performance?
Through my Career I have found is this type of material gets the maximum responses form audiences. I came through the circus, so when I was doing some circus routine that had taken me years to fucking master, people would just clap politely and that was that, but when you are doing sideshow stuff, they get a little bit more involved and they can’t believe what we’re seeing. They respond really loudly and accordingly, which is phenomenal. Also a huge part is the rush you get from it. If there’s a little bit of pain, then it sets your adrenal glands off and you rush, the same reason people do extreme sports I guess.
Often at a show, I’ll see someone cringing, peeking through their fingers and at the same time the person sitting next to them is jumping out of their seat yelling and really getting into it. It’s a really cool feeling and it’s really fulfilling. I truly am so glad that this path has fallen in front of me, and I’ve been given the chance to walk along it”.
How many people are involved with The League of Sideshow Superstars?
“In the show we’re doing at Harvest there’s only four of us and it’s a pretty tight posse, but the beauty of the League is it can change. There’s about ten or twelve elite sideshow artists in Australia, and they have all been in the League at one point or another.
To keep getting gigs though, we have to mix the task up because people who book us all want something new. So I can go and call up someone and get them to do shows, whilst to someone else say they are going to have to take a year off. Mix it up and chop and change, which also helps in keeping it fresh”.
And everyone’s cool with that format?
“Yes, of course! Everyone knows the deal and there’s no favoritism. It’s done so we can all go and keep getting work”.
“Part of my brief, and I’m going back ten maybe twelve years ago here, back when I first started the Happy Sideshow, was to make sideshow mainstream again. It used to be really popular back around the turn of the century when Barnum and Bailey were huge and so was Major Tom Thumb. These genetic freaks were like the rock stars of their day, so part of the plan was to make sideshow accessible again.
“In The League of Sideshow Superstars we try really hard to make the material palatable to all demographics. Sometimes, and for shows like at Harvest, there won’t be any kids so we can afford to pitch it up a little bit, but generally to make the bread and butter you have to just appeal to everyone.
Why did you choose to focus on Sideshow Performance rather than Circus Performance?
Through my Career I have found is this type of material gets the maximum responses form audiences. I came through the circus, so when I was doing some circus routine that had taken me years to fucking master, people would just clap politely and that was that, but when you are doing sideshow stuff, they get a little bit more involved and they can’t believe what we’re seeing. They respond really loudly and accordingly, which is phenomenal. Also a huge part is the rush you get from it. If there’s a little bit of pain, then it sets your adrenal glands off and you rush, the same reason people do extreme sports I guess.
Often at a show, I’ll see someone cringing, peeking through their fingers and at the same time the person sitting next to them is jumping out of their seat yelling and really getting into it. It’s a really cool feeling and it’s really fulfilling. I truly am so glad that this path has fallen in front of me, and I’ve been given the chance to walk along it”.
How many people are involved with The League of Sideshow Superstars?
“In the show we’re doing at Harvest there’s only four of us and it’s a pretty tight posse, but the beauty of the League is it can change. There’s about ten or twelve elite sideshow artists in Australia, and they have all been in the League at one point or another.
To keep getting gigs though, we have to mix the task up because people who book us all want something new. So I can go and call up someone and get them to do shows, whilst to someone else say they are going to have to take a year off. Mix it up and chop and change, which also helps in keeping it fresh”.
And everyone’s cool with that format?
“Yes, of course! Everyone knows the deal and there’s no favoritism. It’s done so we can all go and keep getting work”.
The League of Sideshow Superstars perform at Harvest 2012:
Sat 10th November - Melbourne, Werribee Park
Sun 11th November - Melbourne, Werribee Park - SOLD OUT
Sat 17th November - Sydney, Parramatta Park
Sun 18th November - Brisbane, Riverstage
Tickets for Melbourne's second show, Brisbane and Sydney are on sale now from Harvest Festival, Oztix and Ticketek
More info about Harvest 2012 Arts Program can be found here.