Hair of the Dog
Throw out the Ab King Pro and put on your best whore couture - exercise is about to get an extreme makeover. Andrew Georgiou gets hot and sweaty
If the word ‘aerobics' floods your cerebrum with images of a tightly-permed Richard Simmons throwing jazz hands into every manner of callisthenics or Jane Fonda looking like she just soiled herself whilst doing sit-ups, then consider yourself lucky.
Thanks to the Medium Rare Gallery & Studio and its head honcho Pete Manwaring, aerobics now means exercise in the form of Love Song Dedications Beginners' Ballet, Y-front Yoga or working the waistline with Hula-Hooping Hookers classes.
If this all sounds a little bent, it's because the man behind the weekly Hair Of The Dog exercise group is a twisted pioneer who wears the badge with honour. "We wanted to bring a little performance into the genre. This is exercise with edge, there's no doubt about that," boasts Manwaring.
As LSD-induced as the idea sounds, Manwaring is clearly on to something by abducting the very concept of exercising and giving it a rather unorthodox makeover. As it stands, wardrobes throughout the country are littered with as-seen-on-TV exercise equipment taking on new lives as tie racks, belt holders and amusement parks for moths.
Direct debit accounts far and wide are being sucked into overdraft status by little-used gym memberships.
Although in its infancy, Hair Of The Dog is pulling in healthy numbers each week. Who wouldn't be motivated by dressing like a whore and hula hooping their way to a firmer arse? What fitness freak wouldn't want to try their hand at Stripper Moves classes to tone their pelvic floor?
As a venue, Medium Rare Gallery & Studio is a blank canvas, inviting pioneers with even the most lewd proposals to hire her like a pro.
"We have this great space which lends itself to a wide variety of events, ideas exhibitions or group gatherings," says Manwaring.
In a city where galleries for hire require proposal submissions the length of the entire Harry Potter series, Manwaring delivers great news.
Hair Of The Dog is on 7.30pm every Monday night at Medium Rare Gallery & Studio, 70 Regent St, Redfern 2016. (02 9699 1334) $10.