Nicola and Rosie Dempsey are the real sisters behind musical comedy duo Flo & Joan. Their Buskers Festival show promises to be a scream.
When did you first start performing together and how did it go? We started four years ago and the first show wasn’t a disaster, so we did another show. That wasn’t so great. And now we’re coming to New Zealand.
Is there any inspiration for your music? We just keep our ears and mouths open and let the inspiration find us. Then we swallow the nice bits and shout it back out as songs. We also listen to a lot of Bette Midler and Billy Joel.
What can fans expect at your Before the Screaming Starts performance? No screaming, mostly music, gags – fingers crossed. We will be wearing clothes. We will have washed our hair. We don’t move a lot so if you find move-y comedy jarring then we’ve got you covered.
You recently released an Amazon Prime Special, Flo & Joan Alive on Stage – how was that experience? It was wild. Thank you for asking. It has so many of our favourite songs in it and felt very us, and everyone that worked on it with us made it look better than we could have imagined. A very good experience. Would special again. Everyone should watch it now.
How much do you know about New Zealand and Christchurch? We’ve never been and know nothing about it. We plan to leave with exactly the same knowledge of the country as we came in with.
Anyone you’d like to collaborate with? Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street.
Who do you find funny? Children with no discernible talent.
Highlight of your career so far? We just performed for Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge as part of the Royal Variety Performance. Not sure if they enjoyed it but her hands were as soft as an angel’s wings and that’s all we needed to take from the experience.
Do you have any pre- and post-show ritual? Rosie says to Nicola “I hope you have the worst show of your life” and Nicola says to Rosie “I hope you fall off the stage and nobody helps you get up.”
Best way to relax and unwind? Reading poetry on the toilet.
Are there any other Buskers Festival acts you’re hoping to catch? Reuben Kaye, Melanie Bracewell, and honestly everything. We’re so excited to see new weirdos we’ve never seen before. That’s mostly why we’re coming