Bristol city centre scene of Thriller flash mob

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Tuesday, November 03, 2009
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This is Bristol

The centre of Bristol was overrun with zombies when a group of students performed a "flash mob" dance of Michael Jackson's Thriller.

A large crowd gathered around the Podium in Broadmead as about 100 people dressed in torn clothing and ghoulish make-up recreated the pop star's famous routine.

But like most flash mobs, this wasn't an impromptu outbreak of dancing, rather a carefully choreographed event that took more than a month to put together.

The flash mob was organised by Josh Forwood, a second-year media practice student at the University of the West of England.

Mr Forwood, who lives in the city centre, decided to stage the event after taking part in a flash mob in Cabot Circus in March.

The 21-year-old has previously used Facebook to attract people to take part, but decided to go about things a little differently for Saturday's event.

He said: "I contacted the Bristol University and UWE dance societies and explained what I was doing, and also got dancers from the Bristol Dance Factory involved.

"Zoe Osmond, the head of the Dance Factory, was very interested, and she put all her dance classes on to it and set up an extra session for it."

The dancers learned the moves in just four rehearsals, and those who couldn't get to the classes picked up the moves from classes uploaded to the internet. After a last-minute rehearsal at Panache nightclub on Saturday afternoon, the students brought Broadmead to a standstill for 10 minutes at 1.45pm as an audience of friends and shoppers people cheered.

Mr Forwood has other flash mobs in the pipeline, but is keeping the details under wraps.

The Thriller routine is fast becoming a favourite of "flash mobbers", and was even performed by 1,500 inmates at a prison in Singapore.

Over the last week there have been Thriller flash mobs in Vancouver, Paris, Singapore and one in Trafalgar Square on Thursday, to mark what would have been Michael Jackson's 51st birthday.

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27 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Emma, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 10 2009, 10:25AM

    “For your information, Ted from Bristol, I am a fellow scholar at the university on the same course of Mr Forwood. I was accepted into some of the best universities in this country but chose to come to study Media Practice because this course offers me hands on experience in the field that I want to go into. It may also interest you to know that my iq sits in the top 5% of the country and I have shares in a successful buisness. I have Co-directed sell out theatre productions, had my work displayed in filmfestivals across the country and have worked on award winning Tv programmes. I am 19. what have you done that gives you the right to down tred a degree course you don't even understand?!”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Dalby, Bristol

    Monday, November 09 2009, 11:01PM

    “'This has absolutely nothing to do with a flash mob.'

    Im sorry but your definition described exactly what happened.

    A group people organized themselves through the internet (facebook), gathered in a public place (broadmead), do something bizarre (spontaneously danced while dressed up as zombies) then dispersed....


    Also people who think that Media is an irrelevant subject to study have no reason to rant about it here - his uni degree is irrelevant to what he does with his free time.
    Although unless you are massive hypocrites;the surely dont own or use a television, radio, computer, camera, music player, newspapers, magazines.

    Media is a pretty broad subject to have a problem with,”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Josh Forwood, Bristol

    Monday, November 09 2009, 10:24PM

    “Hi all, I'm the aforementioned organiser of this event.
    To all of you Media Practice bashers out there, i'm presuming you have absolutely no idea what the course is or what it involves? Have you ever even looked into the media practice course and what it covers? Just because the students aren't taking a doctorate in biochemistry or metaphysics, it doesn't mean they are intellectually inferior, nor does it mean they are going to end up working in a fast food restaurant.
    I for one used to be a full time civil engineer but left the work because I feel that enjoying what you do in life is more important than making a couple of extra quid. I also study psychology on the side and have had several papers published.
    You are simply bashing the course and the event because you are either insecure to the point where the only way for you to get enjoyment is for you to insult or discredit others and their work, or you simply don't have a clue what you are on about. Either way, just get over it.
    Nikita (an earlier commenter) made a good point. If you don't like it, just walk away.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Oscar, Redland

    Wednesday, November 04 2009, 7:02AM

    “This has absolutely nothing to do with a flash mob.

    Definition of 'flash mob: 'a group of people who organize on the Internet and then quickly assemble in a public place, do something bizarre, and disperse.' - Websters New Millennium Dictionary Online”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Dan, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 8:13PM

    “Has anyone commenting here actually read a degree from university? Obviously people aren't allowed to study what they have a passion for from what I've gathered here. I couldn't give a damn whether they can't get a job or not after their studies, not my problem and neither should it be yours.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Ted, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 4:51PM

    “Media practice is a 'course' put on by the university to keep the not so clever members of society off the streets for 3 years. Obviously they will end up back in the dole queue but it puts it off for a period of time. Ironically they preformed this back o the streets.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by I.R KITTEH, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 4:24PM

    “Some attractive Zombies in that lot. Though what is media practice when its at home, another Frenchay Primary degree special?”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Micky big nose, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 4:05PM

    “What a waste of time. If you are going to do something like this at least do a half decent job.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Space Monster, Bristol

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:45PM

    “Wherever you work Ronald their not getting them from they're. There selection procedures are much more selective. "

    Why do so many people lack the proper use of English grammer and the correct way of spelling and using "there" and "their"? LearnEnglish, Bristol

    And indeed "they're". Read the comment I was commenting on "Learn English" , and learn irony before your brainsquawks make you look any dimmer.”

  • Profile image for This is Bristol

    by Jackson Michael, Undergound

    Tuesday, November 03 2009, 3:01PM

    “Flash-mobbing is like sooo dead!”

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