VOLUME 3|ISSUE 9
beige | Volume 3 | Issue 9
BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS COLOURFUL ENOUGH
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE LAS VEGAS CITY CENTRE REVEALED
FITNESS & WELBEING A DOG’S LIFE THEATRE: MUSICALS IN 2011 IT GETS BETTER XMAS GIFT GUIDE TRAVEL: SOLDEN SKI WEEK SCREENER: NICHOLAS DOWNS
XAVIER SAMUEL SET TO ECLIPSE ALL COMPETITORS
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beige
VOLUME 3|ISSUE 9
beige | Volume 3 | Issue 9
contents
PLEASE ADJUST SPINE WIDTH TO FIT NO. OF PAGES
BECAUSE YOUR LIFE IS COLOURFUL ENOUGH
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE LAS VEGAS CITY CENTRE REVEALED
FITNESS & WELBEING A DOG’S LIFE THEATRE: MUSICALS IN 2011 IT GETS BETTER XMAS GIFT GUIDE TRAVEL: SOLDEN SKI WEEK SCREENER: NICHOLAS DOWNS
XAVIER SAMUEL
vol 3 issue 8
SET TO ECLIPSE ALL COMPETITORS
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Welcome
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This Month
14 CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE
HELLO AND WELCOME TO BEIGE
20
Like many across the world I was horrified to see the recent spate of gay teen suicides in the USA attributed to gay bullying. It’s quite amazing to see the concerted world-wide response spearheaded by Dan Savage that now counts Presidents and celebrities amongst its supporters but still leaves me wondering if even this will ultimately solve the problem.
Some great stocking stuffers for this festive season. Get shopping not long til Christmas.
18 IT GETS BETTER A look at the online campaign aimed at preventing gay teen suicide.
42 CITY CENTRE
This month we interview three incredibly hot film actors. It’s great when you are spoilt for choice!!
Las Vegas has a new player on the block. With the opening of City Centre Luxury has come back to Vegas.
There’s all that and loads more besides in this month’s issue.
50 THE POOCH COMES TOO
I hope you enjoy it.
56
We look at dog friendly vacation locations with the help of Further Afield.
DOUGLAS MAYO Editor
54 NIGHTCAP
32
Mark Ludmon samples Goslings Dark Rum.
56 IT’S ALL HIM!! Nicholas Downs talks about the gay rom com Is It Just Me?
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 Mark Ludmon Martin Roberts Jan Janssen
Suite 404 Albany House 324 Regent Street London W1B 3HH
Beige is published by Evolved Publishing Limited
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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SETH LAKEMAN
Seth Lakeman has been widely credited with taking folk music to a new, younger audience and it’s easy to see why. This smouldering hunk is a king sized bundle of sex appeal and talent rolled into one. Seth is about to roar across the UK in a tour that will take in just about every major city to promote his new album Hearts & Minds. Together with his band, Seth performs some of the greatest story telling songs we’ve heard in a long while. Expect a captivating, energetic and undeniably compelling live show from the multi award winning Seth. www.sethlakeman.co.uk
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gigs | news | gadgets | products | stuff!
GLAM NATION HITS UK Adam Lambert has announced that he will be bringing his massively successful Glam Nation tour to the UK at the end of November. The sold out US tour hits the rest of Europe at the end of the Europe, and Lambert promises to prove why he is one of the most exciting popstars around. The Glam Nation tour has been critically acclaimed across the UK with one reviewer proclaiming that he had been “touched by the hand of God and blessed by the spirit of Freddie Mercury”. Lambert’s UK dates include:26 Nov Birmingham Academy 2 27 Nov Manchester Academy 2 28 Nov Glasgow ABC 29 Nov London - Shepherds Bush Empire Tickets call 0844 811 0051 or visit www.gigsandtours.com
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WHAT’S UP DOC!!
Ever had one of those questions you’ve been dying to ask your doctor, well this could be your salvation. Everyone’s favourite TV doc and dare we say sex symbol, Dr Christian Jessen, has put together this great book with the 250 plus questions that people have posed to him in his travels. “Do you really need to drink 8 glasses of water a day?”, “Is Botox Safe?”, and “Will I get fat if I eat after 8pm?” are just a few of the many questions answered by Dr Christian. Forget trying to get answers through inaccurate internet sites, this book will fast become one of those great reference books that you’ll keep handy for years. For more information visit www.canijustask.co.uk
MUFF STUFF
beigefresh
Every so often a product arrives in our offices that gives us the giggles and this was one of them. Muff Diver Sports watches (no we’re not kidding) are great for anyone who likes to walk, run or dive on the wild side. The Muff Diver (can you hear the sniggers?) features a solid stainless steel case, soft rubber strap, original deep black textured dialwith luminous hands and is water resistant up to 330 feet. The Muff Diver (Ok, this is getting too much!), is available in seven distinct styles from www.muffuk.com priced £59.95. Billed as the world’s cheekiest watch, we’re impressed with the quality of these great timepieces even if the name if a little unfortunate! www.muffuk.com Watches shown are the Brazilian Muff and the Blonde Muff (and no we really aren’t making this up!!)
FANCY A CURRY??
This year we celebrate the 13th running of Natinal Curry Week in Britain and the 200th anniversary of Dean Mahomed opening the first Indian restaurant in Britain in London in London’s West End. One of the staples of Britain’s culinary scene, you have to wonder just what we’d do if you removed the humble curry from menus across the UK? As part of the celebration organisers are seeking to crown the Curry Capital of Britain, a crown currently held by Leicester. National Curry Week is an event that is celebrated by schools, restaurants, universities and all manner of other groups. So get your stomach into gear and enjoy a curry during this year’s National Curry Week. National Curry Week 21 - 27 November 2010 www.nationalcurryweek.co.uk
CRIKEY! ALF JOINS THE PRISCILLA CAST Yes, it’s true! Well known Australian actor Ray Meagher, best known as Alf from Home and Away has joined the cast of Priscilla, Queen Of the Desert in London. This larger than life musical has been wowing West End audiences for over a year now and shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. Ray joins Don Gallagher (Bernadette) and Oliver Thornton (Adam) in the Olivier Award winning show as Bob, the mechanic with the heart of gold. Following huge successes in Australia and now here in London, the show has just opened in Toronto (prior to a planned Broadway run), where it is being co-produced by no less than Bette Midler. Priscilla remains one of the West End’s best nights out, so make sure you get out to see it soon. www.priscillathemusical.com Photo: Tristan Kenton
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FIT - TACKLING HIGH SCHOOL HOMOPHOBIA
Billed as what happens when Skins meets Glee, FIT is shows what happens when a last chance dance class becomes a therapeutic encounter between adolescents struggling with their ideas about sexuality and adulthood in a very British comedy, mad with the support of gay, lesbian and bisexual charity Stonewall. Fit is the film adaptation of Stonewall’s highly successful play for schools aimed at tackling homophobic bullying which was seen by more than 20,000 students around the UK. Written and directed by Rickki Beadle-Blair, FIT is a thought provoking and incredibly powerful piece of film. BeadleBlair said “When on tour I would ask the kids how many people though homosexuality was wrong. In every single school the vast majority, about 80%, would put their hands up. But kids would come up after the performance and say quite openly “I walked into this room homophobic and will leave it a changed person.” FIT is available now on DVD from Peccadillo Pictures.
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Or you could simply take the train and travel at ease with the Swiss Transfer Ticket. MySwitzerland.com A flat-rate return ticket allowing one-day transfers from point of entry to any destination in Switzerland and back. Only available in the UK. And children under 16 travel for free. Contact the Switzerland Travel Centre on MySwitzerland.com/rail or call us on: 020 7420 4900.
Buy before you fly! Adult 2nd class £ 79, 1st class £ 119. Don’t miss the Snowtrain on Saturdays 29.1.–19.3.11 from Geneva airport to the resorts of the Valais region.
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FELA!
FELA! - a provocative and wholly unique hybrid of dance, theatre and music, exploring the extravagant, decadent and rebellious world of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo - Kuti will open at the Olivier Theatre on 16 November. Using his pioneering music (a blend of jazz, funk and African rhythm and harmonies), FELA! reveals Kuti’s most captivating songs and Bill T Jone’s visionary staging, this original new creation come to the National Theatre sizzling hot from Broadway. Winning the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical one only has to look at FELA!’s list of producers which includes Jay-Z and Will and Jada Pinkett Smith to realise this is something special. From 16th November Royal National Theatre www.nationaltheatre.org/felalondon
RUFUS AT THE ALBERT HALL
Rufus Wainwright returns to the Royal Albert Hall for a very special show, Monday November 22, almost a year after performing at the historic venue with the acclaimed Wainwright/McGarrigle Family Christmas Concert. Armed and dangerous with a piano, a microphone and his stunning new studio album All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu, Rufus is set to take on the Royal Albert Hall all by himself. Rufus admits that recording the album was one of the most difficult things he has ever done. “After hiding behind a 70 piece orchestra with my opera you can blame everything on the tuba player. With this album when the curtain is raised it’s me on my own,” says Rufus. Royal Albert Hall Box office 0871 230 0333 www.royalalberthall.com
CLONE ZONE WEBSITE RALAUNCH
Pioneering gay lifestyle brand Clonezone celebrates a year of success this month with the relaunch of their popular online storewww.clonezone.co.uk. The sleek new site, featuring the very best in aromas, toys, books, DVDs, underwear from the most desirable labels, boasts an ultra easy ordering system and fast, discreet delivery. Adding another string to their professional bow, Clonezone is also behind hot new brand Titus, a new line of erotic accessories made exclusively for men. Expertly designed in the UK, the range features the finest in seductive leather and rubber wear, steel accessories and stimulating aromas to allow anyone with a feel for kink to indulge in their wildest fantasies! The full range is available to buy exclusively from the Clonezone website. The last 12 months have seen the brand go from strength to strength, with the takeover by Libertybelle UK (who also counts luxury male toy brand Nexus as part of their operations) proving to be a very positive change. Now based in the affluent area of London Bridge, the
Clonezone head office boasts a strong team with sales, purchasing, Design and operational staff all working closely together to ensure the smooth running of the business. Head CZ Buyer Scott Humphris commented: “The last 12 months have been a big learning curve for Clonezone; we’ve improved our distribution channels, expanded our product lines and revamped both our online store and high street outlets. We would not have been able to make these big changes if it had not been for the support of our loyal customers so massive thanks goes out to all of them – we couldn’t have done it without you!” The popular free Clonezone Autumn/Winter catalogue is now available instore and online – packed full of the latest gear for your lifestyle, order now to ensure you’ve got the goods for the Christmas period!
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WE LOVE W - KOH SAMUI OPENS Set on the North Shore of Thailand’s Famed Samui Island, W Retreat Koh Samui Brings a New Dimension of Modern Design and Contemporary Lifestyle to Thailand W Hotels Worldwide, the hotel category buster and industry innovator, has opened the doors of W Retreat Koh Samui, the first W in Southeast Asia. An all-villa beachfront resort uniquely located at the peak of the north shore of Thailand’s famed Samui Island, W Koh Samui brings an alluring new dimension to Thailand through its location, forward-looking design, and vibrant contemporary lifestyle. “W Retreat Koh Samui redefines the way we live and play. The day is dedicated to individual moments of relaxation and detox that will inspire you for a night of energy and celebration,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien. “We are delighted to have brought the W brand to Koh Samui, one of the coolest islands in Southeast Asia. W Koh Samui marks an important move in the global expansion of the W brand, and after W Maldives and W Vieques, it is our third Retreat worldwide.” “W Retreat Koh Samui is another great example of our ideology in investing in a destination with a great site, product and the ideal brand to compliment it – certainly a perfect blend of lifestyle, entertainment, hospitality and commerce,” said Sunny Bajaj, Managing Director of Amburaya Hotels & Resorts. “We are confident that W Retreat Koh Samui will be a scintillating playground for the discerning leisure traveller and a fresh destination on the global stage of entertainment, music, fashion and culture for years to come.” The Retreat features 75 private villas equipped with modern lifestyle innovations, including a private pool, daybeds, an outdoor shower, Yamaha sound system, 46-inch plasma screen TV, wine refrigerator, and the signature W bed. W Koh Samui’s signature services and amenities bring a new level of indulgence to a renowned Thai island. Exclusive experiences include W’s signature Whatever/ Whenever® service philosophy, providing guests and residents with whatever they want – from a Champagne brunch on a deserted beach to an intimate sunset wedding on a stretch of Koh Samui’s glistening sand to an impromptu island-hopping excursion – whenever they want it, as long as it’s legal! For reservations and more information, please visit www.whotels.com/kohsamui.
SOOTHING SPA
Set to create a new level of urban spa experience, Spa Verta is the first premium spa destination south of the river. Fragrantly decadent, rich and opulent, this subterranean spa has taken its inspiration from previous eras which exemplified absolute glamour, impeccable service and indulgent pampering. The Spa Verta experience commences in the texture and colour mood enhanced Spa Vitality Suite which includes a sparkling vitality pool and jewel like thermal rooms - a sauna, steam room, sanarium, experience showers and foot baths. On the Spa therapy floor guests will find five therapy rooms where treatments are offered using Anne Semonin, Comfort Zone and Mama Mio products. Completing the experience is a spa concierge service which ensures guests emerge recharged and refreshed by ensuring every little detail is looked after and every need met.
all that Spa Verta has to offer guests will relax and unwind by changing into a luxurious robe and spa slippers. Then they can enjoy the subterranean hydrotherapy pool, embark on a journey of colour in the rich and jewel like thermal treatment rooms, take a tropical rain shower in the experience showers or relax on a heated lounger and dream of warmer climates! Voyages range from 2 to 3 ½ hrs. Spa Verta also offers manicures, pedicures and waxing. Voyages priced from £200.00 Facials priced from £85.00 Massages priced from £80.00 Jet Set treatments priced from £25.00 Hotel Verta, London’s Vertical Gateway, Bridges Wharf, Battersea, London, SW11 3BE 020 7801 3500 Sat Nav Ref: SW11 3RP www.hotelverta.co.uk
Spa Verta offers unique day spa packages known as “Voyages”. Taking inspiration from Spa Verta’s product houses these have been created by selecting destinations of their origins. Each voyage starts or finishes in London. To experience
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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE PACO RABANNE 1 Million Edt 50ml Gift Set 50ml Edt Spray & 100ml Shower Gel The Expression of every man’s fantasy. A Taste for money, spakling cars, games and pretty girls. A fresh spicy leather fragrance. www.theperfumeshop.com
Sonos ZonePlayer S5 For serious music lovers, look no further than the Sonos ZonePlayer S5 wireless music system, delivering crystal-clear sound. £349 www.sonos.com
LES MISERABLES 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT DVD LThe Theatrical concert of the year comes to DVD. For those of you who missed this epic event at the O2 this year, every minute has been captured on this must have DVD.Les Miserables in Concert, the 25th Anniversary Live at The O2 out on DVD and Blu-ray 29 November
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Nespresso CitiZ Metal coffee machine For those that appreciate great design and highest quality coffee, the innovative Nespresso CitiZ Metal machine is a must-have. Prices start from £169 or £229 with Aeroccino. www.nespresso.com
AMERICAN CREW GIFT SET Whether you’re best friend or boy friend like their grooming products or you like to treat yourself, this American Crew gift pack is great for the guy who wants to look his best, especially in the harsh winter months. This gift set includes American Crew Shampoo and Fiber Pliable Molding Crème. www.WantTheLook.com for £12.50
DOLCE & GABANNA THE ONE GIFT SET Dolce & Gabbana the one EDT 50ml & After Shave Balm 50ml & Shower Gel 50ml. 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. £38.50 www.theperfumeshop.com
BEATS BY DR. DRE Beats by Dr. Dre have just announced new additions to the Beats family. Perfect gifts for him include Beatbox (£399.95), Powerbeats (£139.95), Beats Pro (£399.95) and iBeats (£89.95). Available at consumer electronic retailers from November. http://beatsbydre.com/
TISSOT T-TOUCH II TITANIUM CHRONOGRAPH Features of this beautiful Tissot T-Touch II Titanium Chronograph include a barometer, altimeter and thermometer. Perfect for knowing how high you are before heading down the slope on your board or skis and looking stylish après ski. www.WatchShop.com – for £495.
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beigechristmas DIESEL X-RAY WATCH Whether your boyfriend loves being fashion forward or he’s always running late and you need to drop him a hint, this men’s Diesel X-Ray watch is sure to earn you a snog under the mistletoe. It’s heavy duty and features an LCD screen powered by quartz digital movement and is backlit with a blue light. Its black steel case is highlighted by a cool, transparent green side piece. A great watch for the guy who likes to mix style with function. £98.10 Available online exclusively to WatchShop.com – www.WatchShop.com (product code: DZ7152)
MARC JACOBS BANG GIFT SET Marc Jacobs Bang EDT 50ml & Shower Gel 75ml & After Shave Gel 75ml. Bang is Marc’s newest fragrance invention and his first masculine scent in almost a decade, his new creation teases the conventional lines of fragrance with humour and energy, a dynamic balance of modern sophistication and Marc Jacobs trademark irony and irreverence. www.theperfumeshop.com £38.50
Zippo Flexible Neck Lighter A great gadget for lighting BBQs, taking camping or even firing up the Christmas pudding! £13.70, www.zippo.co.uk
Enchanting Nights Smartbox – a choice of 25 luxury one-night stays for two people in romantic castles, French chateaux, 16th century Italian villas and more. £389 Adrenaline Smartbox – A tidy box of high-octane activities for adrenaline junkies to choose from, including rafting, formula 1 driving and helicopter rides. £129 www.smartbox.com/uk Russian Standard Vodka Gold A smooth, mellow vodka which includes notes of honey, vanilla and almond, all cased in a beautiful gold gift box. £20 Stockists: Selfridges and good supermarkets.
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LONDONÕSÊBESTÊMUSICALSÊ ATÊLONDONÕSÊBESTÊPRICES
APOLLO VICTORIA THEATRE • LONDON
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THEATREÊTICKETS FORÊALLÊYOURÊTICKETINGÊNEEDS
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IT GETS BETTER A spate of gay teen suicides in the USA recently prompted one man to launch a unique project in an effort to get his message out to troubled teens everywhere. It Gets Better!
C
elebrities and heads of state including President Obama and Hilary Clinton have been busy posting to You Tube over the past month. These messages are not intended for other leaders or for political campaigning, they are squarely aimed at troubled gay teenagers. “Take heart and have hope, and please remember that life is valuable, and that you are not alone”, Mrs Clinton say. “Many people are standing with you and sending you their thoughts, their prayers and their strength. Count me among them”. Mrs Clinton by President Obama urging Americans to “dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage…it’s not”. These videos are the latest high profile contributions to the fast growing It Gets Better You Tube channel, a project started by Seattle based author Dan Savage to provide hope and support to vulnerable and possibly suicidal gay teenagers. In the past few months, at least seven American teenagers have taken their ownb loves after being bullied and harassed by homophobic peers. Savage, who writes the widely read, syndicated column Savage Love, had been mourning the death of Billy Lucas, a 15 year-old student who hanged himself in his grandmother’s barn after being intensely bullied at his small town school. Kids at Billy Lucas’s school called him a “fag” – a common taunt- and told him to kill himself. Savage recalls wishing he had been able to talk to Billy and tell him not to harm himself because once you have survived the high school bullies, life gets so much better. Savage realised though he would probably never get permission from a school or even the parents of teenagers to talk openly to young people about being a happy gay man. “It occurred to me that I didn’t need permission anymore” Dan said. “I could upload a video and speak directly to these kids, and tell them before they commit
suicide that it gets better.” Savaged created the You Tube channel just over a month ago, uploaded the first video and used his column to encourage others to tell their stories. He describes his campaign as somewhat subversive, going over the heads of parents, teachers and school administrators to talk directly to young people. “We’re not going to let accusations of recruiting children or brainwashing children or being sexually interested in children stop us any more. Lives are at stake” Savage said. Savage convinced his media shy husband Terry – who had been brutally bullied as a teen to appear with him. The coupled shared their stories, talking about the difficulties of their youth, the joys of their adult lives and urging teenagers to stick it out because life gets better. “We were worried that we were maybe going to get three or four videos and look a little foolish” Savage admitted. His video though soon went viral, and within weeks, more than 2000 videos of people pouring out their hearts were uploaded from all across the world attracting more than 10 million viewers. Young people and old, Mormons, Muslims and Jehovah’s Witnesses, have all contributed, often bringing Savage to tears. Although Savage didn’t seek celebrity endorsements, numerous stars including Neil Patrick Harris and Chris Colfer from Glee, recorded their own videos. In a deeply emotional video, Project Runway style adviser Tim Gunn reveals that he tried to commit suicide at 17. The videos have resonance for children, gay or straight, who are picked on at school, but Savage says they are particularly important for gay or sexually unsure children. Those young people, he says, often cannot cry on the shoulders of their parents. Scared to talk about their sexuality, they feel isolated at school, at home and at church, where they are told their feelings are immoral and wrong.
“The bullied kid has no-one” Savage says, later adding that this is why messages like Mrs Clinton’s are such a “big help”. “To see the Secretary of State and the President take time out from their insanely busy schedules to reach out to 13 year old gay kids in little towns can really make a difference”. The It Gets Better project has been criticised by some teachers for containing messages from adult film stars, drag queens and transvestites, which they consider too raunchy for young people. Savage scoffs at these claims, saying young people hear far worse things on TV and from their friends. And besides, he says, it is his project.
For further information visit www.itgetsbetterproject.com
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beigeinterview
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
It’s the kind of role that will also establish Timberlake as a bona fide movie star in much the same way that Jim Carrey and Robin Williams made the transition from stand-up comedy to major Hollywood careers. With his highly-acclaimed screen debut in 2006’s ALPHA DOG and subsequent turn in 2007’s THE LOVE GURU, Timberlake has left his fans in a quandary about whether music or acting is his true love. But today, the former N’Sync frontman and “SexyBack” solo recording artist admits to having shifted his creative focus to film, fulfilling childhood ambitions of becoming an actor while growing up in Tennessee and being fixated on American sitcoms. “Acting has always been a dream of mine even though music took over my life as a teenager,‘‘ Timberlake explains. “After N’ Sync broke up in 2002, I wanted to make my own music, and I did, and then all of a sudden there were these opportunities that were coming up in smaller films like Alpha Dog and Blake Snake Moan. And I made sure that I didn’t play singers or take roles where audiences would make any connection to music.” “I wanted to find good parts and prove myself as an actor. I love music, but I’m not good at multi-tasking. Right now acting is what I want to do and I’ll return to music when the inspiration strikes. I’m not stressing about things at all. My work is exciting, but my life is boring and easy right now and I like it that way.”
In the course of the last decade, Justin Timberlake has rebranded himself from boy group sex symbol to packaged pop star to authentic solo artist. Along the way, he has racked up six Grammys and two Emmys, founded a record label and worked as a music producer, built his own eco-friendly golf course in his hometown of Millington, Tenn., as well as helping create the William Rast clothing line together with best friend Trace Ayala. He’s also handled his enormous popularity with the kind of class and cool head that eluded his former girlfriend and now faded singer/superstar Britney Spears. Following a romance with actress Cameron Diaz, Timberlake has spent the past three years in a serious relationship with the impossibly beautiful actress Jessica Biel (The A-Team, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, The Illusionist). They divide their time between homes in L.A. and Tribeca, NYC. Interestingly, despite the fact he‘s co-starring in a movie about Facebook and masters of the internet, Timberlake has never felt the need to be on Facebook himself and confesses to being very indifferent to computers and the entire web culture. Timberlake currently has six films in the pipeline, further proof that Justin is determined to choreograph a new performing identity as an actor rather than pop star. Sitting down with Justin Timberlake at The Harvard Club in New York City, one is happy to report that the man himself is extraordinarily good-natured and affable. He likes to defuse any pomp and circumstance from the process of publicizing the film, and he looks remarkable relaxed in his black-rimmed glasses, dark grey suit and somewhat lighter grey shirt open at the collar. In the interview that follows, Justin opens about his acting ambitions, and why he’s put his music career on hold. And as for those rumours about his impending marriage to Jessica Biel, the talented Mr. Timberlake went on record as saying: “I’m not engaged. And if she is, then I have a problem!” beige: Justin, what was it like playing Napster founder and Facebook financier Sean Parker. He’s not an entirely loveable human being, is he? TIMBERLAKE: Yeah. It became clear to me after my first reading of the script that my version of this character
in the film wasn’t going to be a hero so to speak but neither was he going to be a villain sitting in front of his laptop twirling his mustache. That’s the beauty of this film to me, that you really get to pick who you side with. What makes the story interesting is the fact that these characters are complex and flawed and fascinating to watch. For me, it was all about getting into Sean Parker’s mind and as an actor you become dedicated to defending your character. No one believes that what they’re doing is wrong in life. So, I approached the role from that perspective. beige: What was the most interesting aspect of Sean Parker’s persona for you? TIMBERLAKE: I loved his cavalier approach to life. The character has a lot of layers and I saw that my job was to mask his darker sides because those things play themselves out in the film. Finding the right ways to do that was to use some bravado and flamboyance. It was a delicious part in that sense. beige: There’s almost a creepy malevolence to Parker‘s brilliance, isn’t there? TIMBERLAKE: Sean is smart and savvy and very good at seeing what people are interested in and good at. He’s a very acute observer. One of the key scenes in the film for me comes in the club where the music is loud and it seems that my character is the aggressor. I would rattle off these things and I had remembered all these facts but I also wanted to know the verbiage so well that I could watch Jesse (co-star Zuckerberg) the whole time. So I tried to digest all those Aaron Sorkin morcels so I could study Jesse and appear to be more diabolical. beige: Did you ever meet the real Sean Parker? TIMBERLAKE: I met him briefly in New York a year ago before we started shooting the film. We spoke for only a few minutes and he seemed to think that I would be playing the part even though I hadn’t officially been cast as him. But I knew immediately after reading the beginning of the script that playing Parker would be a tremendous ride. You see right away that he has a brilliant mind and has a very cynical wit. You say to yourself, ‘How can you not love this guy?’ That’s how much I loved the character.
Jan Janssen / The Interview People
O
n the verge of his 30th birthday this coming January, Justin Timberlake feels that despite having accomplished a lot in his life, he hasn’t yet hit his full stride in terms of his acting career. But the public perception of Timberlake is about to undergo a radical transformation with his bravura performance in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, the David Fincher film about how Napster founder and future Facebook president Sean Parker (Timberlake) helped finance Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook empire. Timberlake invests his role with a fascinating bravado that is already beginning to create Oscar buzz for Justin while co-star Jesse Eisenberg’s star turn as the socially inept and backstabbing Harvard student Zuckerberg is no less fascinating in Aaron Sorkin’s (The West Wing) superb screenplay about the frantic world of two brilliant misfits who transform the internet community and become billionaires in the process.
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WORDS: JAN JANSSEN
Jan Janssen / The Interview People
“I’m not much of a computer guy at all. I’m kind of hopeless when it comes to that kind of thing.”
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“I think (The Social Network) really touches on the younger generations and that instant gratification ‘We-want-what-wewant-and-we-want-it-really-fast’ mentality.” beige: Even though you’re in a film about Facebook, you’re not a Facebook user yourself… TIMBERLAKE: No. I don’t use Facebook although I have a group of people who run a fan page for me which is useful for promoting events or causes and things like that. I’m not much of a computer guy at all. I’m kind of hopeless when it comes to that kind of thing. My life is also so busy that I don’t feel I have time to spend hours surfing the web or going online to interact with friends. I prefer real facetime - so I’d rather speak to my friends on the phone as opposed to chatting online. beige: What do you think makes Facebook so fascinating for the half-billion people who use it and do you think the film captures that sensibility? TIMBERLAKE: I think (The Social Network) really touches on the younger generations and that instant gratification ‘We-want-what-we-want-and-we-want-it-really-fast’ mentality. That’s what the internet and social networking sites like Facebook offer to people. It’s the accessibility and the instant gratification of having all of your photos and profile and everything lined up and stored for other people to see and connect with. My generation is totally into that kind of information craving. With Facebook, it’s like you’re throwing a party. It’s your world that you create when have your own Facebook page and create a profile for yourself. Facebook makes it very easy to share your life in a conveniently packaged way, and that’s why it’s become such a successful social networking site. But the larger question which has to be asked is what the real impact is on people? Does it make it easy for people to put up barriers to real contact and not engage on a more personal level? Are we becoming too immersed in this kind of communication and does it distort human relationships? beige: Does a film like this make you want to continue acting as opposed to working on your music and touring? TIMBERLAKE: As a kid I was always interesting in becoming an actor and I admired the art of acting. I got my training as a performer as a young kid when I started doing sketch comedy (on Disney’s The New Mickey Mouse Club – ED). So acting is my first love and it feels very natural and warm and fuzzy to me. I’ve slowly built up my confidence working in smaller films over the years and learned a lot from working with actors and directors whom I really admire and respect. And working with David Fincher on this film frightened me – you look at his work and you feel intimidated and wonder whether you are going to make the grade! beige: Would you like this movie to change the perception of you from musician to actor? TIMBERLAKE: I’m not really worried about that. I think
of myself as an entertainer and that’s the only thing I’ve ever been decent at. Other than that I’m kind of a geek! (Laughs) I don’t think there’s a huge disconnect between performing live on stage or working on music and being an actor. A screenplay is very musical in the sense that there’s a rhythm to it. And I think acting is performing in the same way that getting on stage and creating a kind of stage persona is a performance. beige: How have you dealt with your fame and avoided some of the traps that have created problems for other young performers who haven’t handled it well? TIMBERLAKE: The most important thing is to separate your work from your private life. Otherwise you’d go crazy. When it comes to fame, there’s nothing there to hold on to. It’s sort of a mirage. It’s important to have close friends who mean something to you rather than putting your importance and what everyone else thinks of you first. I think a lot of people in our business get caught up in that. I’ve always surrounded myself with friends whom I’ve known for a long time and who don’t care about my celebrity status. These are the people who count in my life and you have to stay away from those who just want to be part of the ride. beige: Does our culture make too much of celebrity? TIMBERLAKE: “Celebrity” is sort of an idea. I mean, I get to do something extraordinary, but I don’t think it makes me extraordinary. That’s my opinion. I like to be an artist, I like to do things that are involved in the arts, but I don’t think it makes me more special than a doctor, for example. A doctor is an extraordinary person. Doctors should be celebrities. We just entertain people. They save lives. If there’s anything that I do that’s extraordinary it’s giving people an opportunity to forget about the bad things that are happening in their lives and just enjoy the moment. That’s all that I do. I don’t save their lives. I don’t make their lives better. I just give them a break, and that’s how I look at what I do. But, again, I don’t think that makes me anything special. We’re all people. I just get to do something really cool for a living and I feel lucky. beige: Do you have any plans to work on your third solo album? TIMBERLAKE: No. Whenever I’ve made an album it’s come from a particular point of inspiration and then you’re driven to do it. In the past, I put out my best stuff and did my best work when it became clear to me that that’s the only thing I wanted to be doing. Right now that’s acting and music isn’t something I’m thinking about at this point. I’m not the kind of musician who plans when I’ll go back to the studio or when I’m going to spend some
serious time and write some songs. I’m sure I’m going to make another album sometime down the road but when that day will come I have no idea. I won’t know until I get there. That’s the thing about artists, man. We don’t know until we know. And then you’ll know! (Laughs) beige: You’ve often credited your mother for guiding you through life and your career…? TIMBERLAKE: My mother Lynn has been a very steadying influence on me. She taught me to work hard to develop my talent and also to respect yourself and the people around you. She also encouraged me to be creative and follow my instincts when it came to my music. There’s always a lot of pressure from producers and the record companies to tailor your music a certain way, and I’ve always tried to resist that. That’ s why I wanted to have a solo career and push people’s expectations of me a lot further out than they would have imagined. beige: Was there any one thing that your mother would tell you to encourage you if you were feeling tired or low with all the pressure that you must have dealt with as a teenage star ?
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TIMBERLAKE : She kept repeating to me, « If you believe in yourself, you can accomplish anything ! » That’s kind of been my mantra in life and I think everyone needs to trust in themselves enough to not be afraid to pursue your dreams and ignore a lot of the crap that goes on in life and just go out and make things happen for yourself in life. beige: When you were a young kid, did you know that you were an artist or performer at heart? TIMBERLAKE: I was very shy and timid as a kid and it’s only when I discovered the stage in school that a monster came out! (Laughs) I think my mom was happy that I stopped staring at my sneakers and learned to be more outgoing. There was this need to perform and express myself that had been bottled up and just had to find a way to get me in front of an audience! I knew I had that in me. So when I had the chance to perform, there was no going back. There’s a huge adrenaline rush to performing in front of an audience. You suddenly become this version of yourself and you create this stage character that is your favourite version of who you are at that point in your life.
beige: Was that the case with your SexyBack self?
whatever. That’s the trick.
TIMBERLAKE: That was a character I invented who was the result of an inspiration to be this idealized version of myself that was an exaggerated version of my performing side. So you just throw yourself into that character and he kind of takes over when you get on stage and play that part while you’re performing for your fans. It’s not that different creating a character while you’re touring from what you do as an actor in a film. Acting is more complicated and requires more discipline. With music, you can just let it rip and it takes over.
It took me a little while, but at one point I figured out that you have to make sure you are happy with both your life and the work you’re doing. And if you’re not happy, then you need to take some time for yourself and work things out until you find the joy that comes with performing and being who you want to be. That’s why I love where I’m at now. I feel I’m moving forward creatively and I’m able to enjoy the process.
beige: Have you ever felt sick or worn down by the pressure of being a performer or having to deal with all the attention that you as a celebrity have to face on a daily basis?
beige: How important is it to have someone like Jessica Biel to share your life with? TIMBERLAKE: I’m very lucky to have a wonderful woman in my life. That’s as much as I need to tell you!
TIMBERLAKE: I’ve had times in my life where I’ve felt drained and just want to stop. But that’s the result of being very driven and determined and wanting to push yourself to the limit as a performer and artist. The thing which is tough is knowing when you’ve gone past the point where it all just becomes work and you’re not enjoying the process of being an entertainer or music or
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beigewellbeing
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HERMES IRIS UKIYOE
Hermes is one of those names synonymous with quality of the highest order and as such any addition to their unisex fragrance line Hermessence is normally greeted with anticipation. Hermes have recently released the ninth scent in the range. Named Iris Ukiyoe, it’s light and fresh with notes of roses, orange blossom and mandarin. The bottle comes complete with a violet saddle-stitched, Swift calfskin case. Although all nine individual fragrances have cases made from a unique leather, Iris Ukiyoe marks the first time the interior is lined with a different hide - Mysore goatskin in Hermes orange. Intentionally rare, this isn’t one you’ll find in duty free. It’s only available in the UK from Hermes stores in London, Manchester and Glasgow. £140 for 100ml. www.hermes.com
TOMMY HILFIGER LOUD
Tommy Hilfiger pushes boundaries with this incredible new men’s fragrance. Loud is a twopart-range, one for men and one for women (bit obvious huh!). So far, so what? I hear you say. the clever part begins with the revelation that they both contain the same two key ingredients, but in different amounts, to create two unique scents. The male version has a lead note of patchouli with a whisper of rose for a fragrance that’s warm and spicy. The scents are part of Tommy Hilfiger’s 25th Anniversary celebrations and are being launched in collaboration with The Ting Tings, who’ve written a track especially. 25ml £19
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PRODUCTS WELLMAN SPORT Wellman® Sport is an advanced, specialist supplement developed specifically for men training to excel in sports and fitness. The comprehensive formula helps to maintain optimum levels of nutrition and contains ingredients essential to support performance during sport and training. The formula is not a weight or muscle gain ‘protein’ type product which often do not provide a balanced source of the daily vitamins and minerals needed; rather it provides all round, balanced multivitamin support that can be taken every day. www.vitabiotics.com
BODYLEAN CLA PLUS Bodylean CLA Plus can help reduce body fat and in turn increase muscle tone. Conjugated Linoleic Acid is added to manipulate the way the body stores fat and helps you utilise it as energy, regulating and lowering body fat percentages and increasing muscle tone. Other ingredients include L-Carnitine, L-Ornithine and CoQ10 for enhanced metabolism, together with Chromium and Gymnaema Sylvestre to regulate sugar cravings and blood sugar levels. Maximum benefit is achieved if it is taken in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet and regular exercise. £15.99 for 60 capsules. www.healthaid.co.uk
ITS GETTING COLD SO... For a good night’s sleep it pays not to have cold feet. Researchers at the Netherlands Institute for Brain Research measured how long it took for eight healthy people to fall asleep on six different occassions. They discovered that those who kept their socks on conked out 27% faster than those who hit the hay barefooted. “Increases in the skin temperature of your feet send signals to certain neurons in your brain that cause you to fall asleep”, says Roy Raymann, the study’s lead author. Wait until right before bed to slip on your socks; researchers found that people who did it too early didn’t experience the same benefit.
L A N O PERS ER TRAIN Greg Brooks looks at personal fitness issues.
PLANNING AN UNHEAlthy christmas. 7 tips to reduce the damage We all like to go a little wild at Christmas. The thought of exercise and healthy foods just go out the window. So baring in mind that you won’t have your health and fitness head on this Christmas, here are 7 tips for reducing the damage to your body. 1. Eat Fat. That’s right, if you a planning on raiding the drinks cabinet and polishing off Grandpa’s bottles of brandy. Make sure you each some good fat along with your Christmas alcohol. Unpasteurized Cheese, Raw Nuts, or fatty fish like Salmon are good choices. The good fat and proteins helps to protect your gut wall and slows down blood sugar fluctuations. 2. Compromise. You’re going to have a good time with all that food and drink, right? Try to make a compromise somewhere else. A great idea would be to give up caffeine. Sugars like alcohol will put your blood sugars into a spin. Your adrenal glands will be working overtime. Adding caffeine on top of this will really test their function. Giving up caffeine will save you from adrenal fatigue, and keep fat inducing insulin fluctuations at bay. 3. Start drinking. Not just anything you can get your hands on. You are going to need water to repair your body. Buy a 2 litre bottle of water and ensure you finish one each day. That’s not too much to ask is it? 4. Get Moving. I know it’s Christmas and you just want to chill out and watch TV. Start your day with a nice brisk walk. Even better get in a good strength workout. You can then relax for the rest of the day knowing you have done something positive for yourself. 5. Get in the Rhythm. Moon walking across the living room floor is good but I’m talking about our body’s natural rhythm. We are designed to follow the sun. Be active in the mornings. Calm down and reduce lighting in the afternoon / evening. Take a nap in the afternoon if necessary and get to bed on time. 6. Get Natural. Eating is big part of Christmas but making natural choices can make a radical difference. If it didn’t grow out of the ground, can be pulled from a tree or can be chased down and killed. Then you are not designed to eat it. I know there will be slip ups but remember to go natural as much as possible this Christmas. 7. Balance. We are designed to eat carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in the correct proportions. If you are going to be eating lots of sweet foods or drinking alcohol make sure you balance this out with your other macronutrients. So if you are drinking alcohol (carbohydrate) with your meal, cut down on potatoes (carbohydrate). Try to keep a healthy equilibrium. For further information visit www.gbpersonaltraining.com
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HE’S OUR XAVIER!! The release of Twilight Eclipse sees the introduction of hot new actor Xavier Samuel into the smash hit film series. Beige caught up with Xavier to discuss Twilight, new found fame and what the future holds for him.
X
avier Samuel was born in Hamilton, Victoria and grew up in Adelaide, South Australia, graduating from Rostrevor College in 2001. He undertook final year drama at Christian Brothers College under the tutelage of Amanda Portus and her ‘Company of Muses’. During the same year, he played the part of Tom Snout in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as well as playing the part of Belvile in CBC’s production of Aphra Behn’s The Rover (The Banished Cavaliers). He attended Flinders University Drama Centre in 2005 where he studied under renown acting teacher Professor Julie Holledge. He played Hamlet in the graduate production. After several projects in Austrlia, he landed the part of evil, newborn vampire Riley in Eclipse, the third film in the Twilight saga… beige: Tell me about Riley for those people who haven’t made it to the third book? Xavier: Riley is a new-born vampire and he is on the path to revenge against Bella and Edward and he is being manipulated by another character called Victoria who he is wildly in love with and she has him wrapped around her little finger. He will do pretty much anything she says, so basically he assembles a new born vampire army for love. He’s killing for love. beige: So leading an army of young vampires must mean a lot of action for you? Xavier: Yes. Certainly. I think it is the most action-packed of the instalments so far and we did a lot of stunt training and learning how to fight like vampires and all that sort of stuff, running around on wires. When we weren’t shooting we were training viciously. It is a tough job controlling an army of newborn vampires! It takes it out of you. The moment I enjoyed the most was throwing these vampires off a burning car. That was pretty cool, and some of the trickiest stuff was when the wolves were attacking us — because obviously we can’t work with wolves, real wolves, so we were fighting with thin air so hopefully the visual effects will give good shots. We had to use our imagination, or a bit of fur on the end of a stick. Better fur on a stick than the real thing. Glad they decided to do it that way.
beige: Have you seen what your action figure might look like? Xavier: No. I would love to see that. I haven’t seen anything. We did do a scans for figurines where they put you in this bizarre machine and it scans every inch of your body so they can turn you into a little toy, which I thought was kind of interesting. I used to collect GI Joes when I was little, and all those action figurines. It will be quite surreal if they actually make one. beige: What is the longer-term plan for you? Xavier: I don’t really know. I am taking it as it comes. I would like to get back to Australia and do a film over there again, which would be really fun. And also I spent some time in London preparing for the film that I just shot and I like it there as well. beige: What were you filming in Berlin? Xavier: It is the new Roland Emmerich film and it is called Anonymous and it actually contests the authorship of Shakespeare’s plays so it is a bit of a departure from his usual SFX stuff. And it’s a nice change of speed to go from a vicious vampire to an Elizabethan aristocrat. It is funny doing a period film, the majority of which was green screen. Really a surreal experience. There was a lot of riding round on horses, too and they built the Globe Theatre, which is free standing and so it was a wonderful experience. Twilight Eclipse is release on DVD - December 6th
beige: Was it nerve wracking, joining a franchise that is so big, and where a lot of the cast have become friends, working together for years? Xavier: It was a little bit. Sort of coming in as an outsider and also playing a bad guy as well. You wonder if you will be ostracized or something like that but everyone was so down to earth and welcomed me with open arms. And you get a chance to hang out in our down time and it was nice to be accepted into The Twilight family. We spent all of the time shooting in Vancouver, Canada, which was really lovely. beige: The male stars are now real heartthrobs. Are you ready, potentially, for all that attention? Xavier: It is like Beatles-mania, isn’t it? I went to The New Moon premiere and it was 350 degrees of hysteria from these wonderful loyal fans that had turned out to see the film, but I don’t know how you prepare for something like that. You just have to hold your breath and hope for the best. I am playing the bad guy in the film so that it is a possibility that they’ll all hate me for trying to kill Edward. You never know. I could be the most hated actor in the series!
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Above: Gruno Cardigan, Roisin £70 Right: Brocken Leather and Wool Baseball Jacket £175
Left: Broma Jacket - Dark Navy £65 Above: Backstay hooded military jacket with gun metal buckle detail. £85 All items available from www.myboxfresh.com
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Left: Wadmal 4 x 1 Basic 5 Pocket Jean £60 Right: Waldagrave 4 x 1 Slimfit Mid Rise Chino Jeans £60 www.myboxfresh.com
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August 2010 | beige | 19
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The 2010 Autumn/Winter Footwear range. www.myboxfresh.com
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Liripipe T-Shirt ÂŁ20
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HOT STYLE FROM CLONE ZONE Pistol Pete (Above) is fashion at its best! Form fitting with a unique design that will make you stand out from the crowd. Made from an easy care poly/cotton mix. Small: 38” - 40” / 96cm - 102cm / Medium: 41” - 42” / 104cm - 107cm / Large: 43” - 44” / 109cm - 112cm Our Price £44.99 Timoteo (Left) Founded in Los Angeles in 2001, Timoteo has become a “go-to” brand for stylish young men around the world. Timoteo stands out among its competitors by maintaining the elements of wearability and superior fit throughout the design of every garment. Made in the USA 96% Cotton, 4% Spandex. Athlete Jock Available in White, Yellow or Black Our Price £15.99 www.clonezone.co.uk
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bringing you the best in gay entertainment! OUT NOW
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gay.co.uk ! 18/11/2010 17:47:20
beigetravel
A MODERN WONDER
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Never let it be said that anything is Las Vegas is done on a small scale. City Centre just re-wrote the rule book for development by defying every preconception and in doing so creating one of the the greatest developments on the Las Vegas strip Douglas Mayo investigates.
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I
n las Vegas you only get one chance to create an impression and everything about City Centre is aimed at creating impact. Located on 67 acres between the Bellagio and the Monte Carlo, City Centre opened its doors in late 2009 after a frantic 3 year construction period. Everything about City centre is huge. Just consider some of these staggering facts. City Centre was the single largest construction project in North America where six gravity defying building were built at the same time. The complex cost $USD12 billion – more than four times more than any other construction project in the history of Vegas and during construction the project assembled the largest construction crew ever assembled in North America with just over 8000 workers on payroll. All this makes City Centre, the most expensive privately funded development in the world. Consider these facts on their own and you get a feel of the scale of what has been achieved here but look at the end result and you only begin to grasp the full enormity of the development that is City Centre. City Centre comprises 5 avante garde buildings designed by some of the world’s greatest architects. These architects have redefined skylines around the world, but City Centre marks the first time that a collaboration of this calibre has ever occurred. The centrepiece of City Centre is Aria Resort & Casino designed by world reknown firm Pelli Clark Pelli. With 4004 guest rooms (including 568 suites) it’s easily one of the biggest hotels on the Vegas strip and at 600ft in height is one of the tallest. Aria is wrapped in 2.8 million square feet of glass giving the building transparency and some of the most panoramic views of Vegas. Aria has assembled many of the world’s best chefs and restaurateurs creating incredible spaces and culinary delights for visitors to sample. Beige can highly recommend Sage where we sampled possibly the best steak we’ve ever tasted anywhere. Be daring and
sample the restaurants lethal Absinthe Carte if offered. The presentation of this after dinner treat is art in itself. Aria features a 215,000 square foot pool deck with a sensational spa treatment facility that will leave you wanting more. Vdara Hotel and Spa is a 57 story all suite hotel and spa but with one major difference – no casino. You have no idea how weird it feels to not here the buzz of the casino floor when going into your hotel. In this way Vdara is a veritable oasis amidst the frantic buzz of this amazing town. Designed by RV Archictecture lef by Rafael Vinoly, this crescent shaped building boasts glorious open spaces giving an air of serenity. Vdara hosts 1495 modern hotel suites, each featuring a gourmet kitchen, open plan space and every modern convenience a guest could require. Included in your stay is a pass to Vdara’s Spa. This 18,000 square foot two level spa, salon and fitness facility is a sanctuary that features holistic health
and well-being. If retail therapy is more your cup of tea, then a stroll through Crystals will blow your mind. Billed as the most luxurious mall in the world, this is no advertising overstatement. Designed by Daneil Libeskind, Crystals plays host to the worlds must luxurious brands with more arriving each week. Already in place is North America’s largest Louis Vuitton store, Tiffany & Co, Prada, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli, Ermenegildo Zegna, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, Paul Smith, Porsche Design, Lanvin with more on the way. Crystals offers some amazing revolving modern art exhibits amidst it’s retail outlets so take time to wander without rushing this exquisite creation. The Mandarin Oriental offers opulence and elegance to its clients. The 47 story non gaming hotel and residences deliver the ammentities of this world renown hotel group to Las Vegas for the first time. Designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox this hotel boasts 392 rooms and 225 residences. Perhaps, the most iconic part of City Centre is The Veer. This unique residential development is immediately recognisable due to its sloping towers. Designed by Helmut Jahn, The Veers towers have a steeper incline than the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Housing 335 modern condominiums. Each of these buildings would have been a construction marvel in their own right. Given that they were all built at the same time and to schedule makes them all the more remarkable. City Centre also has impeccable green credentials housing the strips most energy efficient air conditioning systems, an important credential given that Las Vegas temperatures can often climb above 100 degrees Farenheit. The past decade in Las Vegas saw its yearly 40 million visitors being transported to other places in the era of the mega casino resorts. Whilst in Vegas
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you could visit Rome, Egypt, New York or Paris but City Centre aims to change that by creating a fresh image for Las Legas. Rather than emulating another city they’ve decided to create a city of their own, hoping to draw people in with their 5 architectural masterpieces, top standard accommodation, world class entertainment and every amenity you could desire under the sun. Over the past decade real estate prices on the Las Vegas Strip have more than quadrupled topping $30 million an acre. Traditionally, developers put one resort on each lot but given the economics that is no longer an option. City Centre is actually an entire city within the city of Las Vegas. Was it a gamble? Sure! But this is one gamble that will be paying off for years to come as visitors enjoy all that City Centre has to offer.
CITY CENTER INFORMATION www.citycenter.com www.mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas www.vdara.com www.arialasvegas.com www.crystalsatcitycentre.com
Beige wishes to thank the Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority for being such amazing hosts. www.visitlasvegas.co.uk
British Airways flys direct to Las Vegas. www.ba.com
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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
fresh.indd 1
29/07/2010 20:21:23
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beigeadvertorial
SOLDEN SNOWMOSEXUALS The Gay Snow Happening in Solden returns in March 2011. beige took a look at whats on offer as this event celebrates is 12th successive year.
F
rom March 26th until April 2nd, 2011, the Tyrol snow sports region of Solden will be taken over for the annual (and now infamous) Gay Snow Happening. Drag Queens, wild parties and hot boys (and sexy ladies) will abound. Held at one of Europe’s finest resorts, the entire town fully participate in make this one of the season’s most memoriable events.
Almost everything will be LGBT in this Tyrolean party mecca at the end of March 2011 from the music at apres ski parties, the rainbow flags in the village and on the cable car top station as well as the party program in the night clubs. Around 500 guests from all over Europe, many of whom are regular visitors, come to the happening every year. This makes the Gay Ski and Snowboard get-together one of the biggest of its kind in Europe, making it a must-attend event. Hosted by Berlin Drag Queens Melly and Mataina, the event will feature a diverse program arranged by the Otz Valley Tourist Centre and the gay travel portal Tom On Tour.com. As good as the Apres ski is in Solden it isn’t overshadowed by the skiing available in the resort, which covers a large area and is extremely varied. Starting at 1,300 metres in the town, the lift system takes skiers to an altitude of 3,250 meters. Most of the skiing takes place above 2,000 meters, ensuring good quality snow well into the season. With a reputation for one of the most lively bar scenes in the Alps, the growing schedule of events can be seen online at www.gaysnowhappening.com. Bookings for the Gay Snow Happening are now open at www.tomontour.com
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hotspots spots
Places to be seen....
THE POOCH COMES TOO
I
f you have a dog then you know that leaving them in the kennels can be tough call. But no more doggy dilemma’s for you as more and more stylish places to stay are opening their doors to you and your canine best friend. Simon Forrester at www.furtherafield.com profiles some of his favourite dog friendly escapes which are part of the Further Afield collection of hand-picked places to stay for gay travellers.
THE RECTORY HOTEL, THE COTSWOLDS Elegant English Ample countryside to walk the pooch surrounds Jonathan and Julian’s friendly small luxury hotel within 1.5 hours of London. A stylish and intimate restoration of a classic country house with an emphasis on luxury and great food. Perfect luxury boutique hotel for romantic and relaxing country getaways. You can also hold your civil partnership ceremony and party here too. Too important a day to leave man’s best friend at home!
HOTEL LE SAINT LAURENT, PROVENCE, FRANCE. French Classic Love me love my dog is French policy for Thierry, Christophe and Stephane. An intimate chic boutique hotel with lots of personality, wonderful food and great service. Peaceful all year round getaway close to the beautiful city of Avignon.
relaxed yet sophisticated spaces for eating, drinking, partying and just relaxing. The perfect rural boutique hotel getaway for stressed urbanites. If your four-legged friend likes to paddle in the sea this could be the place for you. Tamara, Ally and Matt are your canine friendly hosts at the funky Whitehouse.
LA GRANDE MAISON Loire Valley, France, Vineyard retreat Dogs with a nose for the finer things in life might enjoy fine wining and dining with Micaela and Sue. A tranquil and romantic 17th century manor guest house with an emphasis on great local food and wine. Wine tours, tastings and courses make it the perfect base for all things wine related. “Heavenly from the first to the last drop. Our hosts not only provided great food and fascinating lessons in viniculture but were excellent company too.” Kirsty Lang, BBC journalist, and Misha Glenny, writer.
Check out the Further Afield special offers for Autumn and Winter getaways. Visit www.furtherffield.com today.
BIG BARN, DEVON NYC meets rural Idyll: ‘Wow’! A visual feast of funky, ultra chic, antique and quirky features blend harmoniously within this huge contemporary self catering space. Lots of personality, surprises and luxury at every turn. Perfect for glamorous group getaways or that milestone celebration. Doggy heaven with space to run and run at Caroline’s perfect house party venue.
SHAKESPEARE HOUSE BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Elizabethan Luxury A fine Elizabethan coaching inn forms the backdrop for this sumptuous boutique bed & breakfast which, it is said, was once a resting place for the great bard - en-route between London and Stratford upon Avon. Perfect for lovers of English history and theatre that enjoy glamour, luxury and comfort. Owners, Nick and Roy, are fido friendly.
WHITEHOUSE DEVON Urban chic meets country house A cool urban style mixes seamlessly with country simplicity and informality to create
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A DOGS LIFE There’s no doubt that gay men love their four legged friends. Beige took a look at organisations and products for our besotted readers.
SPECIALIST HEALTHCARE
Willows Referral Service is located in state of the art premises in the Midlands just off the M42. Willows accept referrals of dogs and cats with significant health problems from other vets. With specialist veterinary surgeons working in Orthopaedics, Opthamology, Neurology, Spinal Surgery, Diagnostic Imaging and Critical Care, this is an amazing specialist service for pet owners. www.willows.uk.net
HANDMADE COLLAR COUTURE
British design, quality and artistry create unique, stylish funky but practical Town & Country wear for all breeds. The perfect Christmas pressie for your pooch. www.hollyandlil.co.uk
DOGS TRUST
Founded in 1891, Dogs Trust (formerly the National Canine Defence League) is the largest dog welfare charity in the UK. Their mission is to bring about the day when all dogs can enjoy a happy life, free from the threat of unnecessary destruction. Their activities include: * Caring for around 16,000 dogs at their nationwide network of 17 Rehoming Centres. No healthy dog is ever destroyed. * We run subsidised neutering campaigns in areas of the UK with the most acute stray dog problems. * Our FREEDOM Project helps pet owners who are fleeing domestic violence by fostering their animals while they start a new life. * The HOPE Project gives preventative veterinary care to dogs belonging to homeless people. If you love your dog consider making a donation to Dogs Trust. All their work is funded by public generosity. www.dogstrust.org.uk
DOGGY POOP
Cleaning up your dog’s waste is one of the most unpleasant tasks to have to do on a daily basis. Scoopthedoo is here to help. Everybody loves their dog, but nobody likes to pick up the waste that they leave behind. Scoopthedoo provides a professional, all year round dog waste removal service to domestic and commercial properties as an ongoing service in the UK. We clean up and dispose of your dog’s waste so that you don’t have to. www.scoopthedoo.co.uk
DESIGNER DOG TAGS
Struggling to buy a gift for that someone who has everything? For all those dog lovers out there, the new sophisticated range of Discover luxury dog tags from award winning fine jewellery designer, Andrew Geoghegan, might just be the answer. Traditionally a designer of high quality rings and fine statement jewellery, Andrew Geoghegan has been inspired by his latest team member, Wilbur the Hungarian Vizsla, and has turned his hand to designing something exquisite for the much loved pooch in your life. Choose from combinations to suit your dog’s coat - silver, 9ct Gold, 18ct Gold and Platinum with either blue/pink/yellow sapphires, rubies and black or white diamonds. Prices start at £250 for the sterling silver tag and range up to £3,540 for the more indulgent platinum tag. The product can be engraved on the rear with up to 76 characters. www.andrewgeoghegan. com.
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Looking for a lovely dog?
Photograph by Andy Caterall
For your nearest centre, call 08457 64 6000 or visit dogstrust.org.uk
You can trust a dog from Registered Charity No. 227523 and SC037843
0092_DGT Greyhound Ad (A4).indd 1 HOMESTYLENOV10.indd 1
19/03/2009 18/11/2010 17:52:1408:30
nightcap If you like rum, you should try Gosling’s dark rum and its fiery signature drink, the Dark ‘n’ Stormy, writes Mark Ludmon
L
ast month, London hosted the Rum and Cane Spirit Festival, or RumFest, an international celebration of rums from around the world. It attracted thousands of people keen to explore the spirit which is about much more than just number-one brand Bacardi. The growth in interest has been driven by golden rums, mainly from the Caribbean – the aged styles that have been promoted in the UK over the past two years under the banner of “True Rum”. However, this has had a knock-on effect on other styles, such as dark rums, which generally have a distillate made from molasses added back in at the end to give them a full-bodied flavour. Since its formal launch in the UK in 2004, Gosling’s Black Seal Rum from Bermuda has established itself as a leading dark rum because of its quality and rich heritage. It dates back to 1806 when London merchant James Gosling set out from England for the Virginias in a ship laden with beers, wines and spirits. When they found themselves becalmed to Bermuda, he started selling his goods and blending rums which proved such a success that he decided to set up shop rather than continue to America. Seven generations later, the company is run by the same family, headed by Malcolm Gosling. Unlike mass-marketed spirits, Gosling’s is aged slowly in restricted quantities with methods used for making fine cognacs. The result is a spirit that is rich, smooth, full-bodied and complex, with hints of butterscotch, vanilla and caramel in the mouth. The name of the rum relates to the packaging rather than the liquid as the corks have been secured with black sealing wax since the blend was created in the 1860s. The Gosling’s story is also tied up with a classic cocktail, the Dark ‘n’ Stormy, which was created over 100 years ago by sailors in the British navy in Bermuda who started combining the navy’s own ginger beer with the local rum. It is simple to make and delicious to drink: simply fill a highball glass with ice, add 50ml of Gosling’s Black Seal and top up with ginger beer. Add a squeeze and a wedge of fresh lime to garnish. The canny chaps at Gosling’s trademarked the name of the cocktail so, if you see it on a bar menu, it has to be made with Gosling’s Black Seal Rum. It has won some famous followers such as Hugh Grant who named the Dark ‘n’ Stormy as his favorite cocktail in People magazine. With ginger being a flavour that is very much in fashion, the Dark ‘n’ Stormy is appearing on more and more cocktail lists. Professional bartenders like Gosling’s because it is craftdistilled, family-owned and has history, heritage and “bags of character”, says Emily Williamson of its UK distributor Love Drinks. “We are determined to spread the Dark ‘n’ Story and the Gosling’s story to bartenders and beyond – it’s been their secret for far too long,” she adds.
Another simple drink using the rum is the Bermuda (or Gosling) Coffee, which is a perfect pick-me-up for the cold winter months. It is made by mixing Gosling’s Black Seal and an Irish cream liqueur topped with hot coffee and then a tablespoon of fresh whipping cream sprinkled with grated nutmeg. There is also something for rum connoisseurs this Christmas: after 155 years, the Gosling family has decided to release its Family Reserve Old Rum. It is an ultra-premium aged rum that has the same blend of ingredients as Black Seal but is aged longer in oak barrels to create exceptional richness and complexity – a rum for sipping rather than mixing.
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www.greencarnationsoho.co.uk Green Carnation was inspired by the life and times of the infamous Oscar Wilde. Elegant but relaxed, inclusive and indulgent this award winning bar is one of the destination venues in Soho. This unique venue has three different floors and provides the perfect space for mingling over cocktails, frenetic dancing and intimate parties in one of their private booths. A haven for Soho’s royalty and evening’s of pure, unadulterated fun. Often used for premieres and event’s and after a hugely successful time at Virgin Media’s Louder Lounge at the V festival this year, Green Carnation regularly appears in magazines such as OK! and Hello and is featured in most shortlists of London’s best venues to visit. It’s opulent decor, lavish cocktails, beautiful staff and decadent ethos have placed the bar firmly on London’s map as the place to be seen. “With Christmas fast approaching, we at Green Carnation appreciate the stresses that this time of year brings. Our Christmas packages are designed for each individual party’s needs, making your party extra special and doing as much as we can to relieve as many of the pre Christmas stresses as possible. We can cater from 2 to over 200 guests and supply everything from crackers to entertainment. All you need to do is ask! Our event team are available every day to answer all your questions and start you on the road to a happy, smiley, stress free Christmas season!
4 Greek St, Soho. W1D 4DD
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18/11/2010 16:41:36
beigeinterview
IN THE NICK OF TIME!
It’s been a while since we’ve enjoyed a good gay romantic comedy. Is It Just Me? may just have changed that. Beige chatted to Nicholas Downs who plays hapless romantic Blaine in this great new romcom. Nicholas Downs is one of those actors on the way up. He’s got three features films coming out including the delightful Is It Just Me? Not content in front of the camera he’s even working behind the scenes on forthcoming projects. Beige: How did you come to be involved with the film? Nicholas: My agent sent me the script and I’d always been looking for a role like this to play. I went for an audition and about a week later they got me in for chemistry reads with various actors, reading scenes to see how we played against each other. A week later I found out that I had the part. Beige: Tell us a bit about Blaine? Nicholas: Blaine is an introverted writer who always sees life as the glass is half empty and who writes for a romance column, which is kind of funny given the fact he’s never really had a romance himself. He meets Zander, the guy of his dreams online and they hit it off. It’s the perfect situation (save for actually meeting him in person), they talk on the phone, and plan going to meet up, but then Blaine realises, that all the pictures that have gone out in my online profile are of my sexy roommate, who’s also a go go dancer, because he had been using my computer. Of course, rather than just fixing things, the self doubt creeps in and Blaine ends up having him come in and pose as Blaine thinking that things will miraculously work out but of course it doesn’t. Which is just as well, otherwise it would be an amazingly short film lasting about 20 minutes. Beige: Is there anything of you in the character? Nicholas: It’s a question I get asked a lot and a lot of people relate to him, but I have to say I am not Blaine. The director told me he was keen to meet me after the audition, because he felt he’d met someone who was exactly the character and whilst that’s a great compliment he’s not me. That said I think there’s a little bit of Blaine in all of us. I definitely am not that selfdeprecating and I’m more of an optimist really. But like anyone there have been times when I have doubted myself and had confidence issues. It’s one of those things when you see someone across the room and you are interested and want to approach them but then self doubt sets in. Chances are they are thinking the same thing, so we kind of shoot ourselves in the foot before giving it a real chance. That’s he part I relate to and that’s the part I try to put under the magnifying glass and blow it up a bit more. Beige: What’s the reception to the film been like? Nicholas: There has been a lot of really good reaction when we have shown the film around the world. It’s played in mostly gay film festivals and at a few non gay festivals. The first one was The Palm Springs Film Festival which is a pretty large film festival and quite international. Is It Just Me? was one of the only comedy films they took from a limited domestic selection. We’ve gotten good response from people of different sexualities and ages and they have all recognised a positive universal message in the film. The director likes the idea that you can create a simple romantic comedy but about two guys. That’s kind of nice. There’s a place for heavy dramas and coming out films but with this you can enjoy it – it’s a good date movie. It’s a market in gay films that hasn’t really been tapped into. Beige: Does the stigma of playing gay or being a gay
actor still exist? Nicholas: Not so much. I can’t say that it’s completely eradicated or gone, but it’s not so much of an issue. The gay character now is becoming less of a stereotype and is more mainstream. They are going through the same issues as many other people. Shows like Will & Grace, even though they had stereotypical type characters, bought gay characters into the mainstream. Together with shows like Queer as Folk, they were monumental in breaking out and putting it out there for the mainstream to see. Once people see something the more they get comfortable with it. I think the biggest thing is fear and fear of the unknown, once people get more exposure to it and realise we don’t have three eyes or that they will implode by watching it perceptions change. Shows like Glee and Modern Family are now picking up the baton and it’s becoming more integrated into the mainstream. I read an interview recently with the director of Mad Men where he talked about trying to find a gay actor to play the gay character as he though it could be played truer to the character. That’s huge and shows that for the longest time gay actors were afraid to play gay roles, mind you if straight actors played gay they were called brave which is a conundrum. There’s less of that now, it’s more about actors playing roles. Are we fully there yet – no, but are we on the right path – yes!. Beige: So what’s the budget on a film like Is It Just Me? Nicholas: Very small! The director of this didn’t have a lot of money. He’d been in the business in various capacities for twenty five years. He knew he could shoot fast and shoot cheap but he needed to make it look good. He had a good camera that he owned but he took the decision to use film lenses, so the film doesn’t have that video look. Little things like that can heighten the feeling of a film on an ultra low budget. He’d been working on the script so long that originally the internet was still using dial up!! The whole film was shot in twelve days, it’s tight but you need to keep it reasonable to recoup your costs. Too many people unfortunately don’t know what their doing. You get a lot of film executives who don’t really know film but they have studied business, and I know that Business is a longer word than Show, but you can’t forget that little word Show. So many people have run it so much like a pure business that creativity has gone out the window. There’s a constant battle between commercialism and artistic integrity. It’s sometimes easier to live of sequels and franchises for the bigger studios which leaves the smaller independent producer to create the new original content. Obviously with technology now there’s a lot more stuff created so it does take a lot longer know to weed through it all to find the good independent product. You really need to commit as much of your budget to what you see on the screen before personal reimbursement. Beige: So where do you call home? Nicholas: I am in Los Angeles but am originally from Iowa. I love living there. I love what I do, but I love to go fishing. We’re fairly close to Mammoth Mountain in the Sierra Nevadas so I get up there a couple of times a year to go trout fishing. It’s on of the things I don’t mind getting up early for. Is It Just Me is released on DVD October 25, by TLA
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“I think the biggest thing is fear and fear of the unknown..� vol3issue9 | beige | 57
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IS IT JUST ME?
screener the
Possibly one of the best gay romantic comedies of 2011, Is It Just Me? is a classic take on the search for Mr Right in the internet age. Despite being a relationship columnist Blaine doesn’t seem to be able to meet the man of his dreams. When he meets sexy Texan Zander online he accidentally sends him pics of his hunky flatmate and the fun begins. Is It Just Me? is a lot of fun with some great performances from Nicholas Downs, Adam Huss and David Loren. We particularly enjoyed Bruce Gray as Zanders camp landlord. It’s great to see this fab character actor move from sombre political roles to projects such as Queer as Folk and Is It Just Me? His one liners are worth the purchase price of the DVD alone!
BEAR CITY
RELEASE
BETWEEN SOMETHING & NOTHING
FIT
1 November, TLA Releasing When twinkie newbie and closet bearchaser Tyler finally infiltrates NYC’s infamous bear scene is doesn’t take him long to become infatuated with commitment phobic Roger, the bona fide Casanova of muscle bears. Bear City is a well made, genuinely funny and very heartfelt look at a section of the gay population that don’t often make it onto our screens in romantic comedy situations. Bear City is a delight to watch, its just unfortunate that the script tries to encompass so much that some aspects of the film are painted a bit thin.
QC Cinema Following our review of Vacationland last month we took time this month to watch its sequel Between Something & Nothing. Based on the filmaker Todd Verow’s experiences at Rhode Island School of Design, Joe soon finds himself struggling to succeed on a campus over-populated with jaded rich kids, awash in trust funds, abortions and drugs galore. This is a gritty film, that had our attention from the start until the very end. Scary and a real opener at times, it’s characters can be self destructive but ultimately very real. We’re looking forward to the next film in the series.
8 November, TLA Releasing From the team that bought you Shank, this is an explosive drama about violence, abuse and budding love behind the walls of a hellish prison. Young priest Jack - brilliantly portrayed by Danile Brocklebank, struggles after being incarcerated for a serious crime. Befriending guard Martin (Garry Summers), a passionate but clanestine affair develops. To say more would spoil the drama of this piece but suffice to say this is a heavy, brutal, thought provoking drama unlike many we’ve seen of late. Controversial and exciting, here’s hoping we get more great gay films of this calibre.
1 November. Pecadillo Pictures Fit is the feature film adaptation of Stonewall’s highly successful play for schools aimed at tackling homophobic bullying, seen by more than 20,000 students aroudn the UK. A last chance dance class becomes a therapeutic encounter between adolescents struggling with their ideas about adolescents and adulthood, this film comes across as a modern day take on The Breakfast Club. With a cast of superb young actors, Ricky Beadle-Blair manages to bring to life a though provoking, intelligent and immediately accessible cast of characters that each in their own way have something to say. This is a film for all ages, it’s great to finally see a real youth drama with teeth!! Superb!!
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Victoria Wood - Screenplays
This set brings together three television plays from multi award-winning comedienne and writer Victoria Wood – the influential and greatly sought-after Talent plus its sequel Nearly a Happy Ending, and Happy Since I Met You. These plays are both poignant and uproariously funny, and available for the first time on DVD.
Wood & Walters - The Complete Series Featuring Victoria Wood and Julie Walters at their hilarious best, this BAFTA-nominated series is finally available after remaining unseen for many years. Special guests Rik Mayall, John Dowie and Duncan Preston feature in the series and this set also includes the New Year’s Day 1981 pilot – Two Creatures Great and Small. Available for the first time on DVD.
An Audience with Victoria Wood
The incomparable Victoria Wood (Acorn Antiques, Dinnerladies) is the star of this special show that won two 1989 BAFTA Awards. Before a celebrity audience (including Dave Allen, Judi Dench and Dawn French, to name a few) this wonderfully funny comedienne treats her star guests to a sparkling selection of her witty monologues and songs, including her timeless anthem to sexual frustration - ‘Let’s Do It’.
www.networkdvd.co.uk Packaging design © 2010 Network
R E L E A S I N G
End of Love
Plan B
Argentine Marco Berger’s feature-length debut and film festival favourite Plan B sees Bruno’s attempts to win back his ex-girlfriend take an unexpected turn when he befriends her handsome new boyfriend. “A smart, soulful comedy” Hollywood Reporter
Stuck in a Christian rehab camp, Ming recalls his double life, a whirlwind of sex and drugs as a rent boy, and a sedate, romantic time with the older and more conservative Yen. Secrets and lies haunt their relationship, as Ming’s mother confronts her son’s sexuality in a most extreme fashion and Yen tries to get Ming to give up hustling. End of Love premiered in the Panorama section of the Berlin International Film Festival, and sold out two screenings at the Hong Kong International Film Festival..
Suddenly, Last Winter
The shared private life of Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi was turned upside down when the Italian government presented a draft law to acknowledge the legal rights of unmarried and gay couples, prompting a tidal wave of ferocious homophobia throughout Italy. Partners for more than eight years, Gustav and Luca, camera in hand, took a journey into an Italy they did not recognise, in an attempt to understand the arguments for and against the law. Suddenly Last Winter is a personal, moving, humorous, courageous and frequently shocking portrait of the intolerance of a country that most people might have felt that they knew.
www.networkreleasing.com Packaging design © 2010 Network
PERFECT FOR CHRISTMAS HOMESTYLENOV10.indd 1 beige(fp–ad)v4.indd 1
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beigescreener
THE SOCIAL NETWORK (Cinema)
screener the
The Social Network could have been a veritable film fiasco, but luckily for all concerned David Fincher (Director) and Aaron Sorkin (Screenplay) have created a veritable feast for all with this slick, intriguing drama that verges on thriller and entertains throughout. This is a film which ultimately boils down to the question of who gets credit and most importantly the cash for the conception and development of Facebook - one of those internet sites most of us use daily. It’s good fun to be transported back to a time when there was no Facebook and see just how we all coped without it. Ultimately this movie belongs to Jesse Eisenberg who plays Facebook creator(?) Mark Zuckerberg. It’s a superb performance that takes a thoroughly distasteful and unlikeable character and allows the audience to have pity on him, sitting alone as the film ends. Timberlake is a suitably slimy as Napster founder Sean Parker. Ultimately though, it is Sorkin’s fast paced dialogue, merciless put downs and sharp wit that make this film a truly intelligent feast. A Must See!
AVATAR (Collectors)
ABBA - GOLD SINGLES
DOWNTON ABBEY S1
SUPERNATURAL S1-5
16 Nov. 20th Century Fox Experience James Cameron’s Avatar as never before with this all-new three-disc extended collector’s edition. The journey begins with three movie versions: the original theatrical release, the special edition re-release, and the exclusive extended cut not shown in theaters. The set’s bonus feature run more than eight hours and include over 45 minutes of deleted scenes; actor’s screen tests; on-location footage; feature-length documentaries on the film’s groundbreaking production; an interactive scene-deconstruction feature that lets you explore different levels of production for 17 scenes; a comprehensive guide to the world of Pandora; and more. 29 November. Universal DVD If you’ve been sitting glued to ITV each Sunday for the past six weeks you can now bring Downton home to be enjoyed again and again. Opening as the Titantic sinks, this is an upstairs/downstairs look at the dying days of the aristicratic estate. Julian Fellowes, writer of Gosford Park has gone all out to bring one of the most superb casts of characters to our screens. Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern are superb, but it’s hard for any of the cast to hold a candle to the national treasure that is Maggie Smith. Her lines are devastatingly sharp, almost nuclear in delivery. Bravo ITV - we hear Series 2 is on the way and we can’t wait!
Classic Rock legends They may have been dismissed as Eurofluff in their day, but the singles collected on Abba’s GOLD have been revealed bytime to be truly classic pop confections of layered harmonies and brilliant keyboard arrangements. This volume of THE WORLD’S GREATEST ALBUMS series weighs in on the lasting legacy of the landmark compilation through rare archival footage,interviews with critics and musicologists, and musical clips from classics like “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo.”
8 Nov. Warner Home Video Supernatural, like so many successful shows before it, starts with a simple concept. When their father goes missing, two brothers--Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Sam (Jared Padalecki) Winchester--head off across the country to try and find him. But their journey isn’t easy, especially when you consider the assortment of spirits and nightmarish creatures that stand in their path. For fans of the Winchester boys (and if the Beige office is anything to go by there are a lot of you out there), this is a great opportunity to opverload on Supernatural before Series 6 hits our screens.
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beigebooks
JUDY GARLAND - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAINBOW
Off the Shelf
Michael Frredland. J R Books. £18.99
Beige reviews the latest queer literary offerings.
Bitter-sweet and very human, this unique biography of film legend Judy Garland is full of personal stories from the sort of people few biographers have previously talked to, but who knew the real Judy, including her carer, Stevie Philips, her bandleader Buddy Bregman and her TV producer George Schlatter. They reveal how she failed to appear for shows at New York’s biggest nightclub; how she went to MGM asking them to cancel a contract because the work pressure was too much; and how she went through the corridors of MGM n war paint and carrying a tomahawk, “looking for someone to scalp”, after she was sacked from Annie Get Your Gun. Discover how she was shunned by the locals when she made her only visit back to her birthplace; how her father was hounded out of town because he was gay; why she struggled while making The Wizard Of Oz, and why the man who established the first Judy Garland fan club walked out of one of her performances. Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about the incredible phenomena that was Judy Garland, this book blows the lid on the legend.
50 YEARS OF CORONATION STREET Sean Egan, JR Books £18.99
Coronation Street was reluctantly commissioned in 1960 as a twice-weekly stop gap until a new programme could be found to fill its airtime. Fifty years later, the gritty working-class drama serial broadcasts five times per week and remains one of the television schedules’ biggest ratings pullers. In this comprehensive history of Corrie, Sean Egan takes us through the show’s tortous genesis, its backstage crises and its ultimate triumphant seeing-off of its every competitor. He explains the meticulous production methods by which the show maintains not merely its commercial success, but its aesthetic claim. Interleaved with such analysis is a trip down memory lane that encompasses the programme’s moving marriages, unforgettable deaths and iconic storylines, as well as profiles of many of the Street’s most famous residents, both beloved and contentious. The book is a must have for any regular Corrie viewer and includes the wider brush strokes of Coronation Street’s history, such as how it spawned an entire soap industry, from EastEnders to Hollyoaks, and how its multiple revamps reflected the changes in working-class aspiration down the decades, from inside lavatories to stone cladding.
MAN’S WORLD
Rupert Smith, Arcadia Books £11.99
Past and present collide when Robert moves into a new flat, and discovers that history is alive and kicking on his doorstep. Man’s World is the story of two gay generations, and a world in which history goes unwritten. Robert’s blog chronicles freedoms that would have been unthinkable 50 years ago - juggling day jobs and nightlife; looking for sex online, taking legality and equality for granted. Michael’s secret diary records the underground pubs, clubs and parties of London’s illegal gay scene, and narrates a love story that could have landed him and his friends in prison. Two worlds that barely recognise each other - but do Robert and Michael have more in common than they think? Man;s World is a funny, sexy and moving story about friendship and desire - about how much the world has changed - and how little. Man’s World is a terrific read that you won’t want to put down. The modern storyline is familiar to so many gay men in London that it come perhaps as a wake up call.
CROSSING BORDERS Z A Maxfield, Loose Id Books.
Tristan’s got issues; he knows he does. So when his most recent girlfriend dumps him via messenger, and he can’t help staring at the messenger’s cock while he’s breaking the news, Tristan figures it’s about time he makes some changes. He formulates a foolproof plan to get himself someone who can show him what he’s been missing - until who should crash his little adventure but Officer Michael Truax, the man who gave him a really expensive ticket for boarding without a helmet back when he was in high school. Michael has been trying to catch Tristan for years...to give him a second ticket. Suddenly he’s faced with his “Sparky”, all grown up - and looking to get laid. The habit of protecting him isn’t gone completely, but the opportunity is too much to resist. He figures the kid must know what he’s getting into, so he takes him home. There, they carry on a cautious dance, only to find that neither is what the other expected, and that together, they’re hot enough to melt glass. Are we saddos for wanting to know what happens to these characters next. Crossing Borders is a great holiday read that we recommend. Perhaps the kicker is reading about the author. Read the book then the authors bio and try not to be stunned.
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upstaged plays and musicals
Review: ONASSIS Novello Theatre Martin Sherman, who had his first big hit 30 years ago with concentration camp drama Bent, has returned to recent history for his latest play, Onassis. He reinvents the life of Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis, from his wooing of Jackie Kennedy and affair with opera singer Maria Callas through to his declining years. Sherman’s Onassis views the world and his place in it like a Greek tragedy, filled with conspiracies and driven by the whims of ancient gods. The play is structured like a classic tragedy, with a chorus almost constantly on stage made up of employees and advisers, led by Gawn Grainger who entertainingly narrates much of the back story. Robert Lindsay seizes on the title role with a bravura performance, instilling Onassis with charm, wit and energy, but there is little sense of the ruthless magnate who built up a global business from nothing. His decline into a broken, lonely man recalls the structure of Greek tragedy but suggests that Sherman’s Onassis is not the tragic hero he believes himself to be, but just a frail and vulnerable man. The play has been reworked since its first appearance, as Aristo, in Chichester but it fails to give us real drama or excitement. However, it benefits from strong performances by Lydia Leonard as Jackie Onassis and Anna Francolini as Callas and is well staged, with a stream trickling along the front and some splendid Greek music from two musicians alongside the actors. Despite the play’s limitations, it is an enjoyable and interesting re-creation of the life of one of the epic figures of the 20th century.
A STOCKING STUFFER Following the huge success of West End Bares this year, the MAD trust have released this fantastic calendar just in time for Christmas. Capturing some of the great moments from this sizzling event, the calendar makes for the perfect Christmas stocking stuffer. With all proceeds going to the Make A Difference trust we can’t recommend this calendar highly enough. It’s onsale now at http://www.madtrust.org.uk/page/3586/ Shop for £12 plus P & H. Grab your copy now as stocks are limited!!
LEGALLY BRILLIANT
Legally Blonde continues to go from strength to strength at London’s Savoy Theatre, and the producers have just released the official London cast recording featuring Sheridan Smith and Duncan James and it’s nothing short of brilliant. This recording was made live in the theatre and it suceeds in capturing much of the onstage humour that goes into making Legally Blonde one of the funniest and most endearing shows in the West End. It’s all here, close your eyes and you’d swear you were in the theatre. If like us you loved this show, this terrific recording will put a huge smile on your face. Legally Blonde The London Cast Recording is now available. Legally Blonde continues into 2011 at London’s Savoy Theatre. www.legallyblondethemusical.co.uk
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2011 MUSICALS PREVIEW Whilst the economy may be in the doldrums, you’d never know it when you look at the success of shows in London’s West End in 2010 and 2011 looks set to continue that trend. Old favourites and quite a few new productions have already been scheduled offering huge variety to musical lovers. Rumours also abound regarding some potential productions that should delight if they come to fruition. Coming to the London Palladium backed by the PR hoopla that only a BBC reality show can bring is Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of The Wizard Of Oz. Forget any stage production of this classic you’ve seen before, this new production is set to demolish all its predecessors. Not only will the production have some of the most dazzling sets and costumes, a hugely popular Dorothy in Danielle Hope and the return of Michael Crawford as the Wizard, it will also mark the reunion of Tim Rice with original composing partner Andrew Lloyd Webber. The duo will contribute extra songs to make this new production of The Wizard Of Oz, the theatrical happening of 2011. Fans of Avenue Q will be pleased to hear that director Jason Moore will bring the Broadway production of Shrek which he co-directed with Rob Ashford to London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane in May 2011. With a cast including Amanda Holden, Nigel Lindsay, Nigel Harman and Richard Blackwood, this magical adaptation of the Dreamworks animated comedy is sure to have audiences rolling in the isles. The show has had some rewrites since its successful Broadway run and looks set for a long stay at Drury Lane. One of the more interesting opens for 2011 will be the musical adaptation of the film Ghost. Opening at the Picadilly Theatre in June the musical is being written by Dave Stewart of Eurythmics fame and will star Richard Fleeshman, Cassie Levy (who rocked us with her performance in Hair) and the fabulous Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown. Before you ask yes Unchained Melody will be in the show but the rest of the score will be original. The Donmar Warehouse have recently announced the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee as its February production and we can’t wait. From the title you can guess it’s a musical about that all American event The Spelling Bee. Composed by Tony Award winning William Finn, this show has enjoyed success around the world and will bring it’s quirky comedy magic to London where it will no doubt be a cult hit. Of course many of the big hits from 2010 and recent years will continue. Love Never Dies, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Jersey Boys, The Lion King, Wicked and Phantom Of the Opera amongst others show no sign of stopping anytime soon. The rumour mill is also abuzz that the schedule of 2011 openings may also include the musical version of Rebecca which wowed audiences in Vienna. Translated into English by Christopher Hampton, it is rumoured that Broadway and West End openings are iminent. With a huge lush score, Rebecca will be one to watch out for.
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beigeproperty
BUY TO LET SUCCESS Top tips in a booming To Let market.
I
Martin Roberts, TV property expert, author and presenter of ‘Homes under the Hammer’ offers advice and guidance on your property concerns.
t seems that Buy to Let is back. Whilst it was almost a dirty word back in 2007 in the aftermath of the credit crunch, the demand for rental property is now reported to be at record levels – forcing rents to a 2 year high. Unsurprisingly, much of the demand comes from the fact that the lending market, whilst improving, is still ultra tight and would-be buyers are having to rent because they can’t get mortgage finance. The market today has a fair share of ‘accidental landlords’ – people who wouldn’t otherwise consider themselves to be property people, but who are forced to rent out their properties because they can’t find a buyer and yet still need to move themselves. So, whether or not you fall into this category or are an investor wanting to cash in on the current opportunities, here are some of my top tips on getting the Buy to Let game working for you.
(contrary to what you might first believe) are very tidy and look after the home really well. 5. BE BUSINESSLIKE; YOU ARE NOT A CHARITY - Property is an investment commodity and you should treat yours as such. Be firm with tenants and don’t get emotionally involved with them. You might find that you have to reject tenants that you ‘like the look of’ if they don’t have the deposit or necessary credit worthiness, but better this than lumber yourself with a headache tenant further down the line. 6. REFURB NEUTRALLY - if you are refurbishing property to rent, then don’t impose your personal tastes on others. Stick to neutral colours - magnolia walls and white bathroom suite. Use the same floor covering throughout the property since this not only gives a better sense of space but also if you need to replace any bits you are likely to have some spare left over.
1. BUY CLOSE TO HOME - There’s a lot to be said for buying in the area where you live since you can easily build up the knowledge of that area; what properties are in demand and what is likely to rent well. You also have the benefit of being able to keep an eye on your rental properties yourself.
7. AVOID EX-LOCAL AUTHORITY PROPERTIES - rents will always be lower than similar properties in the same area that are not excouncil owned.
2. BUY HOUSES; NOT FLATS - Unless you are setting up your rental portfolio in central London - where flats and apartments are in greater demand, it is better to buy 2 and 3 bedroom houses rather than flats. Period, terraced houses always do well as rental properties, as do modern, new builds but avoid buying on a large development where there are lots of similar properties.
8. BUNGALOWS COST TOO MUCH - whilst bungalows hold their capital value well and can be a good investment, since you are paying a premium for the property, you are likely to get a lower yield on rent because the amount you can charge won’t rise accordingly i.e. you could pay 50% more for a bungalow in a particular area, but the rent you can achieve might only be 10% more.
3. BUY NEW OR NEARLY NEW - If its just rent that you are after, then it is better to buy properties that are already up together rather than those that need extensive refurbishment (this is another strategy). Doing major DIY will eat into time when you could be receiving rent. New properties also have the benefit of NHBC, boiler guarantees, double glazing etc and tend to attract more professional tenants.
9. LEVERAGE YOUR MONEY CAREFULLY -If you have capital to invest, it is still better to borrow money to make that capital go further. Purchasing three properties, each with 65% mortgage on them is still better than putting all your cash into one deal. Even with the tighter lending criteria we now face, mortgage companies should still offer very competitive deals at this level of LTV, allowing you to diversify your investment a bit.
4. CHOOSE YOUR TENANTS CAREFULLY - It goes without saying that you should do all the necessary checks to ensure that any prospective tenants are creditworthy and have a guarantor who is a home owner. References from previous landlords are also really helpful. As for who makes the best tenants? Well, that’s a million dollar question and I have let to a whole cross section of different people without any problems. Generally middle aged couples who have recently got together from previous relationships tend to be respectful and stay for a long time. I also find that pet owners
10. DON’T BUY MONOCHROME, MONO STRUCTURE PROPERTIES - many buy to let investors have seen their property values fall and rents plummet on flats purchased in large mono style developments in UK city centres. Quite simply there is too much supply of the same kinds of properties in these areas. It’s better to do your research well and pick out individual properties in established areas.
MARTIN’S PROPERTY CLINIC: BUYING AT AUCTION
Rajdeep Dillon asks “How much deposit do I need to take along if I’m thinking of buying a property at an auction?”
To find out more about Martin Roberts and for property advice visit www. martinroberts.co.uk
If you are the successful bidder you will have to pay a deposit of 10% of the purchase price there and then - plus sign all the purchase documents - which are as legally binding as if you had bought by any other route. You’ll then have a maximum of 28 days to pay the balance - some times as little as 14 or even 10 days - so you need to make sure your finances are in place before you bid. For more information about the process of buying property at auction, visit http://www.makingmoneyfromproperty.tv/articles/20081105_1
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BEDROOM STYLE
Beige looks at an exciting range of furniture and accessories designed to give any bedroom some panache!! Zen Black Poster Bed A cool and contemporary styled, classic 4 poster with a touch of oriental Zen like charm. Made with solid wood beams and finished in black lacquer with subtle brown edges throughout. Also available in dark elm. Price: £1290 www.supatra.co.uk P: 01753858885
Luxury Bed Linen This luxury hotel bed set is made of 400 thread-count percale using the finest cotton yarns and is finished to offer the ultimate in softness, whiteness, weight and durability. Prices from £103 - £156.www.thebestbedlinenintheworld.com P: 01442 842885
Retro Style Luggage Fabulous retro inspired Suitcases in a choice of two sizes and colours. Perfect for home storage although
you could of course use them for your Grand Tour if so inclined. From £125 www.berryred.co.uk P: 01432 274805
Contemporary Water Bottle Carafe And Glass This is a really fabulous modern carafe and glass which brings a little class to the bedside water! The carafe has a very modern style and has AQUA written in silver on the front. £10.99 www.giftedpenguin.co.uk P:01642 763000
Paul’s Chest Combine a touch of modern art with a baroque French style chest and look what you get! The gorgeous Paul’s Chest with fancy leaf motif silver handles, two deep drawers and hand-painted stripes in bright vibrant colours. This amazing piece is the perfect accompani-
ment to a monochrome room scheme. £795 www. frenchbedroomcompany.co.uk P: 08456 448022
Vintage Union Chest Midcentury Painted Chest £650 www.theoldcinema.co.uk P: 020 8995 4166
Harmonia The Harmonia is a bed that will bring an air of calmness and harmony to your bedroom with its simple lines and minimal design. The bed is dark stained walnut with white padded faux leather headboard. The Harmonia is designed so the mattress is sunken into the bed frame. The price includes both night stands. £749 www.livingitup.co.uk P: 0116 269 5960
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beige community
ADVICE AND HELPLINES ANTIDOTE - AT HUNGERFORD DRUG PROJECT 020 74817600 (WWW.TURNING-POINT.CO.UK) BEDE HOUSE - DOMESTIC ABUSE HATE CRIMES 020 7237 3881 (WWW.BEDEHOUSE.ORG) FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS - FFLAG 08456520311 (WWW.FFLAG.ORG.UK)
FRANK - INFORMATION AND ADVICE ON DRUGS AND DRUG USE. 0800 776 600 (WWW.TALKTOFRANK.COM)
GALOP SHOUTLINE - FOR VICTIMS OF HATE CRIME 020 7704 2040 (WWW.GALOP.ORG.UK)
LONDON LESBIAN AND GAY SWITCHBOARD 020 7837 7324 (WWW.LLGS.ORG.UK)
MOBILITY ADVICE LINE 0121 454 2331 (WWW.MOBILITY-ADVICE.ORG.UK)
UK LESBIAN & GAY IMMIGRATION GROUP 020 7922 7812 (WWW.UKLGIG.ORG.UK)
CHOIRS AND MUSIC CROYDON QUEER CHOIR 020 8683 4347 DIVERSITY CHAMBER CHOIR 07791 937794 WWW.DIVERSITYCHOIR.ORG.UK
LONDON GAY MEN’S CHORUS 08458 382 059 (WWW.LGMC.ORG.UK) LONDON GAY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA LGSO (WWW.LGSO.ORG.UK) MANCHESTER LESBIAN & GAY CHORUS (www.mlgc.org.uk)
community
PINK SINGERS 07020 934 678 (WWW.PINKSINGERS.CO.UK)
RAINBOW VOICES - BIRMINGHAM’S LESBIAN & GAY CHORUS 07813 025 990 (WWW.RAINBOW-VOICES.ORG.UK)
WISE THOUGHTS – 020 8889 9555 (www.wisethoughts.org)
CLINICS
EALING GAY GROUP - EGG 020 8870 4549
LONDON GAY READING GROUP
(WWW.EALINGGAYGROUP.ORG.UK)
LONG YANG CLUB - FOR GUYS AND GIRLS FROM THE EAST & WEST
EAST LONDON OUT PROJECT - ELOP 020 8509 3898 (www.elop.org) FREEDOM CLUB - CARAVANNING AND CAMPING (www.freedomclub.co.uk) GAY CARAVAN AND CAMPING CLUB (WWW.GAYCARAVANCLUB.COM)
GAY BIKERS MOTORCYCLE CLUB (WWW.GAYBIKERS.CO.UK)
AMBROSE KING CENTRE WHITECHAPEL 020 7377 7307 CAMBERWELL SEXUAL HEALTH CENTRE KINGS COLLEGE HOSPITAL, CAMBERWELL 020 3299 5000 JEFFERISS WING CENTRE FOR SEXUAL HEALTH PADDINGTON 020 7886 1697 MARLBOROUGH CLINIC ROYAL FREE, HAMSPTEAD 020 7830 2047 MORTIMER MARKET CENTRE OFF TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD 020 3317 5100 VICTORIA CLINIC WESTMINSTER 0208 846 6699
COMMUNITY GROUPS
(WWW.LGRG.CO.UK)
(WWW.LYCLONDON.COM)
MANCHESTER LESBIAN COMMUNITY PROJECT (WWW.LESBIANCOMMUNITYPROJECT.CO.UK) METRO CENTRE - GREENWICH 020 8305 5000 (WWW.METROCENTREONLINE.ORG) MIDLAND MAVERICKS LINE DANCING GROUP BIRMINGHAM
GAY BIRDERS CLUB 01732 360 527
(WWW.MIDLANDMAVERICKS.COM)
(WWW.GBC-ONLINE.ORG.UK)
MSC LONDON - MOTORCYCLE CLUB
GAY OUTDOOR CLUB - GENERAL ENQUIRIES 08448 700 462
(WWW.MSCLONDON.CO.UK)
(WWW.GOC.ORG.UK)
GAY SURREY 0700 5982 429 (WWW.GAYSURREY.CO.UK)
GAY WEST 0800 321 3083 (WWW.GAYWEST.ORG.UK)
GUMMI – RUBBER CLUB (WWW.GUMMI.ORG.UK)
HERTS GAY COMMUNITY 01727 869 236 (WWW.GAYHERTS.ORG.UK)
HUGG - HUDDERSFIELD GAY GROUP 07773 588 628 (WWW.HUGG.ORG.UK) HULL LGBT FORUM 07981 110 838 (WWW.LGBTFORUM.CO.UK)
ICEBREAKERS - MANCHESTER 0845 330 3030
OUT & ABOUT 020 8989 5295
BARNET LESBIAN AND GAY GROUP (BLAGG)
(WWW.ICEBREAKERSMANCHESTER.ORG.UK)
(WWW.OUTANDABOUT-LONDON.ORG)
(WWW.BARNETGAY.COM)
JEWISH GAY & LESBIAN GROUP 0750 492 4742 (WWW.JGLG.ORG.UK) KAIROS IN SOHO 020 7437 6063 LMG - LONDON MONDAY GROUP
OUTSIDERS - FOR PEOPLE WITH SOCIAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES SEEKING PARTNERS 020 7354 8291 (WWW.OUTSIDERS.ORG.UK) PLYMOUTH PRIDE FORUM 07833 010 712
(WWW.SLAGO.ORG.UK)
(WWW.PLYMOUTHPRIDEFORUM.CO.UK)
BEARHUG 07967 101 887 (WWW.BEARHUG.NET) CLASSIC CARS (WWW.GCCG.ORG.UK) CROYDON AREA GAY SOCIETY - CAGS 07827 397 817 (WWW.CAGS.ORG.UK)
(WWW.KAIROSINSOHO.ORG.UK)
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beige community SOUTH ASIAN GROUP - BETTER FUTURES FOR POSITIVE PEOPLE 020 7791 2855 (www.positiveeast.org.uk)
SOUTH LONDON GAYS - SLG 020 8674 5191 (WWW.SLAGO.ORG.UK/SLG) SURREY AND LONDON ASSOCATION OF GAY ORGANISATIONS - SLAGO (WWW.SLAGO.ORG.UK)
TAGS - THE ARUN AREA GAY SOCIETY (WWW.TAGSONLINE.ORG.UK)
WEST LONDON GAY BRIDGE CLUB 020 7537 2481 (WWW.WLGBC.CO.UK
COUNSELLING PACE - PROJECT FOR ADVICE COUNSELLING & EDUCATION 020 7700 1323 (WWW.PACEHEALTH.ORG.UK)
DANCING GAY GORDONS (WWW.THEGAYGORDONS.ORG)
PINK JUKEBOX AT THE LOOM BAR (WWW.PINKJUKEBOX.CO.UK)
LEISURE GROUPS SOUTH LONDON GAY BRIDGE CLUB
Fancy a sunday kickabout? Leftfooters is for gay men and lebians who like to play football. The club meets every Sunday at 2 pm in Regents Park, near the Parkway entrance, for a kickabout. Leftfooters also plays against other clubs, which sometimes involves trips around the country and across the world Players and supporters go for drinks afterwards to the The Black Cap in Camden. The club, which had been running since 1999, has between 80 and 100 members, with a complete mix of ages. Boots and shin guards are recommended to save yourself some injury. Contact info@leftfooters.org.uk or 07912 619 957
020 8898 4403 (WWW.LONDONGAYBRIDGE.CO.UK)
SALSA FANTASTICA (www.salsafantastica.com)
GUSTO DINING CLUB
FESTIVALS AND EVENTS
OLDER PEOPLE
(WWW.GUSTO-DINING.CO.UK)
BORED OF THE SCENE (www.boredofthescene.co.uk)
LONDON TWENTIES Monthly social group for guys in their twenties. londontwenties@gmail.com
OUT AND OUT 0208 998 8000 (www.outandout.co.uk) PINK DATE (www.pinkdate.co.uk)
SOCIAL GUYS 0207 537 4074 (www.sociaguys.co.uk)
URBAN CONNECTIONS For guys new to London 07952 152 118 (www.urbanconnections.co.uk)
GAY SUNDAY WALKING GROUP 020 7701 1013 (www.gswg.org.uk) HISTORIC WALKING TOURS OF GAY SOHO 020 7437 6063 (www.kairosinsoho.org.uk) GAY AUTHORS WORKSHOP
BEAR PRIDE (WWW.BEARPRIDE.CO.UK) BIRMINGHAM GAY PRIDE FESTIVAL (WWW.BIRMINGHAMPRIDE.COM)
LGBT HISTORY MONTH 07960 493 544 (WWW.LGBTHISTORYMONTH.ORG.UK)
STONEWALL 08000 502 020 (WWW.STONEWALL.ORG.UK
CIRCA UK
CAFFMOS FOR OLDER, MATURE GAY MEN
(WWW.CIRCA-CLUB.COM)
(WWW.CAFFMOSCOMMUNITY.COM)
GAY BUSINESS ASSOCIATION - GBA
POLARI 020 7255 4480 (WWW.POLARI.ORG)
PARENTING
PROFESSIONAL GROUPS
LONDON LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL 020 7928 3232 (WWW.LLGFF.ORG.UK) MANCHESTER PRIDE 0161 831 7700
GROUP FOR LGBT ADOPTED ADULTS 020 7284 0555
0844 562 4005 (WWW.GBA.ORG.UK) GAY POLICE ASSOCIATION - GPA 07092 700 000 (WWW.GAY.POLICE.UK) GLADD DOCTORS AND DENTISTS
(WWW.MANCHESTERPRIDE.COM)
(WWW.POSTADOPTIONCENTRE.ORG.UK)
PRIDE IN BRIGHTON & HOVE 01273 775 939 (WWW.BRIGHTONPRIDE.ORG) PRIDE OF LEEDS (WWW.LEEDSPRIDE.COM) PRIDE LONDON
(WWW.GLADD.ORG.UK)
PINK PARENTS - BRISTOL
JAKE
(WWW.PINKPARENTS.ORG.UK)
(WWW.JAKETM.ORG)
RAINBOW FAMILIES - FOR LESBIAN PARENTS
LAGLA LESBIAN & GAY LAWYERS ASSOCIATION
(WWW.PRIDELONDON.ORG)
ISLINGTON LGBT FORUM 07989 747 824 OUT IN SOUTHWARK 020 7525 5659
QUEERUPNORTH (WWW.QUEERUPNORTH.COM)
(www.paradisepress.org.uk)
(WWW.RAINBOWFAMILIES.ORG.UK)
(WWW.LAGLA.ORG.UK)
(WWW.SOUTHWARK-LGBT.ORG
HIV AND AIDS POLICE LIAISON CRUSAID 020 7539 3880 (WWW.CRUSAID.ORG.UK)
ELTON JOHN AIDS FOUNDATION 020 7603 9996 (WWW.EJAF.ORG) FOOD CHAIN 020 7354 0333
ABORTION RIGHTS 020 7923 9792 (WWW.ABORTIONRIGHTS.ORG.UK)
BIRMINGHAM COMMUNITY PRIDE TRUST 0121 773 0633 (WWW.TRUSTINPRIDE.ORG.UK)
(WWW.FOODCHAIN.ORG.UK)
GMFA - CHARITY FOR GAY MEN’S HEALTH 020 7738 6872 (WWW.GMFA.ORG.UK) NATIONAL AIDS TRUST - WORLD AIDS DAY 020 7814 6767 (WWW.NAT.ORG.UK) SEXUAL HEALTH INFORMATION LINE (WWW.PLAYINGSAFELY.CO.UK)
TERRENCE HIGGINS TRUST THT HELPLINE 08451 221 200 (WWW.THT.ORG.UK
HOUSING
POLITICAL BROKEN RAINBOW LGBT DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SERVICE 0300 999 5428 (WWW.BROKEN-RAINBOW.ORG.UK)
CONSORTIUM OF LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDERED VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS 020 7064 8383 (WWW.LGBTCONSORTIUM.ORG.UK) DELGA - LIBERAL-DEMOCRATS FOR LESBIAN & GAY RIGHTS 020 7227 1395
SISTERS OF PERPETUAL INDULGENCE (www.thesisters.org)
(WWW.AKT.ORG.UK)
BEAUMONT SOCIETY 01582 412 220
LEWISHAM HOUSING SUPPORT TEAM 020 7702 4260 (WWW.THAMESREACHBONDWAY.COM) STONEWALL HOUSING 020 7359 5767
THE SISTERHOOD OF KARN Sci Fi Enthusiasts 07092 185 781 (www.skarn.co.uk)
(www.beaumontsociety.org.uk) TRANSLONDON (www.translondon.org.uk)
(WWW.SUITANDTIESOCIETY.CO.UK)
VILLAGE DRINKS (WWW.VILLAGEDRINKS.CO.UK)
HUMANITY/religion
HALL-CARPENTER ARCHIVES
ABSOLUTE FREEDOM GROUP OF SGI-UK BUDDHISTS 07950 900 516
(WWW.HALLCARPENTER.TRIPOD.COM)
(WWW.SGI-UK.ORG)
(WWW.DELGA.ORG.UK
ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST - HOUSING ADVICE FOR L&G TEENAGERS LONDON - 020 7831 6562 MANCHESTER - 0161 228 3308
SUIT & TIE SOCIETY
LESBIAN AND GAY COALITION AGAINST RACISM LAGCAR (WWW.NAAR.ORG.UK/LAGCAR) OUTRAGE! 020 8240 0222 (WWW.OUTRAGE.ORG.UK)
SCHOOL’S OUT! 01582 451 424
BRIGHTWAVES METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH 01273 681 101 (WWW.MCCBRIGHTON.ORG.UK)
G&L HUMANIST ASSOCIATION - GALHA 0844 800 3067 (WWW.GALHA.ORG)
(WWW.SCHOOLS-OUT.ORG.UK)
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beige community LGBT CATHOLICS’ MASS 020 8986 0807 (WWW.SOHOMASSES.COM)
L&G CHRISTIAN MOVEMENT LGCM 020 7739 1249 (WWW.LGCM.ORG.UK) LGCM - ROMAN CATHOLIC CAUCUS 020 7226 0847 (WWW.RCCAUCUSLGCM.CO.UK) METROPOLITIAN COMMUNITY CHURCH OF BRIXTON 020 8678 0200
SPORTS GROUPS 4PLAY SQUASH CLUB (WWW.4PLAYSQUASH.ORG)
GAY CYCLING TOURING GROUP (WWW.GAYCYCLING.WFOUR.CO.UK)
QUEST - G&L CATHOLICS 0808 808 0234 (WWW.QUESTGAYCATHOLIC.ORG.UK)
(WWW.GOSLINGSSPORTSCLUB.COM)
QUAKER QUEST (WWW.QUAKERQUEST.ORG)
GRACE’S CRICKET CLUB 020 7278 3294
SOCIAL GROUPS
(WWW.GAYCRICKET.ORG.UK)
DUNS ‘N’ ROSES HOCKEY CLUB (WWW.PINKHOCKEY.COM)
BROMLEY GAY AND BISEXUAL MEN’S GROUP 020 8662 6681 LONDON FRIEND - LGB ART & SOCIAL GROUP (WWW.LONDONFRIEND.ORG.UK)
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))
(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)
GAY OUTDOOR CLUB GOC 08448 700 462 (WWW.GOC.ORG.UK) SAILING & CRUSING ASSOCIATION 01273 721 933 (www.gaysailing.org.uk) GOSLINGS SPORTS CLUB
(WWW.MCCSOUTHLONDON.CO.UK)
07584 301 841
LONDON RAIDERS SOFTBALL CLUB
(WWW.LONDONSPIKERS.ORG)
MANCHESTER STINGERS WFC (WWW.MANCHESTERSTINGERS.CO.UK)
YOUTH GROUPS
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 FIRE BRIGADE UNION L&G SUPPORT (WWW.FBULGBT.ORG.UK)
QUEER YOUTH ALLIANCE - MANCHESTER 0208 123 6958 (WWW.QUEERYOUTH.NET) STEP OUT AT STEP FORWARD - ISLINGTON 020 7739 3082 (WWW.STEPFORWARD-WEB.ORG)
NOT LISTED? PLEASE EMAIL YOUR INFORMATION TO EDITOR@BEIGEUK.COM
GMB LGBT 0207 801 2780
POSITIONS VACANT FREELANCE WRITERS 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 to editor@beigeuk.com
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