Gold bares all for his art

Gold bares all for his art

ARIAmerican pop star and club kid Sir Ari Gold (yes, the ‘Sir’ is real – more on that later) bares more than his soul in a cheeky teaser video for his new album, Play My F**kn’ Remix. The video sees the singer running the streets of New York au naturale – and a few glimpses of a rather pert bare bottom confirm that there was no editing or other trickery involved.

“I did run on the streets of NYC naked and thankfully did not get arrested. The only trickery is that it’s in 3D. I’m quite serious about people playing my fucking record,” Gold told the Star Observer.

Remix is Gold’s first retrospective collection since he started in the music business with the release of his first album in 2000. He said that, rather than offering a straight-up ‘best of’ collection compiling singles and fan favourites, he wanted the collection to nod towards the dance floor.

“I like the idea of a remixed retrospective, because it pays respect to the past with an ear toward the future,” he said.

“Dance music is the soundtrack for the gay liberation movement. The two go hand in hand, so it made sense for me to pay tribute to all the dance music that helped me come out and come of age.”

Taken together, the name of the album and the fact that the accompanying video sees Gold running naked through the streets in a bid for attention seem a rather pointed comment on the state of play for independent artists in the music business. Gold has a loyal band of largely queer followers around the world, but he acknowledged it was often a struggle to get his music heard.

“I’ve never tried to do anything just for the sake of getting my music heard. It always comes from a truthful place and if running on the streets naked seems a bit desperate, it’s because that’s how I was feeling at the time,” he said.

“I’ve been really lucky to be able to be at the forefront of so many movements whether it be the ability to get my music online and to fans through the internet, or by pioneering a gay music movement.”

Some may raise an eyebrow at Gold’s assertion that he’s a pioneer, but consider this – he was openly gay from the start of his career, only a few short years after George Michael was outed in less than ideal circumstances and at a time when we all still thought Ricky Martin really believed the lyrics to She Bangs.

“The alternative was not an option,” he said of his decision to be openly gay from the outset.

“I felt so passionately about being the kind of artist that I did not have growing up: a pop singer-songwriter who’s openly gay from the start and writing and singing about it.”

Now to that title, ‘Sir’ Ari Gold. It’s not just a stage name ala Lady Gaga – Gold was in fact knighted by the queen. Well, a queen.

“I kneeled in front of an Empress drag queen and she knighted me in front of a thousand people at the ‘Night Of a Thousand Gowns’ for the Imperial Court Of New York, which is one of the longest standing human rights organisations,” he explained.

“I personally hold more reverence for what drag queens have done on the frontlines of the LGBT rights movement than the Queen of England, so for me it’s a huge honor.

INFO: Play My F**kn Remix out June 4. www.arigold.com Ari Gold photo by Mike Ruiz.

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