Monday 10 March 2014 - Moomba Parade, Melbourne (#87)

Pans on Fire played in front of their biggest audience of an estimated 50,000, plus half a million on live TV, when they played in the 60th Annual Moomba Parade in Melbourne on the Labour Day holiday on 10th March 2014.

On the back of "Dicko's Truck" a team of dedicated workers designed and built a float that rivalled the professional floats built in the Moomba Float Factory. To the Caribbean sounds of Netty Netty, Sugar Bum, Raga Poom Poom, Jump in the Line and Sly Mongoose, Pans on Fire played without a break in the hot sun on the 50 minute trip down St Kilda Road, accompanied by nearly 100 Caribbean dancers from CaribVic (the Caribbean Association of Victoria).

Their joint display had the crowds bopping along, with a plethora of cameras and video recorders saving the event for posterity in many homes around Victoria.

Special thanks must go to the team who made the event possible. Glenys Ross, and her team of willing helpers, designed and constructed the beautiful and colourful float. Peter Dickinson once again made his truck and trailer available for the band, and also drove the float in the parade. Lynne Walter painted some fabulous murals to decorate the float. Monica O'Malley made a wide variety of bright flowers to festoon the float. Rita Seethaler took care of all the negotiations and coordination with the Moomba Parade organisers. And last, but not least, the Pans on Fire players and the CaribVic dancers performed with great enthusiasm and resolve on the long hot parade.

And to finish off, here is a VideoVision recording of the Parade made by Barry Thomas.