Star Online

Pre-interview, the Star Observer overheard UK pop singer Olly Murs regale the previous journalist with his favourite joke: “What does a gay horse eat? Haaaaay…” (trust us, it’s funnier when he says it).

Post-interview, Murs spied this writer’s iPhone and asked if I used Grindr (looking rather disappointed when I sheepishly informed him I didn’t).

As for the interview itself? Murs, incorrigible flirt that he is, almost gave a hovering publicist a heart attack when he told the Star Observer he’s been assured he has perfect “blow job lips”.

Murs, you see, is from that distinctly British stable of male pop stars: those secure enough in their own sexuality to play up to their gay fans.

“I’m very comfortable with my sexuality. I’m a straight guy and I date women, but I get on really well with gay guys.

“The weirdest thing for me is when straight guys get really freaked out by gay guys. It’s almost like they’re insecure in their own sexuality.

“For me, I can be in a room full of gay men and have fun,” he enthused.

‘Having fun’ for Murs includes stripping down to a G-string on stage at British gay institution GAY, baring his bum cheeks for a room full of hollering gay men as he did in March 2011.

“The B-side from one of my first singles was called This One’s For The Girls, so I changed it to This One’s For The Boys when I played at GAY, and they loved it.

“The funniest thing is, I’m used to hearing high-pitched girl screaming after I play, and when I play to gay crowds it’s more like [drops 10 octaves] ‘YEAHHHH!’” he laughed.

“It’s like performing to the cast of the film 300.”

The 20009 X Factor runner-up first visited Australia a few years ago as a cash-strapped British backpacker, but returned in more comfortable style last month, having already delivered his record company two multi-platinum albums in his homeland.

“A lot of [TV talent show] people do come and go — one song or album, then they’re gone.

“I’ve had three number ones and two successful albums at this point, which is so much more than I ever dreamed of. Even if the next single or the next album isn’t as successful, I think I’ll be OK with it, because I feel like I’ve already had a good run.”

That may be a wise attitude, given reports have been circulating that Murs is planning on tackling white-boy rap on his next album.

“Nooo!” he cackled. “I said that as a joke in an interview once, and now it’s followed me around. I do rap a little verse on tour, filling in for a guy who raps on my album, but I’d never do a rap album.

“I think I can get away with a sneaky verse, but trust me — that’s all.”

INFO: Olly Murs’ album In Case You Didn’t Know (Sony) out now.

Out N Hastings, Port Macquarie’s LGBTIQ social group, are holding a free social pool night on Saturday, May 12 from 6.30pm at the Telegraph Point Sports and Recreation Club, Mooney St, Telegraph Point. Come along and meet some new people!

The Macleay Valley Women’s Group holds a brunch at 9.30am on the fourth Sunday of every month. This is a women-only event. Please contact Jen Clarke 02 6562 4084 or Chonni and Lou 02 6562 1885.

The Coffs Harbour group Rainbow Coffs Harbour has events on a regular basis. They have a great presence on Facebook — all you need do is friend them to discover a friendly atmosphere to be out and about in Coffs Harbour.

CoastOut Coffs Harbour is having a dance on Saturday, May 5 from 7.30pm at the Plantation Hotel. The theme is Sweet Dreams. Show your support for the amazing Todd and his crew who every year put on the CoastOut LGBTIQ festival in Coffs. You will not be sorry.

Coastal Castaways are centered around Fortser/Tuncurry and Taree and regularly hold events. They have luncheons on the first Sunday of every month. See their Facebook page for further information.

If you’re travelling to Sydney on or around May 20, you may wish to attend the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial at Slide, 41 Oxford St, 3.30pm. You can place names of loved ones lost to HIV/AIDS to be read out at www.candlelight.org.au

IDAHO or International Day against Homophobia is on May 17 and is recognised in more than 60 countries. It is held on May 17 as on that day in 1990 the World Health Organisation removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders.

For more information on IDAHO, visit www.lgbthealth.org.au/idaho#nsw Get a group together and celebrate IDAHO.

INFO: For more about groups, services, organisations or community events on the Mid North Coast, contact ACON Port Macquarie on 02 6584 0943 or email mnc@acon.org.au ACON Coffs Harbour 02 6651 6017 or email athoener@acon.org.au

Glenn Ferrero is the Community Health Promotion Officer at ACON’s Port Macquarie Outreach office.

Queer British singer-songwriter Matt Fishel’s latest release, the driving pop-rock song Behind Closed Doors, deals with a particularly insidious brand of homophobia: supposedly tolerant people who’d actually prefer to pretend we gays didn’t exist.

“I think whether you’re gay or belong to any minority group, you often encounter people who like to profess their worldly views and open-mindedness, and then follow up with one of those classic lines like ‘As long as it’s not in front of me’,” Fishel told the Star Observer.

He said the song was inspired by real-life events.

“There was one particular incident at a party where a drunk guy was shouting about how he had no problem with gay people, as long as they didn’t ‘shove it in his face’ — all the while sat
there with his hand up his girlfriend’s top!”

It’s the third single in a row from Fishel to deal with gay themes, after last year’s ode to young love The First Time and 2009’s queer teen lament The Football Song.

But Fishel said he had no qualms about being pigeonholed as ‘just’ a singer of gay songs.

“I think every artist is pigeonholed in one way or another at the start and for me, being seen as a ‘gay’ artist isn’t something I’d ever consider a negative,” he explained.

“I’ve never set out to strategically write ‘gay-themed’ songs. I just happen to be gay, and proud, and I sing about the relationships and experiences that are true to me.”

It means Fishel is grateful for the artistic freedoms afforded him by his status as an independent artist, on boutique record label Young Lust Records.

“I made the decision a long time ago that no good can come from toeing the line and deliberately trying to hide from who I am.

“Many times over the years I’ve had people in major labels tell me I need to change the lyrics to appeal to a mass audience, to cover up my sexuality to ensure universal appeal. Being on an independent label gives me the freedom to do that and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Doing it his way has taken time, but fans of Fishel’s three songs to date will be pleased to know a debut album is in the pipeline, and should be released later this year.

“Some of the tracks are loud and angry, others are celebratory and a bit more fun and tongue-in-cheek, and some are quieter, more reflective.

“The lyrical honesty is definitely there throughout the album, with songs about boyfriends and relationships, coming out, and the places I’ve lived, religion and hypocrisy, sexuality and education.”

INFO: www.facebook.com/mattfishelofficial

The first time this writer saw Tom Ballard’s stand-up show, the young queer comedian regaled the audience with a toe-curlingly embarrassing story about how his lusty teenage hormones had once led him to have a wank under the desk during Year 10 science class.

It was the sort of cringeworthy confessional tale that Ballard had, up until then, based his career on.

Since then, though, Ballard’s focus has turned to larger topics. Angered by conservative commentator Miranda Devine’s views on same-sex marriage, he uploaded an eloquent 13-minute riposte to YouTube last August.

Emboldened by the success of the clip (24,000 views at last count), Ballard’s keeping the political theme with his new Sydney Comedy Festival show, Doing Stuff, in which he looks at the quest to make the world a better place.

So is this the end of the line for the brilliantly funny smut of Ballard’s earlier stand-up sets?

“You’d think, wouldn’t you?” the comedian chuckled to the Star Observer.

“I actually spend the show trying to get to the bottom of why some people are so against gay marriage. There’s a lot of intellectual debate around it, but I think it’s fundamentally about people getting grossed out about gay sex.

“So I try to show that gay sex can be gross — but so can most straight sex, so that’s no reason to object to gay marriage. I spend quite some time detailing the sexual habits of straight people who I think would be awfully disgusting.

“But before that, the first half is very intellectual and policy-informed. There’s something for everyone!”

Ballard described the show as “a pretty angry rant about gay marriage”, a topic that’s bled into many areas of his career lately, including his role in Sparks, the pointedly political web series starring Brendan Maclean as a gay wedding planner angry he’s been denied the same rights as the couples he works for.

“It is a hot topic for comedians who happen to be gay at the moment, but I don’t feel like it’s hacky or overdone — it just feels right,” Ballard said.

“The Miranda Devine video was me having a crack at doing something at something I felt passionate about. A lot of people sent me very nice emails saying it meant a lot to them, but I don’t know whether it changed Miranda’s mind about anything.

“I liked the video and I was proud of it because it was me doing what I can do in a creative way to help the cause.”

INFO: Tom Ballard, The Comedy Store, Moore Park, May 11 – 12. www.sydneycomedyfest.com.au

The 400-strong Sydney Philharmonia Choir (SPC) and orchestra will bring the Opera House alive with the sound of music on May 11 and 12, as they perform highlights from the classic repertoire of Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Amongst the massive choir is Kyle Buchanan, talented singer, pianist and openly gay cutie, who made his debut with the company only a few months ago with Handel’s Messiah.

“As soon as the first concert finished, I knew I had to be a permanent member of the choir, and after a successful audition at the start of 2012, I was accepted into the Symphony Chorus,” he told the Star Observer.

“One of the things I love about singing with the choir is the wide variety of music they perform. In the first half of this year alone I am singing works in English, German, French,
Germanic-Latin and Russian, and singing in Elvish in a performance of The Lord Of The Rings: Two Towers.”

But with tunes from camp classics like Oklahoma!, The Sound Of Music and South Pacific due for an airing at the Rodgers and Hammerstein concerts, Buchanan admitted he was particularly excited about the upcoming two-night stint.

“It certainly is a camp show, and we are all having a lot of fun rehearsing for it.

“I had always loved The Sound of Music as a kid — I’m not quite sure how my parents never worked it out! — but to be honest, until I started preparation for this concert, I had no idea just how many popular tunes and musicals Rodgers and Hammerstein had written.”

Buchanan nominated You’ll Never Walk Alone, from the 1945 musical Carousel, as his favourite song to perform — but joked he also had a soft spot for Keep It Gay, a song from the lesser-known 1953 musical Me and Juliet.

With a choir of 400 members performing each song from memory, he said the rehearsal process had been getting more and more exciting as time wore on and the diverse voices fell into line.

“The concert features members from the Festival Chorus, the non-auditioned choir of the SPC group, who have been in rehearsals for the past month. The Symphony Chorus joined the Festival
Chorus for our first combined rehearsal just last week and it was an amazing sound. This program is certainly keeping me out of trouble.”

INFO: My Favourite Things: An Evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Sydney Opera House, May 10 and 12. www.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au

Mr and Ms Sydney Leather 2012 will unite at the Oxford Hotel on Sunday, May 6 for Slave Auction, a tongue-in-cheek charity fundraiser for ACON.

The brainchild of Mr Sydney Leather and Naked Barber Richard ‘Dick’ Savvy, the event will come only a few weeks before he competes for the title of International Mr Leather (IML) in Chicago in late May.

“My Mr Sydney Leather title prize was quite generous, including flights to Chicago and back and six nights’ accommodation, whereas previous titleholders had to do their own fundraising events to get themselves over there,” Savvy told the Star Observer.

“I thought it’d be nice to hold a fundraiser of my own, but giving the money to ACON instead of taking it for myself.”

Co-hosting the event with Mistress Tokyo, Savvy will auction eligible fetish guys and girls to act as slaves for the day. The social Sunday afternoon will include DJs in the Main Bar, burlesque by Lillian Star and Anna Falactic and a few more fetish-themed surprises.

“One thing I wanted to do this year is extend the visibility of the leather community in the gay scene,” Savvy said.

“I think an event like this is a great start. It’s very tongue-in-cheek and it’s all open to the public — we’re not trying to scare anyone.”

The slaves — who Savvy said had been surprisingly easy to recruit — will tend to their masters’ every request (within reason) in the Underground Bar through the afternoon.

“They’ll be getting drinks, lighting cigarettes, giving massages — we do have one slave who’s a qualified masseuse. We’ll have one slave arranging sushi on their partly-naked body, with a private meal for two people.”

With only four weeks to put the event together, Savvy’s managed to amass an impressive prize pool for those who come and bid on a slave: City Gym membership passes, skincare packages, Fat Swan tickets, a holiday in Melbourne and more.

While the event will directly benefit fundraising recipients ACON and the Sydney Leather Pride Association, Savvy said he hoped it would also serve to impress the judging panel at the IML finals.

“Hopefully it will impress the judges at IML to see that I’ve put together a successful event in such a short period of time.

“It’ll be good to show them that the community in Sydney is supporting me too, because they don’t really know me over there. Seeing that I’ve got Sydney on my side will hopefully help me to win.”

INFO: Slave Auction, 3pm, Sunday May 6, Oxford Hotel. Entry by gold coin donation.

Sydney indie-popper Catcall’s released two of the best Australian singles in years in recent months, the Stevie Nicks-esque Satellites and the Belinda Carlisle-esque The World Is Ours (you guessed it, she’s a child of the ’80s). It was a big ask to deliver a debut album that lives up to the shimmering beauty of those two songs, but Catcall just about manages it with The Warmest Place.

The moody new wave of On My Own sits alongside the aforementioned tracks as the album’s best, but listeners will also find much to love with highlights like the sugary queer love song That Girl, the nimble disco of Art Star and the atmospheric summertime sadness of Swimming Pool. Surely one of the best Australian albums you’ll hear all year.

INFO: The Warmest Place is out May 4 through Ivy League Records.

Grammy-nominated producer dance Morgan Page is back with In The Air, another star-studded collection of dancefloor tunes. The real drawcard for queer listeners here is the inclusion of two tracks with lesbian icons Tegan and Sara — Video and the outstanding current single Body Work. The sisters’ immediately recognisable vocals just work so damn well in an electronic context (see also: their gorgeous Tiesto collaboration from a few years back, Feel it In My Bones). Elsewhere, Page heads onto slightly shaky ground with a trancey cover of The Police’s SOS, but there are enough original highlights here — like the stunning title track, sung by Angela McCluskey — to compensate.

Saturday, April 28 2012

NSW

ARQ – Dance Dance Dance.
BANK HOTEL – DJ Slynk, 9pm-late.
CASTROS – Wollongong. Drag shows with Beverly Buttercup, DeeDee Lamar, Christina Dior, 9pm. Free entry before 11pm.
CLUB EXILE – Men-only dance party at Phoenix. 10pm-5am.
COLOMBIAN – DJs Luke Leal, Beatrix, more.
DRAG TIME – DJs, drag shows at Norton’s on Norton, Leichhardt. 7pm-late, free entry.
EDGE – Karaoke Queenz 6-10pm. Dance party 10pm-late.
GAYLORDZ – Queer dance party @ Red Rattler.
IMPERIAL – Priscilla drag shows through the night, plus cellar dance club.
LIVE – @ Nevermind. Party from 10pm. Happy hour till 1am.
MIDNIGHT SHIFT – Aquatica drag show upstairs, $5 before midnight, $10 after. Temptation with Maxi Shield downstairs from 11pm.
OXFORD HOTEL – Popsicle. Pop music in the underground bar.
PALMS – Disco Meltdown 8pm-3am. DJ B from 10pm.
RUBY RABBIT – House Party till 3am.
STONEWALL – Boylesque from 6.30pm. 10pm showgirls Tora Hymen, Christina Dior and Verushka Darling.
TAXI CLUB – Shimtastic presents ‘Absolutely’.

VICTORIA

ABODE – The Gateway with DJ Tracy G. 9pm-late.
CLUB 80 – Trough X T-Dance Party. DJ Stereogamous and more. 5pm-2am.
DNM – Bounce RnB. DJs from 10pm. Open 4pm.
DT’S HOTEL – Show Night. Open 4pm-late, free entry, floor shows from 10.30pm.
GH – A Classic Saturday Night. Open 6pm-3am, free entry before 9.30pm. Velvet live piano performances at 8pm, The Classics shows from 11pm.
HEAVEN’S DOOR – Party Night: Drag Kingdom 9pm-12.30am with drag kings, followed by Play RnB hosted by Swish Eveready and Sasha Fag until 5am.
LAIRD – Bar, beer garden open 5pm-late, men only, free entry, DJs, monthly events with Melbourne Leather Men and VicBears.
LIBATION – ‘Mixed Drinks’: opens 2pm, free entry, drink specials, casual, mixed crowd.
THE PEEL – 9pm-dawn, mainly men, free entry, DJs spin commercial hits, gay anthems.
POOF DOOF @ 579 LT COLLINS – 11pm-7am, for disco lovers. DJs, gay party crowd.
PRISCILLA’S @ 153 – Adrenaline: Opens 9pm, free entry, shows with Abril Latrene, Amelia Mole, dancers.
SIRCUIT – 5pm–late. Men only, free pool, DJs, cruising area.

QUEENSLAND

THE BEAT MEGACLUB – 8pm-5am, DJs all night.
SPORTSMAN HOTEL – Peepshow with Lidia Box, Ella Va’Lay, Jacklyn Hyde, Chinta Wo Allcock. Shows from 10.30pm. DJ Merlin in the Lounge Bar.
THE WICKHAM – Out @ The Wickham. DJs from 9pm.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MARS BAR – Tired Ass Showgirls drag show at 2am. Open 9pm-late.

TASMANIA

FLAMINGOS DANCE BAR – Two floors, 10pm-late.

With her immaculate platinum bob and designer specs, Australian singer-songwriter Skii Harvey looks more Prue and Trude than soul diva. But don’t judge a book by its cover, because as she proves on this, her third album, she’s got a powerhouse voice that lends itself perfectly to bluesy ballads like stunning opener Romeo. Sometimes the arrangements here are slightly too tasteful and restrained for her warm, throaty voice — see single Tell Me, which is too polite by half. Harvey’s at her best when she’s lending her distinctive vocals to songs that have a personal touch, like the upbeat belter Redfern, an ode to her home suburb.