Slime of their lives

Icky green goo was what they wanted and icky green goo was what they got.

SlimeFest 2012 may have had pop stars but it was Nickelodeon’s own slime that tweens wanted yesterday.

The two music events at Hordern Pavillion yesterday were a big hit with the kids, even if it was a scaled down version of the very popular Kid’s Choice Awards. If the event is deemed a success, and it no doubt will be, Nickelodeon plans on touring it across the East Coast.

There was no Orange Carpet and not much in the way of TV or Sports stars –and less media in attendance – but the kids didn’t mind. As long as they got slimed, and boy, did they ever.

Nickelodeon claimed a world record for slimed tweens (who knew one even existed?) with 3,026 covered in the stuff. Not sure who was counting.

The show was hosted by energetic Camp Orange hosts Luke and Wyatt and the show opened with the diverse Justice Crew, who popped and locked across the stage, all to the sounds of squealing kids.

Jessica Mauboy proved she is a star with her strong vocals and slick performance of 3 songs.

Johnny Ruffo was clearly popular with the kids, but his act doesn’t reach far beyond the perimeters of the stage. Is he singer, dancer, celebrity or all of the above?

Reece Mastin was another audience favourite at a show dominated by female tweens. Still a teenager himself, he displays confidence in abundance.

Stan Walker was supported by a group of gospel singers before breaking into an up tempo song, complete with dancers and his own cartwheel. Someone’s been practicing. He also returned later for a duet with Carmen Smith.

Christina Parie was the final solo performer in a show dominated by reality talent show acts.

But it was the sliming that stole the show, with Nickelodeon’s own giant periscope of slime, towering high above the crowd and drowning them in the green goo. How nobody was injured in the frenzy is something of a miracle. There were also slime guns and jets squirting from all corners, and a celebrity dunking in which The Biggest Loser’s Commando was outvoted above Brian McFadden, Richard Wilkins and Charlotte Dawson (in what was presumably her first public appearance since her hospitalization). She was clearly loving the distraction.

Keeping 5000 frenzied kids under control is never easy and Nickelodeon does a great job at rotating tweens in the mosh pit so everybody gets a go. They were also reminded not to take photos by a somewhat cynical warm up guy. “Let’s use our memories?” he quipped. “Remember those?”

But the quote of the day went to a floor manager shouting intently at some eager kids down the front.

“Can we have that bear’s head back please?