Fri 10 Sep 2010 In: New Zealand Daily News View at Wayback View at NDHA
It was an absolute ball for the crowd which rolled into the Rydge's Ball Room on Queenstown's lakefront to see the Topp Twins last night. Sam Neill, who has his Two Paddocks winery in nearby Gibbston, was sitting in the front row, and got up and danced along with everyone else when Jools and Lynda called for crowd involvement. The twins paid tribute to the actor him as “royalty”, mentioning his presence at the end of the show. Can you spot Sam Neill?! Neill giggled and chortled along with everyone else in the mixed crowd, which included a range of people from gay Swiss bankers and Sydney animal lovers who are in Queenstown for Gay Ski Week, to locals who simply love the Topp Twins. The pair's humour proved to be universal, with their hi-jinks and hilarity cracking everyone up, from Camp Mother's invisible poi technique and yodelling lessons to the Kens and their unending dirty wit, The twins are at their best when they adlib, questioning people in the crowd then playing off their responses, asking who among the gay men was in Queenstown to actually ski then summating “let's face it, you're all here to get pissed and get laid!” Crowd member Sam, who works in promotions for the Manhunt website in Sydney, was picked on to carry Camp Mother off the stage and lead the audience in a group dance. At one point they even auctioned off an American visitor's t-shirt for Christchurch earthquake relief. A hung auction! Following the uproarious show, there was a packed and sweaty crowd at the next Gay Ski Week event: Queenstown's Got Talent Karaoke, hosted by Auckland drag institution Miss Ribena at the SkyCITY Casino. A rather large group belted out ABBA's Money, Money, Money, attracting a number of punters with EFTPOS and credit cards who wanted to give them a rare swipe. Tonight at Gay Ski Week is the Clicquot Club Happy Hour at Elements Bar in host hotel the Novotel, followed by the Manhunt Buff Party at Melt Bar, featuring DJ Marty.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Friday, 10th September 2010 - 12:54pm