Questions we get asked all of the time.
We mean ALL of the time.

What is the trick to the things you do? The sideshow stuff…It is all a trick right?
Would you consider a gymnast doing a triple back flip a trick? Then yes…We do tricks. It’s not magic, but a carefully learned skill. We prefer to think of what we do as stunts.

Nothing you do is a trick?
Ok…We usually throw in ONE magic trick per show, and it is rarely the same one. Chances are, you won’t even notice it. Here’s your clue. We will not lie to you from stage. If we say “This is a pile of glass” it is a pile of broken glass. If we say “This is a bed of 6 inch long nails” then it is a real bed of 6 inch long nails. If we say “No…Those pants don’t make your bum look fat.” We might just be being nice, but they probably do not make your bum look fat.

If we just come out and say “Watch this…” or nothing at all…It MIGHT be a trick. It still might be real, but you never know!

Is Sylver the assistant or what? I mean…The girl is always the assistant, right?
You should start running now. She’s small, but she’s fast. Ooh…And she bites.

Seriously…Each of us has about the same number of skills as the other, and most of the stunts either of us can do. We each have our own variations, but the basic framework of stunts is the same. We’re partners.

Does she really bite?
Yes. You really should still be running.

Is that real fire?
No…Our show is sooo insanely successful, we hired Industrial Light and Magic to add it in with state of the art holographic lasers. Those guys are good.

Ugh.

Yes. It is real fire. Ask Sylver to show you some of her scars.

But is it COLD fire?
What the heck is COLD fire? Fire burns…That is what it does. Paper bursts into flames at 451 degrees Fahrenheit. That is a relatively low temperature. Did you ever touch a rack inside an oven set to 350? You get burned. Heck, you get blistered from boiling water, and that is only 212 degrees. The fire you see on any of our fire tools is somewhere around the 1200 degree range.

But Sylver covers her arms and the inside of her mouth with stuff to protect her from the fire, right?
Yes. It’s called skin. When she performs, she is absolutely covered in human skin. That is her only protection from the fire. If she burned that off, she’d be in real trouble.

There are no chemicals that can protect human skin or the inside of the mouth from fire. The only things that come close are goopy gels that get slathered on a quarter inch thick. If she was using that, you’d be able to see it. If she was using it in her mouth, she’d be throwing up. It’s toxic.

Does it hurt?
Umm…Let’s work this out. 1200 degree fire on bare skin, we mentioned scars…We’re going to go with yes. Yes, fire hurts. To quote that great philosopher Frankenstein-

“Fire Baaaad! ”

What fuel are you using? It’s (Alchohol, Gasoline, insert other random flammable substance here) isn’t it?
No…we actually use water. Really…If you want to try it, use water. Yep…Right out of the tap. Go…Try it now!! It’s amazing.

Do you breathe fire?
Neither of us breathes fire. It is simply too dangerous to do. There are risks associated that are far greater than just lighting your hair on fire. The chemicals themselves are poisonous, and the flames can backdraft into the lungs. It can kill you easily.

Well I saw this bartender do it, and he just used alcohol. He said it was perfectly safe.
He is an idiot. Not a professionally trained idiot like us. Just an idiot.

Will you teach me?
No. Fire Bad. Weren’t you listening to Frankenstein?

Ok…Enough about fire stuff.
How do you walk on broken glass or lie down on a bed of nails?
Very carefully.

No…Really.
Ok…Really very carefully.

…?
Fine. We’ll tell you- It takes training from a professional and a lot of practice.

You are a professional…Will you teach me?
No. We are performers, not teachers. You will need to find one of your own. If you are serious, we might be able to help you find one though.

Besides…I don’t think Frankenstein would want you to do this either.

Ok…So you won’t teach me. Does it hurt?
Only when we make mistakes. Then it hurts a lot. Blood is never intentional in our shows, but it does occasionally happen. So if you see blood, don’t applaud. We screwed up.

Does Gwyd really hammer a nail up his nose?
Yep. It clears out the sinuses. He will also stick a miniature sword, glowstick bracelets, screwdrivers, fiber optic flashlights, the bow of a pair of glasses and a running drill up his nose. He spends a lot of his time wondering…”Can I stick that up my nose?”
Right now, he really wants to stick a live penguin up his nose. He hasn’t figured that one out yet.

How?
He knows the inside of his head like you know the back of your hand. It is all about anatomy. He also picked his nose a lot as a kid.

Will you teach me?
Why on earth would you want to learn that? I mean…Eeew. It is definitely not going to help anyone pick up girls or impress friends at a party. It’s just weird.

Even Frankenstein knows not to shove stuff up his nose.

What is with all of the Frankenstein stuff?
It’s called a running gag. You can bring back a gag up to three times before it loses its humor.

Will you teach me how to pull off a running gag?
No. It’s too dangerous. Nothing is more painful than dying on stage.

So…How did you guys get into all of this stuff?
Gwyd was traveling alone through the dark arboreal forests of a small European nation called Sonovavitch, when he came upon a tribe of petit, pale skinned, red headed Amazon women. He was captured and taken to their queen. In order to win her respect he was forced through many terrible trials like walking on broken glass, sleeping on beds of nails and watching seasons one and two of “Flavor Of Love” in a 24 hour marathon. Finally, he won her respect by shoving a small jungle cat up his nose. So impressed was she, that she agreed to accompany him back to civilization to become a performer herself as Sylver Fyre.

See our Bios section for the real story.

Oh…and Frankenstein made us do it.

 

A Serious Note About Fire Safety

The performers in Knotty Bits have extensive training in Fire Safety, fire management and first aid. We have worked as professional fire performers both in indoor and outdoor venues. We work with venue owners and local fire marshals to ensure that their show is as safe as it can possibly be. We do not take risks with ourselves, our audience or with the venue itself. We have never had an incident.
Simply put-

If we don’t feel it is safe, we won’t do it.

To view the safety guidelines we follow as the standard that should be used by any fire performer, go to http://www.nafaa.org/nafaa_safety.html

As of April 25th, 2007, our fire performer’s insurance policy with First Specialty Insurance Corp is active (Through the Clowns of the US insurance program). Information on the policy is available on request.

Please feel free to contact us about any questions concerning fire performing and fire safety.