VOLUME 3|ISSUE 8
beige | Volume 3 | Issue 8
BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS COLOURFUL ENOUGH
THE DATING ISSUE ROVING ROMANCE - HIGH TECH HOOK UPS GRINDR’S CREATOR JOEL SIMKHAI TOP DATING DO’S AND DON’TS
MANCHESTER More than just a Pride destination
FITNESS & WELBEING TRAVEL: KEMPINSKI RESORT HOTSPOTS: GREEN CARNATION HOMESTYLE: JIMMIE MARTIN NIGHT CAP: COGNAC AWAITS
HALLOWEEN
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD TRUE BLOOD’S HUNKY VAMP
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VOLUME 3|ISSUE 8
beige | Volume 3 | Issue 8
contents
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Cover: Andrew Leighty Clothing:Manview Photo: Scott Hoover www.scotthooverphotography.com THE DATING BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS COLOURFUL ENOUGH
ISSUE
ROVING ROMANCE - HIGH TECH HOOK UPS GRINDR’S CREATOR JOEL SIMKHAI TOP DATING DO’S AND DON’TS
MANCHESTER MORE THAN JUST A PRIDE DESTINATION
FITNESS & WELBEING TRAVEL: KEMPINSKI RESORT HOTSPOTS: GREEN CARNATION HOMESTYLE: JIMMIE MARTIN NIGHT CAP: COGNAC AWAITS
HALLOWEEN
ALEXANDER SKARSGARD
vol 3 issue 8
TRUE BLOOD’S HUNKY VAMP
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Welcome
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Features
26 ONE HOT VAMP
HELLO AND WELCOME TO BEIGE
26
With Halloween approaching, our interview wish list turned to the incredible Alexander Skarsgard. As hot vamp Eric is TV’s True Blood he’s had many of our head’s turning.
Beige speaks to Alexander Skarsgard about his role in True Blood as hot vampire Eric.
46 ROVING ROMANCE
We are consistently beset here with new websites, apps and services all aimed at gay dating and hook ups. This month we decided to take a look at how the whole scene developed, provide some dating do’s and don’t for those after more than a one nighter, and spoke to Grindr founder Joel Simkhai.
Mathew Christian looks at how technology has impacted on the gay dating game.
48 HOT DATING TIPS Some do’s and don’t as you prepare to find your next boyfriend.
There’s all that and loads more besides in this month’s issue.
51 BUMP AND GRINDR
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I hope you enjoy it.
We talk to Joel Simkhai, founder of Grindr about the world’s sexiest app and he explains where to next.
DOUGLAS MAYO Editor
62 MARTIN ROBERTS
46
Editor Douglas Mayo editor@beigeuk.com
Commercial Manager Chris Colman chris@beigeuk.com
Sales Executive Craig Davies craig@beigeuk.com
Advertising/ Subscriptions advertising@beigeuk. com
Contributors Adam Lake Tony Tansley Mathew Christian Mark Ludmon Martin Roberts J C Christopher Chris Harvey
Home and Property guru Martin Roberts gives advice on property.
Beige is published by Evolved Publishing Limited Suite 404 Albany House 324 Regent Street London W1B 3HH
F: 0871 714 6996 ISSN 1756 7211 www.beigeuk.com
All rights reserved throughout the world. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written consent of Beige UK. The views and opinions expressed by contributors to this magazine may not necessarily represent the views of Beige UK. Beige UK takes no responsibility for claims made in advertisements featured in this magazine. Beige UK can take no responsibility for unsolicited material. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness, and the opinions based thereon are not guaranteed. Disclaimer: Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organisation, articles or advertising in Beige UK should not be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such person or organisation or advertiser. (c) Evolved Publishing Ltd
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THUNDER £129.99 STOCKIST INFO: 020 7874 6900 WWW.STORMWATCHES.COM 21 CARNABY STREET LONDON W1 WESTFIELD LONDON BROMLEY WATFORD BRIGHTON MILTON KEYNES BULLRING LEICESTER NEWQUAY TRURO PLYMOUTH
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Beige distribution list
vol 3 issue 8
Regulars
52
10 FRESH!
The latest must have items and hottest events across the UK. General fabulousness is assured.
18 20 V 50
Adam and Tony ponder the excessive nature of gay men.
20 WELLBEING
Beige takes a walk through fabulous new fragrances, health issues and looks at new treatments.
30 FASHION
Hot young fashion as we say goodbye to summer. 38 TRAVEL Manchester and Kempinski Resort profiled.
68
56 HOTSPOTS
Green Carnation is an oasis of sheik in the heart of Soho. 58 SCREENER We look at the latest on DVD/Film.
64 OFF THE SHELF
This month’s literary offerings reviewed. 72 NIGHTCAP Mark Ludmon looks at Cognac.
76 COMMUNITY
A pocket guide to community groups across the UK.
66
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VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 6
beige | Volume 3 | Issue 6
BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS COLOURFUL ENOUGH
LEONARDO DICAPRIO Hollywood’s hesitant hunk GAVIN CREEL Back in the West End WHAT HAPPENS IN VEGAS
Part one of our exposé of Sin City
FAY PRESTO
SUBSCRIBE ONLINE
Up close and personal
BRIGHTON PRIDE Two sides to the argument
www.beigemagazine.co.uk
IT’S A LONG ROAD
BEN RICHARDS JOINS THE CAST OF PRISCILLA
TRAVEL: TEL AVIV THEATRE: TAP DOGS WELLBEING: DIET DRINKS REVEALED
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MANCHESTER Alter Ego Crunch Churchills Coyotes Cruz 101 Company Bar Legends New York, New York Paddy’s Goose Queer LONDON SOUTH Barcode Kasbar The Little Apple The Rose and Crown Two Brewers The Lounge Retreat CENTRAL Barcode Admiral Duncan The Box Bar Comptons The Edge Friendly Society Halfway2heaven Ku Bar / Ku Club Kudos Clone Zone The Stag EAST The Angel Bar Music Hall The George & Dragon The Joiner’s Arms The Victoria The White Swan Dalston Superstore WEST The Hope & Anchor The Load of Hay The Queen’s Head The Richmond Arms BRIGHTON Amsterdam Aquarium Theatre Bar Bulldog Caledonian Bar Charles St Bar Grosvenor Bar Legends Marine Tavern BIRMINGHAM The Loft Lounge Bar Jester Eden Equator Missing Bar
Spirit Thompsons Arms Vanilla Via Taurus The New Union Velvet Essentials Clone Zone
Old Market Tavern Two8Six Eagle London Union XXL RVT Gays The Word Profile Prowler The Quebec Retro Bar Rupert St 79 CXR Vault 139 Village The Yard The Green NORTH The Black Cap The Green The King Edward VI Kink Bar KW4
West 5 The Windsor Castle Escape Kingston Lush The Jury’s Out The Queen’s Arms R Bar Revenge The Star Inn Vavoom Bar The Zone The Village Inn Club DV8 The Fox The Fountain Nightingale
CARDIFF 4 Play Bar Icon The Golden Cross Pulse WOW Bar Yupi Bar Exit Club
SWANSEA Champers The Exchange The Kings Arms
SOUTHAMPTON The Bevois The Edge The Endeavour The London The Pink Broadway
BOURNEMOUTH The Bakers Arms The Branksome Arms The Triangle Club Xchange Bar Beyond RubyZ
BLACKPOOL Flamingos The Flying Handbag Funny Girls Kaos Bar BRISTOL Bristol Bear Bar Flamingos The Lounge Retreat Old Market Town
NEWPORT Aber Pride
The Mardi Gras The New Road Inn Pepes Bar Roxy’s PORTSMOUTH Hampshire Boulevard Martha’s Club The Old Vic
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W HITS LONDON
No doubt many of you will have been watching the construction of W London Leicester Square with eager anticipation. W Hotel fans know the hotelier prides itself on premiering the hippest and hottest flagship hotels. Set to open in early 2011 to a global audience of jetsetters and London stylista, W London Leicester Square has begun its talent search for the key roles within the hotel. This is no ordinary job interview but a talent search that rivals the X Factor. The countdown is on for the hotels Valentine’s Day 2011 opening and we can’t wait. Inspiring, iconic, innovative and influential, W Hotels provides the ultimate in insider access to a world of “Wow.” Each hotel offers a unique mix of innovative design and passions around fashion, music, entertainment, design, architecture, pop culture, and everything in between. W Hotels are unique and individual expressions of modern living, reflected in the brand’s sensibility to a holistic lifestyle experience with cutting-edge design, contemporary restaurant concepts, glamorous nightlife experiences, and signature spas. www.whotels.com/uk
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gigs | news | gadgets | products | stuff!
WHAT’S THE GOSS?? Dubbed ‘The Hottest Vegas Act…’ by the LA Times, Matt Goss recently exploded back onto the music scene as a solo act, headlining Caesars Palace, with a Robin Antin (Pussycat Dolls Creator) produced show. Picking up where greats such as Sinatra left off, whilst also bringing the great Vegas legacy into the 21st Century, Matt has been hailed as ‘the leader of a new Rat Pack of Las Vegas stars’ by Las Vegas Weekly. Beige was lucky enough to catch Matt’s show on a recent trip to Vegas and we were blown away. Forget everything you know about Matt, he has re-invented himself and the transformation is down to one thing - Talent!! Now it’s London’s turn as Matt brings his incredible show to the Royal Albert Hall. There’s no doubt that this dynamo will blow the roof off the Albert Hall with Vegas sizzle. Most people know Matt from his days with teen pop sensations Bros and his Albert Hall set will include some of Bros’s most well known songs and his take on some of the greatest songs ever written, this is bound to be one of the classiest shows you’ll see this year. If you miss the Albert Hall show and just happen to be in Vegas make a point of catching his show at Caesar’s Palace. It’s old school Vegas and a brilliant night out. 19th October. Royal Albert Hall For additional information about Matt please go to www.mattgoss.biz
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PLAYSTATION MOVE
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has now launched the PlayStation®Move motion controller for PlayStation®3 (PS3™). Coupled together with the PlayStation®Eye camera*, players can step into a new world where your every movement is captured in three dimensional space with incredible accuracy. It’s a brand new way to play and enjoy the games you love, alongside a whole host of new titles designed to get the party going. PlayStation Move takes entertainment into a new dimension, offering a more immersive and more intuitive entertainment experience that gives you complete control over how you play. Whether you want to serve up an ace in a tennis match with your mates, cast a spell, grab a paint brush or take up your sniper’s position, the range of PlayStation Move titles arriving on shelves over the following weeks will offer something for everyone. Get your hands on a PlayStation Move motion controller and some of the great titles available today. The PlayStation Move motion controller is available for £34.99 RRP, with the PlayStation Move navigation controller at £24.99 RRP. The starter pack, which comprises a PlayStation Move motion controller, PlayStation Eye camera and a Starter disc including demos of the titles Sports Champions, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11, Start the Party! and more, are available for £49.99 RRP. With PlayStation Move in stores now is the time to move into the action! For further information please visit eu.playstation.com.
JOIN THE Q Austin Reed will celebrate 110 years of ‘Dressing for Success’ later this year. To mark this historic landmark, it will officially launch the Austin Reed Q Club; a private members club with a clubhouse in the Regent Street flagship store. The Q Club will be open to customers throughout the country with a dedicated clubhouse within the Austin Reed Flagship on Regent Street. A club like no other, it will be designed specifically towards dressing the modern man in a unique and relaxed environment focused on contemporary style. Four celebrity ambassadors will be the face of the Austin Reed Q Club. As the best of British in their respective fields; Andrew Strauss, England Cricket Captain, Alastair Cook, England Cricket Vice Captain, Lewis Moody, Bath’s England Rugby Captain and Courtney Lawes, British Rugby’s newest star, will launch the Austin Reed Q Club. Launching in October 2010, depicting quintessential British design and heritage, the Q Club offering will extend beyond
private membership to Q Bespoke, Austin Reed’s new made to measure service, Q Hirewear, which will provide a premium formal hire service and Q Corporate, Austin Reed’s corporate arm. A Membership Fee of £275 per annum applies with membership being by invitation or referral only. Each applicant will be reviewed by a Q Club committee. Benefits include an exclusive 20% off all Austin Reed product to include Q Hire Wear, Q Bespoke and Q Club bar at Regent Street; A Q Bespoke suit at half the normal retail price on joining (available for 1 year from join date). Individual membership key-fob with key finding service; Personal shopping service – simply sit with your feet up at the Q Club Bar and let a Q Club shopper find what you need; Access to a concierge service within the Regent Street store; A complimentary haircut or wet shave at Austin Reed’s flagship store;Free subscription to a selection of publications www.austinreed.co.uk
CLEANING GOO!!
Ever wondered just how dirty your laptio keyboard or mobile was? You’d probably be horrified if confronted with evidence of just how grubby they really are. Here at Beige we stumbled across this little wonder product on a recent trip stateside. Cyber Clean® is the only cleaning compound that can reach inside all of those difficult to reach places and remove all those nasty and harmful things while cleaning on contact. All you have to do is press and pull. No rubbing required! Cyber Clean® will leave all the surfaces clean and fresh smelling! With a gentle citrus smell you’ll be cleaning all manner of electrical stuff in your home. It’s now available in the uk from www.cyberclean.net. Remember you saw it here first.
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LAS VEGAS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED Stroll the Strip by the light of a neon-lit sky, testing your luck at the slot machines and poker tables. Or soak up the desert sunshine, golf clubs in hand, before indulging at award-winning restaurants or restocking the wardrobe at resort shops. On ba.com we offer a wide range of hotels in Las Vegas from great value 2 star hotels to opulent 5 stars. Plus, if you book a flight + hotel together, you'll enjoy guaranteed savings and ATOL protection for total piece of mind.
For more information, visit ba.com/lasvegas
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WEST END BARES 2010 A big thank you to everyone who attended this years West End Bares (see article in last month’s Beige). The great and the good of the West End including John Barrowman, Ben Richards, Paul O’Grady and the casts of just about every major show gathered to raise funds for Theatre Mad. The spirit of West End Bares is perhaps best stated by Executive Producer Jerry Mitchell who said “Let’s face it, sex sells. But what makes this show so sexy is that is is being done with a great deal of heart from folks who know how to give! And there is nothing hotter than watching a real dancer strip”. The fantastic shows at London’s Cafe De Paris raised just over £40,000 for the charity and ensured that this will become an annual event in Theatre Mad’s fundraising calendar. Congratulations must go to Darren Carnall and every person both on stage and off who created such a great nights entertainment. A calendar featuring amazing photos from the night will be available from the Charity very soon. For further information on Theatre Mad visit www.madtrust.org.uk
WIN A £250 AUSSIEBUM GIFT VOUCHER Aussiebum recently launched a great new range of mens undies called Lockerboy. if you feel like being a LockerBoy yourself we have a £250 gift voucher up for grabs. Alternatively you can shop for other swimwear, loungewear and sportswear from the 100% Australian owned company. Stockist Selfridges, Harvey Nichols, House of Fraser. Visit www.aussiebum.com. To enter simply visit www.beigeuk.com and join our online mailing list. This fantastic prize will be drawn on November 10, 2010.
Win a GRAYS wallet For a chance to win a wallet from your favourite GRAYS line, visit www.stewartgrays.com and tell us in which movie was Richard Gere seen with a GRAYS bag. Email your answer to editor@beigeuk.com and we’ll contact the winner by November 10.
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ARE YOU BEING SERVED? With the premier of Downtown Abbey on ITV, gay men across the country are settling in on a Sunday evening to watch this fabulous costume drama created by Julian Fellowes, the man who penned Gosford Park. This brilliant series has it all, incredible locations, period detail and Dame Maggie Smith in impeccable form. It also has a secret weapon in it’s arsenal in the form of Rob James-Collier who plays Thomas, the first footman. Thomas is ambitious, self-driven, conniving, self serving, devilishly handsome and gay! He will stop at nothing when it comes to his own advancement in the household. “The fantastic thing about the scope Julian has given me is that yes, while Thomas is a nasty piece of work, he has written in funny lines for him as well, so you’ve got a little bit of comedy as well as those other sides to the character” Rob explained. Thomas has a secret, or at least he thinks he has but there are certain members of the staff who have worked him out. “Thomas’ secret comes out towards the end of the first episode. He is a gay man and in those times, not only was it considered a sin against God, it was also illegal and frowned upon within society. I think many of the staff are aware that Thomas likes men and they kind of brush it under the carpet,” he says. “When we discover he has been having a tempestuous love affair with the Duke of Crowborough (Charlie Cox), we see a vulnerability and naivety to Thomas that we rarely see again. He is hurt and angry that this man who he thought would take him away from Downton Abbey and make him a butler, is more devious than himself and as a result Thomas lets his guard down,” he continues. Rob had never performed a gay scene before, but with rehearsal and under the direction of Brian Percival it was surprisingly easy and natural. ‘We spent quite a bit of time with Brian Percival rehearsing the scene and talking it through. Originally there wasn’t a kiss written into the script but it felt there was a point where Thomas would naturally kiss the Duke and the thing with Charlie Cox was that he was open to anything, he was fantastic! When I mentioned it to him I said, ‘don’t take this the wrong way, I’m not coming onto you…but’, he was like, ‘no don’t worry about it, I think it would be good’ and it did add an extra dynamic to the scene.” “The thing I loved about this aspect of Thomas is that he is not a gay character but a character who is incidentally gay, which is how it should be.” Having never played a love scene with another man before, Rob found it easier kissing a man on screen than a woman. “When you’re kissing a woman, and you want it to look realistic, you’re thinking ‘am I taking advantage of her? Is her boyfriend going to think I am over-stepping the mark?’ Whereas when you are kissing a man those thoughts don’t cross your mind. I’m more scared of it looking false so I went for it fully to make it look real and hopefully I’ve achieved that. You just have to, otherwise if you feel uncomfortable you will look uncomfortable and then it won’t be believable.” “I think Julian, being clever, didn’t write it in, but had a sixth sense that we might arrive at that point ourselves, which we did,” he adds. Downton Abbey screens each Sunday on ITV
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HAVE WE LOST PATIENCE WITH WAYWARD CELEBS?
GO DIRECTLY TO GAOL
Douglas Mayo wonders why so many celebs seem able to avoid prison and asks whether George Michael has broken the mould... I got into a very heated debate with friends recently surrounding the subject of celebrity incarceration.
media coverage? Does the fact that we are ravenous for media gossip of this kind just fuel the fire?
You would have to have been living in a cave over the past few years to have missed front page headlines about celebrities including Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Pete Doherty, Boy George and others who have faced imprisonment for breaking the law.
I’m not sure there are any clear answers to any of this, but it’s certainly a topic where greater debate and perhaps greater clarity from the system is necessary. For as long as the perception is that some people are immune from accepting responsibility for their actions, this debate will continue.
I’ve been getting increasingly angry about the seemingly special treatment afforded said celebrities, which would not normally be afforded to many members of the public in the same situation. It would seem that in today’s system the cult of celebrity affords many immunity from the law.
comment
“Does celebrity status encourage bad behaviour? Is “bad” behaviour seen as the currency needed to get the PR required to maintain celebrity?”
If you have a viewpoint on this topic, we would love to hear from you. Write to us at editor@ beigeuk.com with the subject line “Letter to the Editor”
The latest celebrity to fall foul of the system is George Michael, but in a refreshing change it would appear that the legal system has finally said enough and imposed a custodial sentence. In this case I’m not sure it’s what George needed, but nonetheless it’s a sign that the system has finally had enough.
Perhaps the logical conclusion to this may be that in a time not too far away celebrities are reviled by a general public who start to rebel based on the unfairness of treatment. If the public can’t stomach politicians who live the “do as I say, not as I do” lifestyle, it can only be a matter of time before people start to apply this thinking to other areas. How far are these celebrities behind the likes of the bankers?????
The subject of George Michael’s vehicular woes has been the topic of dinner party banter over the past few months. “Surely his antics gave Snappy Snaps huge PR?” once friend noted. “With his fame and surely his fortune, couldn’t he afford a chauffeur?” noted another. Whatever the thoughts on the “how”, most seemed hugely surprised that the outcome was jail. It’s this surprise that is the thing that most intrigues me. Perhaps the antics of Pete Doherty and his inability to be put in prison have made the public believe that no UK celebrity can be gaoled. After all, I think we all lost track of just how many times he appeared before the court only to be let off. I’m not advocating that all celebrities who do wrong should be gaoled. I believe that in some cases there are deeper issues that need treatment. My argument remains “Should celebrities get special treatment?”. If drug rehab or other special measures are deemed appropriate for celebrities, are such options afforded to the general populus. My understanding of the issue (and I’m happy to be corrected) is that many people with mental illness and drug problems are not afforded these options as goal is often the only affordable option when rehab facilities are simply not available. If you take the stance that celebrities are role models, what sort of message does it send out when they do wrong and are not taken to task by the judiciary? Do younger people believe that you can get away with all manner of wrong doing just because you are “famous”? Does celebrity status encourage bad behaviour? Is “bad” behaviour seen as the currency needed to get the PR required to maintain celebrity? It certainly guarantees column inches, just ask Katie Price, and a plethora of Big Brother stars from the latter years of the show used ugly scenes outside London nightclubs to get press. So is this the culture we have encouraged? Does an exploding star (for want of a better term) make for better
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20
GAY EXCESSES Adam Lake
Do we overdo it? How much is too much??
I’m writing this at three in the afternoon on a Saturday. I am in my pajamas having only just got out of bed. My head is banging, my contact lenses which I forgot to take out are sticking to my eyelids and my collection of receipts stuffed into my jeans read like the Gay and Lesbian listings page of Time Out magazine. I do excess very well.
I have always believed in the following. We are born, we live, then we die, and what happens in between is how we judge ourselves, how people choose to remember us, and the way we want to live our own life. This has nothing to do with religion or karma but more a choice of lifestyle of comfort, domesticity or excitement.
A few years, a degree and a proper job later the jet fuel coursing through my body is now gin but the behaviour is the same. I’m scared I’ll still be doing this when I’m 50 but I guess if I’m enjoying myself there isn’t really a problem.
Don’t get me wrong, we’re not all like this, I mean some of the most boring I’ve ever met have just happened to be gay, but most of us are not… most of us are pretty fab. A recent survey announced that only 1.5% of the population is this country are gay. Looking into the figures and taking into account the margin for error it also seems that the percentage of lesbians in this country in minus 4.7%. Minus 4.7%! What an earth is a minus lesbian? Office of National Statistics sort it outI’m out to my parents, my friends, my collegues but I’m not going to tick some box in the street saying I’m gay to a complete stranger. The reason why I’m mentioning this survey is because though I believe that the scene is full of raving queens drinking Bollinger and shagging every ten minutes, the majority of LGB people in this country are actually not really like that. Fortunately for the UK’s thriving gay scene enough of us are.
Tony Tansley It was 10am on Sunday morning and I was staggering home after a night of Sambucca, Merlot and other substances that I should not be doing at my age. From working all day in the bar, I leapt into The Box closing party, onto my friend Tim’s housewarming, then to Bar Code Vauxhall and Chariots Vauxhall. Now those of you who know me will say that’s just another usual night out for Mr T and others will say “How does he do it, where does he get the energy?” Is it excess, hedonism or just my way of having fun?
I always thought I would get over it. Having grown up a fairly well behaved and studious lad when I turned 18 and moved to London my newfound freedom ran like jet fuel through my veins as I toured Soho’s finest drinking establishments making friends at every bar I encountered.
I think that gay people do go out more, I think that they buy more expensive clothes, have a greater propensity to take drugs and almost certainly are more likely to push the gym a bit too hard. And sex… lets not leave sex out of the equation. Gay men push sexual excess to the very limit and beyond. Straight men would do it as much as us if they could but most can’t…. unless you’re a premiership football player or Brad Pitt.
50
After decades of partying in the best clubs and bars in the world I can say in all sincerity that playing hard and to the extreme is a way of life for those people I associate myself with, straight or gay! There’s a philosophy of work hard and play hard and those that wish to, adopt it within a short or long period of their life. It is not a case of live young, party young and die young. We are far more responsible and most grow out of the phase when they find love, get older, mature or run out of money. Can we ever have too much?
“SOME OF THE MOST BORING I’VE EVER MET HAVE JUST HAPPENED TO BE GAY, BUT MOST OF US ARE NOT… MOST OF US ARE PRETTY FAB”
There are, and always will be many who push themselves with more drink, more drugs, later nights, bungee jumps, trips down the rapids, skydiving, betting all their savings on that hot racehorse. There will always be those who have to eat one more roast potato, one more rasher of bacon, a second burger, a third ice cream. There are those that must have the last dance, run the extra mile, give another pint of blood. There are those that will sing till hoarse, box till they bleed and work for 24 hours. This is excess......... Paul was my closest friend in the early 90’s. A wealthy City trader who made a £1000 a day profit. He had high cholesterol, high blood pressure and a high intake of coke from 4am till midnight. His food and alcohol intake was insane. He lived as he wanted to but his life was cut short by excess. He always told be that life is for the taking. So, go out there and take your life by the balls and remember the limit is yours and yours alone. Happy partying and see you on the dancefloor....xx www.abstractdreams.org
Double gin and tonic £5.60. Tip for the hot waiter who you ‘had a connection with’ £10. Waking up an hour late for work on a Tuesday morning because you stayed in G-A-Y Late till the lights came on…. Priceless.
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HI TECH & STYLISH THE EXERCISE BIKE OF THE FUTURE. Ciclotte is an innovative exercise bike, designed and made in Italy combining idea, form and technology in rethinking the traditional aesthetic and functional values of an exercise bike. Ciclotte has been manufactured using exceptional materials like carbon, steel and glass fibres and represents a complete innovation in the fitness sector thanks to the unique technology of the epicycloids transmission system. Designed by Luca Schieppati, a young designer from Milan, and manufactured by the Lamiflex Group in Bergamo, Ciclotte breaks with the designs of gym equipment that have always emphasized the functional aspects, to address a target market of progressive, dynamic users that appreciate both physical and aesthetic lines.
wellbeing health
beauty fitness
Thanks to its lines, which are the result of research that was inspired by ergonomics and providing the essentials, Ciclotte is both a piece of fitness equipment and a furniture accessory that can be integrated into the most varied living contexts: home, office, gym and the outdoors. From a technical viewpoint, the Ciclotte has been designed to faithfully reproduce the dynamics and performance of on-road pedalling, and is also ideal for high intensity aerobic training like spinning. Priced at £6800 it’s a must have for all our readers intent on keeping fit in style. www.ciclotte.com
DOLCE & GABANNA - THE ONE FOR MEN
The one For Men perfectly reflects the Dolce & Gabbana man; charismatic and seductive, elegant and sophisticated. A spicy oriental fragrance that is both classic and modern, vibrant and engaging. It is a concentrate of elegance and sensuality with bright, fresh top notes, a spicy and warm heart and refined, masculine base notes. Dolce & Gabbana the one EDT 100ml RRP £44.99
PRADA INFUSION VETIVER FOR MEN
It was only last year that Prada decided to augment her uber-successful Infusion d’Iris brand with a seasonal Infusion Éphémère Collection (Ephemeral Infusion Collection). This year Prada continues, offering a further limited edition: Infusion de Vetiver for men, again packaged in mosaic wrappers that will have deco-maniacs discussing their respective merits. The more geometrical masculine relies on hexagons of nuanced sombre colours. Prada Infusion de Vetiver for men features notes of tarragon, vetiver, Madagascan pepper and purple ginger. Infusion De Vetiver EDT 50ml £37.99
All fragrances on this page can be found instore at The Perfume Shop across the UK. www.perfumeshop.co.uk
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beigeadvertising
Available at ShytoBuy.co.uk
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Long working hours, rush hour traffic and dealing with noisy children -these are just some of the many challenges that busy people have to tackle during their everyday life. Not surprisingly, it can leave many of us feeling exhausted, ratty, and certainly not in the mood for sex. In fact, for some people bedroom activity is way down the list of priorities at the end of a hectic day. If this sounds like you, Viapro may help to give men’s libido the lift it needs – and it’s totally natural. Viapro is a herbal supplement that uses a unique blend of ingredients which have traditionally been taken to enhance sexual powers and aid performance. It contains: periods of time.
Place your order on 020 7084 7100 or visit www.shytobuy.co.uk to buy online
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10/10/2010 20:10:02
beigewellbeing
BEDROOM STUFF CoolMann ™ Delay Gel Do you ever find yourself wishing you could make sex last longer? Well, CoolMann Delay Gel can help you do just that. When you apply this gel to your penis the natural ingredients are absorbed through the skin where they instantly have a desensitising effect that helps you delay your orgasm. But, unlike some delay gels, CoolMann won’t desensitise you too much – so you don’t have to compromise on pleasure in order to gain control. CoolMann Delay Gel is also condom-friendly, so for only £15.99 you can now have more satisfying, longer-lasting sex, which is perfectly safe too! Visit ShytoBuy.co.uk/beige to find out more.
Sweet Release ™ Hard Apple Semen Sweetener
Greg Brooks looks at personal fitness issues.
WHY SIT UPS WON’T FLATTEN YOUR ABS! There have now been over 200 books written on sit ups, crunches and stomach exercises. All intended to flatten your stomach and produce 6 pack abs. What does this tell us? Ab exercises have been vastly explored. Sit ups and crunches don’t give us 6 pack abs. This is fact. There is no magical abs machine or exercise out there. Truth is, exercise has only a very small amount to do with thinning your waist line. If you want 6 pack abs then you had better look elsewhere. We frequently get asked to flatten abs and produce a lean stomach. We don’t do sit ups at all and still get the job done. How do we do it? We follow 5 simple steps:
This handy supplement has a number of benefits. Once you’ve been taking it daily for over a week, its all-natural ingredients will start to improve the taste and scent of your semen. So it will help you spice up your sex life by adding the scent and taste of apple to your semen.
Step 1: Food intolerances. The majority of bloated stomachs come from food intolerances. Simply by following an elimination diet eg. cutting out wheat, simple sugars, pasteurized dairy, and caffeine. This by itself will make a huge difference to your waist line.
Sweet Release Hard Apple capsules are also packed full of concentrated natural fruit goodness, so they have the added benefit of boosting your immune system. These capsules which are only £24.99 have anti-bacterial properties and promote lower cholesterol, so you can improve your health and your semen taste at the same time. Visit ShytoBuy.co.uk/beige to find out more.
FOR THE OLDIES There was a time when a telegram from the Queen meant you’d pushed the boundaries of human existence, but scientists are recalculating the previously accepted upper age limit of roughly 120.
Step 2: Reducing Stress. This doesn’t just relate to the general stresses you are under from employment and family pressures, although this is important. No, here we are talking about internal stresses and environmental stresses. Follow your body’s natural rhythm by getting to bed at night. Avoid exercise in the evening. Dim lights late at night. All these factors affect your hormones especially cortisol levels. If you want to flatten your abs then learn to follow your body’s natural rhythm. Step 3: Stop the Poisons. Smoking, Alcohol, Medication, Food additives. As human beings we have a defense mechanism. We store toxins inside our fat. This protects us from there dangerous chemicals. Problem is, we will never drop the fat until we stop the chemicals. Providing we are taking in chemicals on a regular basis we will always store fat to protect us from them. So, want to lose the stomach fat then lose the chemicals. Step 4: Tighten the Body’s Corset. Underneath our abs we all have a natural corset that surrounds our midsection. It is designed to be pulled tight to provide us with abdominal pressure and protect our spine. Problem is, most peoples no longer works. By strengthening your inner core through breathing exercises and then integrating it into natural movements you can take inches off your waist.
With debate over age of retirement looming large in the economic debate we thought this little tidmit may spark discussion.
Step 5: Train the whole body. The body is one complete interconnected machine. It reduces fat in the same way. Once you have followed all 4 of the above steps then the final process is burning the fat and bringing out your abs. Concentrate on full body movements. Avoid standard cardio exercises and work on increasing your muscle tone. Squats, Lunges, Chin Ups, Push Ups, Deadlifts, Clean & Presses etc. Exercise hard and then get plenty of rest.
Average life expectancy in the West is already over 80, and by using a combination of gene therapy, drugs, cosmetic surgery and replacement body parts, scientists believe we can push it much higher. Experimental therapies are advancing so fast that some biomedical gerontologists, like Aubrey de Grey from Cambridge University, reckon the first person to live to 1000 may have already been born.
L A N O PERS ER TRAIN
For further information visit www.gbpersonaltraining.com
Above: Cheer up you may have a good 900 years left in you!!
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10/10/2010 11:58:05
A4 mens Advert:A5
26/2/10
14:50
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beigewellbeing
SKINCARE ANTI-AGEING SOLUTION
EYECARE GOES NATURAL
No7 for Men Protect & Perfect Intense Anti-Ageing Serum has been tested like no other cosmetic anti-ageing product in an independent 12 month double-blind randomised control trial. The findings show that it has genuine, long-term anti ageing benefits as it makes a visible and structural improvement to the skin.
Latvia’s leading natural and organic skincare brand Madara has just added a great new product to its skincare range. Firming Eye Contour Gel is designed to firm, repair and hydrate the delicate eye area. Formulated with only natural ingredients, this gel helps to keep crow’s feet, dark circles and puffy eyes at bay. It’ll be your secret to looking well-rested and rejuvenated all day long! With no artificial fragrances or any other synthetic ingredients it’s a different experience when you apply the gel but we’ve noticed that it doesn’t leave residue on the skin and left the skin around our eyes soft and feeling great. MADARA Firming Eye Contour Gel £23 www.amarya.co.uk
The serum contains a formula of retinyl pamilate, antioxidants and firming peptides combined with extract of alfalfa - all for intensive wrinkle fighting action! As well as its fantastic anti ageing properties its wonderfully silky feel will leave skin revitalised. No7 For Men Protect & Perfect Intense Anti-Ageing Serum 30ml £19 Boots stores nationwide or www.boots.com
TREATMENT NEW ‘WATER LASER’ REDUCES PAIN, ANXIETY, BLEEDING & HEALING TIME Say goodbye to the nerve-wracking whir and vibration of the dental drill. London dentist Dr. Cohan Rajan of dental-Spa on Charlotte Street is paving the way dentist work in London with the latest laser dental system. The Waterlase laser is a quiet high-tech tool that reduces patient discomfort, reduces anxiety, minimizes the need for anesthesia, and speeds the healing process for procedures such as fillings, implants, root canals and gum problems. “No one likes the drill. People tense up the minute they hear it. Laser Dentistry is a major advance, both in terms of patient comfort and clinical results,” Dr. Cohan Rajan said. “My goal is always better dentistry through technology, and making things easier on the patient is a big bonus.” Drills, needles and numb lips can prevent people from taking a positive, proactive approach to oral health. Patients experience Waterlase Dentistry as more comfortable, convenient and less invasive. With many procedures it’s possible to use less anesthetic, and in some cases, no anesthetic at all. Waterlase Dentistry combines laser energy and a spray of water to gently cut teeth, gums and even bone without generating heat, vibration or pressure that can cause discomfort or damage. The only sound that patients hear is a gentle popping noise, removing much of the anxiety from the experience of being in Dr. Rajan chair.
preserve teeth by eliminating vibrations that can create small cracks and fissures in the surrounding healthy tooth surface. In procedures such as gum surgery, the Waterlase system uses only the energy of the laser to cut and the water to cool as the tip gently touches the tissue. The laser energy helps reduce or eliminate bleeding. On soft tissue oral troubles such as ulcers or cold sores the laser can be used on a different frequency and the results are amazingly quick and pain free. Along with disinfection the actual area the laser encourages the cells under the problem area to regenerate faster allowing for fast healing times. Patients report a dramatic reduction in pain as well as less post-operative swelling and infection. There is less chance of walking out of the office with a numb lip because fewer and sometimes no shots are needed. That reduced reliance on anesthesia in turn can allow cavities to be filled in multiple areas of the mouth on a single visit, reducing the number of appointments for the patient. “Technology is changing dentistry. Eventually, we expect the whole dental community to transition to laser equipment,” said Dr. Cohan Rajan www.dental-Spa.co.uk
The system’s laser handpiece never touches the tooth during procedures such as removing dental decay, eliminating the grinding and heat associated with the drill along with the pain triggered by nerves reacting to heat and vibration. The system also helps
PRODUCTS LET THE SUNSHINE IN - SORT OF! Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) has been found to disrupt everything from sleep to mood, sex drive and appetite. You can remedy this by seeing the light. There’s none better than the Pharos-Regular (£220 from www.outsidein.co.uk). Designed to replicate morning light, a couple of hours sitting in front of its rays will redress the chemical imbalances in your brain that leave you feeling glum. Whilst at work, ask to sit next to a window. Supplement this light exposure by going for a walk at lunchtime which is when the sun is at its brightest. Finally, make sure you add plenty of salmon and tuna to your diet, as they contain the blues-beating omega 3 fatty acids.
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LONDONÕSÊBESTÊMUSICALSÊ ATÊLONDONÕSÊBESTÊPRICES
APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE • LONDON
ADELPHI THEATRE
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07/10/2010 10:42 08/10/2010 11:53:00
beigeinterview
TRUE BLOOD LUST With Halloween upon is Chris Harvey caught up with Alexander Skarsgaard to chat about playing everyones favour vamp in True Blood.
A
lexander Skarsgård loves getting his teeth into roles such as the 1,000-year-old Viking vampire he plays in True Blood. Sweden used to be known for peace, Abba and long hours of daylight. These days, from the novels of the late Stieg Larsson to the cult film Let the Right One in, its dark side appears to be taking over the world. And in Alexander Skarsgård, who stars as the 1,000-year old Viking vampire Eric Northman in the American drama series True Blood - it has an actor who has brought a new level of cool to the vampire genre. Tall, blond and beautiful, Skarsgård mixes sex, danger and laconic humour in a way that sets femoral pulses racing. True Blood, created by Alan Ball, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of American Beauty and Six Feet Under, is based on the Southern Vampire Mysteries series of novels by Charlaine Harris. Its dark tales of ‘glamouring’ vampires, who can hypnotise their human victims; fangbangers, who are addicted to vampire sex, and users who get high on ‘V’ – vampire blood – have made it the most watched series on HBO in the US since The Sopranos, as well as an internet phenomenon. In Britain it opened with more than two million viewers. Skarsgård says its appeal is that ‘you can sit back and enjoy it, but it’s also really intelligent. It says a lot about society today and about how we relate to each other.’ His appearances as Eric in the first series were few but mesmerising, and instantly propelled him to the status of the series’ sex symbol. We are going to see a lot more of him in the second series. There is more to Skarsgård than his fangs, though. He also starred as Brad ‘Iceman’ Colbert in Generation Kill, HBO’s acclaimed drama series about the US invasion of Iraq. And he is currently shooting Lars von Trier’s new sci-fi film Melancholia alongside Kirsten Dunst, John Hurt and Kiefer Sutherland, as well his father, Stellan Skarsgård, best known for his roles in Breaking the Waves and Mamma Mia!. They are filming in Trollhättan – or Trollywood as it is sometimes known – where von Trier has made three previous films. The town is said to have got its name because people believed trolls lived in the nearby river. It seems an appropriate location for an interview with the vampire. At the gates of the 15th-century manor house where the cast are staying, a small group of Swedish autograph hunters tell me that Skarsgård went out for a run an hour ago and has only just returned. They already have his autograph. ‘He’s really nice,’ they say. It is not long before Skarsgård bounds up the steps to the lobby, showered and dressed in a simple grey T-shirt and jeans, looking very tall – he is 6ft 4in – and glowingly healthy. The contrast with Eric, whose deathly pallor projects cold menace, is heightened by his friendliness, but common to both are the most striking pale-blue eyes. He is buzzing from the experience of acting with his father that day for the first time ever. ‘We had a little interaction going. It was a lot of fun.’ At 33, he is the oldest of Stellan’s six children from his first marriage: three of his brothers – Gustav, 29, Bill, 20, and Valter, 14, have established acting careers. Sam, 28, has also dabbled in the family business. His sister, Eija, 18, is a model; his mother, My, a doctor. He grew up in Stockholm, on the island of Södermalm. Family life, he says, was ‘pretty chaotic’, the atmosphere ‘very liberal’. His father strolled around naked a lot. Aunts, uncles and grandparents all lived close by. ‘The doors were always open. On any given night, there would be 10 to 15 people around the dinner table. It was very loud, very crazy, there was a lot of food, a lot of alcohol, but it was also very loving. I was very much part of the chaos but I also had my room, and in there, when I was four or five, I would organise my cars and my action figures. I needed some kind of structure, I think, because it was so chaotic in the rest of the apartment.’
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|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| “I’M MORE PLAYFUL. I’M PRETTY INTENSE WHEN IT COMES TO RELATIONSHIPS, PLATONIC ONES AS WELL. IF I FEEL A CONNECTION WITH SOMEONE, I’M WILLING TO GO THERE” |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| a little too testosterone-fuelled for my tastes.’ After he finished his national service in 1996, he and a friend left Sweden for Leeds Metropolitan University, where he studied English for six months. ‘We wanted to see the real England, so we just looked at a map. We both liked Leeds United, so we thought, let’s go there. We didn’t study much, we just had a blast. People were superfriendly and I had a great time. I still support Leeds United.’ Ever since his national service, though, Skarsgård had been thinking about trying to act again. ‘I thought I owed it to myself to check it out, because the reason I quit when I was 13 had nothing to do with acting per se.’ He applied for a theatre course at Marymount Manhattan College in New York by sending them videotapes of himself performing monologues, filmed by his friend. He landed a place on the course and moved to New York in 1997, renting a room in an apartment off Times Square from a flamboyant French-Filipino designer named Rene. But after just six months he flew home to Stockholm. ‘I had met this girl in Sweden three weeks before I went to New York. We had this long-distance relationship. We would speak on the phone once or twice a week. She broke up with me because it wasn’t working out, and I was heart-broken. I thought, I can’t do this, I miss her so much, I’ve got to go home. ‘So I did. I got back and we hung out for a little while, but we were just too young and too different. She was 18 and I was 21. She’s a lovely woman but I didn’t even know her. I spent six months creating her in my mind.’ Skarsgård stayed in Sweden and began to pick up acting jobs there. He starred in soap operas and theatrical productions, as well as films. His romantic life, however, continued to be turbulent. In a recent radio interview, he dedicated the Buzzcocks’ song Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)? to another former girlfriend from this period in Sweden, whom he dated on and off for three years. ‘It was very passionate,’ he says, ‘but we just couldn’t get from the passion stage to the nice relationship phase.’ I ask him how such an impulsive, emotional person came to be known for playing two characters who are
Chris Harvey © The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People
His father was performing in repertory theatre at the time, and would often be rehearsing one play during the day and performing in another in the evening. ‘He worked a lot,’ Skarsgård says, ‘so I would hang out backstage at the theatre and just play there because it was pretty much the only chance I got to spend time with my dad. A lot of the plays were Ingmar Bergman-directed, but I didn’t care about him. It was more fun to play around in the costume department.’ As a young boy he also acted in a number of films, including one, The Dog That Smiled, that brought him stardom at the age of 13. Girls would hang around outside the house. ‘It should have been flattering,’ he says. ‘They came to say “Hi”, or get an autograph, but it made me kind of paranoid and very insecure. I didn’t like it at all. ‘I wasn’t like a Hollywood child actor – “I’m five! I can sing, I can dance, I can act! I wanna be a star!” – the movie I did was because the director was a friend of my dad’s. I told my parents, I don’t want to do this any more. My dad said, “You have to love it,if you don’t feel that way, do the other thing, whatever it is.” I’m very grateful that he did that. I would have listened to him if he’d said, “Keep going”. I would have tried, and I would have done it for a few more years probably, but I’m absolutely sure I wouldn’t be acting today. I would have crashed and burned after a while.’ He briefly considered becoming an architect – ‘I spent a lot of time drawing buildings, even entire towns’ – but changed his mind. He spent his teenage years ‘not hanging out with his family’, listening to punk with his friends, getting drunk at the weekends and following his local football team, Hammarby, home and away. When he was 19 he applied to do his national service in the marines. ‘I come from a family of pacifists, so it’s not like I was going to join the war. Sweden is not like the States or England where you might get sent to Afghanistan next month. For me it was just a personal challenge. I’m very happy that I did it. It was tough. I hated it at times; the unit I was in dealt with antisabotage, antiterrorism in the archipelago, so some of the people who applied were total warheads. There were a lot of really cool guys, but the mentality sometimes got
so outwardly cool as Brad Colbert and Eric Northman. ‘I can definitely relate to them,’ he says. ‘But I’m different in real life. They’re subdued and calm, I’m more playful. I’m pretty intense when it comes to relationships, platonic ones as well. If I feel a connection with someone, I’m willing to go there.’ Is he attracted to extreme situations? ‘Sometimes, yeah, but I also know I have to be careful because there is something destructive within me, I think, and I can have a tendency to just search for the kicks. I can’t really get too close to someone who’s too destructive, or too dark, because then I might go down the rabbit hole myself.’ It wasn’t long, though, before he decided to try his luck down perhaps the biggest rabbit hole of them all, and flew out to Hollywood in 2004. ‘The industry is very small in Sweden,’ he says. ‘There are a lot of great young filmmakers coming up now but 10 years ago it was very different. I was fortunate enough to be working, but when I was 28 or 29 and the offers were still “college guy, misunderstood, wants the girl”, I just needed something different.’ He had had a small role in the 2001 Ben Stiller comedy Zoolander, for which he auditioned while visiting his father, who was filming in New York, but he says reality hit when he arrived in LA. ‘I realised that I was number 499 to audition for a small part in a bad horror movie,’ he says. ‘I read so many bad scripts. I wasn’t a snob. I just needed to connect with the character. I didn’t leave Sweden for that.’ The breakthrough finally came three years ago when he landed the role of Brad Colbert (known as the ‘Iceman’ because of his ability to stay cool under fire), in the adaptation of Generation Kill, the journalist Evan Wright’s book about his experiences as an embedded reporter during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. After four auditions, in New York, London and Baltimore, he learnt he had got the part just 36 hours before he had to fly out to Namibia to begin seven months of filming. At first he didn’t mention to his fellow actors that he had been in the military. ‘I didn’t want to show up for boot camp being like [puts on jock voice], “Yeah, I know this guys, I was in the Swedish marines for 15 months so I can tell you all about it.” ‘I was scared, you know. I was the lead of this huge mini-series for HBO, there was a lot of weight on my shoulders. I remember the night before we were supposed to start on day one of the shoot, I was still trying to figure out this whole “Iceman” thing. I didn’t have a chance to talk to the real Brad Colbert because he was in England with the SAS at the time. Then Evan Wright played me a short clip from inside the Humvee during a firefight in Iraq. They’re being shot at, you can hear bullets ricocheting off the Humvee, and he’s talking to the guys, giving orders. I was blown away by how calm he was. It was the last piece of the puzzle.’ At around the time he was up for Generation Kill, he had also auditioned for a part in the pilot of True Blood, that of the vampire Bill Compton, eventually won by the British actor Stephen Moyer. ‘Everyone read for Bill,’ he says. When the series got the go-ahead, they called him in Africa, offering him the part of Eric Northman instead. Is he glad he was offered the role? ‘I love Eric,’ he says. So how did he manage to get his head around playing a vampire? ‘Just not overplay it. Bring it down. I’m a huge fan of all the old vampire movies, Max Schreck in Nosferatu or Béla Lugosi in Dracula. But this guy functions in a human society. He’s a club owner. So I wanted to underplay it a bit and make it real. At the same time, I try to find that animalistic quality, and the element of danger.’ Inspiration came from a documentary about lions in Africa. ‘I was fascinated by the male lion, the way he moved, the confidence. When he just sat down and looked straight at the cameraman, he did absolutely nothing, but for a second you didn’t know whether he was going to yawn and fall asleep or pounce. I thought it would be interesting to try to find that. You don’t show your teeth, you don’t say anything, you don’t show it. It’s the not knowing that’s interesting. Anything could happen.’ He says that the character of Eric really comes to life in
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Words: Chris Harvey © The Daily Telegraph / The Interview People
beigeinterview season two. ‘After season one, a lot of people said, “Oh, you’re the bad guy,” but I’d read a couple of the books and I knew that there was a lot more to Eric than first meets the eye. He’s more than the evil vampire. He can be very loyal. It’s definitely more emotional.’ I ask him about becoming a sex symbol. Does he see himself as beautiful? ‘I see myself as most people see themselves, you have good days and bad days. I don’t think I’m better looking now than I did three years ago.’ He is not interested in pretty-guy roles. ‘I’m always looking for something that’s real and that’s got meat on it. I think it’s artistic suicide if you’re too vain, or if you’re afraid to play ugly. I would never fall for that.’ We break off as footsteps are heard behind us. ‘Say hi to my old man,’ he says. ‘This is my father. And this is Lars.’ I find myself facing a deputation consisting of Stellan Skarsgård and Lars von Trier. They want to know why he hasn’t appeared for dinner. ‘Ten minutes,’ von Trier says to Alexander, ‘or you’re fired.’ ‘And you, too,’ Stellan adds, pointing at me. ‘No, you’re fired already,’ von Trier says, as they turn and exit stage left. Skarsgård laughs. ‘Tough guys,’ he says. I ask him what it’s like working with von Trier, the Danish director of such controversial films as The Idiots and Antichrist, who was accused by Nicole Kidman of torturing her on the set of Dogville. ‘It’s a dream,’ he says. ‘The first day we shot in a limo, and Lars was like, “Well, OK, you can just ad-lib a bit, talk back and forth, and then at some point maybe, you step out of the car,” and I said, “All right, so which side do you want me to step out?” And he just looked at me and said, “Well I don’t know. Whatever you want.” It’s so liberating. You don’t have to sit around for super-long takes. You play around with the scene, change things, it’s just so creative and, er, lovely.’ He breathes out. ‘It’s really lovely.’ The film starts at a wedding. ‘I’m getting married to Kirsten Dunst’s character, that’s the set-up. All the people are around, the siblings, family, friends. I’m not going to say where it goes from there.’ Von Trier, though, has promised a ‘dramatic’ end to their union. There have also been rumours of a planet crossing orbit with Earth. After Skarsgård finishes here, he will go to Hawaii to begin filming Battleship, an action blockbuster, that will also star the Barbadian pop star Rihanna. Is he attracted to the idea of becoming an action hero? ‘I don’t have a plan. I don’t think five or 10 years ahead. I take it one step at a time.’ The desire to try out different projects has so far led him to roles in Lady Gaga’s video for Paparazzi – ‘We had a fun day, she’s really smart and diligent, she knows what she wants’ – and the big-screenremake of the 1970s Sam Peckinpah film Straw Dogs, originally banned in Britain for its violent rape scene. ‘It’s not a shot-by-shot remake,’ he says. ‘It’s a different movie.’ The actor who takes the role that Susan George played in the 1971 film is Kate Bosworth, 27, who has been romantically linked with Skarsgård, previously rumoured to be dating his 22-year-old True Blood co-star Evan Rachel Wood (she can be seen as the vampire queen SophieAnne Leclerq in the new series). Paparazzi hoping for a glimpse of Skarsgård with Bosworth have followed him everywhere, from the Coachella music festival, where he lost his temper with a photographer, to a recent trip to Stockholm. I ask if he and Bosworth are dating. ‘There’s been so many rumours – who I’m dating, who I’m getting married to, who’s pregnant. I’ve never said anything. I’m going to let them stay rumours for a while,’ he says. He will begin shooting the fourth series of True Blood in a couple of months. The third is already showing in the US. How long does he see himself continuing in the show? ‘Well I don’t know how many years. I’m not supposed to age, so we might have a bit of a problem when I’m 55 and still playing Eric, it might get kind of pathetic. We still have a couple of years. I do live in LA, so I can cheat with Botox and plastic surgery. ‘That was a joke, by the way,’ he adds.
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YOU’RE NOT MY SUMMER BOY PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING | DANIEL NEALE MAKE UP | OONAH ANDERSON HAIR STYLIST | VERITY CUMMING ASSISTING | LIZZIE MOORE MODELS | LUKE ABBY @ AMCK MODELS DENIS @ M AND P MODELS DINO @ M AND P MODELS STYLINGS | KOKON TO ZAI
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MOORGATE TO MONACO
Are you one of those well-turned-out guys let down by a tired old bag? No, we don’t mean the fag hag! It’s that grubby backpack that seems to join you at every occasion. Or that dreary leatherette laptop case that has gone on longer than Cher. Too often we focus only on the clothes and forget the accessories, yet even a simple jeans/t-shirt combo can be given a real lift with the right choice of bag. Stewart Grays thinks he has the solution. A critically acclaimed designer with experience that ranges from Escada to Ettinger, he’s just launched an eponymous label of luxury bags and accessories. What’s distinctive about GRAYS is the broad choice of styles and colours designed to suit different men, or different moods. Here we take in a sample from each of his five lines. 1. Moorgate laptop bag: Why is it that we put up with ugly laptop bags? This version looks business smart, but has just enough preppy individuality to set you apart. £420. 2. Kings Road backback: Just as understated, but with a little bit more edge. This large capacity backpack is made of modish canvas, and features a GRAYS signature tartan lining. £567. 3. Saville Row travel kit: Jetting off for some winter sun? Here’s where to keep your toothbrush and shaving kit. The humble wash bag never looked so glamorous. £217. 4. 2012 city bag: The ultimate choice for the guy about town. A sporty look in a handy size that’s ideal for the commute, your gym kit or an impromptu overnighter. £500. 5. Monaco luxury international traveller: It’s the bag you sling into a helicopter as you transfer from Nice, oh you lucky thing! A timeless weekender in “new raya” canvas. £605 GRAYS is available from Harrods, Knightsbridge and at www.stewartgrays.com. Beige readers can claim a 10% discount at the online store by using the code: GRAY2010.
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ROVING ROMANCE
The internet has given us many things, but most of all – it’s given gay men access to other gay men and a hell of a lot of sex. Matthew Christian takes a look back at the last 10 years of internet dating. You’ve got to love the internet. Fact. Once upon a time, if you were looking for sex then you had to get ready, go out, go to a gay bar and then spend the evening trying to look like you weren’t at all desperate, while secretly hoping that someone would come over and chat you up.
but over the net it was easy to live out fantasies and talk to people in countries around the world. If the boyfriend came near, then I’d hide the screen with my hands.”
Whole weekends were spent going from bars to clubs, wearing what you thought made you look good, while trying to look like you were having a great time. And then there was the cost of it all too – clothes, club entry and drinks (and more drinks).
It was all still a bit seedy and secretive – you sent your pictures via downloads and they sent you theirs. Most of the time, you’d be talking to someone decent looking enough to get together with – although sometimes you were talking to someone who looked like something that could be found grazing on nearby farmland. Basically, it was all quite exciting, but it was all a bit vague. Steven’s boyfriend soon became an internet widow, as Steven got gripped in the jaws of online chatting.
Then along came the internet and soon after that came IRC (Instant Relay Chat), with chat rooms especially for gay men. Anyone who entered those simple, but effective IRC chat rooms felt a surge of excitement and sheer amazement that you had instant access to all those gay men – all there for pretty much one reason and one reason only.
“He’d go to bed and I’d be talking to guys online until much later. Even though it was innocent enough, I’d log on at the same time each night to chat to some guy in Canada and it started to feel like I was actually cheating on my boyfriend. In the end we started having rows about it and I cut down the amount of time I spent online to keep him happy.”
“I was hooked within minutes of discovering IRC,” says Steven from London. “My boyfriend would be watching TV while I pretending to be chatting to friends, but really I was talking all kinds of filth to random people I’d never met. There was a feeling of liberation, because I’d never say the things I was saying to someone’s face in a club,
Then in 1999 along came the all singing, all dancing Gaydar (www.gaydar.co.uk). Joy to the world! Everyone had a profile that gave detailed information about what the person was like, what they looked like and what they were looking for. Slowly but surely, more and more people joined the Gaydar revolution.
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What had seemed like the gay version of coming out of the dark ages, suddenly unleashed an explosion of other gay sites and soon you had Gay.com (www.gay.com), Manhunt (www.manhunt.net), Fitlads (www.fitlads.net), GayRomeo (www.gayromeo.com) and more ways of finding the kind of sex you wanted than you could shake your cock at. Of course, you could still go out clubbing, but if you didn’t get lucky you knew there’d be lots of other lads in the same boat all online later on and happy to let you pop round.
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beigedating “Gaydar was two things to me back then,” says Andrew from Manchester. “I used it as an early form of Facebook, with all my friends popping up in that little Friends box and we’d message back and forth to stay in touch, but I’d also sit on it endlessly, while looking at profiles of hot guys and inviting them round for sex.” Soon, Andrew was going through men like there was no tomorrow. “Sometimes I’d actually not go out at all and wake up at 3am specifically to go online so that I’d be ready to find hot guys who’d been out and come home horny,” he says. “If you looked half decent and they were horny enough, they’d invite you round and so I’d get myself over there before someone else got in there first. It became an addiction – but it was fun at the time.” But how could you meet the man of your dreams if you weren’t going out any more? If you relied on websites to find you sex, then you weren’t going to meet anyone looking for more than just 4.3 minutes of sweating and then a hunt for Kleenex. More and more often, you’d hear guys saying they wished that they’d meet someone for more than a quickie, yet they spent their lives sat at the computer typing questions like ‘Wot U in2?’ and ‘got anymore pics m8?’ That’s when gay relationship sites really found their feet. Gay-Parship (www.gay-parship.com) and Tom, Dick and Sally (www.tomdickandsally.com) became more and more successful and can match you up with someone
who actually wants more than just sex. “I wasn’t really sure what I was after when I joined the UK version of gay-parship.com, but I knew that it was more than I’d been getting from other gay sites,” says Neal from Oldham. “I’d had great fun using hook up websites over the years, but I realised that I wanted to meet someone I could spend a bit more time with.” Neal registered and got sent links to profiles that matched the kind of guy he was looking for. “Some sounded great, but I still wasn’t sure,” Neal continues. “Then I kept going back to one guy’s profile. He wasn’t that far from where I live and just looked nice. He seemed sexy, sounded funny and liked loads of the same things as me. I sent him a message and we met up – that was 6 months ago now and we’re still going strong.” But technology waits for no man and in 2009, just as happened a decade before it, the joys of mobile phone technology moved gay men and their need to find a bit of cock forward in leaps and bounds. From across the pond, a mobile phone app arrived that not only shows you who’s around and up for it, but also shows you exactly where they are on a map. Gay men being gay men, quite a few of us tried it out – but when Stephen Fry pulled out his iPhone on Top Gear and showed Jeremy Clarkson that several gay men were in the immediate area and up for some quick bum bashing
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| “if you didn’t get lucky you knew there’d be lots of other lads in the same boat all online later on and happy to let you pop round” ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
action, the membership numbers of Grindr (www.grindr. com) went from around 4,000 to about 40,000 overnight. It was like Gaydar all over again and soon everyone was at it. All the gay sites had a phone app – gay men were released from their computers and could be seen waving their mobile phones around in gay bars and clubs while checking out who was around and who was up for it. But even though the technology improved, it was a bit of a step back in as much as all of these GPS dating sites were about looking for sex, talking about sex and getting sex. Not only that, but the profiles were a bit limited, so you had to talk to the guy to find out more about him. Maleforce Mobile (www.maleforce.com) arrived in August 2010 – a gay dating app that not only shows you who’s around and where they are, but also features video clips and audio clips on profiles so that you can find out what the guy you’re checking out looks and sounds like. And to make the app more about socialising than sex, Maleforce Mobile has a ‘places’ section that locates all the bars, clubs, pubs and gay shops are in your area – and helps you get there via the GPS mapping device on your phone. It’s basically a one-stop-shop for your weekend: Shopping, clubbing and shagging all in one smart phone app. The apple apps store has even classed it as ‘new and noteworthy’ – quite a triumph for a gay app. If you think about how far we’ve come in the past decade – thanks to advances in technology mixed with our desire to find sex, relationships and love – just think where we could be by 2020. Who’s to say that you won’t be able to see 3D profiles and talk face to face with a hologram of the guy in your own living room, before arranging to meet up and get it on? Because, let’s face it – no matter what technology we use to do it, we all just want to find other guys like us, who want the same things that we do. And ain’t that the fun of it all?
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It’s a
MATCH Beige offers some tips for those on the look out for love.
We’ve given up counting the number of gay men who gripe and groan about the lack of suitable men out here interested in long term relationships. We’ve also given up counting the number of men groaning they want a long term relationship but can’t find Mister Right. So what’s going wrong in the dating mix? There’s no doubt that expectations on both sides of the mix are out of whack. Today’s consumerist “I want it now” society has a lot to answer for. There’s often no time for getting to know people before the complexities of sex get in the way. Without wanting to sound like your mother, Beige would like to propose some basic advice that may seem medieval to some of our younger readers, in the hopes of taking dating back to basics. Of course, if these tips leave you with severe culture shock you can always stay hi tech by visiting one of the many websites or phone apps from our previous Roving Romance article. Don’t let is ever be said that we don’t give you a wide range of options here.
Top 3 things
5 easy
Top 3 things
TO DO
TUNE UPS
NEVER
on a first date KEEP YOUR PANTS ZIPPED His and yours! Choices are to be made if you want a long term relationship. Getting laid is fun for the moment, but getting loved for a lifetime holds the potential for eternal bliss. Bet on the bliss.
PAY ATTENTION AND GET BEYOND HIS GOOD LOOKS Character counts. Maturity matters. Someone with a job is a good sign! Someone with close friends and a history of previous long-term relationships is an excellent sign! Does he show other shigns of committment (does he have a pet?). Does he keep in touch with his parents? What are his beliefs? Is this a man who can weather storms without turning to substances? These things matter.
LET YOURSELF SHINE There’s only one of you. Show him how you’re different from the rest. Give him an experience that he’ll never have again. Take him to a less well known restaurant, a hidden coastal spot, a country idyll or a secret city location. Just be prepared to let yourself go!!
that make a difference
to do on a first date
PERSONALLY
TALK ABOUT YOUR EX
Determine whether you need to do some work on yourself. Have you let go of your ex? Or will you find yourself talking about your ex during the date? If you haven’t let go of the past then you aren’t ready to proceed to your partnered future. Men respect men who have done some work on themselves.
SPIRITUALLLY
How are you grounded? What spiritual practices will make you a hero on life’s journey rather than a victim?
WORK
Are you happy with your job? Loving your job means making yourself happy. If you are unhappy with your work then that will eventually become clear to your potential partner. Keep your dreams alive and make changes if work is weighing you down.
PHYSICALLY
Get your sexy back.
Don’t go there. Just let him know that you have some good memories but can’t seem to recall his name. You’ve moved on.
SPLIT THE TAB This proved very controversial here at Beige towers but we’re sticking by it. You must be very agressive in picking up the tab - especially if the cafe/ restaurant was your idea. no compromises here. No one wants to get stuck with a cheap date - for life.
BRING HIM BACK TO YOUR PLACE Bad Idea! And how far is your bedroom from the front door? learn to live with unresolved temptation, stay in flirt mode and don’t show or tell on the first date. Men are truly hunters and getting “caught” too soon or revealing too much strips away mystery and interest.
CREATIVITY
Ho do you express yourself? what other passions or purposes drive you? joy in your own life holds potential for joy in your life together.
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English I Français I Deutsch I Español I Italiano I Português I Nederlands I 日本語 I
time to play
with over 6 million members worldwide
whatever Kind oF Guy you’re looKinG For you Can Find him on Gaydar. just loG on and Get playinG! it Couldn’t be easier.
what you want, when you want it
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The
beigedating
Grindr has fast become a cultural and technological phenomenon. Beige talked to founder Joel Simkhai about the success of his app.
GRINDR PHENOMENON
I
f you are a gay man who hasn’t heard of Grindr over the past year chances are you were trekking In Nepal, but even then chances are you may have come across this little app that has taken gay dating and introductions by
storm.
Grindr is a free app you can download which harnesses the GPS chip in your mobile phone allowing you to establish who else is in your immediate vicinity and communitcate with them. For a small fee users can upgrade to a paid version which allows them access to further guys, enables a swipe facility and allows you to receive messages when your application is offline. In the last month Grindr signed up its millionth user making it the world’s largest all-male mobile location-based networking service. Competiton is fierce between New York and London, as both cities contend to be Grindr’s biggest member city (at the time of writing London is ahead!). Grindr founder Joel Simkhai is taking it all in his stride though, he’s enjoying the ride as his little app becomes a global phenomenon. “We started thinking about Grindr in August 2008, I had $5000 and we set to work launching finally in March 2009” he says. “We started off slow with a few thousand members with no marketing budget. We relied on the fact that our users would spread the word if they liked the product and that worked for us”. “If you have the nugget of an idea and you believe in it, go for it. In June, Stephen Fry mentioned Grindr to Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear and that proved to be our tipping point. Within four days we had 40,000 guys. We think of him as the Godfather of Grindr. He was a great defacto endorsement. It was one of those
life changing moments, the viral magic that worked from there did the rest” Joel explains. The facts and figures behind Grindr are just bewildering. Joel proudly explains that 30% of users check in every day with many checking in twice weekly. Most users use the system for at least 1 hour a day with many checking in 6 or 7 times. Grindr now has users in 180 countries across the globe including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Macedonia, Rwanda, Bhutan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Haiti, Iran, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Malawi, Samoa, Sri Lanka and Yemen. Joel is quick to point out, “I had no idea it would take off in all these places. I was amazed when it took off in places like Tokyo and Australia let alone everywhere else. I’ve never been to these places, it’s just amazing”. There have been criticisms along the way from some gay commentators who bluster about the shallowness of the hook up capabilities of Grindr. But it’s been interesting to see how the app users themselves have shaped the uses for the application. Besides quick meets, Beige has spoken to users who have made friends, met neighbours, found tour guides in foreign countries and found new staff. The element of fast hook ups remain, but let’s face it, the idea behind Grindr is that guys can meet based on geographical location. A tech savvy Beige reader reminded me “It’s a constant complaint that gay men will find ways of bringing any new technology back to the issue of sex. It’s an undeniable fact though that sex and technology have been long standing bed fellows resulting in so many things we take for granted today like online credit card processing”. Christopher, a regular Grindr user also commented that the random hook up nature of the app was also making way for people who wanted to chat and meet
new friends. So how did Simkhai get into the app business. “I worked selling magazine subscriptions online” he says, “I had no experience in the gay business field or really in any business for that matter. It was just an idea. I had to learn everything as I went along”. “It’s an expensive business though. Nearly all our servers are owned by third parties. This allows us to grow as our membership does”, he explains. “We’re not a Facebook, we didn’t start hoping that at some stage we’d figure out how to make money. The business had to sustain itself. Let’s face it anyone who saw our business plan early on where we had allocated no money for marketing would have laughed at us. Our users have helped us by spreading the word and that allowed us to put money we otherwise would have spent on marketing back into making the app better. We are also constricted in some ways by the rules and regulations governing Apple’s App Store”. So where too from here? “We’re not done yet. We’re developing the app for all Blackberry devices, and other platforms like Android. We’re also working on the means to allow users to migrate accounts from device to device” Joel says. “User privacy is paramount. It would be easy for us to take emails and phone numbers during sign up but we don’t do that. At the moment everyone at Grindr works from home, we don’t have huge overheads. It’s a fast growing community and we want to support that community, but it’s an expensive proposition to keep everything updated and to grow as fast as our user base does. It would be great if the Grindr community got to a point where we could use it to unify and inform gay men”, Joel concludes. www.grindr.com
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AFRICAN PARADISE
Africa’s first Prime Holistic Health Retreat is about to open its doors on the idyllic spice island of Zanzibar. Beige spoke with Christian Kurmann, General Manager of Zamani Retreat Kempinski, who is the driving force behind the project. beige: “Mr. Kurmann, please tell us what a Holistic Health Retreat is exactly?” CK: “Holistic Health, rather than being just the absence of illness or disease, refers to an approach to and an outlook on Life. It is about the person as a whole and how he or she feels and connects with the environment and the people around him. We put the focus on the connection of the body with the mind and the spirit. And although that may sound a bit abstract and cliché, it is really about that and making each individual responsible for his or her own state of balanced Wellness. The Retreat part refers to the fact that we offer our guest a haven of peace where they can ‘time-out’, relax and take a break from the demands their family, work and social life and from the daily routine and strain. A physical space that allows them to disconnect to better reconnect once they return home.” beige: “So could we say that Zamani Retreat is a bit like a clinic at the beach?” CK: “Not at all in fact. You are of course right that Zanzibar with its amazing beaches and the blue-green colour of the Indian Ocean is a perfect place to relax and re-energise. But there is a fundamental difference in what we aim to achieve and what a clinic or hospital does. Zamani Retreat’s reason for being is all about prevention, not about cure. It is about encouraging our guests to take a pro-active approach whereby each guest makes his own personal journey where our wellness team and practitioners serve merely as the compass, indicating possible routes – up to the individual where and how fast he wants to travel.” beige: “What would a typical stay consist of?” CK: “There will be various options but the main point is that we will tailor-make our programmes and will not try to fit guests into a ‘one-size-fits-all’. Our Daily Holistic Health Package consists of an arrival consultation with a wellness expert or a doctor who will discuss the needs and wants of each guest and tailor make the programme. We have three Houses: a House of China, with a traditional Chinese herbalist and treatments like acupuncture; we have a House of India with its Ayurvedic approach and a House of Africa – the first of its kind - where we work with traditional indigenous African Wisdom. In addition to that, all healthy meals are included as is a daily 90 minute spa treatment. At the end of the stay there is an exit consultation to evaluate the stay but more importantly to lay the groundwork for the guest’s lifestyle changes to be continued at home with the necessary follow-up from our team. beige: Who would be your typical guests?
CK: I do not know if we will have a typical guest but we target health conscious individuals, thirty years and above, traveling as couples, as friends or by themselves. There won’t be any children below sixteen and with all the daily activities we organise it makes the Retreat a perfect place for people who travel alone but do not want to be alone all the time and have ample opportunity to meet and mingle with other guests. They get to know each other during a yoga session or a bike ride and end up taking excursions together or having dinner together. It all is very convivial and relaxed atmosphere, which of course is the whole idea. beige: Is there also an interest from the business world for these types of programmes? CK: The response form the corporate world has been overwhelming, specifically here in London. Simply because more and more, businesses big and small are realising that they achieve better results with managers who are happy, balanced and mentally strong. Gone is the era of the workaholics who neglected their own wellbeing and often sacrificed relationships and private life; ‘in’ is the well-balanced, relaxed and creative manager, capable of building productive relationships with the people around him who has hobbies and a good circle of friends. How often have we experienced all day long and tiresome corporate meetings where at night everyone goes out to eat and drink too much with the objective ‘to bond’? We try to avoid those extremes and would rather suggest holding the meeting at the Retreat and combine work with various activities which achieve a much deeper and more productive team-building in a healthy nonconfrontational environment. Yoga or Tai Chi at dawn or learning about nutrition during a fun cooking class in the middle of our organic garden is so much more pleasant. beige: It all sounds amazing. When does Zamani Retreat offer its programmes to the public? CK: we open on 6 January 2011. Please come and see us as no matter how much I enjoy talking about it, it is something which really needs to be experienced at a personal level. beige: Looking forward to it. For more information on Zamani Retreat Kempinski, contact Zamani.Retreat@Kempinski.com
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There’s So Much More To
MANCHESTER
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Whilst many people know Manchester for it’s infamous gay village, Manchester is a huge bustling city that has so much to offer visitors. Beige took a look at some of the attractions on offer.
I
n recent years Manchester has undergone more makeovers than Madonna whilst still embracing its past. Nouveau glass and steel architecture alternates and even amalgamates with old landmarks. The former Free Trade Hall, where the Sex Pistols famously played their first Manchester gig (recreated in the must-see film 24 Hour Party People) is now literally fused with the stunning Radisson Hotel. The development of Media City has turned focus heavily on the Quays area as The BBC relocate huge chunks of their programming and broadcasting . Whilst in the area it’s worth paying a visit to The Lowry – a spectacular home to the arts and entertainment. The complex contains stunning theatres (including the largest stage in England outside of London). Programming includes ballet, drama, opera, musicals, comedy and all manner of other entertainment including artist exhibitions that are well worth a look. (www.thelowry.com). The Royal Exchange Theatre boasts one of the most architecturally incredible performance spaces in the UK. Built within one of Manchester’s most prestigious historic buildings – the former Cotton Exchange (and once the largest room for commerce in the world!), this award-winning building now houses a seven-sided steel and glass module that sits within the Great Hall. It is theatre in the round at its best with a staging platform surrounded by multi-level audience galleries seating up to 700 people. Only the stage area and ground level seating of this structure sit on the ground with the rest being suspended from four enormous support columns. (www.royalexchangetheatre.org.uk) Make a point of spending a few hours at Manchester’s Imperial War Museum North. This imposing building was one of the highlights of my trip to Manchester with its well thought out public spaces and incredible multi
media presentations (The Big Picture Show) which take place several times throughout the day. Taken from personal experiences, these shows which are projected throughout the entire space on every conceivable surface are touching and moving. Whilst at the museum you can also ascend the Air Shard to get a spectacular view over The Quays and Manchester. (www.iwm.org.uk) In the city centre you can find the People’s History Museum. Deriving its origin from the Trade Union, Labour and Co-Operative History Society. Located in the Pump House in Bridge Street, this is the only surviving Edwardian hydraulic pumping station in the city. The museum houses a collection of trade union banners that are quite amazing. Each banner is incredibly crafted and worthy of a close up look. (www.phm.org.uk) It’s very easy to spend several hours wandering around Manchester. There are so many small streets and nooks hiding a plethora of interesting buildings. Large sequences from Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes were filmed here. For a complete experience we’d recommend engaging the services of a guide. Manchester Tourism co-ordinates a range of friendly guides (including some with a LGBT background) to make sure you get the most from your Manchester Experience. Phone the Manchester Visitor Information Centre on +44 (0)871 222 8223 or Email manchesterguides@hotmail.co.uk for further information. By night, Manchester comes to life with some great bars and restaurants. Take the time to check out some of the amazing dining experiences located all over the city centre. Check out Michael Caines at Abode, a stylish yet relaxed fine dining restaurant from double Michelin star winning celebrity chef Michael Caines, in the basement of the Abode Hotel near Piccadilly Station. (www.michaelcaines.com), Linen which is an excellent value for money, plush fine dining British restaurant
inside the lavish Manchester235 casino - one of the most impressive dining arenas in Manchester (www. manchester235.com), or The Modern, an Impressive British restaurant at the top of the landmark Urbis building, overlooking the city skyline and next to MEN Arena (www.themodernmcr.co.uk). Of course, Manchester’s gay village, centred around Canal Street is still a major draw to most LGBT tourists. Locals will tell you the village has dipped since Queer As Folk opened the doors to the straight populus but our visit showed the village to be bustling (albeit with the few obligatory hen nights). There are a plethora of bars here catering to every taste imaginable. Just wander around and try a few bars out, you’ll be glad you did. The locals don’t bite and you’ll soon find a fit that suits your taste. Canal Street and its environs also host three accommodation options from completely opposite ends of the spectrum. The Malmaisson at the Piccadilly end provides 5 star hotel accommodation and dining, whilst on the street Velvet is a boutique hotel that will place you right in the heart of the village (www. velvetmanchester.com) and (www.eazysleep.net), offers budget accommodation. If you are up for an experience slightly out of the ordinary visit Chill Factore (www.chillfactore.com), Manchester’s fabulous indoor ski centre. This incredible complex will keep you entertained for hours as you ski, snowboard or climb in this incredible environment. Whilst many travel to Manchester for Pride year on year, the city offers something for LGBT visitors year round. The city offers a great city break destination with amazing retail, food and cultural opportunities. Visit www.visitmanchester.com for up to date information on the city and all the seasonal events on offer and enjoy.
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hotspots spots
Places to be seen....
SOHO STYLE “At twilight, nature is not without loveliness” (Oscar Wilde) and that is definitely the case when you enter Soho’s destination venue Green Carnation. Now in its 4th year the Green Carnation continues to romp home with the goods with its laid back indulgent atmosphere, stylish and decadent décor, lavish cocktails and beautiful staff, it has remained loyal to its customer base and continues to do so. With a capacity of over 300, the first floor lounge bar takes on a wonderful members club atmosphere with romantic corners , cosy seating and the opportunity to have conversations, whilst downstairs is much more Rock & Roll - upbeat and sexy, with a genuine “good times” atmosphere. Finally, venturing below street level you find private booths that can be reserved for intimate partying with friends. Regular nights include, Toca Me a Latin based party night, Carl Joseph with West end stars around the piano and regular speed dating events. On the Corporate front, Green Carnation has played host to premiere parties such as Sex and the City, parties for London Fashion Week, magazine launches and birthday parties for them. This once new kid on the block, despite coming of age, is still streets ahead of the game and its rivals. By winning awards and most recently hosting the VVIP lounge bar at Virgin’s V Festival (where it attracted everyone from Richard Branson and Princess Beatrice to the Sugar Babes and Dizzee Rascal (see photos) Green Carnation stepped up a notch and has established itself up there with the most prestigious clubs in the city. Green Carnation is available to hire for corporate events and private parties, as a whole venue or a single floor, or for smaller groups you can simply reserve a table or corner of the space. Offers for Christmas include a 10% contribution from the venue to whatever lump sum you put behind the bar, who can resist a Christmas gift like that? Green Carnation launches its Christmas season on October 16th. www.greencarnationsoho.co.uk
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The 54th BFI London Film Festival in association with American Express, is delighted to announce that this year’s programme includes 15 films with a Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transsexual interest. This is part of a worldwide selection of 197 features and 112 shorts from 67 countries. The Festival runs from Wednesday 13th October – Thursday 28th October 2010. Here are a selection of films Beige looks forward to seeing. BLACK SWAN (Darren Arronofsky) A sophisticated psychological thriller set in the milieu of the New York Ballet starring Natalie Portman and Mila Kunis.
New York, The Taqwacores may have a provocative, insurrectionary swagger about it, yet emerges as a heartfelt, spirited and positive blast of US indie cinema.
THE CALL (Dir. Stefano Pasetto)– Argentinean and Patagonian set drama about the brief relationship between two women that changes both of their lives forever.
WORD IS OUT (Peter Adair, Nancy Adair, Andrew Brown, Rob Epstein) – Iconic and hugely influential 70s documentary breaking the silence of lesbian and gay Americans as part of the emerging gay rights movement.
FOR 80 DAYS (Jon Garaño & José Mari Goenaga) – A warm and humorous Basquelanguage drama charting the burgeoning relationship between two women in their seventies who meet again by accident after fifty years. HEARTBEATS (Xavier Dolan) A lively, engaging drama of a youthful ménage-a-trois, Quebecois style.
WILLIAM BURROUGHS: A MAN WITHIN (Yony Leyser) – Yony Leyser’s riveting and perceptive documentary attempts to get to the heart of Burroughs using the themes that drove him as a starting point; drugs, sexuality and weapons. For further information on these titles and the full festival programme visit www.bfi.org.uk/lff
HOWL (Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman) – An imaginative interpretation of Allen Ginsberg’s poem, and the battle for artistic freedom it provoked. JUST ANOTHER LOVE STORY (AAREKTI PREMER GOLPO) (Kaushik Ganguly) - A gay Delhi filmmaker learns many self-truths while filming the story of a once famous female impersonator. THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT (Lisa Cholodenko) – Julianne Moore and Annette Benning star in a smart and funny story of modern family life.
Black Swan
The Taqwacores
LOOSE CANNONS (Ferzan Ozpetek) – Inspiring, satirical Italian comedy about two gay brothers, both trying to come out at the same time to their traditional pasta company owning family. MANDELSON: THE REAL PM? (Hannah Rothschild) An intimate portrait of one of the most controversial figures in British politics. PICCO (Philip Koch) – Depicting life in a German youth detention facility, the debut feature from former film critic Philip Koch is uncompromising, brutal and significant. SANDCASTLE (SHACHENG) (Boo Jun Feng) – A young man learns truths about his late father which change his view of himself, his mother and the modern history of Singapore in Boo Junfeng’s accomplished debut. STRANGE POWERS: STEPHIN MERRITT AND THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (Ben Russell) – A decade of in the life of Stephin Merritt, one of the most precious and significant figures in contemporary pop. TAQWACORES, THE (Dir. Eyad Zahra) – A film about the punk-Muslim scene in Upstate
The Kids Are Alright
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FREELANCE WRITERS WANTED Beige is seeking talented journalists interested in writing for the magazine on a freelance basis. To be considered please send a brief introduction and samples of work previously published toeditor@beigeuk.com
Zürich Pride Festival. Go for it. FLYING, SWISS MADE –
MySwitzerland.com/gaylesbian Come and party with us in Zürich from 3rd to 6th June 2010!
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FIRST
The suprise hit of 2009 is now on DVD with a load of fabulous special features. Just why Channel 4 is making the Uk wait longer than the rest of the world for Glee is anyone’s guess (both the USA and Australia are now in Series 2), but at least we can console ourselves with the antics of the sarky Sue Sylvester, Thick hunky Finn, diva Mercedes and self absorbed Rachel. Brilliantly scripted and musically realised, Glee is a joy to behold and a show you’ll keep coming back to again and again. Bring it on!!
THE STRING
FRUIT FLY
VACATIONLAND
11 October, TLA Releasing Billed as a “Tales of the City” style musical drama, Fruit Fly is the story of a young performance artist (Bethesda) who arrives in San Francisco seeking artistic fulfilment and her birth mother. Landing in a house occupied by an aspiring theatre designer, two lesbians and an angst ridden performer, Fruit Fly is full of quirky characters and scenarios and possibly the most bizarre score ever recorded. Featuring songs like Fag Hag (you get the idea) and a musical sequence where one actor duets with himself on a laptop showing a video clip of himself, it’s a case of love it or hate, but bare with it, you might just find yourself falling under its spell. We did!!
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BROTHERS & SISTERS S4
11 October, Walt Disney Our favourite disfunctional functional family is back for another series. With probably one of the best ensemble casts to be had, Brothers and Sisters is one of those dramas you wish would never end. In this series we are confronted with health problems for Kitty, the development of Scottie and Kevin’s marriage and the collapse of the Walker family business. In this series we get the usual flawless performances from Sally Field, Calista Flockhart and Rachel Griffiths and the introduction of Gilles Marini as Rachel’s new boyfriend Luc, it’s worth it just for the latter, everything else is just cream on an already delicious cake.
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GLEE SEASON
18 October, TLA Releasing Class, cultural and sexual differences are explored in this romantic gay drama set in scorching, picturesque Tunisia. When Malik returns home his is confronted by his overbearing mothers expectations of marriage and family. She goes off the rails when Malik finds comfort in the arms of Balil, the hired help. This is a well written, beautifully produced drama which is deserving of high praise. The String is one of those gay films that suprises and delights with its sexy direction and well formed characters. It also doesn’t help when your two leading men are to die for!!
Bounty Films This is an intriguing film on many levels. Set in Bangor Maine, this coming of age drama is reminiscent of Good Will Hunting as Joe (Brad Hallowell), an aspiring artists is looking for a way out whilst friend Andrew (Gregory L Lucas), still coming to terms with his sexuality has no ambition beyond getting drunk and shoplifting. The two leads in this well produced indie flick are hot think Tom Cruise and a young William Wales and that alone should have most gay men queueing to get a copy of this one. Add a well produced drama that tackles a number of issues including child abuse and you get a film you’ll be glad you spent the time to watch. This isn’t a new release by any means but we enjoyed it so much we felt it worth including.
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Music
beigemusic
JC Christopher looks at this month’s music releases.
RON CARROLL - THE REMIXES – ADE SAMPLER - ELECTRICITY RECORDS
With the Amsterdam Dance Event a mere disc spin away, Ron Carroll releases a classic remix sampler album of his most cherished House remixes to date as he prepares for his MN2S party headline set in the Dutch Capital. Blessed with fame from laying down his vocals to Axwell’s “What A Wonderful World” – Ron is one of those all encompassing artists who produces original material and remixes, and DJs and provides his own vocals to produce a never-ending stream of quality tracks here. You’ve got gospel influences, classic soulful injections, and vocal-less rhythms that are very Ron, and very likeable. From going back to the days of good old ‘95 with Shay Jones ‘Only You’, to mixing up his own dubby take on vocal beauty Dawn Tallman’s ‘Going Up’. These four cuts of Carroll simply ooze quality House Music, and are the perfect accompaniment for a sultry, classic house mood.
BOY GEORGE - ORDINARY ALIEN – THE KINKY ROLAND FILES - DECODE RECORDS
The continually colourful Boy George reinvents himself once again - with his first artist album in over ten years. The Culture Club front man has continued to push the boundaries of popular music, and has created here an extremely successful album which features eclectic fusions and crossovers of pop alongside various guises of Electronica. The album mixes honest heartfelt lyrics with modern electronic baselines. Boy George doesn’t let his fans down by allowing truly emotional experiences to rise though the music – with tracks like ‘Don’t Wanna See Myself’ validating his ability to reproduce an infectious record. ‘Look Pon U’ also sees him revert back to Jamaican rhythmic roots - the track adds a military dance-hall twist to the album that marches with a rather catchy, recognisable vocal. This all comes as Boy George is officially hot property again - recently collaborating with Mark Ronson on his forthcoming album, and with talk still in the air of a Culture Club reunion on the cards for the band’s 30th anniversary. Ordinary Alien stands proud alongside George as he pushes the envelope where no other original pop star has, or probably ever will.
VARIOUS ARTISTS - SOULFUL HOUSE VOLUME 2- MN2S
‘Soulful House Vol 2’ is the next instalment in a series of sexy, sultry authentic soulful House Music collections. The tracks in series 2 really encompass everything good and great about the genre - smooth production, heartfelt vocals, and effortless rhythms. Think beach-laiden daytime antics, cocktails in the sand, and afterhours relaxing. Take a special note of super DJ/Producer Phil Asher & the stunning vocals of Kai Alces’ on the track entitled ‘Someone’ - driven by an unforgettable percussive baseline. Other highlights include the funky upbeat ‘Get Ready’ and Grant Nelsons’ ‘Can’t Make It Through Another Day.’ Soulful House Vol 2 is released on MN2S - exclusive to download through Itunes.
GURU JOSH FT LAUREN ROSE FROZEN TEARDROPS DECODE RECORDS This brand new single from super-eccentric DJ/Producer Guru Josh featuring the stunning vocalist Lauren Rose is poised to be unleashed across the airwaves & unsuspecting dance floors. ‘Frozen Teardrops’ – the brainchild of superstar Guru Josh himself and written together with talented Lauren, features yet more infamous Guru saxophone stabs, and is his next project for World domination. The talented vocalist Lauren already has a number of top familiar Hed Kandi records under her belt and lends some sexy commercial vocals to this memorable pop record. The remixes are Italian-influenced and cover a broad spectrum of genres – straight-up House with the Da Brozz mix, Progressive and chunky with Anthony Louis at the helm, Trance thanks to DJ Kharma & Andrea Corelli; and Sidelman gives us his own Tech-House influenced slant on the track with his main and Dub mixes.
FULL INTENTION EARTH TURNS AROUND FULL INTENTION RECORDS If planet Earth sprouted sequins and spun faster on its axis, this would be the track playing in the background! Earth Turns Around is disco House Music with a twist. Laying down their trademark dominating sounds laced with a glistening disco infusion, the Full Intention duo deliver a package here that’s sexy, seductive, and disco-tastic. With this two-track EP filled with spinning rhythmic disco-laiden beats, Earth Turns Around is part of Full intention’s latest production timeline and sees the famed production twosome Michael Gray & Jon Pearn heading back to their roots.
STR ROSIE GAINES FT HIPPIE TORRALES NEVER QUITE THE SAME MN2S A collaboration that was bound to happen on soulful label MN2S sooner or later - the truly enigmatic House producer Hippie Torrales takes Rosie Gaines by the hand once more as she laces the track with her stunning vocals. Best known for the huge dance hit ‘Closer Than Close’ which hit Number 5 in the UK charts, Rosie Gaines delivers Never Quite The Same – dripping with soulful beach-laden beats. Add this to an abundance of stunning remixes here from JoVonn, Groove Assassins, and Neil Pierce – and you’ve got yourself a must-have track this autumn to remind you of those beach-laiden Ibiza days gone by…
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Raymond Gubbay presents
RUTHIE HENSHALL
sounds of hollywood
Performing hit songs made famous by
STEP BACK IN TIME TO THE GLAMOROUS ERA OF THE GREAT HOLLYWOOD MUSICALS
LIZA MINNELLI BARBRA STREISAND JULIE ANDREWS ETHEL MERMAN and JUDY GARLAND
26 October-28 November UK TOUR
With a
See reverse for details
Fabulous Live Orchestra and Special Guests www.raymondgubbay.co.uk
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08/10/2010 15:38:49
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CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD. THE SIXTIES: DIARIES COL TWO 1960 – 1969
Off the Shelf
Edited by Katherine Bucknell, Chatto & Windus (£30)
Beige reviews the latest queer literary offerings.
The second volume of Christopher Isherwood’s remarkable diaries opens on his fifty-sixth birthday as the fifties give way to the decade of social and sexual revolution. Isherwood takes the reader from the bohemian sunshine of Southern California to a London finally swinging free of postwar gloom, to the racy cosmopolitanism of New York, and the raw Australian outback. He charts his ongoing quest for spiritual certainty under the guidance of his Hindu guru, and reveals in reckless detail the emotional drama of his love for the American painter Don Bachardy, thirty years his junior and struggling to establish his own artistic identity. The diaries are crammed with wicked gossip and probing psychological insights about the cultural icons of the time – Francis Bacon, Richard Burton, Marianne Faithfull, David Hockney, Mick Jagger, Gore Vidal and many others. They are most revealing about Isherwood himself – his fiction (including A Single Man and Down There on a Visit), his film writing, his college teaching, and his affairs of the heart.
MISS SHIRLEY BASSEY John L Williams Quercus £16.99
In 1954, Shirley Bassey was seventeen years old. She had just returned from a cheesy revue tour called Hot From harlem. Depressed, disillusioned and four months pregnant, she decided that her dream of being a professional singer was over. A mere ten years later, she was one of the biggest stars in the world. She had sold more records than any other British singer of the day, and was poised to conquer America. Her latest hit “Goldfinger”, was the theme to the year’s blockbuster film. No longer the two-bit jazz singer from Cardiff, she was by now and international sex siren, as glamorous and unreal as Bond himself. From the vibrant, multicultural oasis of Tiger Bay in the Cardiff Docklands through the club-lands of Soho and Las Vegas to New York’s Carnegie Hall, it is a journey from mere mortal to international icon. Along the way she would encounter predatory managers, newspaper scandals, a homosexual husband, and a range of friends and acquaintances from Sammy Davis Jr to Reggie Kray. This is the story of an icon, a woman who set out to be extraordinary and – against all the odds – succeeded.
The Devil Rides Out Paul O’Grady (Bantam Press £20)
The further adventure of Paul O’Grady – following on from the best selling At My Mother’s Knee – are, if anything, even more hilarious and outrageous than what has come before. As Paul struggles to get to grips with unexpected fatherhood and bereavement, he searches high and low for a job that lasts and somehow finds himself getting married in the process. Work takes him from an abattoir to a children’s home, from a hospital to a nightclub, and from penthouse to pavement. Along the way, he takes his first-Savage steps on stage, tastes his exotic delights of Manila and invades Poland. The Devil Rides Out is O’Grady at this best. Humourous, heartfelt and with all of his trademark acerbic wit in tact. Given that after two volumes, his infamous creation Lily Savage has only just come onto the scene we can only summise that further action packed volumes are yet to come. The title The Devil Rides Out is further homage to O’Grady’s mother, and like his first volume, this continuation features a cast of characters including the legendary Vera, a horde of prostitutes, drag queens and various lords and ladies.
DIARY OF A JUVENILE DELINQUENT Steven Berkoff - (J R Books £18.99)
Actor Steven Berkoff’s Diary Of A Juvenile Delinquentis compelling from the very first page, painting a startling portrait of his early life and the beginning of his theatrical career. Born in the East End two years before the outbreak of World War II, life for the Berkoff family was tough, and their home was destroyed in the Blitz. Relief came when his mother took him to New York to live for a while in the Bronx. However, upon returning to London he began to misbehave at school, became involved with unpalatable characters, and eventually ended up in a horrific remand home for stealing a bicycle. After several years of drifting from short term job to another, and with no qualifications, he auditioned for drama school, and was granted a scholarship. As he movingly ends this powerfully honest book, “I had arrived. This is what I should be. An actor. The door closed and the lesson began.”
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beigeupstaged
upstaged plays and musicals
Deathtrap
Miserables a colour pallette rarely associated with the show and its quite remarkable.
Thrillers aren’t thick on the ground when it comes to London’s West End, so it’s great to see the form so incredibly well represented in the form of this revival of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap.
John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter command this production as Valjean and Javert respectively. Les Miserables only really works when its two male leads are matched vocally and physically and Owen-Jones and Carpenter are fomiddable. The pair are supported by a superb line up of principals including Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Gareth Gates (Marius), Rosalind James (Eponine) and Katie Hall (Cosette).
As with most thrillers, it’s difficult not to give the game away. The play relies on audiences squirming and suprises having enough shock value to get you jumping out of your seat. I’m pleased to report that Deathtrap has enough of these to keep audiences guessing for most of the night. Twists and turns abound in Matthew Warchus’ pacey production.
It’s great to see Les Miserables getting a face lift 25 years on. Sitting in the Barbican theatre watching this production and listening to the timeless score, you can’t help but wonder how the critics got it so drastically wrong 25 years ago.
Noel Coward Theatre, London
It’s a star turn for Simon Russell Beale and Jonathan Groff. Beale plays Sidney a once celebrated author of stage thrillers who theatrical muse has long since departed leaving him desperate for inspiration and that all important next hit. Groff is Clifford, young, idealistic, inspired by Sidney and the author of a perfect thriller - one set, two acts, five characters. Throw in a panicked wife, a strange psychic and the inevitable lawyer and you’re set for a great night in the theatre. Admittedly, the play has dated slightly since its original outing in 1978 when it smashed Broadway records, but Deathtrap still makes for a solid evenings entertainment. Full marks must go to designer Rob Howell who created the most wonderful setting for Groff and Beale to play out the murder game. A vaulted ceiling, a huge barn space, and an abundance of weapons from Sidney’s plays provide Groff and Beale with a veritable playground.
Unfortunately the London season for this touri is tragically short and will be gone by the time you read this review. Make sure you catch the national tour if you have a chance. Here’s hoping that Cameron Mackintosh may have heart and bring this production back for an encore season.
THE MISERABLE FACTS
When Les Miserables celebrated its 21st London birthday on 8 October 2006, it became the World’s Longest Running Musical, surpassing the record previously held by “Cats” in London’s West End. In January 2010, the West End production broke another record by celebrating an historic 10,000th performances. Seen by over 56 million people worldwide in 42 countries and in 21 languages, there have been 36 cast recordings, the video of the 10th Anniversary Royal Gala Concert has sold millions of copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling musical videos ever in the UK.
A must see, but don’t give away the secrets of Deathtrap after you see the show lest you spoil it for others.
LES MISERABLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY TOURING PRODUCTION Barbican Theatre, London
Celebrating Les Miserables’ 25th Birthday has given producer Cameron Mackintosh the perfect reason for a month of epic celebrations which sees the original production now ensconsed at the Queens Theatre, joined by this newly staged touring production at the Barbican (the show’s original home) and at the O2 for one enormous concert production. This new stage production which takes signature elements from Trevor Nunn and John Caird’s original production and adds new sceneic elements and orchestrations is quite remarkable. Gone is Les Miserables’ renown revolve, replaced by a system of small moving trucks and component pieces that make up everything from the barricade to Thenardier’s Inn. Sceneic backgroups are made from projected tableaux taken from and suggested by Victor Hugo’s own paintings. The effect of this is to give Les
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loNDoN’s BiGGEsT sMasH HiT MusiCal!
‘Hilarious’ Hilarious’ Daily Express
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‘a Triu TriuMPH’
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‘sMasHiNG’ NG’ News of the World
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FIT FOR A KING (OR A QUEEN)! Award-winning Swedish design duo Jimmie Martin are renowned for their eclectic and dramatic bespoke furniture, combining the decadent and quirky with the nostalgic and urban. Design partners Jimmie Karlsson and Martin Nilmar are going from strength to strength with clients including Pete Townsend and Kelly Osborne, with commissions coming in from all corners of the globe. Their skill for transforming second-hand and antique furniture with silver and gold leaf, flowers, dogs, Union Jacks, flamingoes and unqiue grafitti slogans are their trademark. Every piece of furniture is individually produced for the customer’s personal taste or to the duos own creative inspiration. There’s no spray paint here, each piece is subjected to gold, copper or silver leaf which takes time and effort. We hope you’ll agree that effort pays off in a big way!! www.jimmiemartin.co.uk Images this page: (Top left) The Stud £1,800.00, (Top right) Sausage Dogs £2900 Pair, Queen and Charles Armchairs £1595 each, (Bottom right) Blue Dig White £1,550.
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BUDGET RENOVATIONS designer homes at high street prices!
Martin Roberts, TV property expert, author and presenter of ‘Homes under the Hammer’ offers advice and guidance on your property concerns.
If you’re having to pull in the purse strings abit, then there are many ways in which you may be able to save money on your renovation budget, but here are just a few: 1. Trawl the internet for 2nd hand bargains - When it comes to purchasing fixtures and fittings – even larger items such as bathroom suites, the internet is a great place to make savings. Consider items a bit further a field than your own town as well, since the savings you make could easily cover your petrol or even the costs of hiring a van. Apart from the obvious, www.ebay.co.uk, also check out www. preloved.co.uk and Gumtree for your area – some things are listed as ‘free to collector’ as the current owner just wants to get shot of them. 2. Root around Charity Shops – If you need to fit curtains in the property you can often find perfectly decent sets in charity shops – again at a fraction of their new cost. Take them to a handy seamstress to be adjusted and ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’, you could have great new window dressings for your home. Another place to check out for high quality curtains (usually in designer fabrics) is www. thecurtainexchange.co.uk. They have branches around the country and often hold new curtains that have just been used in show homes or interior designer displays. 3. Don’t re plaster unless you have to – Re-plastering old, crumbling walls in older properties can also set you back a fair bit. It you just want to ‘make do’ then I’ve used exterior masonry paint in the past to cover interior walls. The thicker consistency helps to fill in small holes and hold crumbly bits in place and might be all that it needed to make walls look passable. These days there is a greater choice of colours to choose from as well. 4. Recycle your Kitchen – If the kitchen needs a face lift, you may find that you don’t have to completely replace it. You could give the existing cabinets a new lease of life by replacing the doors and / or handles. You could also replace the work surface to achieve a dramatic affect. However, if the existing cabinets really are only fit for the tip, then you could get a 2nd hand kitchen in its place. Companies such as www.theusedkitchencompany.com and www.kitchensynch. co.uk specialise in high quality 2nd hand and ex-display kitchens at huge discounts to their original prices so you could get a designer bargain for a steal. 5. Ditch the shag pile – these days there are so many options for flooring materials that are cheap, hardwearing, environmentally friendly and ‘healthy’, so you don’t need to go to the expense of carpeting throughout. Some cheaper alternatives are cork, wood laminate and even Linoleum has come on leaps and bounds since the 70’s. 6. Get on Your Gardening Gloves – If the garden has been neglected then it’s important to get this in shape as well but you don’t
need to go to the expense of full-on landscaping. Make sure trees, bushes and shrubs are cut back so buyers can see the garden’s full dimensions. Clear pathways of weeds and add abit of new growth with containers and pots. These can be easily moved around to detract from any unsightly areas but can also be taken away when you’ve sold the property. 7. Visit Salvage Yards – Particularly if you are renovating older, period property, salvage yards are great places to find architectural pieces that can give your property a bit of extra character or ‘wow’ factor without breaking the bank. Try architectural salvage yards like Bygones architectural reclamation or UK Architectural Antiques where you may find unique items such as antique cast-iron fire surrounds as well as modern fireplaces, doors, church antiques and kitchen items. 8. Do It Yourself Labour - Labour is one of the most expensive parts of any kind of renovation, so one of the biggest ways to save is to do some of the donkey work yourself and then get professionals to finish it. For example, if you’re not confident about retiling your bathroom, remove the old tiles yourself, prepare the surface for the new ones, then just pay for someone to fit them. 9. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall – Employ some of the tactics used by Interior Designers to make your property appear bigger and lighter than it really is. Using mirrors to reflect light is a very easy and cheap way to create the illusion of more space. 10. Crafty Lighting – Use lots of different types of lighting to not only provide overall ambient light, but also to pick out architectural features or items that cry out to be noticed. Have your ambient lighting and ‘accent’ lighting on separate circuits controlled by dimmer switches to create a whole variety of moods and give your home that designer feel.
MARTIN’S PROPERTY CLINIC: TURNING THE FRONT GARDEN INTO A PARKING SPACE
A reader asks: “I’m thinking of paving my front garden and taking down the fence to create off road parking. Good idea or not?“ Lack of parking is forcing more and more people to consider this- and it can certainly add value to your home if parking locally is at a premium. You will probably need planning permission from the council, depending on the class of road your house fronts on to. However, garden space is a real bonus- especially if it’s a family house- so think carefully before you do it. I also think it’s a shame that we’re loosing so many of our front gardens. They add much needed green to an increasingly concrete urban landscape!
To find out more about Martin Roberts and for property advice visit www. martinroberts.co.uk
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Mark Ludmon visits the town of Cognac to learn the story behind the region’s spirit
Eau-de-vie is produced through copper-still distillation It is no wonder that vodka has become the nation’s numberone spirit. Not only is it highly versatile for drinks, it can be pumped out quickly and at a phenomenal rate – Absolut’s facilities in Sweden produce up to 600,000 bottles a day. But for other spirits, the process is more sophisticated and can take generations. I gained an insight into the craft required to produce cognac during a visit to the town of Cognac in southwest France. At the home of Cognac Ferrand in the wine-growing area of Grande Champagne, owner Alexandre Gabriel took us into his murky 18th-century cellars. The walls were mottled with the black fungus, torula compniacensis richon, which thrives in the brandy-infused humidity where a proportion of the spirit – the “angel’s share” – evaporates as it ages. Here, there were barrels and demijohns of the brandy, including some up to 70 years old locked away behind an iron grille. Alexandre was captivated by the region and the life of the cognac maker when, only 20 years ago, he went into business with Pierre Ferrand, the heir of a dynasty that had been making cognac since 1776. He bought Pierre out in 1993 and breathed new life into the business, turning Ferrand into a global brand. However, Alexandre says he wanted to preserve the craft-based production methods instead of mass production. The process for making cognac begins with the harvesting of the grapes which are turned into wine for distillation. At Cognac Ferrand, they are distilled in 10 small copper stills, producing the eaux-de-vies – “waters of life”. These are aged – for at least two years before they can be called a “cognac” – and then blended, drawing on centuries of craftsmanship. Ferrand is a contrast to the giant cognac houses such as the world’s second-biggest producer, Rémy Martin, where visitors can go on guided tours of its site in Merpins, from the vineyards to the cellars where ageing and blending of the eaux-de-vie take place. Visiting Cognac is an ideal trip for anyone interested in spirits, with many of the cognac houses from Courvoisier to Camus opening their doors to tourists. Tourist organisation Les Étapes du cognac has created five tourist routes covering cognac production, while the town of Cognac itself has the excellent Musée des arts du cognac, dedicated to the industry
from the vine to the bottle. Near to the museum, on the banks of the river Charente, is the 245-year-old house of Hennessy, where visitors can also learn about the history and production of cognac. Despite Hennessy being the world’s biggest cognac producer, its brand ambassador Marc Boissonet insists that the company is “a small house”, explaining: “Hennessy simply puts together all the little pieces that are down to the individual wine growers and distillers. We co-ordinate the whole thing. It is almost like a family.” Despite the heritage and craft behind cognac, the French producers have no qualms about mixing it – in Cognac itself, it was regularly served up to us mixed with ginger ale or fruit juices such as apple. The Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac, which represents the producers, promotes the spirit for mixing, including the specially created Summit cocktail made with a VSOP cognac, fresh ginger, lime zest, lemonade and cucumber peel. On our trip, we were joined by award-winning bartender Tony Abou-Ganim whose career ranges from Harry Denton’s Starlight Room in San Francisco to the Bellagio’s bars in Las Vegas. He is a long-time champion of cognac in cocktails, developing new serves with the likes of Hennessy and promoting them in his latest book The Modern Mixologist. Tony points out that one of the earliest brandy-based cocktails was the Sazerac. Now normally made with rye whiskey, it was originally served in 1853 in New Orleans with a cognac base. Around the same time, the Brandy Crusta emerged and was later reworked in the 1920s as the Sidecar. Alexandre at Cognac Ferrand is also a fan of cognac-based cocktails, promoting them at the Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans this summer. “I think it’s a great match for cocktails,” he says. “You must use good ingredients to make good products. It is a part of cognac history that is being resurrected.”
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OUTEVERYWHERE (www.outeverywhere.com)
AMIGOS (www.naz.org.uk)
INTERNATIONAL GAY & LESBIAN SNOW SPORTS ASSOCIATION (WWW.GAYSNOWSPORTS.COM) IRONS GOLF SOCIETY (WWW.IRONSGOLF.CO.UK)
KB FITNESS 020 7681 0114 (WWW.KBFITNESS.CO.UK)
KB KICKBOXING 07881 957 977 (WWW.KBKICKBOXING.CO.UK)
KINGS CROSS STEELERS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB 07767 232 909 (WWW.KXSRFC.COM) leftfooters 07812 619 957 (www.leftfooters.org.uk)
LONDON AMATEUR WRESTLERS
(WWW. GMBUNION.ORG/SHOUT1.HTM))
07584 301 841 (WWW.LAW-WRESTLING.ORG)
SPECTRUM - TSSA LGBT GROUP
LONDON FRONTRUNNERS
(WWW.TSSA.ORG.UK)
(WWW.LONDONRAIDERS.CO.UK)
TUC 020 7636 4030 (WWW.TUC.ORG.UK) UNISON NATIONAL LGBT COMMITTEE 08453 550 845
LONDON SPIKERS VOLLEYBALL CLUB
(WWW.UNISON.ORG.UK/OUT)
(WWW.LONDONFRONTRUNNERS.ORG)
LONDON RAIDERS SOFTBALL CLUB
(WWW.LONDONSPIKERS.ORG)
MANCHESTER STINGERS WFC
YOUTH GROUPS
(WWW.MANCHESTERSTINGERS.CO.UK)
MOSELEY SHOALS GOC SWIMMMING GROUP BIRMINGHAM 0121 346 1522
ALLSORTS - BRIGHTON 01273 721 211
(WWW.MOSELEYSHOALS.ORG.UK)
(WWW.ALLSORTSYOUTH.ORG.UK)
(WWW.OUTTOSWIM.ORG)
INSIDE OUT PROJECT AT 42ND STREET MANCHESTER 0161 832 0170
PRIDE GAMES - MANCHESTER
(WWW.FORTYSECONDSTREET.ORG.UK)
OUT TO SWIM
STONEWALL FOOTBALL CLUB
LGYM - LESBIAN AND GAY YOUTH MANCHESTER 0161 273 7838 (WWW.LGYM.ORG.UK) MOSAIC LGBT YOUTH PROJECT 0800 0433 411
(WWW.STONEWALLFC.ORG)
(WWW.MOSAICYOUTH.ORG.UK)
(WWW.PRIDEGAMES.ORG)
REMNANTS HOCKEY CLUB (WWW.REMNANTSHOCKEY.ORG.UK)
VILLAGE MANCHESTER FOOTBALL CLUB (WWW.VMFC.CO.UK)
TRADE UNIONS
QUEER YOUTH ALLIANCE - MANCHESTER 0208 123 6958 (WWW.QUEERYOUTH.NET) STEP OUT AT STEP FORWARD - ISLINGTON 020 7739 3082 (WWW.STEPFORWARD-WEB.ORG)
FIRE BRIGADE UNION L&G SUPPORT (WWW.FBULGBT.ORG.UK)
NOT LISTED? PLEASE EMAIL YOUR INFORMATION TO EDITOR@BEIGEUK.COM
GMB LGBT 0207 801 2780
training sessions to Victim Support volunteers and staff across Wales to raise awareness of the issues faced by people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. The sessions look at the historical background of being LGB&T as well as the impact of hate crime. They explore the identities and people’s attitudes, and look at the fear LGB&T people often have of the consequences of being out and how this can influences whether a victim will seek support and / or report their experience of homophobic or transphobic hate crime. Jenny Porter, Community Liaison Officer for Stonewall Cymru says: “Receiving focused support and information at such a critical time can make a huge difference to coping with these experiences. We are working hard at encouraging more people not suffer in silence but to seek support and have confidence that they will be treated with respect and fairness.”
Gay or straight, crime’s no joke. The It’s No Joke project in Wales.
N
ational charity Victim Support has teamed up with Stonewall Cymru to help victims and witnesses of homophobic or transphobic hate crime in Wales through the It’s No Joke project, which is funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The national charity has a speciallytrained team of existing staff and volunteers. Working with Stonewall Cymru on the project, Victim Support makes sure victims of hate crime get the emotional support and practical help they really need, whether they are gay or straight and regardless of whether they have reported it to the police. The confidential service offers help which is tailored to suit people’s needs and includes support and 78 | beige | vol3issue8
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advice on personal safety, as well as information on how to deal with criminal justice agencies. Staff and volunteers at the Witness Service also support victims and witnesses throughout a trial, helping those who feel vulnerable or intimidated to get special measures in court. Homophobic or transphobic hate crime is any incident where the victim is targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. If you have been a victim of a homophobic or transphobic hate crime, you can call the ‘It’s No Joke’ helpline on 0845 6 121 900, email cymru@ victimsupport.org.uk or phone Victim Support’s national Supportline on 0845 3030 900.
of this service and to recruit volunteers in the LGB&T community. It’s essential that all victims have someone they can turn to for support, someone who will understand the issues and challenges they may face. Victims and witnesses need easilyaccessible help and support to suit their needs – that’s why we’ve set up this new service.” Stonewall
Cymru
is
www.victimsupport.org
providing
Gaynor McKeown, Victim Support’s regional manager for Wales, says: “We are working in partnership with Stonewall Cymru, to raise awareness
10/10/2010 20:33:02
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