This week only, at NEC Birmingham’s Circus Big Top, enjoy the thrills and daredevil antics of Circus Extreme - which includes a never-before-seen, death defying stunt in the Globe of Death…

Brandon MacPherson, who was born in Nuneaton, is a self-taught drummer, who learned to play the drums in his shed. After running away to join the circus as a teenager, he recently took centre stage in an act which combines drum beats with the roar of motorbikes.

The Globe of Death, which involves multiple gravity-defying motorbikes driving around the inside of a metal globe, is adrenaline-fueled at the best of times. Adding Brandon’s live drum solo into the mix creates a unique performance to get the heart beating along with the drums and revving engines. What’s On spoke to Brandon to find out more…

Brandon, can you kind of introduce yourself and tell us a bit about how you got here? 

My dad's side of the family is a circus family, so I was introduced to the circus at a very young age.
I toured France when I was two - I got reintroduced to the circus again at nine. I knew that I wanted to do something inside the circus. I used to visit my dad in the summer holidays, then at 14, I wasn't the best behaved in school… I ran away and met my dad on a theatre show called Circus of Horrors. That's where I picked up a drum beater too. 

The first time I took to the drum kit, I was about 10, at my friend's house. Everyone was trying to do these drumbeats, and I could just do them straight away. I didn't think about it - my body just did it… My dad was a knife thrower, and the tour dad was on had a full live rock band, and that's where I started picking up more drum beats. I realised that's what I wanted to do - I didn't want to do any acts, I wanted to be a drummer. 

And do you remember the first time you saw a Globe of Death act? 

The first time I ever saw a Globe of Death was at about 13. I can’t remember the show, but it was exhilarating. I’d had many opportunities to stand inside the globe, when people were practicing. I always said, no - you've got motorbikes above your head, spinning around - it's defying the laws of physics and gravity! When they said, "Do you want to go on the drum kit in there?”
I thought, I'm never gonna get that rush again, so… Absolutely! 

This act has never been done before.
A drum kit, in the Globe - this is a world's first. It's fully unique - and we've done our research! 

Can you feel the response from the audience when they realise what you're about to do? 

The audience loves it every time… I don't think they click what's going on until they get home, and then they sit down, have a reset, and go, “Oh, my God, that's actually what was happening!” 


It’s edge-of-your-seat thrilling. Not just this bit - the whole show is absolutely stacked with incredible moments that will give you an adrenaline rush as a viewer, as a punter. You will feel the same rush that we do. We've got a habit of making the audience feel like they are definitely involved with what's going on. Sharing the experience with people to try and make them feel as much as possible. So when they leave here, not only do they have memories, but they also leave here on high, their hearts beating - nothing but smiles… My whole family, from my mum's side, was here last night - I could hear them, going mad! 

Is this going to be your biggest daredevil moment, or have you got anything else in the pipeline? 

Here at Circus Extreme we like to push boundaries, and actually do the impossible - we achieve that every day. I definitely don't think this is gonna stop here. This is just a taste of what it can be. With a bit more time and a bit more planning and a bit more thought, 100%, that can go up another two or three levels. Watch this space! Circus is changing, and it's starting to change here. 

Circus Extreme shows at NEC Birmingham's Big Top Arena until Sunday 1 June.