A Touch of Pink

31 Jul 2014

July 2014 Update

Perfume Genius

A Touch Of Pink is currently of-air, but it’ll be back in October. In the meantime I’d like to keep you updated with what’s new and exciting in the world of music and entertainment.

The music world is currently going Gay Gay Gay, so here are some favourites.

Top 10 Gay tracks I’m loving at the moment

Holly Johnson (lead singer of Frankie Goes To Hollywood) has a catchy new single out, Follow Your Heart, and an album, Europa, due out 29^th September. It will be his first new album in 15 years, a follow up to 1999’s Soulstream.

Erasure has a great new single out called Elevation, ahead of a new album, The Violet Flame, due 22^nd September.

Meanwhile, Andy Bell, lead singer from Erasure, has a new album out called Torsten, The Bareback Saint. It is the soundtrack from his one-man show, a song cycle of lyrical postcards, memories from a life lived as a semi-immortal. He will be performing it at the Edinburgh International Fringe Festival. Not his usual electropop, but nevertheless excellent cabaret style material.

Marc Almond (lead singer from Soft Cell) has a new performance CD/DVD out, a performance and recoding called Ten Plagues, A Song Cycle. It is the reminiscences of a gay man who survived the Great Plague of London in 1665. A fascinating work, but basically voice and piano.

Marc Almond also has a new artist album out called The Dancing Marquis, full of catchy pop tracks, including collaborations with Tony Visconti and Jarvis Cocker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckjjBsuj5Wg

Newish American artist Perfume Genius, aka Mike Hadreas, has a new single out, wonderfully dark electronica, called Queen, (yes he is) and an album Too Bright due out 19^th September. And check out his earlier videos, quite amazing, especially ‘Hood’.

Don’t forget the new Bright Light Bright Light album Life Is Easy is out now, chock full of gorgeous electropop, intelligent lyrics, a lovely voice, and a special appearance from Sir Elton.

For you show queens, John Barrowman (Torchwood Cap’n Jack) has a new album out called Raise Me Up. A mix of MOR tunes and a few modern covers including Skyscraper. Or get a copy for your Mums.

Skatt Bros. : Strange Spirits : Sort of a butch Village People with a classic album from 1979. I’ve just managed to get a CD of this album from a store in Mexico but manufactured in Russia. An amazingly gay album featuring tracks such as Walk The Night, Life At The Outpost.

10.Lastly, cute scandipop duo Man Meadow have a catchy new europop single Take It Off out now. No clues what that’s all about.

Top 10 Non-Gay tracks I’m loving at the moment include:

The Saturdays: What are you waiting for, a new track from their forthcoming Greatest Hits CD. There is also a special edition featuring a bonus CD of b-sides, and a DVD of all their videos.
Cheryl Cole (from Girls Aloud) with a solo single, the very catchy Crazy Stupid Love.
Pixie Lott: Lay me down . Another classy pop track.
Clean Bandit: Come over (Cahill radio edit) Such a great fresh new band.
Jayne County: Man I feel like a woman. The previously Wayne County, back with a dance version of the Shania Twain country classic.
Ultra Nate: Unconditional. 90’s dance diva back with another arms in the air dance anthem.
Kelis: Food. I love the whole of this album, lush food based songs, in her new sultry, husky, almost Renee Geyer’ish voice. This is really comfort food.
Barry Harris presents Kon Kan: I beg your pardon 2014. A great update of this dacepop classic from 1988, featuring a sample of I never promised you a rose garden.
Sir Ivan: Here comes the sun. A dance remake of The Beatles oldie from 1969. I love a catchy cover.
Jungle : Jungle : British duo with a very understated album of (not jungle d ‘n’ b) understated lush soul r ‘n’ b. It takes a few listenings but I’m hooked.

WHAT WE HAVE SEEN LATELY ?

FILM : Still Life: A beautifully crafted film about a British council worker who arranges funerals for people who die alone. His job is to try and find any relatives/friends and organise the funeral service. Not a particularly happy film, but a great production and a heartbreaking ending.

5 out of 5

FILM : Calvary : Another of those earthy films, this time made in Ireland. The plot revolves around a man who was abused by a priest as a boy, but as the priest is now dead, he threatens to kill another priest (an innocent) in 7 days time to compensate. Again, a beautifully crafted film, not a happy subject, but wonderful portrayals and observations.

5 out of 5

FILM : Jersey Boys : The film of the musical, and a wonderful production. The film is able to insert a little more plot and background to the subject, but it retains most of the excitement of the original musical.

4 out of 5

FILM : Reaching for the moon : Based on a true lesbian romance between two (possibly three) woman, a Pulitzer prize-winning poet and an architect. The relationship is fraught with difficulties, and betrayals, but it is all beautifully observed and performed.

4 out of 5

FILM : The Lunchbox : A real crowd pleasing romance (?) that develops between and Indian office worker whose lunch delivery gets mixed up with another person’s. A relationship develops between the man and the woman who prepares the mistaken lunch, and whose husband is not very attentive. Sweet and touching, a nice couple of hours entertainment.

3 ½ out of 5

FILM : Dawn of the planet of the apes : Not a deep film, but fun, and the CGI apes and horses are amazing. A longish film about the rise strife of the apes, and the battles with the humans. A petty good multiples movie, and a good plot.

4 out of 5

FILM : A Small Family Business : A National Theatre Live Production, a film of the play about a small family business, where the absent head of the family comes back when the grandfather retires. All is going well until he finds out how all the employees (family) are skimming some cream off the top. The play revolves around what happens when he tries to clean up the corruption. Naturally, not everybody is happy about this. A clever comment on the greed of the 80’s (it was first performed in 1987). Good but not great.

3 out of 5

SHOW : Guys And Dolls : The first Jeannie Pratt Production Company musical for 2014, and what a wonderful surprise. I recently re-watched the movie version, and apart from the musical numbers, it was overly long and, yes, boring. But this production seemed to have removed a lot of unwanted dialogue, and ramped up the pace. It sparkles from start to finish.

4 ½ out of 5

SHOW : The Importance Of Being Earnest as performed by 3 F**king Queens and a duck : I hadn’t seen this version before, but what a revelation. It was hysterical, , over the top, witty, brilliantly performed and a rollercoaster ride on the camp side of theatre. I want to see it again because I missed half the jokes because of the manic performances. Brilliant

5 out of 5

DICKS TOP 5 RANDOM VIDEOS FOR JUNE

Vito Fun etc : Bitch that is not a Birkin (a Hermes bag value about $20,000)