Expo Set For Weekend Of Womad

Taranaki Daily News - Thursday, 3rd February 2005, By VIRGINIA WINDER

INGLEWOOD-BORN porn king Steve Crow is challenging Womad head on.

The same weekend the World of Music, Arts and Dance turns up the heat in New Plymouth, Crow will be doing Erotica in Palmerston North...

From March 11-13, Taranaki folk have the choice between didgeridoos and dancers at Brooklands or dildos and prancers at the Palmerston North Convention Centre.

Crow said that after holding successful Erotica events in Auckland, he planned to take the expo south.

"The obvious choice was to do Wellington, but the venue was difficult to work with."

Instead, Palmerston North clinched the R18 event because of its proximity to the capital, surrounding districts and nearness to New Zealand troops at Linton and Ohakea.

"And the fact that it's got a religious council and I thought it would be great for a stir," he said.

Erotica organiser Sandy Watts, of Auckland, said three American porn stars, RayVeness, Evan Stone and Syren, would be fronting up to Erotica.

RayVeness would feature in a Milk Maid Moment promotion. This involved the adult-movie actress hand-milking a cow, Watts said.

A suitable cow and farmer were being sought within a 30km radius of Palmerston North.

Womad publicist Mark Jackson did not feel threatened by the adult entertainment expo.

"It's not our kind of event, so we don't expect there will be competition between the people who go to Womad and an event like Erotica," he said.

"It doesn't worry us at all."