Vale Miles Cuddihey

[Peter Voice]

Miles Cuddihy died of a sudden heart attack 2 days ago, aged 42.
Musician, clown and stiltwalker (often all at once) and comfortable playing blues in a club or the clown on the street, he was a true performer.
I first saw Miles at a beautiful street performance event Melbourne in 1989. He was wearing a white coat, 6ft stilts, holding a STOP/GO sign and was directing traffic on the busiest intersection in town (Collins and Swanston, right out front of the Town Hall which is now the home of the Melb. Comedy Fest).
HE WAS FUNNY and gathered huge crowds for 2 days and made the front page of all the Aust. newspapers Monday morning. On the following Tuesday, the police decided to charge him with "unlawful interference with traffic". The whole town laughed so much the cops decided to pretend they were in on the joke and quickly backed off.
Miles' real thing was music in any form. He founded/or was a member of several satirical "Marching Bands" playing brass and stringed instruments and wearing ridiculous costumes, but he was also a serious musician. The list of people he has played with is too long go into here. Blues, jazz, rock or just fun, let it be said, "He was good".

Miles settled in an obscure part of Melbourne called Williamstown where he quietly affected every one with his lust for life. Nearly every-one who has been through John Bolton's performance school knew Miles. You couldn't miss him really. He knew about the international circuit and watched people all around him do it, but he was happy where he was.


Miles will be greatly missed, from Christchurch's "Dux-De-Lux", pre-Jodi, to the streets and venues of Melbourne.
Salute et vale, Miles

[ 05-12-2002: Message edited by: Peter Voice ]</p>