Alex Klineberg

Guillaume Vandame on the history of the Pride flag

Posted on 05/08/202104/08/2021 by Alex Klineberg

We caught up with visual artist Guillaume Vandame to discover the history of the Pride flag. His works is being shown at the 10th edition of Sculpture in the City. We also discuss whether Valentino Vecchietti’s new Pride flag is a triumph of inclusiveness or a designer’s nightmare.

1. Tell us about your latest project symbols (2019-2021).

Most people are probably familiar with the original rainbow Pride Flag designed by Gilbert Baker, Lynn Segerblom, and James McNamara from 1978 and some of the more recent versions. However, you might be surprised to know that there are many, many more flags.

symbols is a public artwork I’ve developed between 2019 and 2021 consisting of 30 unique flags ranging from gender, sexuality, and desire, which I am showing for the first time at Leadenhall Market as part of the 10th edition of Sculpture in the City, London.

It’s unusual as an artwork because I think it’s the first time all thirty flags have been shown publicly together, possibly anywhere in the world, and on long-term display. One of the common criticisms about Pride Month is that it only lasts a month and I wanted to create an artwork where we could celebrate Pride, individually and as a community, everyday.

2. How did you get involved with the 10th edition of Sculpture in the City?

I got to know the programme at Sculpture in the City in 2019 while I was developing a participatory artwork called Notice Me (LGBTQIA+ Walk), which was about creating visibility and solidarity for the LGBTQIA+ community in the City of London for Nocturnal Creatures. While I was developing the walk, I started to think about how to create a meeting point so participants would know where to meet and that’s how I had the idea of presenting a selection of flags together.

There’s something quite bold and unapologetic about the flags but they are also really modest and gentle, in a certain way. I submitted a proposal to showcase 25 flags and the work was shortlisted in January 2020. Eventually, I had thirty flags in total.

3. How did the artwork change over the last two years?

In the midst of the pandemic everything was put on hold but I worked closely with Stella from Sculpture in the City, who is truly extraordinary and visionary, to try and see this work of art have the light of day. It was also great to have the total support and hard work of Corail Bourrelier from Mtec and Price & Myers to develop this artwork and treat it like any other project.

Some of these conversations were really difficult given the nature of the artwork and these questions of public space and art were not being addressed within a queer or gay context. I don’t think there was a precedent for what I am doing. The artwork gained new meaning during Black Lives Matter and really made me question how to represent gay people or the absence of gay people in public space. I was interested in using alternative materials and subjects to create a new language or set of tools for public art; something that looks like nothing we’ve seen before.

At times I had to balance between being an advocate for the entire LGBTQIA+ community and my own interests or core values as an artist while not giving up hope. To be able to show all thirty flags at Leadenhall Market is truly a triumph and shows that there is change at an institutional level.

4. Your work will be on display at Leadenhall Market, London through Spring 2022. What do you have in store for us?

I am hoping that symbols can be activated through some form of public programming in the year ahead. I love creating artworks and exhibitions which can be activated in some way such as a pizza party or birthday party and evening of poetry for (legendary gay poet) Thom Gunn. Nothing is set in stone but I am really excited by the range of opportunities to develop an original programme at Leadenhall Market from conversations and live talks to performance, music, and poetry. Watch this space…

5. What does the ever evolving Pride Flag mean to you?

I think the Pride Flag is still such a strong symbol for the gay community. Like a lot of people, I think before I came to terms with my sexuality, I felt like there was something quite alien about the flag and the stigma around being gay.

Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace the flag as part of our community and who I am. Some people in the gay community might think the flag is meaningless or overproduced but it’s possibly the most direct way to signal that a space is LGBTQ+ friendly, so it still serves a purpose today. From the opposite side, it might shock even some gay people to know just how frequently Pride Flags are burned and vandalised internationally or even just President Donald Trump banning the Pride Flag. So we can’t take its presence or ‘mainstream status’ for granted.

6. How have the lockdowns affected your work?

This is a great question! While I have a studio, I don’t come from a studio based practice so I was able to manage okay working from home in Brockley but I still struggled a bit with being alone and isolated.

A lot of my ideas often come about through the intersection of art and life, a bit like Robert Rauschenberg, Yayoi Kusama or Felix Gonzalez-Torres.

In the first lockdown, I began to develop more of my ideas around queer representation in the arts and began a series of abstract mixed media works made primarily from Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and Durex Lubricant. It’s a long story but basically because everyone had bought all the pasta in the supermarkets, I thought optimistically I was going to live off of eggs and hot sauce for the next indefinite amount of months. At the same time, I had all this lubricant because things with a guy I was seeing abruptly came to an end. One day I saw the two on my desk and instantly knew I had to use them together.

I think the lockdowns have affected my work in a few ways. I think they have made me closer to my peers and artists I admire, especially from the LGBTQ+ community. I’ve become more experimental and conceptual by being isolated and alone…but I’ve also had to think more critically about how my practice can be used as a platform for connection, exchange, and advocacy. It’s not just about me but the wider community and how I can give back. I am so conscious that LGBTQIA+ people were basically silenced and invisible during the pandemic and so there is a great demand to change this and make up for lost time.

7. The Pride Flag “reboot” has been called “a triumph for inclusiveness and a design disaster.” Is that a fair assessment?

A friend on Instagram joked at the time that the new flag by Valentino Vecchietti is a bit like a Julie Mehretu painting with all the community groups co-existing at once in some crazy cosmopolitan maelstrom of brightly coloured swirls, lines, and shapes. Or at least that’s where things are heading.

I personally don’t have a problem with it as there are already hundreds even thousands of speculative designs being made everyday; this one just happened to go mainstream and viral. People can be quite creative with making up new flags and the results are pretty varied and usually quite beautiful. I don’t doubt that the original flag by Gilbert Baker will always be the most iconic version or even Morgan Carpenter’s original Intersex Pride Flag; it’s just about ensuring it’s shown at all!

I can’t personally prioritise one group over another which is why I made the flags at Leadenhall Market as non-hierarchical as possible. I think they are all equally important. And for those of you who are unsure, you can see all the flags together at symbols and make an opinion for yourself!

FilmPride Returns in August with a FREE online and TV festival

Posted on 31/07/202102/08/2021 by Alex Klineberg

FilmPride is Brighton & Hove Pride’s official queer film festival. It will return in August for its third year. The event was supposed to take place during Pride. With cancellation of the main Brighton Pride event, FilmPride will be online only.

We caught up with Deborah Espect, the festival’s Artistic Director, to find out more.

What inspired you to start FilmPride?

I created FilmPride with Bill Smith, who runs Latest TV (Brighton’s local TV channel), 3 years ago. I’d just done a series of TV shows on Latest TV where I’d introduced LGBTQ+ short films, documentaries and animations, and I realised that, as far as I knew, we didn’t have a queer film festival in Brighton. So I talked to Bill about it and it turned out that he’d also started thinking about this!

We joined forces, and FilmPride was born. We agreed that, as well as delivering live events, it would be great to run part of the festival on TV, to offer filmmakers the chance to have their work broadcast on our local channel. This makes us very different from other film festivals, and FilmPride has actually been screened on different channels in the country! This year, we’re really excited to have Northern Visions in Belfast, Sheffield Live! in Sheffield and KMTV in Kent as our TV partners again.

Give us some of the highlights of this year’s festival.

There are over 70 films, from many different parts of the world, about so many different topics, so there will definitely be something for everyone! The common denominator is that they are all high-quality films. We have beautiful animations, hard-hitting documentaries and very moving dramas. As well as some very light-hearted content, too! We’ve also interviewed filmmakers about their experiences of making their films, and about what it’s like to be queer where they are based, so this will be a very interesting opportunity for our audiences to find out more about the people behind the films they watched in the festival.

Has lockdown affected FilmPride?

We were really hoping to deliver live events this year, like in our first year, but unfortunately, we didn’t feel that it was safe enough yet. There’s nothing like sitting in a room with people and sharing the experience of watching films together, and being able to talk about them afterwards! But being online is allowing us to reach out to a much wider audience, all over the world, and it’s also given us the opportunity to interview filmmakers who wouldn’t have been able to make a physical Q&A. We’re still hoping to be able to host live events in the next few months, though!

How can people get involved and support FilmPride?

The best way to support us is to sign up on our website (filmpride.org) and watch our films! And then to check out all the Q&As with the filmmakers. And to talk about us on social media (and everywhere else!). As we are a volunteer-run festival with no funding, word-of-mouth is the best way to help us.

How did you select the judges?

I have always admired Peter Tatchell and he was a great supporter of FilmPride when we launched in 2019, so I thought about him straight away for our Documentary section. It’s a real honour to have him on board.

Sophia Blackwell is a fantastic poet and I have known her for over a decade; her own writing is beautiful and I thought she would be an excellent Drama judge. Miss Hope Springs, who will be judging the Comedy section, is a multi-award-winning variety entertainer, impersonated by the lovely Ty Jeffries. Ty was a recommendation from Bill and I’m so glad he introduced us!

Lucy Irving, who is judging Animations, is a very talented Brighton-based animator and published illustrator. Again, I’ve known Lucy for years and she was my obvious choice for this category. Basically, FilmPride is a big family of very talented creatives, and we can’t wait to welcome you all in our festival this year!

The FilmPride TV festival will run from 2nd August to 15th August at 9pm on Latest TV, Brighton (Freeview 7 & Virgin 159) and online from 16th to 31st August, www.filmpride.org

INTERVIEW: Meet the Director of Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story

Posted on 27/07/202117/10/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Jackie Collins is one of the most widely read authors in history. She chronicled the lives and loves of the Hollywood elite in her unmistakable style. Although she never quite won over the critics, she kept millions of readers entertained.

Laura Fairrie’s new documentary, Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story, recasts her as a feminist icon. The film takes a look behind the big hair, big money and shoulder pads to tell Jackie Collins’ own story. We caught up with Laura to find out more.

First of all, how did you discover Jackie Collins? “I discovered her as a teenager at school – her books were passed around. We’d read them during lessons hidden under our desks. She was my sex education, basically.”

How did she cultivate her camp persona? “She didn’t intend for it to be camp. For her it was about protecting herself and as the public persona grew, the “shield” became more extreme. The more knocks she had the more she used the image: the leopard print, the shoulder pads, the big hair; as armour. She often wore quite masculine suits and always trousers – you never saw her in a dress – it was her way of surviving in the man’s world she was in.”

So, for the uninitiated which Jackie Collins books would you recommend? “I’d recommend the first book, The World is Full of Married Men. It’s got so much of her early life in it. It’s shocking and it’s so ahead of its time. I love Hollywood Wives – it’s so much fun. That’s a great combo to start with. She would say Lovers & Gamblers was her best.”

She wrote 32 New York Times Best Sellers in her life. She wrote by hand and she wrote compulsively, and yet she never wrote her autobiography. “Reality was an uncomfortable place for her and she preferred the fantasy world of her books. She wanted to leave the difficult times she endured, the toxic relationships, the upsetting parts of her life in the past and focus on the future. Going back over those experiences and retracing her life didn’t come naturally to her, but what did come naturally was imagining the life she wanted and she escaped by writing about it.”

Pursuing a fantasy life is a risky move. Life isn’t really a fantasy, and yet Jackie Collins pursued her fantasy and succeeded. “She did for a while, she imagined the life she wanted for herself and she got it. Lucky Santangelo was one of her most popular characters and was really the woman Jackie wanted to be, and for a time she lived the life she dreamed of. She was powerful, untouchable, gorgeous, and completely financially independent.”

“But there’s another side to that and as she got older reality caught up with her and some hard blows came her way, and as they did she retreated further into the persona because it was a place where she felt strong.”

Jackie Collins became synonymous with lowbrow, trashy fiction. Did this frustrate her? “She was really hurt by that. She didn’t like to be dismissed as The Queen of Sleaze. Of course she knew she wasn’t Jane Austen; she didn’t pretend to be George Eliot. She nonetheless didn’t feel she got the credit she deserved. She made feminism available to women who maybe didn’t read anything else. She was hurt by the critics though – especially in Britain.”

Is it time for a critical reappraisal of her work? “Definitely. I think a lot of women have been bypassed or forgotten – she’s another example to add to the list. I love the idea of reevaluating her life and seeing her as a feminist icon. She was trailblazing in the books she wrote. She was a mogul too. She built a one woman empire from her books.”

Did she enjoy being rich, famous and fabulous? “Yes, definitely. In the film if you see her life in the 80s. She had a beautiful house in Beverly Hills, she had fabulous friends, she went to fabulous parties. She kept notes of everything she observed and spent the following day writing it up. She lived the dream. She was financially independent. It was the independence she achieved as a woman.”

Barbara Cartland was the original queen of romance, but she was no fan of Jackie Collins. They had a famous confrontation on a chat show in the 80s. “She said to Jackie Collins, ‘I think the books you write are evil.’ It reflects the battles Jackie Collins had to fight. It was an example of the kind of criticism she faced. To be called evil is pretty full on. It also shows that women have different ideas of what feminism is. I think what’s wonderful about Jackie is that she defines feminism for herself. It’s a lesson for all women: we don’t need to be told how to live our lives.”

For many, Jackie Collins became synonymous with sex. She was the queen of the “Bonkbuster,” but there was far more to her writing than the raunchy bits. “I think lots of women enjoyed her books – she wrote sex well. It was at the heart of what she did. But there’s also so much more to her writing. There’s really good storytelling, but for some reason people focused on that.”

What about her relationship with Joan Collins, her famous sister? “They loved each other deeply. They lived these extraordinary lives side by side, competition fueled them and in that way they were motivated by each other.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Jackie Collins developed a gay fanbase. “She had a huge gay following which she loved and embraced. In the 80s people would go dressed as Jackie Collins on Pride marches. She was known as the Charles Dickens of Beverly Hills. Guys would go out in the leopard print and the shoulder pads. There was an understanding of how she used her image as armour and the vulnerability that stood behind that.”

Lady Boss:The Jackie Collins Story is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now.

INTERVIEW: Paul Taylor-Mills on My Night With Reg

Posted on 26/07/202126/07/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Paul Taylor-Mills is the Artistic Director and founder of The Turbine Theatre in Battersea. It’s on the banks of the Thames next to the iconic Battersea Power Station. Their latest production is a revival of the 1994 classic My Night with Reg by Kevin Elyot. The play takes a tragicomic look at gay manners and morals in the age of AIDS. We caught up with Paul Taylor-Mills to find out more about the play, the theatre itself, and surviving the pandemic.

First of all, how did you get involved with The Turbine Theatre? “I was approached by Battersea Power stations about three years ago. I’d run venues before and was terrified about doing it again. The redevelopment of the power station is absolutely amazing. The opportunity to be involved in something like this was hugely thrilling for me.”

Not long after opening the pandemic struck. “We had about six months so it wasn’t the best timing in the world but it encouraged us to think about things differently.” They managed to put on outdoor performances in the summer of 2020, keeping theatre going at a very difficult time. “At Christmas we were able to do a panto which was cut short, but we recorded it and screened it very successfully.”

How did you discover My Night With Reg? “It’s a seminal gay play I’d seen years ago. I read it over lockdown one afternoon. I know plays are meant to be seen and not read, but there was something really interesting about reading the play in the middle of a pandemic. It echoed some of the issues the characters in the play had to face. The nature of disease, people not really understanding it, how they survived, and had a support network. It’s very similar to where we are now. I think it’s one of the most beautiful plays ever written and I thought we must do this.”

Is the play a sort of time capsule? “It is of a certain time, but the staggering thing is that although we’ve come so far, in many ways we have a lot further to go. And that’s what I think drew me to the play: it was so ahead of its time. It feels so fresh as you read it.”

How would you categorise the play? “It’s from the gay cannon and yes it’s a gay led story, but it’s actually a very human story. It’s presented against a very comical backdrop, but the thing that really struck me is that ultimately, it’s a story about how resilient human beings can be. That’s what really drew me to it.”

How have you gone about staging it? “It’s set in a living room and it’s a three act play. In terms of tone it’s quite naturalistic. Our theatre is essentially a tunnel under a railway track. For the first time in our short history we’ve gone for something quite bold: we’ve kept the architecture of the railway out – but I’m not going to give too much away! The set is almost see-through, and that allows us to focus on these beautifully drawn characters Kevin Elyot came up with.”

What can you tell us about Kevin Elyot? “He did lots of plays and went into TV too. Quite a lot have a gay theme but not all of them. His ability to draw characters is really incredible which is why all these years later people still produce his plays.”

Has lockdown changed the way you view theatre? “This time last year we were in a deep lockdown but the thing that kept us busy was watching Netflix. I’ll bet that a lot of the people who wrote those shows started in theatre. We have to remember the value of the theatre, not just for the economy. We have to understand that if we don’t have theatre we don’t have Netflix. As we move forward to whatever the new normal will be, theatre is what’s going to bring us back together. I think.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber has been very unhappy with the government. How are you dealing with the latest guidelines? “They’re a nightmare for everyone, I could talk about it all day! There’s no insurance scheme in place. Theatre is risky enough at the best of times. Now it’s lunacy, almost, as it could stop at any point. The problem with the ping, as it were, is that even if you have a negative result you have to isolate. It becomes so complicated to reopen a show when it’s closed. We do have rigorous testing but there has to be a more effective way of dealing with this, both government-backed insurance schemes and a different way of dealing with the ping.”

Has LGBT+ visibility improved in the arts? “We’ve made some progress but we still have a long way to go. I’m so pleased LGBT+ stories are being told and there’s an appetite for those stories.”

Paul has also produced Heathers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Be More Chill at the Shaftesbury Theatre. “It’s thrilling to have two shows in the West End and also one at The Turbine. We also have an outdoor festival on the jetty in Battersea. It’s going really well.”

Will you be taking any of these shows on the road? “It’s complicated at the moment. Scotland, Wales and Ireland have different policies which does create problems. That being said, My Night With Reg will go on a regional tour. I’m really keen to look at the positive things that have happened over the last year. It’s forced me to have conversations with regional venues I perhaps wouldn’t have had before. I might not have had the time to do that before.”

My Night With Reg runs at The Turbine Theatre from 21st July – 21st August 2021.

Ambrosia exhibition: Raising money for Mermaids

Posted on 25/07/202125/07/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Purslane is one of London’s go-to spaces for emerging contemporary art. They’ll be hosting an online exhibition, Ambrosia, in support of Mermaids. The digital group exhibition bringing together 12 exciting rising contemporary artists.

You can view the exhibition online from 22nd July – 2nd September. The artworks on display explore themes of queer intimacy, loneliness, isolation and contemplation. 25% of all sales will be donated to the charity Mermaids. You’ve no doubt heard of Mermaids. They support gender-diverse kids, young people and their families by reducing isolation and loneliness, and improving awareness and understanding.

Charlie Siddick, Founder of Purslane said: “I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of ‘Ambrosia’ a sweet, delectable and intoxicating tonic that the Greek gods and goddesses consumed for longevity and immortality purposes. It seems to me that art possesses similar qualities; often outliving the artist that created it but also, as a viewer the visual consumption of artwork can have a fortifying and edifying effect. The group of artists contributing are some of the most exciting emerging artists around, this July marks Purslane’s one year anniversary, so we’re very happy to be showing new works by our loyal audiences, most beloved artists. We at Purslane are passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ communities throughout the year, so we’re very happy to be fundraising for ‘Mermaids’ a charity that supports transgender, nonbinary and gender diverse young children, young people and their families.”

The artists on display include Cecilia Reeve, Bobbye Fermie, Eleanor Watson, Jade Ching-yuk Ng, Lidia Martin, Aline Alagem, Lydia Merrett, Joana Galego, Salome Wu, Beatrice Hasell-McCosh, Casper White and Katy Papineau.

Purslane sets out to disrupt the way in which the art market functions. Founder & Curator Charlie Siddick was shocked to discover that the most an artist receives when selling work through a gallery is 50%, often as little as 20%. This makes it almost impossible for emerging artists to make their work financially viable. Purslane gives artists more control of over their work and a greater share of the profit.

Purslane is as an online platform that is centred around promoting young artistic talent whilst raising funds for different philanthropic causes. The aim is to provide an accessible, simple and beautiful space for new and existing collectors to get inspired and excited by art.

Purslane aims to raise £50,000 for charitable causes in 2022. Be sure to support their latest project. You’ll find a wonderfully diverse array of art in this exhibition.

Check out the exhibition from 22nd July – 2nd September.

Kate O’Donnell on Trans Vegas

Posted on 03/07/202103/07/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Trans Vegas has emerged as the largest trans and non-binary arts festival in the UK. The festival celebrated artists from Manchester, across the UK and internationally. After going digital in 2020, the festival will be returning with live events from 9th to 11th July 2021.

Festival events include discussions, literature, storytelling, music, film, fashion and a live, outdoor show at Homeground, Manchester on Saturday July 10th. 15,000 people tuned in to the festival last year. Highlights include Jinkx Monsoon and Peppermint: A discussion on identity in drag from the non-binary and trans stars of Rupaul’s Drag Race with Trans Creative’s Artistic Director Kate O’Donnell.

We caught up with the Kate O’Donnell, the artistic director, to find out more about Trans Vegas.

1. You launched the first Trans Vegas in 2017. What inspired you to start the event?

I felt Manchester deserved a Trans Arts festival, I adopted the ‘build it and they will come’ approach and, 5 years on, we are still fulfilling our mission to platform new trans creative voices and northern trans voices as well as showcasing national and international work.

2. How did you keep Trans Creative going during the pandemic?

Very early on in lockdown we decided to go digital ,but not to go small as the trans community needed creativity and visibility during that time. We created some very ambitious events online – most notably our international trans masculine art exhibition which was our most visited event and would have taken years to curate live.

3. What can we expect for Trans Vegas 2021?

Once again, we have gone big! City centre billboard takeovers by Jamaican trans fashion activists and our return to the stage, after a two-year gap, with a night celebrating trans music, dance and some surprise collaborations. Online we have a whole trans literature festival, film events and a specially commissioned series of bedtime stories. Plus ME having a chat about drag with RuPaul superstars Jinkx monsoon and Peppermint.

4. Do you think trans voices are becoming more prominent in popular culture?

Ummm.. maybe more so than 20 years ago when I transitioned but we have a long way to go. That’s why Trans Vegas is so important – it’s like a world reimagined where Trans art is created, celebrated and enjoyed rather than hidden or ‘debated.’

5. Tell us about some of the artists you’ll be collaborating with this year.

So many! I am really pleased to have got to work with Travis Alabanza this year and they were keen to work with writer Kuchenga so that’s happening. Lauren John Joseph has curated a beautiful nuanced little online literary salon with Juno Roche, Torrey Peters and Tom Cho. Jamaican visual artists Kyym Savage and Emani Edwards are at the heart of the festival with their exciting, courageous work. Centring black trans femmes is a key element of this year’s festival – they are our poster stars.

6. How can people get involved and support the festival?

There are many ways to support our festival! You can tune in online at Transcreative.uk and feast on Trans art and champion the artists. The trans fashion activist billboards are a campaign, and we are encouraging people to respond to the work on social media and tag us in. The live show is worth a trip to Manchester – it’s a one-off but will be recorded and shown online the next day. You can give us some of your hard-earned cash! Do this by donating at Transcreative.uk or by buying a print of our poster (all profits go to Artists featured) or why not get yourself a #standbyyourtrans T shirt…and wear it with pride. We look forward to seeing you!

Trans Vegas can be seen online 9-11 July https://transcreative.uk/ Trans Vegas live is on Saturday 10 July at Homeground: https://homemcr.org/event/trans-vegas-live/

Billie Ray Martin: House Music, Frankie Knuckles and Electribe 101

Posted on 28/06/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Billie Ray Martin has one of the best voices in popular music. She describes herself as “a kid from Hamburg’s red-light district, who wanted to be a soul singer, but ended up playing repetitive machine music, while still trying to be a soul singer”.

She came to prominence as the lead singer of Electribe 101. They scored a number of hits, most notably Talking With Myself. Their debut album is a house classic that went on to inspire many artists. She went solo after the first Electribe album, scoring a massive hit with Your Loving Arms.

Best known for her electro music, Billie has released several albums, including Deadline For My Memories and The Soul Tapes. She has many new releases to come, including never before released collaborations with Frankie Knuckles and the long awaited second Electribe 101 album. We caught up with her to find out more.

1. First of all, how have you coped with lockdown?

I suppose, like everyone, I do my best. I feel more isolated from my fellow human beings than ever before, and not through physical distance, but from witnessing unquestioning attitudes, attacks on those who have differing opinions, acceptance of loss of rights, as long as oneself is favoured in the equation. It is now becoming harder to cope, but sanity keeps me afloat.

2. The Frankie Knuckles remix of Talking With Myself is a true house classic. How did you come to work with him?

Initially I suppose it was set up by the record company. But it soon became clear that Frankie put his heart and soul into any remix work he took on and hence a relationship developed. Frankie was a big fan of our group and even contacted the record company asking to remix ‘Diamond Dove’. They refused. Later when I went solo he would be there, waiting backstage for me at 6 in the morning at Twilo, to say hi and offering to remix my songs. A beautiful soul.

3. The Heading For The Night remixes he did sound amazing. How come they were never released?

I understand that ‘Inside Out’ had not been successful enough as a single (radio one had not scheduled it), and hence Electribe 101 were not considered as a priority group any longer.

4. The Electribal Memories album has become iconic and the sound is so distinctive. Did that album fulfil your artistic vision?

I don’t think we ever thought about it. The sound and production came naturally to us and when it was done, it was done. I remember the guys sending me their final mix of the album version of ‘Inside Out’ and I called and said that I felt it was the most perfect thing they’d done thus far. With this album it was almost as if they’d waited for the right situation to put their combined skills to use and create something new and fresh, and, while I can’t speak for them at this point, I can say that I feel proud of our effort.

Listening to the songs now, as well as the second album, which was never released, I can feel what skilled musicians they were, each in their own right. This is all pre-automation era, so mixes were done live, even on stage. Les played the bass live with such skill and precision, Brian is such a wonderful sound engineer and producer, Joe the electronic heart of the group, adding incredibly melodic and yet sexy hooks and sounds, and Rob, an incredible keyboard player, songwriter and beautiful human being. All this came together.

5. Will the second Electribe album finally be released?

It will. Later this year or early next year. Pressing plants are backed up for vinyl and are not taking orders right now. I’m overseeing the mastering right now and the artwork is done. Lewis Mulatero, the original photographer of the first album, sent me all the original negatives from New Zealand, so the artwork is a dream come true.

6. You have a big, soulful voice. Is it safe to assume you were heavily influenced by American soul growing up in Germany?

Actually I was not, funnily enough. I became aware of soul much later as a teen. I grew up listening to whatever was on the radio and to my grandparents and parents Beatles and Elvis records, Rolling Stones, German Schlager, you name it. This is why I’m so rooted in 60s music, because they had that record collection. But there was no soul. That came later, and when it did, it blew my mind.

My first Soul Music records were Martha Reeves and the Vandellas and The Supremes. What more do you need? Well, much more followed of course. But in my early Berlin days I was actually more listening to Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle and many others. When Soul entered my universe I knew I had to figure out how to combine the two. That’s how all that started.

7. Frankie Knuckles described house music as “disco’s revenge”. Do you think that’s a fair assessment?

Perhaps. Personally I never really saw the total connection between disco and house. Of course people like Bohannon and others did already pioneer repetitive, hypnotic beats and suggested house, so there was a progression there. But I feel that disco is unapologetic joy, whereas house brings darkness. Fingers Inc: Break down the walls for instance. Robert Owens and Larry’s production introduced something that had never been done before. Real life issues, real life feelings expressed, honestly and unedited. Master C&J: ‘Face it’ and ‘Living In The City’ – it doesn’t get darker than that. Incredible stuff. Both Disco and House are equally justified of course, and equally brilliant.

8. We’d love to see you on stage. Any plans to hit the road when travel restrictions are eased?

I’m currently working on a few albums so I’m recording and constantly organising sessions. But who knows…. Maybe when the first of those albums finally comes out I have time for some shows.

9. You have a crowdfunding project for three new albums, the next one being “Gezeitenraum”. What kind of music can we expect and how can people get involved?

The fundraising link is on my website. It’s music played with a group of musicians, and I guess you could call it ambient, jazzy gospel… I don’t really know what it is. The album is about my childhood in Hamburg, gentrification, destruction, re-building, homelessness, freaks and hookers (of course!). The recording was delayed of course, but can now hopefully commence.

10. Your dance records have always been popular on the gay scene. Do you have a particular affinity with LGBT+ audiences?

Of course! I grew up in the red light district of Hamburg, where I already had contact with all sorts of different genders, gender-mixes, and people. Half of my family wasn’t sure if they were male or female, so for me it was always normal to not even differentiate or place any importance on what gender someone was.

As a musician I would be where I am, maybe I wouldn’t even be around at all if it wasn’t for my LGBT+ audiences, which have been just beautiful throughout and continue to show up for me.

11. Which of your solo albums are you most proud of? (I particularly like The Soul Tapes!).

I am proud of the Soul Tapes, because it was fun producing and mixing it. I felt like I could do it suddenly. Of course Jon Tiven had produced the initial recording session so there was already a basis to work with. I do love most of those songs too. But I’m not sure I can say which recording I’m most proud of. I like some better than others.

Electribe 101 – Heading for The Night – The Frankie Knuckles Mixes are available now.

Life Without Night by James Bartolacci

Posted on 25/06/2021 by Alex Klineberg

James Bartolacci is an artist based in Queens, New York City. He received his MFA in Painting and Printmaking from the Yale School of Art in 2020. Since then he’s exhibited in group and solo exhibitions at Galerie Perrotin and Taymour Grahne Projects. He’s just launched Life Without Night, his first solo show in the UK. James believes that nightlife is an art form unto itself.

The art on display depicts James’ personal experiences of New York’s queer nightlife scene. Naturally, these images represented a lost world when the pandemic hit and the clubs were closed. The bedroom scenes depict the closure of the club scene – they also look like after parties winding down. The images “evoke the ambience, intimacy and intensity of New York’s queer nightclubs. Filling the gallery with new oil paintings and pastel drawings, Life Without Night asserts how such venues and spaces provide meaningful parameters for solidarity, social affinity and self-affirmation.”

New York recently scrapped COVID restrictions, but will the nightlife of the past return? Perhaps there’ll be a new Roaring Twenties. Perhaps rising rents and lockdowns will combine to push the legendary queer nightlife of London and New York into steeper decline. Either way, these images are a testament to the power of nightlife. Even if clubs close, the spirit of those who want to party will live on, and somehow, somewhere (your bedroom, maybe!), the party will continue.

“Dance scenes featuring hedonistic figures as they move under a cloak of neon lighting are produced by digitally collaging photographs and videos to encapsulate a variety of moments from a single night. Recreated in oil painting, each work captures a specific place and date; in Spectrum Closing Party, Bartolacci transports us to the night that Brooklyn queer nightclub Spectrum finally closed its doors. A pillar of alternative queer nightlife in New York City.” The work emphasises “the relationship between clubbing and belonging.”

The bedroom scenes capture the spirit of nightlife living on in lockdown. The artist “uses the bedroom as an ersatz setting to stage intimate and evocative scenes with friends. Exploring the significance of self-styling, these scenes are constructed collaboratively with the sitter; friends are requested to choose an outfit, lighting conditions and pose, meanwhile discussing the personal value and importance of the city’s nightlife.”

The exhibition takes place at the Taymour Grahne Projects a London-based contemporary art gallery providing a space for artists who are often not given a platform, whether they are emerging, mid-career, or historically overlooked artists. They have galleries in Notting Hill and Holland Park.

Exhibition dates: 19 June – 14 July, 2021
Address: Taymour Grahne Projects, 10 Portland Road (Holland Park), London W11 4LA

Taymour Grahne Projects is pleased to invite you to the opening of Life Without Night.

Miss Hope Springs is Back

Posted on 22/06/202126/10/2021 by Alex Klineberg

Miss Hope Springs is a homage to the great ladies of American showbiz, especially those who emerged during Hollywood’s Golden Age. What distinguishes Miss Hope from Greta Garbo and Monroe is that she never quite made it. Showbiz is her life, even if it hasn’t always been kind to her. We caught up with Miss Hope’s creator and custodian, Ty Jeffries, to discuss her latest comeback attempt.

Ty plays piano and writes the songs – Miss Hope Springs is character based comedy more than drag. Ty was mentored in his twenties by Vangelis. In the 90s he was a keyboard player in Billy Mackenzie’s Associates, and in 2019, as Hope, he was Marc Almond’s support artist at The Hammersmith Eventim Apollo.

Ty’s accent has a distinctive transatlantic twang and this carries through to his alter ego: “I grew up for a number of years in The States from the age of 6. I also lived in the US later in life for a few years so I feel transatlantic. I love America – or the America of my youth anyway.”

“My inspiration for Miss Hope Springs is kinda obvious. It’s the showbiz lady of a certain era. The never made it as opposed to a has-been. Difficult for me to say this now she’s playing the Wigmore Hall. She has sort of made it now. She’s having overnight success after forty-five years.” The transatlantic accent works especially well for Miss Hope. Many of the American actors of her era affected a transatlantic accent.

“I did a tour in the states in 2016 and I played her more British. She’d come to America in the 60s following Julie Andrews. Hope is interchangeable. In Rome she’d probably be Italian.” Julian Clary described her as “Tragi-comic genius.”

“My upcoming show is inspired by her travels, including Berlin and Dungeness where she lives with her husband Irving, and his hairdresser pal Carlos in a camper van. She says in the show ‘When my husband told me he was getting a little camper I thought – that isn’t possible.’ Irving and Carloss do her hair for her.”

“This show will include new and old songs. Some favourites will be in there. I’ve Been Around is the title song and it’s new. There’s also a song based on Shanghai Express called Shanghai Lily. That’s from her period when she was scrubbing the floor of a brothel in Shanghai.”

How has Ty coped with lockdown? “For me there was a weird synchronicity. At the end of 2019 I realised I’d been working solidly for nearly ten years. My mother passed away after a long illness that year. I just didn’t have the energy or enthusiasm to perform. It just didn’t feel like the right time to be on stage. I took on a few shows. By some extraordinary fluke, with all the lockdowns, I managed to do two shows just before we locked down. And three shows at Christmas – that tiny window when things opened in December; I did my three shows and then everything shut down again.”

“I was very fortunate. As I’m self employed I book myself. I’m not part of a big production that had to shut down. They need months to prepare. I’m a one man band so I was able to go back on stage and do shows at short notice. Luckily they sell out which is a lovely affirmation of my work. I’m going back to Crazy Coqs in Piccadilly Circus with 3 sold out shows in early June.”

Crazy Coqs is part of Brasserie Zédel. It’s a fabulous Belle Epoch style cabaret room. It’s the top cabaret venue in England. It’s an ideal setting for an artist like Miss Hope Springs.

When did he invent the character? “I think I started creating her when I was about seven. I was obsessed with old Hollywood growing up. I fell in love with Garbo, Dietrich and Crawford. Even at that age I used my sister’s Mary Quant makeup crayons. I’d paint my face on and get in touch with the more female aspect of my personality. Talking about gender and sexuality has become a lot easier in the last five years or so. When I grew up you had to squeeze yourself into one box or another. There weren’t many options. I came out at 16 – just ten years after homosexuality was legalised in this country.”

“Miss Hope Springs is autobiographical as well. I’ve been writing songs since I was a child. I had my first publishing deal with Elton John’s Rocket Music in the mid 80s. I am a serious songwriter. The big chart hits never seemed to come along. I don’t think that’s because of the quality of the songs, at least I hope not! People seem to assume if you do drag you do it because you can’t do anything else.”

Even after Drag Race? “I think Drag Race is a different kettle of fish – if I can use that expression! I came to drag as a writer and musician. I don’t aspire to be on Rupaul. I think it’s hysterical now that everyone looks like a drag queen. I saw the casting for a West End Show – all female cast. They looked like dolls! They make me think of cosplay. It’s all part of this wonderful drag soup… I’m a crouton.”

Is Miss Hope Springs here to stay? “I think she’s going to be around till I drop. I’ll probably be buried in full regalia.”

The character emerged ten years ago at Brighton Fringe and won Best Cabaret for that show. She also won the “Broadway World Award Best Cabaret Edinburgh Fringe” in 2019. “So this is a homecoming gig. I’ve been on my travels quite literally and come back to roost in East Sussex. Close to my beloved Brighton.”

Can Ty explain Brighton’s strange appeal? “I lived in San Francisco for a while in the 90s. I’ve always felt like Brighton is San Fran’s more petite cousin. It’s the spirit here. It’s wonderful. If drag is soup Brighton is a melting pot and all the better for it. I love it here.”

Miss Hope Springs has recorded an hour-long solo show for Pride in June at the world famous Wigmore Hall – links on her website.

LATEST MUSIC BAR, BRIGHTON
27th June x2 shows
TICKETS

Nearly sold out. Limited availability.

Extra show added
BRIGHTON SPIEGELTENT
Sat 3rd July 9pm.
TICKETS

WIGMORE HALL
Miss Hope Springs at the Wigmore Hall streaming free on Wigmore Hall website throughout June.

King Jamsheed: Lonely Piano at Brighton Fringe

Posted on 15/06/2021 by Alex Klineberg

We caught up with King Jamsheed to discuss their debut album, life in lockdown and Druidry. Winter Is Coming is a wonderfully dramatic album that calls to mind the music of Bjork and Kate Bush. King Jamsheed will be performing at Brighton Fringe over the month of June. Lonely Piano is a live stream show you can enjoy from the comfort of your living room.

“Winner of the Irene Mensah Bursary for new-comers of minority communities to Brighton Fringe, Lonely Piano was filmed at the glorious St George’s Church in Kemptown. The church bells can be heard during the show, lending an intensity to an already haunting score.”

“A seasoned performer with global tours under their belt, this is the first programme curated entirely of King Jamsheed’s own material, including their recent single Dog Bones and a collab with underground synth outfit Brighton Pops Orchestra.”

“King Jamsheed has just won Arts Council funding to develop a new music project here in Brighton, involving a range of community music groups and choirs in a unique and ambitious public works project. Meanwhile, the concert Lonely Piano is set to feature in Toronto Jazz Festival among other major festivals across 2021-22 and is part of a crowdfunded music film of the same name. Check out the links below for more.”

Known as Jam to their friends: “The crowdfunder has been fantastically successful and will enable me to employ around ten freelance creatives and dancers on the project, at a time when we’ve been seriously let down by our government. But I’m excited to finally be a part of Brighton Fringe for the first time.”

You can read our interview with King Jamsheed here. Be sure to stream the show and discover their otherworldly songs. Expect more releases to follow.

Booking details

King Jamsheed: Lonely Piano
By King Jamsheed/Brighton Pops Orchestra
Streaming on-demand
1-30 June £10

kingjamsheed.com

crowdfunder.co.uk/kingjamsheedlonelypiano

Call us now

Author: Alex Klineberg

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Life Without Night by James Bartolacci

Miss Hope Springs is Back

King Jamsheed: Lonely Piano at Brighton Fringe

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