It is hard to believe Bullringers, but it was 25 years ago today that Roy the Boy from Yalleroi treated show-goers with his impromptu performances at the wood-chop bar at the Royal National Association Exhibition (the EKKA). Sporting a sombrero to protect from the chairlift artillery and a toy ukulele (both acquired after some deft duck shooting on side show alley courtesy of gully gang experience) Roy the Boy from Yalleroi was the real show stopper of 1975.
As soon as he started strumming that ukulele and singing his own impromptu compositions the passing crowds would pause, stunned as if hypnotised by Ronrico. And as Roy the Boy from Yalleroi launched into his numbers the crowd would swell and soon be shouting "More, more give us more Roy!"
The Bullringer, who officiated in the role of crowd and refreshment management had to often disperse the enthralled audience so that Roy the Boy from Yallerio could partake in a well earned libation. But soon he would be back into it and the crowd would gather again. Many of them said they had not seen nor heard anything like it and indeed they had not.
Roy the Boy must have sung hundreds, yes hundreds of songs that day and some may even appear in the CD and book to the CD which is forthcoming and eagerly awaited. There may even be a reenactment in the DVD to the CD.
One of the numbers, which Roy the Boy called "My Ekka" went something like this:
It's not for the crackers or the dagwood dogs
Its not for the clowns with the ping pong balls
It's not for the wood chop or the Japanese pearls
And it's not for the livestock or the pretty cow girls
It's not for the chips that are cooking all the while
And t's not for the walk down the sideshow mile.
No that's not the EKKA
No that's not the EKKA
No that's not the EKKA for me!
Cos the EKKA for me, what I come to see
Is Roy the Boy strumming on his ukulele
As he sings us his ditties, derived from the truth
About The Bullring and the days of his youth
About Barcy and the Alice and the whole shebang
About his time as Leiutenant of the Gully Gang.
Yes that's the EKKA
Yes that is the EKKA
Yes that is the EKKA for me!
Hope everyone enjoys the show day holiday. Please note the new email address to contact Roy the Boy from Yalleroi and the Bullringer is: gullyganghq@gmail.com
