Episode 30: The Poolroom @ Blazing Swan (Jodie, Mandy, & Marcus)
In this episode we bend an ear with Mandy, Marcus, and Jodie to chat about the evolution and ethos of their enduring Blazing Swan theme camp, "The Poolroom". Born from a spontaneous trip to Burning Man in 2012, the camp operates as an on-street, barrier-free, open-air living room steeped in self-deprecating Australian "larrikin" humour, taking heavy stylistic and cultural inspiration from the 1997 iconic film 'The Castle' and the sitcom 'Kath & Kim'. Rejecting loud music and rigid volunteer rosters, The Poolroom instead fosters genuine community connection through kitschy decor, daytime micheladas, and eccentric participatory events like Arnott's biscuit tarot readings. By bridging Western Australia's rural-urban divide and successfully integrating multiple generations—from young children to adults in their twenties—the camp's collaborative, welcoming dynamic perfectly encapsulates the vibes of 2026 Blazing Swan theme, "It Takes a Village".
Host: Stevan ‘Silent Disco’ Lay
Guests: Jodie 'Prude' Lyndon-James, Mandy 'Maybe' Curnow, & Marcus Geneve
Produced by PY Wong & Stevan Lay
Theme music by Will & Kate
USEFUL Links:
Blazing Swan: https://blazingswan.com.au/
The Poolroom Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100057220128912
Visit Kulin: https://www.visitkulin.com.au/
Njaki Njaki country: https://www.njakinjaki.com.au/
Blazing Swan Community Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OfficialBlazingSwanCommunity
Burning Man: https://burningman.org/
The Castle (1997): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118826/
Kath & Kim: https://kathandkim.com/
Timestamps:
[00:00:00] Intro theme
[00:00:30] Intro panel
[00:01:38] Marcus & Mandy's origin story
[00:03:27] The Poolroom origins
[00:08:46] Jodie's origin story
[00:17:52] Poolroom influences
[00:27:43] How big is the poolroom?
[00:43:04] Aussie culture
[00:47:18] Mutant vehicles
[00:53:33] Larrikanism
[01:09:10] International burns
[01:15:03] Next generation of burners
[01:21:07] Kids at burns
[01:28:13] Poolroom reviews Blazing Swan 2026
[01:32:03] Are backpackers ruining blaze?
[01:35:11] It Takes A Village theme
[01:36:31] Effigy and temple
[01:42:28] Art installations
[01:47:14] Events and workshops
[01:55:26] Blaze traditions
[01:58:50] Mandy's shitgift
[02:01:15] Theme camps at blaze
[02:07:52] Extending blaze
[02:12:12] Shoutouts and gratitude
[02:17:11] Outro theme
The information presented in the following audio program is for informational, educational, entertainment, and archival purposes only. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed on the Bonzaar Podcast are solely those of the hosts and the guests and do not represent the views, thoughts, and opinions of the entire burner community. Bonzaar Podcast is an independently-produced, volunteer-led, and community-funded project and is not associated or affiliated with the burning man organisation or it's world-wide subsidiaries.
This episode was recorded on 22 June, 2026
