2014 Krampus Krawl recap

Posted by Jonathan Chaffin on Dec 09, 2014

2014 Krampus Krawl On Krampusnacht, (Dec. 6) the ominous sound of jingling bells and chains filled the air. Cloven hoofed, horned creatures of the night descended upon the streets of Little 5 Points in Atlanta. Naughty girls and boys, beware. Many Krampus demons and nature spirits capered and spun and made a raucous return this year! Horror In Clay sponsored the costume contest for this traditional fancy dress event.

	Krampus is a beast-like creature from the folklore of Alpine countries thought to punish children during the Christmas season who had misbehaved, in contrast with Saint Nicholas, who rewards well-behaved ones with gifts. Krampus is said to capture particularly naughty children in his sack and carry them away to his lair.In Germany, where the tradition originated, it is customary to have a Krampuslauf parade of celebrants dressed as the beast. It is customary to offer a Krampus schnapps. The tradition is picking up a lot of interest in America. A themed event? With horror, costumes, and schnapps?! Sign me up! Turns out, Atlanta has an excellent crew who puts together "Wreck the Halls; the L5P Krampus Krawl". It's a pub crawl in a popular walking district, replete with a brass band and a lot of talented costumers. (Atlanta hosts a BUNCH of cosplayers, actors, special effects artists, and general groovy ghoulies...stuff like this just happens here). In the run up to the Krampus Krawl I spoke with chief organizer Jenn B, about the history and future of the event. "Wreck The Halls: The Little 5 Points Krampus Krawl began as a tool to spread the word about 7 Stages 2010 production of A Krampus Christmas. They passed out flyers in costume and terrorized people on the streets. Two years later it became it's own beast. It's a magical parade of monsters fueled by a brass band and booze. The businesses of Little 5 Points open their doors to us each year. We're a fairly close knit community of kooks. The Krampus Krawl really reinforces that bond.
I was an organizer for the L5P Halloween Festival for several years. I wanted to promote more events like that. Shine a prettier, albeit spookier, light on the neighborhood. I wanted to remind people why they once fell in love with [Little 5 Points] this kooky lil neighborhood. The Halloween Festival, Krampus, and another project I have coming up for the Spring do that. At least, I hope they do! I love my neighborhood and I want to see it thrive. 7 Stages, Java Lords, Euclid Avenue Yacht Club, L5P Corner Tavern, Stratosphere Skateboards, Junkman's Daughter and The Baphomettes have all helped make this event so special. Joining forces with Horror In Clay and Uncle Daddy's Art Emporium & Mercantile just pushes everything over the top. We love watching this thing grow and can't wait to see what the future holds for Wreck The Halls." Horror In Clay was honored to sponsor the first ever costume contest at Wreck the Halls. Here are the contest winners from the night, although a good time (and probably some wicked hangovers) was had by all.
The 2014 King Krampus - Jim S. Jim has some advice for all you folks starting on your Krampus costumes for next year: Never throw anything away. Never decide at the last minute it's too much hassle to finish. Yes, it's heavy and hot, get over it. Glue gun. (You might know Jim as the brains behind "Palookaville Fine Foods" and other awesomeness. Worth noting, Kickstarter folks, his gourmet corn dog truck is in need of emergency repair and there is a live project to support it.) (Photo by Kim Stacy)	The 2014 Queen Krampus - Aileen L. (Photo by Richard LaMarre)
Most Authentic/Overall Krampus - Chris B. (Photo by Kim Stacy)	Crowd Favourite - Evita S. (Photo by Richard LaMarre)
- Oliver K. (Photo by Richard LaMarre)	- Lucy Purr Lucy has some advice for all you folks starting on your Krampus costumes for next year: Glue guns are your best friend. Industrial velcro is also your best friend. Look for traditional cowbells online or my favorite: ebay. You can modify costume horns you find in the store by just painting them or attaching them to a headband or if ya wanna go big, into a headpiece. Weave hair is also helpful for that long fur look if you don't have access to faux fur by the yard. (Photo by Dave)
2014 Krampus Kocktail (You traditionally ply a Krampus with Schnapps) 1oz Black Haus blackberry schnapps Repeat what...you wanted a mixed drink? Fancy. 50% Black Haus blackberry schnapps 50% Rumplemintz lime juice to taste sprite to taste dash of Horror Infused: Fiendishly Tropical Bitters. (So it's actually a cocktail)

The Black Sheep Ensemble Ok, I'm here to tell you; GO SEE THESE GUYS! Musical accompaniment in the form of a swinging brass brand led a frenetic, awesome energy to the parade. Participants capered, spun, and yes staggered, through Little 5! Black Sheep Ensemble is a brass and percussion street band with a focus on Balkan music. The music is brass and percussion based, with an emphasis on the low end; mostly originals or unique arrangements influenced by Balkan, Bollywood, Romani, Latin, Ska, and Hip Hop rhythms. Some of the airs they played included: (I'm going to link youtube videos where able, but really NOTHING is like seeing these guys live, festooned with with electric lights, and surrounded by Krampii and spinning nature spirits while perambulating through dark, sodium lit streets. It was AWESOME. Track Suit - by Minor Mishap Montserrat Serrat - by Hungry Marching Band Ya Move Ya Lose - by Rebirth Brass Band National Anthem by Radiohead St. James Infirmary - traditional Roma Rama - by Brass Liberation Orchestra Missy Sa Sa - by Slavic Soul Party Ghost Town - by The Specials Bumper to Bumper - by Hungry Marching Band Bad Puppet - by Black Sheep One Step Beyond - by Madness

My own humble first Krampus costume. Faux Grizzly fur, a bell belt full of cowbells, a set of horns, and an excellent mask blank from my pal, Andrew Bones. (I did the painting and modding myself). ^/\|\^ I painted the mask flat black, dry brushed greenish, then masked and painted the horns gloss ivory, in case anyone is curious. I intend to use fake hair to add side burns and mustaches. Thanks to everyone who made Wreck the Halls: The l5p Krampus Krawl an amazing success, and thanks for all the awesome costumes. I really enjoyed participating in this tradition!