Schlock,horror: Buskers hook in the crowd

They are known across the globe as the brothers of bodily abuse and the Monsters of Schlock are living up to their name.

We are only a few minutes into their show and Sweet Pepper Klopek – one half of the Monsters of Schlock - has already had $10 notes stapled to his arm and his cheek.

The Great Orbax lifts a bucket containing a bottle of beer using a chain that is hooked into his eyes as his brother watches on.

The crowd in the North Quad of the Arts Centre are itching for more so the Great Orbax – the other half of this freakish duo – pulls out a mouse trap and snaps it onto his brother’s tongue.

The collective wince from the audience only edges the Canadian brothers on further.

A taser gets pulled out and Sweet Pepper Klopex’s tongue, which still has the mouse trap hanging off it, gets an electric shock that brings him to his knees.

The crowd roars with delight.

Next it is the Great Orbax’s turn to suffer.

With a flourish he pulls out a length of chain with steel hooks on either end. He places the hooks in his eyes and then uses the chain to lift up a bucket containing a bottle of beer.

Watching the Great Orbax as he insert hooks into his eyes is a bit like watching the scary bits in a horror movie - you want to look away but you can’t.

Reuben Dot Dot Dot balances atop a 17-foot pole.

Across town another street performer, Reuben Dot Dot Dot, is demonstrating how bendy he is.

And how he can defy gravity.

He is balanced on top of a 17-foot pole doing a one-handed handstand with no safety net below him, no safety harness, and with only four complete strangers to keep his pole steady.

The Australian street performer has trained in Chinese circus arts and can bend his body into all sorts of weird positions and balance himself on the smallest of surfaces.

He and the Monsters of Schlocks are just some of the international acts performing in this year's 25th World Buskers Festival. 

Make sure you don't miss the action.

  * You can find details about all the acts and when they are performing on the World Buskers Festival website.