By Luke Voogt
Hypnotist Rohan ‘Bizarre’ Gazzard and comedian Adam ‘Chicken’ Palmer will join forces to help the homeless to sleep warmer this winter.
“I think it’s a really good cause,” Gazzard told The Indy.
During a corporate gig Gazzard met Ocean Grove’s Steve Neville, who has provided 600 portable beds for the homeless since May 2016.
“He was playing guitar during the breaks,” he said. “I told Steve I’d get behind it.”
Gazzard looked forward to getting locals “eating ice cream that doesn’t exist” or convincing “men they are giving birth” at Geeong Darts Club, Corio, on 7 May.
“Everything I say becomes their reality,” he said.
The hypnotic comedian normally gets up to a dozen volunteers at his shows, he said.
“It’s amazing once people see it live – we get them up and dancing.There’s an urban myth that only certain people can be hypnotised – I totally disagree with that.”
Gazzard’s “25,000” scalps included AFL players, Dave O’Neil, NAB analysts and “one the most intelligent minds in Australia” Shaun Micallef.
He convinced the former lawyer and comedian the number four didn’t exist in a backroom studio.
But while Micallef couldn’t count to four or remember the numeral on air, he had an ingenious solution.
“He was able to spell the word – as in F O R,” Gazzard said.
“For me it was incredible he was able to think outside of the square like that.”
Steve Neville hoped the show would give his portable bed project the “spark” it needed ahead of winter, with hundreds of people sleeping rough in Geelong.
“Things have slowed down pretty recently,” said Neville, who was once homeless himself.
“When I started it was sort of a flavour of the month. It was a new charity and nobody had ever done something like it before.”
Neville said delivering the portable beds to the homeless sometimes brought them to tears.
“The connection I get with them when I do it just makes it worthwhile.”
As well as preventing people from sleeping on the cold earth, the beds prevented sickness and ambulance callouts, he said.
“That saves the taxpayer thousands.”
Neville hoped to purchase a van to deliver new clothes and beds to the homeless and, eventually, a portable shower.
He said this would help them get back on their feet and prepare for job interviews.
“If your clothes are dirty and your hair is ratty, how are you meant to go anywhere? I’ve got a friend who wants to do haircuts too.”
Neville was homeless from age 16 and became addicted to heroin.
But two years in jail in 2002, for non-violent thefts, helped him beat his addiction and turn his life around.
He created the project to help others like himself.
“I could not go through all I’ve gone through without doing something like this,” he said.
To book tickets visit www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=262384.
To support Steve’s project, visit www.gofundme.com/homelessportablebe.
All proceeds from the show will go to the project.
