3 ms·

A very common sight in central Christchurch over the decades. He took on a series of apprentices for a while, but I haven't heard of one sticking with it to re

• toyg 5y ago
  This sort of character is often not the most agreeable person when the lights are off, so to speak. It takes a lot of self-confidence and disregard for the opinion of others, to put yourself out like that - maybe even a hint of actual mental-health imbalance. Where I'm from, there was this guy who basically started playing electric-guitar solos in the central square of the city, and then went on "performing" like that for about 30 years - including various spats with local authorities (who didn't necessarily appreciate it when he showed up without permits). Everybody knew he was a proper knob in real life (or he'd be in a band, right?), even though he had become a bit of a local institution (even ran for mayor, at one point, with predictably bad results).
  • tim333 5y ago
    He doesn't seem super agreeable when performing but is an interesting character https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icj5Aow_jec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icj5Aow_jec
    • hilbert42 5y ago
      As someone who knew Ian Channell at university, I'll mention two things about him, the first is his overwhelming enthusiasm for whatever he's involved in; second, he attempts to get people to think outside the box and to figure things out for themselves (remember he used to be a uni lecturer). He'd often say that anally-retentive thinking was a major problem with the world. So don't be fooled into thinking that his true persona is what he's demonstrating during his wizard performances. His seemingly outrageous hyperbole is deliberately meant to make you think. The world needs more people like him.
  • gremloni 5y ago
    That’s just presumptuous and unfair to the guy.