FUSE 15 Cold & Bitter (Boy Cover)

CHEAP & CHIC

THE DESIGNER LOOK ON A TIGHT BUDGET

DIFFERING

LIBIDOS

RELATIONSHIPS & SEX THE POLITICS OF

COMING OUT SCISSOR SISTERS

SUPER SEXY GLAM ROCK NOT YOUR ORDINARY

BOY FROM OZ

OUR KYLIE

MIGHTY APHRODITE

CHASE THE WINTER BLUES AWAY WITH FUSE MAG!

Saturday 28th August 7:00 for 7:30 pm start Theo Notaras Multicultura l Centre $20.00 per person fo r tables of 8 Bookings esse ntial. Go to www.aidsactio

n.org.au/tr

ivia All monies raised go to th e Westlund House Commun ity Development Fund

15

42

08

With the recent uproar over Jason Akermanis’ call for AFL players not to come out and the forced public outing of David Campbell, we look at the politics of coming out.

20

When my baby smiles at me, I go to Rio, de Janeiro... Jarrad West stars in the Canberra production of The Boy From Oz.

36

26

36

This month our sex guru Hilary Caldwell shares her thoughts on how to deal with differing libidos in relationships.

44 Ruby for Lucy. We chat to the girls

with the indie folk fairytale sound

about their success and new album.

FUSE15 JULY 2010

26 Chad Wijayatilake ‘cover boy’

tells us how to get the designer

look on a tight budget.

CONTENTS

FUSE FEATURES

FUSE REGULARS 02 Editor’s Rant 04 What’s On at the Movies 05 What’s On in Canberra

18

06 The Trap : Local & Gritty

12

10 Film : The Kids Are Alright 12 The Buzz : News, Gossip & Stuff

PUBLISHER & DESIGN Lithium Innovation Pty Ltd {www.lithium.net.au}

16 Fab Things : New & Cool Stuff 18 Ear Candy : Scissor Sisters

EDITOR Alexander Thatcher {editor@fusemagazine.com.au}

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22 Ear Candy : Music Reviews 24 Money Shot : Money & Relationships

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Yasmin Element

PRODUCTION & EDITORIAL Christopher Powell

CONTRIBUTORS Tony Hamlyn Simon Copland Brooklyn Hulands Rose Pappalardo Robert Henderson

Scott Malcolm Damien Pratt Stuart Poole Chad Wijayatilake Attilio Sciannimanica

Hilary Caldwell Keiran Rossteuscher Lucy Jane Byron Turnbull

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jimmy Walsh

Keith Jeffers

Douglas Robinson

28 Coffee : What Does Fresh Really Mean?

30 Out & About : Canberra’s Night Life 34 Health : Beware Strange Bedfellows 38 Footlights : Romeo & Juliet Ballet 40 Grooming : Fixing That Tired Look 42 Out & About : Wear It With Pride Launch 46 FUSE Community Directory 47 FUSE Business Directory 48 Dear Rose

CONTACT Advertising, editorial enquiries or letters Telephone: +61 2 6232 7662 • Email: editor@fusemagazine.com.au Mail: PO Box 3577 Manuka ACT 2603 • ISSN 1836-8387

www.fusemagazine.com.au All rights reserved. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. The appearance, mention or likeness of any person or organisation in editorial or advertising in no way suggests sexual or political orientation. Photographs used to illustrate editorial do not depict the real lives, behaviour or sexuality of the models. Opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher, editor or FUSE staff.

Any health, fitness or dietry advice contained in this magazine is for informational purposes only. Consult your physician and a fitness/health professional before changing your diet, doing any exercise program, or taking any supplements or remedies of any kind. Submissions of text, photographs or any other material will be taken as consent to publish said material.

FUSE 1

EDITOR’S RANT

COLD & BITTER Alexander Thatcher FUSE Editor

Only a few weeks in and already I’m disappointed with the new Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. I was so excited about having a woman at the helm. Yeah, I know the circumstances of the “succession” may not have been the best, but we are talking politics here and those kids don’t often play nice with each other. I was hopeful that she might bring some more compassion, understanding and support for things like equal rights and gay marriage.

Then I read the morning news last week and there it was in big bold letters: ‘Gillard does not support gay marriage.’ My heart sank with disappointment (again). Then in her next breath she told the country that she is not a religious person. This confused me because religious ideology is usually used as the stock standard reason why gay marriage is wrong.

So from this I can assume two things: (1) she’s just towing the party line; and/or (2) she actually doesn’t think I have the right to marry my same sex partner. I was really hoping for a PM that would take a stand against this ongoing discrimination!

Later that morning my partner Christopher (the guy I can’t marry) popped his head into my office and said, ‘now that we’ve finally gotten the whole female PM thing out of the way, maybe Australia will elect a gay Prime Minister one day!’ I felt a little better. How progressive would it be to have an openly gay politician running the country. I wonder who might be up to the task — we’re looking at you Andrew Barr and Penny Wong. Long shot, maybe, but everything is possible — things just need the right circumstances.

It’s food for thought.

Talking about politics (oh dear, always with the segues), we look at the ‘politics’ of coming out. Simon Copland writes about the recent uproar over footballer Jason Akermanis’ call for AFL players not to come out and the forced public outing of ex NSW Minister, David Campbell who was photographed leaving a sex club. p08.

Yasmin Element Associate Editor

And speaking of sex (see, there’s another one), our sex guru Hilary Caldwell shares her thoughts on how to deal with differing libidos in relationships and she also has some nifty ideas on things that just might save your sex life. p36.

We also chat to some Canberra locals: Jarrad West, who’s about to star in The Boy From Oz (finally he has something to do with all those Hawaiian shirts) p20; and the lovely girls from Ruby for Lucy, who muse about their indie folk fairytale sound and brand new album. p44.

So here we are at FUSE15 and I really hope you all love this issue’s covers (‘cause we all froze our arses off in a very cold alley doing the photo shoot — it was fun, but damn). We were after the ‘cheap but chic’ vibe to go with our feature article ‘The Designer Look on a Tight Budget’ by Chad Wijayatilake — who along with the very spunky Skye Lang is on our cover this month. p26.

Christopher Powell The guy behind the scenes

FUSE 2

Enjoy, Alex

Send all letters to the editor to editor@fusemagazine.com.au

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FUSE 3

At the Movies SOUTH SOLITARY : OPENS 3 JUNE

THE TWILIGHT SAGA : ECLIPSE OPENS 1 JULY In Eclipse, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.

The year is 1927, and the setting is South Solitary a rugged and remote lighthouse island. Meredith Appleton, 35, arrives with her uncle, George Wadsworth, the replacement Head Keeper. Also stationed at South Solitary are Jack Fleet a troubled ex-soldier, and Harry Stanley with his wife Alma and their three young children.

While Wadsworth works on restoring order and discipline, Meredith tries to make friends. The only bright spot in the whole picture is Assistant Keeper Stanley, who promptly sets himself the task of seducing her. However, the liaison between the pair begins a series of devastating events which leaves Meredith marooned on the desolate island with only the sullen and withdrawn assistant keeper Fleet for companionship. We watch as, slowly and falteringly, a tender, cautious courtship ensues.

DENDY SPECIAL EVENT

THE RUNAWAYS : OPENS 15 JULY Kristen Stewart and Dakota Fanning star in this music fueled story of the ground-breaking, all girl, teenage rock band of the 1970s: The Runaways. The film follows two friends, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie, as they rise from rebellious Southern California kids to rock stars of the now legendary group that paved the way for future generations of girl bands. Joan and Cherie fall under the Svengali-like influence of rock impresario Kim Fowley, played by Michael Shannon, who turns the group into an outrageous success and a family of misfits. With its tough-chick image and raw talent, the band quickly earns a name for itself — and so do its two leads: Joan is the band’s pure rock’ n’ roll heart, while Cherie, with her Bowie/Bardot looks, is the sex kitten. Written and directed by Floria Sigismondi, the film chronicles Joan and Cherie’s tumultuous relationship on and off stage, as the band starts to break out.

NOT THE MESSIAH (HE’S A VERY NAUGHTY BOY) Saturday July 31, 2:30pm. & Sunday August 1, 2:30pm.

A fabulously entertaining 90 minute comic oratorio by Eric Idle and John Du Prez (creators of Spamalot) inspired by Monty Python’s Life Of Brian filmed at its only European performance at the Royal Albert Hall in October 2009 to celebrate 40 years of Monty Python. This hilarious take on the Messiah features the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, a host of superb soloists in the lead roles including Rosalind Plowright and Eric Idle, with Michael Palin as Mrs Betty Parkinson and special guest appearances from Pythons Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. And of course three sheep!

FREE MOVIE TICKETS FUSE has double passes to give away to Dendy Theatre in Canberra.

Write in and tell us what you think of FUSE, comment on an article or sign up to the FUSE website and you could win these great Dendy movie tickets • email: hello@fusemagazine.com.au • www.fusemagazine.com.au

Free movie passes kindly supplied by Dendy Cinemas Canberra Level 2, North Quarter Canberra Centre, Bunda Street, Canberra City

www.dendy.com.au

FUSE 4

BENT LENSES GAY FILM SCREENINGS Friday 16 July 7pm MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY Gunn, an out and proud gay college student, crawls back into the closet to survive the holidays with his family. He keeps his cool as his quirky parents try to set him up with his high school sweetheart, Abby. But when his boyfriend, Nathan shows up at their doorstep unannounced and the pressure mounts from all sides, will Gunn come out before the truth does?

Friday 20 July 7pm GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS Three actresses at various places on the Hollywood food chain navigate the minefield of love, ageing and ambition. Oh and theyre all played by men!

CSIRO Discovery Centre, Nth Science Road, Acton Tickets Office & Bar open from 7.00pm : Tickets are only $10

ACT OUT — GLBTQ ICE SKATING NIGHT Sunday 18 July — Starts at 1.30pm at Phillip Ice Skating Centre.

You don’t need to go to the snow fields for a bit of a wintry thrill.

Ice skating is lots of fun and your chance to become the next skating sensation. Bright, lurid lycra outfits optional. Come along join the fun and meet some new people. Everyone is welcome.

ACT OUT — DAY TRIP ABERCROMBIE CAVES Day Trip on Sunday 8 August Near Trunkey Creek, 190km north of Canberra. Here we will explore the awesome spectacle of the largest natural limestone arch in the Southern Hemisphere and then onto a guided tour of the Bushranger Cave. For more info email Mark: mark@actout.cjb.net.

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Check out fusemagazine.com.au for a full list of what’s happening in Canberra including local and national gay and lesbian events.

WHAT’S ON

WHAT’S ON JULY

ROMEO & JULIET ROYAL NEW ZEALAND BALLET 10 - 14 August at the Canberra Theatre Centre You know the story. Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s ravishing score, this highly dramatic and visually stunning production is inspired by the look of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Baz Luhrmann’s film version of the Shakespearean masterpiece. Featuring a rich and bloody colour palette by designer Tracy Grant Lord; join the lovers as they battle against their families in order to follow their hearts, only to have their happiness shattered forever.

Booking Call 6275 2700. More details back cover.

MENS NUDE YOGA TWO WEEKLY CLASSES IN TURNER Tuesdays: ‘Virgins’, for beginners.

Fridays: ‘Adepts’, for the more experienced.

Come and enjoy the sensual delights of practicing yoga naked under soft lighting in our new, toasty warm venue near the city.

Come along to our FREE Intro Night on Tuesday 6 July! Call Gregory on 02 6260 7088 or email bodywork@webone.com.au

SEE THE NEW FUSE COMMUNITY DIRECTORY ON PAGE 46 FUSE 5

THE TRAP

THE

By Brooklyn Hulands www.brooklynross.com

WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS

THE X FACTOR

The theory seems great: More competition = cheaper fruit and veg, moisturiser, hairspray, and other GLBTQ essentials at the checkout.

If there’s one positive from the Tahu vs Johns racism saga, it’s knowing that gays aren’t the only ones still being vilified in sport.

But is the fight for cheaper prices just a case of Australia’s tall poppy syndrome?

The NSW Origin Side was left in disarray last month after star player Timana Tahu walked out in disgust over comments made by Coach Andrew Johns. If you believe the reports, Johns called an opposing player a ‘black c**t’.

The man that gave Aussie TV its much loved breakfast of entertainment and celebrity dribble is reportedly standing down — to stand up for his fellow gays.

Now, the ACT Government has decided to stop W&C from bidding on some newly released land in Canberra, hoping to give smaller operators a chance to open new stores.

But the critics say it’ll force prices up — taking away the need for smaller chains to offer competitive prices. If these stores don’t have a conglomerate nearby to compete with, why would they lower their prices?

Don’t get me wrong, there are disadvantages to having our supermarkets controlled by a duopoly (particularly for farmers and suppliers) — but prices at the checkout aren’t that bad. If the Government wants to fix the other problems, awesome, just stop pretending to worry about our wallets.

6

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THE PRICE IS RIGHT

The Federal Government’s failed GroceryChoice project was designed to encourage stores to compete by comparing the cost of products, hoping to stop the insanely successful Woolworths and Coles (W&C) from controlling prices. The reality though was that our two biggest supermarkets were always the cheapest. Comparing W&C to IGA or Supabarn only boosted the bigger two.

FUSE

TRAP There was plenty of politically correct uproar in the media, but in the end, an apology was enough to dodge any serious consequences.

Compare this to the treatment of Jason Akermanis, who publically called for homosexual AFL players to stay in the closet. Despite his club first saying they’d make him choose between his footy and media careers, Akermankiss ended up with a couple of weeks suspension from both.

The disappointment about both these incidents isn’t as much the comments themselves, but the lack of action from those who should be keeping Australia’s role models in check. It’s one thing to hear racist or homophobic remarks from one person, it’s another to have half of Australia backing them up.

I’ll leave the last word to gay former NRL player Ian Roberts, with a bleak but honest outlook on the Akermanis drama.

‘The fact some people still tolerate others making fun of, or being ignorant of gay people is annoying, but hopefully we’ll get there. One day.’

Adam Boland has been working at Channel Seven for the past decade, creating an answer to 60 Minutes, helping The Morning Show knock off a competitor, and turning Mel & Kochie into household names.

But it was the downfall of a NSW minister that could see Boland’s golden touch leave the network.

David Campbell was filmed coming out of a gay sex club

by Seven News, giving up his portfolio just minutes before the footage went to air. In the aftermath, many argue his hidden sexuality was never in the public interest.

Boland, who is openly gay, is one of those unimpressed. He’s apparently told the network he won’t be renewing his contract — making it clear the David Campbell story crossed the line.

If anyone can teach Seven a lesson, it’s Boland. The network will be fighting hard to keep him, let’s hope his X Factor holds some clout.

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FUSE 7

FEATURE

ON THE 20TH OF MAY, AFL PLAYER JASON AKERMANIS CAUSED A STORM AFTER WRITING AN ARTICLE IN THE HERALD SUN ARGUING THAT QUEER AFL PLAYERS SHOULD NOT COME OUT. APPARENTLY THE LEAGUE ISN’T READY FOR IT. A FEW DAYS LATER SEVEN NEWS PUBLICLY OUTED THE NSW TRANSPORT MINISTER DAVID CAMPBELL

BY SHOWING FILM OF HIM EXITING A GAY SEX CLUB. WITHIN THIS WEEK, AN ISSUE THAT ALL QUEER PEOPLE HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH, COMING OUT, ENTERED THE POLITICAL SPHERE IN AN EXTREMELY PUBLIC WAY. IN DOING SO, THESE STORIES OPENED UP THE QUESTIONS, WHY IS IT STILL SO HARD FOR MANY PEOPLE TO COME OUT? AND IS IT EVER OKAY TO PUBLICLY OUT SOMEONE WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION?

COMING OUT

JASON AKERMANIS’ ARTICLE

COMING OUT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF QUEER IDENTITY.

THE WEEK OF ‘COMING OUT’ DISCUSSION BEGAN WHEN AFL PLAYER JASON AKERMANIS ARGUED IN A NEWSPAPER COLUMN THAT ANY GAY AFL PLAYER SHOULD REFRAIN FROM REVEALING THEIR SEXUAL IDENTITY.

It is something all queer people have to deal with, whether it is a decision to come out, or one not to come out.

Unlike our straight counterparts, if a queer person wants to be open about their sexuality they have to go through the process of coming out. In doing so, coming out is something that can cause a lot of pain, a lot of joy and a lot of growth as a human being.

I will always remember when I came out to my family and friends. It was an important and empowering time for me. Coming out made me feel accepted and loved by the people around me, in turn making me feel extremely comfortable with who I was.

Telling my friends and family lifted a weight off my shoulders, not because I believed that it would ever be a problem, but because I felt like I could finally be myself.

Unfortunately however, not everyone has such a positive experience. At the same time I came out, many people I knew faced serious problems because they came out. I know of a number of people whose family and friends had real problems with their sexuality, causing major grief in their lives. For these people coming out was a terrible experience and for many others it is considered something that is simply impossible to do.

FUSE 8

Akermanis argued that the AFL was simply not ready for a gay player and that any player who did come out would find life very difficult. He recounted a story of an ‘out’ player he knew during his early years and the awkwardness that his sexuality apparently caused with the team. This player, whilst apparently a well respected man, caused problems in the club as uncomfortableness from other players around his sexuality was prominent.

Akermanis argued that this sort of culture had not changed in the AFL and that the public outing of a player would still make players uncomfortable, and could ‘break the fabric of the club’.

Akermanis’ comments revealed a lot about much of the underlying homophobia that still exists within our society. Whilst his comments weren’t overtly homophobic (i.e. he didn’t argue that all gay players were bad people), they were underlined by deeply held homophobic beliefs about what’s okay for people to think about queer people. Akermanis’ underlying assumption was that it was okay for AFL players (or other people) to feel uncomfortable around queer people as there are certain things about queer people that inherently make other people uncomfortable. It would therefore be the queer players fault if the ‘fabric of the club’ was broken, because he did something that made other players uncomfortable.

Therefore, whilst I can agree with Akermanis that there is a lot of underlying homophobia in the AFL, which would make it difficult for any AFL player to come out, his article was homophobic because it blamed queer people for this. Instead of arguing that it was the straight players who were in the wrong, Akermanis blamed gay men for making situations uncomfortable. By criticising anyone who wanted to come out, Akermanis was simply accepting the homophobia inside the league rather than challenging it.

THE QUESTION OF COMING OUT SEVEN NEWS AND DAVID CAMPBELL A FEW DAYS AFTER AKERMANIS’ COLUMN, THE NSW TRANSPORT MINISTER, DAVID CAMPBELL RESIGNED SUDDENLY AFTER IT WAS REVEALED THAT SEVEN NEWS HAD FOOTAGE OF HIM LEAVING A GAY SEX CLUB, WHICH THEY PLANNED TO SHOW ON THEIR NIGHTLY NEWS. The breaking of the story brought outrage across the country as people argued that Seven News’ actions crossed an ethical line.

Seven News argued that the story was legitimate, using a Christmas card that Campbell sent to constituents featuring a photo of his family as the reason. They argued that by using his family in his card he was campaigning on ‘family values’; something that his visit to the club apparently contradicted. This quite clearly ignores the fact that one is able to be a family person, whilst still visiting sex venues. Just because Campbell was visiting a sex club, that doesn’t mean he didn’t love his family. The fact that he has been with his wife for almost thirty years should be proof of that.

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By Simon Copland

WITHIN THIS WEEK, THE UNDERLYING HOMOPHOBIA THAT STILL EXISTS WITHIN OUR SOCIETY WAS BROUGHT TO THE FRONT OF THE POLITICAL SPHERE AS PEOPLE’S SEXUALITY WAS PUT ON SHOW FOR EVERYONE TO WATCH. In doing so these issues opened up the key question of why coming out is still such an important and difficult thing for many queer people.

Quite clearly for many people, coming out is still very difficult.

Prejudice and discrimination still exist within our society and many still suffer when they come out. Given this, one can easily understand why someone may decide not to come out.

For many it is a question of life or (metaphorical) death, with coming out still being something that is just too hard. That doesn’t, however, make it okay to blame queer people for that fact. Discrimination against queer people is never the fault of queer people and it should never be told that way. The only people to blame for discrimination are those who are doing the discrimination, not those who are suffering because of it.

On the other side though, many people can actually cause damage through not coming out. People who are well known as being queer, but refuse to publicly acknowledge it, actually hurt other queer people. They refuse to publicly challenge homophobia in our society when they have an opportunity to do so, leaving many to suffer in silence. In these cases it can be argued that publicly outing people is okay as it shows that queerness in the public sphere can be considered acceptable.

As such an important part of many people’s identity, coming out is a key issue for the queer community. However, we cannot just assume that it is only a personal matter. Coming out is inherently political and whilst what Jason Akermanis and Seven News did was terrible, it at least brought this manner out into the public where it should be.

THE POLITICS OF

COMING OUT

FUSE 9

FILM

THE KIDS ARE

A BIT OF SAPHO FROM SUNDANCE At the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year there was quite a bit of fuss made about a movie called The Kids Are Alright. The gay-themed dramedy became the target of a bidding war, eventually won out by Focus Films, who have scheduled a release date in the US for early July. It’s the story of a lesbian couple whose twin son and daughter decide, after eighteen years, they want to meet their sperm donor father for the first time. It’s a new ‘dysfunctional family of the millennium’ kind of tale written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko, who was responsible for the brilliant Laurel Canyon from a couple of years back.

The reviews have been varied, some saying it was the single biggest hit of the entire festival, and others saying it’s little more than light-weight drivel, drawing comparisons to the Nancy Meyers snoozefest from last year, It’s Complicated. There are some questionable choices from Cholondenko, an openly gay filmmaker, that has community groups up in arms (watch the online trailer for more about that) but overall it has to be said that this film looks like it might just be a bit of a corker.

The cast is stellar, with Annette Benning and Julianne Moore playing the parents, which perhaps is the single most inspired casting of the decade. If you had to pick an actress to play your lesbian mother, surely these two would be top of the list, along with perhaps Meryl Streep or Laura Linney.

FUSE 10

ALRIGHT {

By Tony Hamlyn

The gorgeous Mark Rufallo is the cool, irresponsible spermguy dad who, according to the reviews, plays perfectly for laughs against Benning’s stricter, more disciplined parent.

Another exciting addition to the cast is none other than Canberra gal, Mia Wasikowska, as the young daughter.

Mia is a Girls Grammar graduate who recently played the title role in the recent adaptation of Alice in Wonderland. As well as the Tim Burton blockbuster, Mia also had a recurring role in the HBO series In Treatment in which she played a troubled teenager forced into a psychiatric evaluation after a suspected suicide attempt. Her work on that was just outstanding and judging from her performance in this film, there’s no doubt she’s got a big future ahead of her. Hard to believe that one day she’s just hanging out in Manuka or going shopping in Civic on a Friday night, and the next she’s playing the daughter of Hollywood heavyweights like Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. It’s really the stuff dreams are made of, right?

The Kids Are Alright may not be to everyone’s tastes, and it might not meet everybody’s gay sensibilities, but the writing seems fresh and the performances look fantastic. It’s not often that a film of this nature gets such mainstream treatment, and while it’s true most gay cinema (generally speaking) tends to be somewhat questionable, The Kids Are Alright looks like it just might be an exception to the rule.

CHECK OUT the THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT trailer on the FUSE website at www.fusemagazine.com.au

“DO-re-MI-SO FabULOUS!”

Lyric from “Do-Re-Mi” © 1959 [Renewed] by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein ll.

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FUSE 11

THE

NEWS GOSSIP & STUFF

BUZZ

*

{

By Tony Hamlyn

THE REAL L WORD ~ OTHER BRITNEY ~ FASHION BEARS ~ NEW MUPPETS

THE L WORD FOR REAL ‘REAL LIFE… REAL DRAMA… REAL LESBIANS…’ That’s what the voiceover on the trailers for new reality series The Real L Word is promising. Lesbian groups are concerned, claiming it’s another sexualised and over-glamorised portrayal of unrealistic women who fail to represent anything real about the lesbian experience. But I mean, really, do we tune into reality TV shows of this nature to see everyday people doing menial things? No. We tune in to see bitches and backstabbers being insufferable and obnoxious. And The Real L Word looks like it’s got that in bucket-loads.

The show is a creation of Ilene Chaiken, who brought us the fabulous drama series The L Word, and it seems to sit somewhere between The Real Housewives… series and Brothers & Sisters, in that it’s all uber-successful, wealthy, middle-class women whose issues are based wholly on either infidelity or nesting. And drama. Plenty of drama!

Based in LA, one of the more interesting aspects is that the six main characters all work in or around the showbiz circuit, which I’ve always considered to be a predominantly straight male-centric industry. Seeing how these openly gay women operate in this arena should be great. And, all political criticisms aside, much like the Queer As Folk series, won’t it be great to be able to regularly tune in to our own kind (or variations there of) as they live, love and carry on in their own indelible fashion.

The Real L Word began June 20 in the US, part of the cable network Showtime’s summer lineup. No plans to show it locally as yet, but my guess it’ll be picked up by one of the new digital free to air channels before too long.

THE OTHER BRITNEY — AKA ‘BRITTANY’ Okay, this is just a small non sequitur, but one that’s long overdue. We are all well and truly obsessed with Glee by now, and deeply invested in all things New Directions and Quinn and Rachel. We all wanna eat at Breadsticks and cheer for McKinley High. But MAJOR snaps need to be given to Heather Morris who plays the delightful and hilarious Britanny character.

Morris has never had acting lessons, and comes from a dancing background (when you watch her during some of the show’s group choreography this becomes apparent, cos she’s always the best by far!) and yet she manages to be the single most scene-stealing, fabulous part of every episode she’s in. Granted, it has a lot to do with the bizarre one-liners she gets to deliver — the best so far being the now infamous ‘Dolphins are just gay sharks’ — but it’s her odd teen realism and deadpan delivery that wins us over every time.

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And obviously it’s working for her, because the character is slowly developing and the actress is being given more air time with every new episode. There’s some great YouTube stuff from ‘behind the scenes’ including a brief interview with Heather, and she comes across as completely adorable, so check it out when you get a chance. It’s a shining example of no matter how small the part, if you nail it they’ll remember you. And she sings as well! Move over Rachel, Britanny is taking over.

BEARS ON THE CATWALK I love the Bears. I don’t know if I’m quite one yet, but I think I might be well on my way. I remember as a twink I was scared of them, so big and hairy and hedonistic. I just wanted to drink vodka and dance, but there was something altogether more sinister about those leather chaps and piercings. Of course, when I grew up I realised not only are the Bears fabulously organised as a community, and wonderfully fun (they were the first people to teach me to refer to all men as “she” which I still love to this day!), but they’re also my destiny now that I’m middle aged and unable to get under ninety kilos.

Plus, it’s just so much easier not having to shave.

You might be wondering where it is I’m headed with all of this.

Well, a fashion show video has been doing the email rounds of late that features the Spring 2010 collection of Belgian designer, and prominent Bear, Walter Van Beirendonck (such a cool surname!). But it’s not so much the chic designs and quality stitching that has this footage doing the gay loop, but the male models that are causing all the fuss.

Instead of your regular waifish wimps, all dead eyes and floppy fringes, Walter has sent big, burly bears down the catwalk. Great hulking hunks, with shoulders, tummies and full beards. And it’s HOT! Now I’m no fashionista — my fashion experience extends to buying fragrances duty free when I can, and watching Project Runway — so I can’t really tell you if this is a new thing or if it’s as tired and old as bootleg jeans. My more stylish friends (Hi Mitch) tell me it’s not uncommon for designers to go against the ‘industry standard’ and use different model types to get a bit of hype happening for their collections, but Bears on a catwalk does seem somewhat fresh and not as garish on the eye as one might imagine. As far as I’m concerned, the Bears will never be out of fashion, but such overt use of this particular gay sub-culture is unlikely to become de rigueur for your Gucci or your Prada or your Calvin Klein shows, so check out the Walter Van Beirendonck footage on YouTube if you get a chance. It’s hairy and it’s fabulous!

NEW MILLENNIUM MUPPETS It’s sad but true — The Muppets kinda died with Jim Henson, and any attempts at reviving the franchise have been pretty substandard. Until now! A new Muppet script has been floating around Hollywood co-written by Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel, who of course plays the dorky and very cute Marshall in How I Met Your Mother. Entitled The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time, Segel apparently pitched the idea to Disney Execs about six months ago and the project is currently in pre-production.

The plot centres on a new Muppet called Walter who, along with his best pal Gary (played by Segel), attempts to get the gang back together to save the old Muppet Theatre from being demolished by an evil oil tycoon called Tex Richman. It’s old-fashioned vaudeville, which The Muppets always parodied so brilliantly, but with a fabulous — dare I say modern? — twist. Segel and Stoller were responsible for the hilarious Forgetting Sarah Marshall, so the comedy should be geeky chic, not dissimilar I would imagine to something like Avenue Q, although probably a bit more kiddy-friendly.

How exciting to have Kermit and Fozzy and the whole Muppet bunch back on the big screen again! The original Muppet Movie (was it really 1979???) is a comedy masterpiece that really stands the test of time, with a satirical edge to rival The Simpsons or South Park. The music is by Paul Williams, who was at his peak, and has some amazing songs including of course ‘The Rainbow Connection’. Go rent it tonight! I defy anyone not moved by Gonzo sitting defeated around a desert campfire, singing the beautifully heartbreaking ‘I’m Going To Go Back There Some Day’. Absolute genius!

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MORE BUZZ

MIGHTY APHRODITE Kylie’s Aphrodite album is, at time of writing, just out of reach. However, by the time you are reading this it will have well and truly dropped, as they say, and will probably already be on your iPod’s ‘high rotation’ list. Maybe you’re playing it right now, as you read this article. Ooh, spooky!

So, not having heard the album yet, I can’t actually tell you if it’s any good. I have of course spent hours researching and hypothesising, and here’s my theory on what’s to come.

The first single, ‘All the Lovers’, appears to have divided her gay fans into two distinct groups; those who are loving it, and those who think it’s as dull as Dannii’s natural hair colour. I was cynical at first, but feel it’s a fine return to form for our girl, all breathy vocals and hooky melody.

And more importantly, it’s an indication that ‘Pop Kylie’ is back. Sure, she’s laced with some electro-dancey-ness, but essentially the song is pure pop at its cheesiest and I know I’ll sleep better with that under my pillow, thanks very much. The record company’s press release claims that she’s celebrating ‘her dance-floor roots’, but Kylie doesn’t have dance-floor roots, she has cheesy pop roots.

The only dance-floor ‘I Should Be So Lucky’ and ‘Never Too Late’ ever saw was at the Year 10 disco.

Kyles has a nasty tendency to go style over substance (Body Language anyone?) and there’s a danger that this collection could be a bit ‘electro-beats’ instead of good old-fashioned melody. There’s a lot of cooks in this kitchen, with a writing and production team that reads like a cast of thousands, which might be cause for concern. However, producer Stewart Price has apparently ‘overseen’ the whole thing, and according to some websites given the collection a certain cohesion. He certainly brought Madonna back from near-death by producing the Confessions… album, so fingers crossed he’ll work his magic here as well.

And look, that artwork on the cover of the album is worth the asking price alone as far as I’m concerned: Kylie, arms out wide, chest plate firmly fastened and midnight blue chiffon billowing out in all directions.

She’s like a modern day Eva Peron, but with bangs and a relentless gay following.

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FAB THINGS

{FAB}THINGS We have quite the eclectic mix this month! Designer shades ‘cause it’s just so damn bright out there; a really cool book — we just loved the pretty pictures that teach you stuff; crystal because it makes a nice sound and looks good; soap nuts ‘cause well, they are really good for the environment; and lastly a huge blimp... need we say more.

SUNNIES ~ MISCELLANEUM ~ BLIMP ~ LEAD CRYSTAL ~ NUT SOAP

HOT NEW DESIGNER SHADES Sunglasses have come a long way since they were originally invented in 12th century China for the rich. Made with metal frames to hold chunks of imperfect quartz to block out the light from the sun, they must have been extremely heavy and uncomfortable. It was not until the 20th century that sunglasses really took off, as Hollywood stars started wearing them to protect their eyes from the bright studio lights. Now sunglasses have become a necessity of life and a hot fashion accessory for both stars and us mortals.

Ray-Ban has always been popular with Hollywood stars, especially their 60-year-old Aviator range — think Tom Cruise.

While the shades have become the habitual accessory of celebs, the company is attempting to re-establish the edginess with some new styles, available including the leather-trimmed “Craft”; the black-edged “Road Spirit”; the sleek “Titanium”; the lightweight “Tech” made with carbon fibre; the colourful “Metal Glide”; and the ultra-luxe, 22k gold-plated “Ultra Gold” with P3 lenses. Prices from $139 to $495.

Online at: www.ray-ban.com/australia

A VERY COOL BOOK Do you love pretty pictures and statistics?

Well The Visual Miscellaneum may be just the book you’re looking for.

It’s a unique, groundbreaking look at the modern information age, helping you make sense of the countless statistics and random facts that constantly bombard us.

Using very cool cutting edge graphs, charts, and illustrations, David McCandless creatively visualizes the world’s surprising relationships and compelling data, covering everything from the most pleasurable guilty pleasures to how long it takes different condiments to spoil to world maps of Internet search terms.

And on the subject of hot new designer sunnies. Madonna is not called the “Material Girl” for nothing. She has just partnered with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana for her own branded collection of sunglasses. Available in six styles they will retail for $250 to $290. Madonna and the designers have collaborated on several projects previously — including the costumes for her 1993 Girlie Show tour — and she currently appears in the design house’s spring ad campaign.

Wrap frames from Madonna’s MDG sunglasses collection with Dolce & Gabbana.

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David say’s he spent over a year creating over 200 images that use information design to explore a whole range of subjects visually, from pop to philosophy, all with the minimum of words, natch.

The result is a collection of infographics, knowledge maps and data visualisations.

Published by HarperCollins. Around $44.

RENT YOUR VERY OWN AIRSHIP. THE BLIMP’S BACK AND IT’S BIG! If you’re a size queen, you’ll just love the new ‘Bullet 580’ — it’s currently the world’s largest airship. Manufacturer, E Green Technologies say the 76 metre long bullet takes just six hours to inflate.

The new airship can stay at high altitude for long periods, offering near-space experiences, and offering a remote communication and observation base, monitor military situations and keeping watch on oil spills, bush fires or even those pesky modern pirates — yarrrr!

The green airship offers cost-efficient operations versus fixed-wing aircraft.

It costs a cool $8 million, or you can rent one for only $500,000 a month.

It also comes in whatever shape you like and has moved way beyond the performance limitations of traditional blimps (remember the Hindenburg?) by combining advanced technology with simple construction and using algae as fuel.

And the big plus, if the pilot’s having a bad landing day, it’s just going to kind of bounce. Sounds fun to us!

Check out the airships in action at: www.e-greentechnologies.com

CRYSTAL GLASS MAKES A COMEBACK Remember your Nanna had all that crystal stashed in the “good room”? Well hopefully you got your hands on it because it’s very much in fashion again.

So what’s the difference between ordinary glass and crystal you might ask? Basically, glass consists of silica, soda and lime that is heated at around 900°C then poured into moulds or blown into a desired shape. In Crystal the addition of lead oxide results in leaded glass, popularly known as crystal. Ways to tell the difference between glass and crystal include the cut, clarity, weight and of course that lovely familiar sound.

The thing about your nana’s old Crystal collection is often you have missing pieces.

There is a solution. Our friends at ‘Hang Ups’ have asked us to let you know about their special service where they will hunt down exactly what you need to complete your set.

The guys also have a fantastic range of new Crystal, so why not drop by and check it out!

Hang Ups 52 Kembla St Fyshwick. Tel 6280 0312

SOAP IN A NUTSHELL And these are truly FAB! Soapnuts are literally washing detergent that grows on trees. They are environmentally friendly, sustainably produced (naturally sub-dried), biodegradable and have no nasty chemicals that get into your skin — a truly compostable way of cleaning your laundry. And the best news — they actually do work!

What more could you want from your washing detergent?

Grown wild in India, for centuries these nuts (sapindus mukorossi) have been used for many purposes other than washing clothing. Uses have included, removing tarnish from jewellery; treating all sorts of ailments, like migraines and epilepsy; removing contaminates from garden soil; hair shampoo; or even for a relaxing bath.

The nuts contain the active natural washing ingredient saponin.

Similar to soap, when the shells of the soapnut come in contact with water the saponin is released and suds are produced — they are excellent for cleaning laundry and leaving it beautifully soft so there is no need for environmentally unfriendly softener either.

Soapnuts are much cheaper and work just like other laundry products — just pop it into the drawer of your front loader or add to top loaders after water and voila —clean, environmentally friendly laundry!

Because your laundry water will only contain pure natural ingredients compared to traditional detergents, the water can safely be reused as grey water for your garden. Soap nuts are available in Canberra from The Green House Emporium 277 Canberra Ave Fyshwick.

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EAR CANDY

SCISSOR SISTERS JAKE SHEARS MET THE FOURTH MEMBER OF THE BAND, DEREK GRUEN (AKA DEL MARQUIS), WHILE HE WAS TRYING TO MAKE ENDS MEET AS A STRIPPER IN DODGY NEW YORK GAY BARS — HMMM THE MIND BOGGLES HEY! This album is pop, electric, fun, often sleazy, always sexy... and most of all it will take you on a night clubbing journey from the hyped-up pop excitement of the start of the night right through to the slow, dirty and sweaty end!

So you have heard of the Scissor Sisters right?

That totally pop/electro and super sexy glamrock ensemble!? Yeah I’m talking about the band, NOT the female sex position (also known as the Tribadism — look it up, very educational…). Well if you don’t know them please read on as you are about to be made AWARE! The Scissors Sisters are a five-piece band from New York City. They originally formed after the accidental meeting of the band’s main male vocalist Jason Sellards and Scott Hoffman through a childhood friend of Hoffman’s in Kentucky in 2000. Scott Hoffman was already a very talented musician when he met Sellards and asked him to do some vocals on a few tracks.

The pair hit it off so well that in 2001 they both moved to New York City to try their luck in the Gay Capital as the Scissor Sisters — with the stage names of Jake Shears and Babydaddy.

A short while after moving to NYC the pair met the third member of the band, Ana Lynch, in a small gay club in the lower eastside of Manhattan. Now Ana Lynch is one very interesting character indeed!

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>

She is a heterosexual female who kicked off her performance career as a mock Drag Queen in San Francisco where she gained a massive following after wining the Ms Trannyshack pageant. She then moved to New York where she started a drag night known as the ‘Knockoff’.

It was at this club where she met Jake and Babydaddy and was asked to join the Scissors as the lead female vocalist under the stage name Ana-metronic (after her obsession with robots and the Bionic Woman).

Now interestingly enough, the band has only had very limited success in their home county of the USA, but in the UK, Europe and Australia they have gone mental since about 2003 when their cover of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’ started getting play-time in the underground club scene. From there they released two albums, the first titled Scissor Sisters in 2004 and Tah-Da in 2006 — both records going on to have amazing success reaching number one in Australia, the UK and Ireland.

Now that you know all about the band and how they formed, let’s get into this latest album, Night Work. I am particularly excited about this one boys and girls as it’s been some time since we’ve heard from this band. Also, there were rumours that while making this album things just weren’t gelling with the sounds, a lot of tracks weren’t making the cut and they even shelved the whole thing while they got their shit together. So it really could’ve just not happened at all. Anyway, it has happened and woohoo! I say as listening to this album has been a real treat. The band seems to have got back to the essence of their first album, displaying tremendous glam-pop sounds with superbly catchy little moments throughout. These are some seriously sexy and dirty club tracks that we no doubt will be hearing in our bars over the coming months, that’s for sure!

Listening to this album will bring back of lot of great memories for all you guys and girls that spent far too many nights (and brain cells) in dodgy clubs during the last decade. My fave tracks are ‘Invisible Light’ and ‘Skintight’ — they are so retro, sexy and sleazy! It’s as if it were 3am on the dance floor, shirt off with hundreds of anonymous bodies all heaving and rubbing beside you but you feel as if you are the only one there. You are looking straight up with your hands in the air trying to feel and touch those lights, your eyes closed and you let those psychedelic beats of the music wash through you and you think to yourself, ‘I don’t ever want this to end!’

In celebration of the new album from Scissor Sisters, FUSE has ten copies of Night Work to give away — the first ten people to email ‘Scissor Sisters Rule’ to hello@fusemagazine.com.au will win!

{

By Damien Pratt

Bowling!

Boi’s & Men, girls & women its party time at AMF Bowling Belconnen

per person

From 7pm

includes - 3 games of bowling and a standard beer, wine or soft drink.

Don’t be shy call Mat on 6251 6966 or visit amfbowling.com.au to make a booking!

Offer valid at AMF Bowling Belconnen only. Not valid for league or tournament play or in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.

Not valid for corporate or group bookings. 10% roller discount does not apply. Games are not transferable or redeemable for cash.

Available for a limited time only.

AMF Belconnen 1 Emu Bank Belconnen

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By Robert Henderson

FOOTLIGHTS

{

NOT YOUR ORDINARY

OZ

BOY FROM

My first memory of Peter Allen was him bursting onto Count Down singing ‘When my baby smiles at me, I go to Rio, de Janeiro.’ His performance was so wonderfully camp and over the top and energetic. I remember the gender of his “baby” was never mentioned giving an isolated country boy a little frisson of excitement. It was a number one hit for weeks.

The show, The Boy from Oz brought to us by the Canberra Philharmonic Society at the Erindale Theatre, is what is somewhat derogatively classified as a “jukebox musical” where they use existing hit songs, such as in ABBA’s Mamma Mia. It features over forty songs, almost all of them written by Allen, either alone or in collaboration. They include ‘Don’t Wish Too Hard’, ‘Quiet Please’, ‘There’s a Lady on Stage’, ‘(When) Everything Old is New Again’, ‘Arthur’s Theme’, ‘I Honestly Love You’ (a big hit for Olivia Newton-John), ‘I Still Call Australia Home’, ‘Don’t Cry Out Loud’, and ‘Tenterfield Saddler’.

The Boy from Oz was both artistically and commercially successful, winning many Tony awards including Best Musical and running for two years on Broadway. It premiered in Australia in 1998 with the later transfer to Broadway making some changes. It tells of Allen’s life set within the structure of a cabaret show. One of the challenges for the cast is playing and singing such well known performers such as Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Allen himself. Also featured is Allen’s salt-of-the-earth Mother, Marion, played

by Bronwyn Sullivan. Most recently seen spectacularly in Rep’s Jazz Garters, it’s a crucial role as Marion was the one who always had an unshakable faith in her son’s talent. After seeing Colleen Hewett play the role singing ‘Don’t Cry Out Loud’, Sullivan said, ‘this was a role I just had to play if it ever came to Canberra’.

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Peter Allen was one of Australia’s first and biggest gay icons. After some success in Australia he was touring Asia with the Allen Brothers where he met Judy Garland.

So many of her friends were gay that to be gay became the catch-cry “a friend of Dorothy” (Judy’s role in Wizard of Oz).

Peter was her closest friend, as he married her daughter, Liza Minnelli — not a totally successful marriage but they remained great friends.

One great thing about the show is how honestly it deals with Peter’s real life, his homosexuality and the importance of his companion and lover, Greg Connell. In New York Hugh Jackman as Allen passionately kissed Jarrod Emick playing Connell. However that seemed too hot in Australia where the characters didn’t kiss. No such nonsense in Philharmonic’s production. Allen was one of our first iconic deaths from AIDS, someone all Australian’s knew and love. The show doesn’t pull back from tragic and powerful moments in his life.

I think Fuse readers will be proud that this production has the roles of gay icon Allen and his partner, Connell both played by gay performers. Joining Jeff Van de Zandt as Greg Connell is our own Jarrad West, director of The Laramie Project and stunning performer in Singer, Dancer, Actor and The Musical of Musicals (The Musical). Liza Minnelli will be played by Annemaree McLeod and Judy Garland by Janie Lawson, challenging roles both dramatically and vocally.

The Boy from Oz. Erindale Theatre, Wanniassa Friday 13 August to Saturday 4 September 2010 Online bookings www.philo.org.au

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KATIE MELUA EAR CANDY

THE HOUSE

{

By Damien Pratt

ROBYN

COOL

Those of you who are familiar with Robyn will know what an electropop mega star she is and will also be equally as excited about her triple album release this year! That’s right, I said triple album release… count ‘em, 1…2…3 albums to be released in one year!

Katie Melua holds the record for the deepest underwater concert at 303m below sea level.

THIS YEAR SHE DOES THREE!!!

The first is to be titled Body Talk Part 1, the second to be titled… yep you guessed it, Body Talk Part 2 and the third — just to be a little different — Listen to your body: Body Talk Part 3. Although they are not going to be a full-length album each, Robyn insists that they will be more than just an EP. She feels that breaking a release up into three suits the listener more as they can concentrate better on fewer tracks. I guess this idea has some merit as there has been many times that I have listened to the beginning of a record over and over again due to time restrictions and the like. So to have a smaller album that I can listen to and enjoy all the tracks and then get another instalment later seems like a fair enough approach to me. Or maybe it’s just some sort of marketing technique that her record company has come up with?!

Robyn is a real musical talent; she was discovered in 1991 at the age of twelve by another performer that saw a lot of potential from the teenager during a workshop in her high school music class. The teen sensation was soon snapped up by a record company and has been producing little electropop gems ever since. I have been lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of the first single from the Body Talk Part 1 album, it’s titled ‘Dancing on My Own’ and it’s pretty good!

Robyn’s music has always been attractive to remix artists and I feel that this first single is no different, with many artists already having a crack at putting their own little mark on the Robyn fame. One such remix is by Fred Falke (a very in-demand remixing artist) and personally I find it better than the original. He’s replaced the overly poppy feel and given it a touch of house with some very schweet bass lines. Check it out on YouTube, you won’t be disappointed.

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Young, female, talented, incredibly attractive, Guinness Book of Records holder, mega rich and possibly bi-sexual; Have I ticked all the boxes for you yet ladies?! If so, then maybe you should add Katie Melua to your top ten “people to stalk” list. ‘ Katie Melua is a 26-year-old British singer/ songwriter who is immensely popular in the UK, and just starting to show up on our shores too.

Her career kicked off in 2003 and she now has four studio release albums under her belt with The House being her latest. Her music has been classified as folk-pop with elements of blues and jazz. This album is very beautiful with her voice the major musical feature in most of the tracks... and so it should be, it’s angelic really! The tracks are elegant and flawless and a real pleasure to listen to. Close your eyes and disappear into a world of love and dreams. Check out the film clip for ‘The Flood’ on YouTube… OMG! Yum! — You will see.

BUT TOTALLY USLESS MUSIC FACT!

The concert was held to celebrate the ten-yearanniversary of Statoil and was filmed for broadcast on Norwegian TV. The concert took place at the bottom of one of the four shafts of the Statoil Troll platform gas rig. The Troll platform is 472 m high (higher than the Eiffel Tower and the tallest structure ever moved by humans), of which 369M lies below sea surface.

After the concert Katie said, ‘This was definitely the most surreal gig I have ever done and it is pretty mad to think this afternoon I was playing a concert at the bottom of the sea and then this evening, having been flown back to London, I will be sitting at home with a cup of tea!’

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MONEY SHOT

MONEY & RELATIONSHIPS THIS MONTH!

YOU WANT TO DO WHAT!

FINANCIAL COMMITMENT AND COMMUNICATION, THAT SENSITIVE TWO-WAY STREET OF MONEY AND RELATIONSHIPS.

SOUNDS SEXY DOESN’T IT? You start dating someone; things go well, you decide to move in together and then wham! You start to discover that you think differently about money and how it should be managed and used.

This stuff can make or break a relationship and it sometimes requires a lot of good communication skills to have honest and non-argumentative conversations about it.

So what do people think about this? I have taken to the streets (well really to facebook) to chat about how this sensitive two-way street can be developed.

I spoke to ‘M’ who says that this is a really interesting topic, most recently M was in a relationship for six years. One of the strong parts of their relationship was that everything (bank account, credit cards) was in joint names after about the first six months.

But it is definitely a very tricky area as different people have different goals and priorities. They didn’t really plan for it but fell into it.

They were studying when they first met and had limited incomes but when they both started working full time it got a little trickier. The more money and surplus cash flow, the more complex the need for communication and discussion around how they would use it. I have often heard clients say, ‘If we just had some more money things would be easier’. From a professional prospective this isn’t the case as it all comes back to one thing: Communication around what you have and what you want.

M said it was hard to compromise sometimes; overseas trip verses a new car purchase was a hard decision. The trickier part was recognising that each person manages money a different way and that each member of the partnership had similar but also some different goals.

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M’s advice, if he was going to do it again: he would do it all the same way by setting aside funds to cover bills and money for longer term but always keep conversations about future plans open and honest. He is currently enjoying being single again where he does not have to compromise!

I then spoke with ‘T’ who has been living with their partner for twelve months.

They follow the 50:50 rule, where they split all living expenses except for their personal ‘play’ expenses. Holidays and stuff is all done on the 50:50 split as well, unless there are the romantic surprise trips away! They are planning to buy a new house together shortly and have had the conversation about protecting each other just in case their relationship goes south, ‘just in case you know!’ This sounds like they have mastered the communications around their dreams and hopes for the future which is great!

T’s tips to others, ‘Some people may have already put their finances together without discussing it. Splitting bills, food shopping etc and on a more serious note houses or cars. If it is something you and your partner have discussed and are comfortable with, it pays to have legal contracts written up (My note is that a Binding Financial Agreements can work here but get advice). It may be an awkward thing for some people to discuss, but nobody knows what is going to happen in the future and it’s better to be safe than sorry.’

I spoke with ‘J’ who has been in a relationship for five years. Two years ago as a couple they started to put together goals around what they, as a ‘we’, wanted to achieve and their shared goals and visions were brought to the surface through a framework which allowed them to each explore how they wanted to be together but also as individuals. Some self promotion here... They used a few of the financial life planning tools that I have in the moneymechanics tool belt to assist in bringing some of these to the surface.

J’s tips are to work out what your values are and what your relationship stands for. If you have future goals and dreams, are they compatible as individuals and what do you as a partnership do to achieve them. This is something that requires some readiness by those involved and may be challenging initially but open and honest communication is the key!

Thanks to M, T and J for their insights and good luck to you all in navigating what can sometimes be a challenging and confronting discussion or journey!

Scott Malcolm (scott@money-mechanics.com.au) is Director of Money Mechanics (ph: 6257 5557) who are authorised to provide financial advice through PATRON Financial Advice AFSL 307379.

The information provided on this document is of a general nature only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs.

Before acting on this information you should consider its appropriateness having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs.

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IF YOU HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE NEW SEX AND THE CITY MOVIE AND FEEL LIKE GOING AND BUYING A WHOLE NEW DESIGNER WARDROBE BUT DON’T HAVE THE DESIGNER BUDGET; HERE’S OUR GUIDE TO GETTING THE DESIGNER LOOK FOR LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE, WITHOUT LOOKING CHEAP!

GROOMING

I’m a big believer in getting value for money. Even though my friends and family beg to differ — I reckon I know a thing or two when it comes to shopping and getting a bargain. Yes I’m a major label junky and yes I do like the finer things in life, but I also don’t believe in paying $300 for a bow tie or $2000 on a bag. Shop during sale time I say! I always try and hold out ‘til the sales start if I want to get few hot designer fashion items. I only pay full price if it’s an emergency such as an unexpected event that comes up and I have nothing to wear — OMG! There’s nothing worse than buying something one week and seeing it on sale the next, so try to do some sneaky researching and ask the sales assistants if there are any mark downs coming up — you might get lucky and find out about an up and coming sale.

I have a few rules when it comes to some major purchases and when you’re about to pay a lot of money for something, you better be getting your money’s worth.

CHEAP &CHIC

THE DESIGNER LOOK ON A TIGHT BUDGET!

Firstly, ask yourself if you really need this item. I always say ‘yes’ and go straight to rule two... and that is to figure out if what you’re about to get is a seasonal piece or a classic piece. The difference is if you’re getting a seasonal piece you can only wear it in that current season, and you’re limited in your options in mixing and matching with different outfits and also you wont really want to keep wearing it in the coming years; whereas if you buy a classic piece, you’ll have something for years to come and you can style it up in many different ways. Thirdly, make up different outfit looks with what you’re planning on purchasing and what you already own. If I can make at least three outfits in my head I have pretty much handed over my credit card.

If I’m ever unsure of a purchase and the sales assistant is being annoying and just wants a fast sale, I walk out of the store and leave it.

But if you keep thinking about what you wanted to get and you can’t get it out of your mind, my rule is you’re meant to have it and you should definitely go back and get it.

In 2008 I was holidaying in Italy and one day I was shopping and I came across a Dolce & Gabbana trench coat; it was amazing, love at first sight, black with a slight shine in the fabric.

{ FUSE 26

By Chad Wijayatilake from Form Haircutters

It was the last one in my size, so of course I had to get it! It was on sale but still slightly over my budget and since I had a couple more weeks to go on my holiday, I thought I better be sensible and not get it and so I walked out of the store. About a minute after leaving the store I had about eleven outfits in my head and was back in the store maxing out my credit card sooner than you could say dolce dolce dolce! And at the same time figuring out how I was going to eat for the rest of my holiday.

The moral to this story is yes, I couldn’t afford this amazing trench and yes, it was way over priced, but I looked hot in it and it makes me happy every time I wear it and that’s all that matters.

Written like a true shopaholic!

FASHION TIP : USE YOUR FRIENDS

If you’re bored with your wardrobe and you don’t have the room or the money for new clothes, get your most stylish friend to come and create outfits with what you already have. A new vision can mean a whole new wardrobe. I did it for Skye who’s also on the cover of this month’s FUSE.

SEX AND THE CITY HAS BEEN ENORMOUSLY INFLUENTIAL ON FASHION. EACH OF THE FOUR CHARACTERS HAS HAD A DISTINCT STYLE CAREFULLY DEVELOPED FOR HER, SOMETHING WE SHOULD ALL DO FOR OURSELVES. • Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) is fearlessly fashionable; her style ranges from uptown chic and whimsy to sex kitten.

Stilettos are a staple, and designer pieces are mixed with flea market finds for Carrie’s unique look.

• Samantha (Kim Cattrall) wears sexy styles that exude confidence. She is a woman (with a capital “W”) and the message comes across loud and clear through strong styles and bold color.

• Charlotte (Kristin Davis) has a sweet, preppy style that is always accompanied by the proper bag and shoes.

Bows, cute prints and feminine styles play up the kind nature of her character.

• Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) looks like a very well-dressed career gal with chic corporate suits and androgynous styles.

FUSE 27

COFFEE TALK

what’s

fresh ? {

By Attilio Sciannimanica

COFFEE IS A VERY POPULAR DRINK — WITH AN AVERAGE COFFEE CONSUMPTION OF 9–11 KG PER PERSON PER ANNUM. LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE ‘FRESH’ IS ALWAYS BEST. BUT WITH SO MUCH COFFEE AVAILABLE NOWADAYS WITH LABELS ABOUT ‘FRESHNESS’ AND ‘QUALITY’, WE THOUGHT WE’D ASK COFFEE EXPERT ATTILIO SCIANNIMANICA TO CLEAR A FEW THINGS UP.

FRESHNESS TO COFFEE IS LIKE LOCATION IS TO REAL ESTATE: ABSOLUTELY PARAMOUNT! Firstly, if you really want the very best coffee you can have at home, you need to buy ‘fresh’ roasted coffee beans, that are preferably locally roasted. Apart from being fresher, the added bonus in local businesses and produce is that it’s also much better for the environment and your own community.

Freshly roasted beans take some days to develop, there is considerable change in them from the time of roasting — up to around a week for arabicas and longer for robustas, depending on the climate.

There is a one week ‘optimum drinking window’ in the beans after they have settled, during which the development of the beans plateaus and then inevitably starts to age down to a state of ‘staleness’. The beans must be stored in the best possible way or the process will be accelerated.

WHAT THEN IS ‘FRESH ROAST COFFEE’?

Is it (A) beans that are so fresh that they have not settled yet, in general have a woody undeveloped character, and undergo obvious changes as they develop? Or is it (B) beans that have been allowed to settle for a period of days and have developed with a lovely perfumed aroma, and are more stable?

Whether you agree with A or B the saying in the coffee industry that is called ‘The Three Rule’. It goes something like: • Green beans remain at their best for a period of say three years from the season picked; • Roasted beans remain at their best for a period of say three weeks from the day of roasting • Ground beans remain at their best for around say three minutes from time of grinding — beans should really only be ground immediately before use and only grind enough to be used in the one sitting.

WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT THIS? I recommend that beans are purchased and consumed within three weeks from roasting and to this end, we roast and carefully maintain appropriate stock levels to ensure this happens.

Drinkers wishing to explore the full range of characters of coffee should ask for ‘just roasted’ beans from the ‘settling’ containers, instead of buying beans that have already ‘settled’.

Attilio Sciannimanica is the Principal at CosmoreX Coffee and a specialist roaster situated in Fyshwick.

FUSE 28

CosmoreX Coffee is located at 47 Kembla Street Fyshwick.

CosmoreX also has a coffee shop at their roasting house where you can sit and try the different blends, while you watch the beans being roasted through the giant glass windows.

FUSE 29

OUT & ABOUT

33 Petrie Plaza Civic, Canberra City www.cubenightclub.com.au

GIRL THING

It’s a Girl Thing

It’s on again, Cube’s bi-monthly girls only event is back on in August with FREE pool, discounted drinks and a FREE beverage for the first 25 through the door. Don’t miss this opportunity to catch the diverse musical stylings of Canberra’s hottest female DJs TORI MAC and ROBBIE. Doors open at 9pm with FREE entry until 11pm so make your way down to Cube for a girls only night of fun proudly sponsored by Pink Sofa. Take a break from the everyday and learn to play the gay way at Cube.

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}

MORE THAN A NIGHTCLUB

Cube is a home away from home with a sense of family so unique it cannot be compared. Canberra’s premier gay venue along with ARIA accredited resident DJs provide a mix of music beyond the charts.

FU SE FUSE 31 31

@

OUT & ABOUT

THIS MONTH

HUSH

CHILL OUT EVERY WEDNESDAY @ HUSH, WITH LIVE MUSIC AND $10 PIZZAS!!!

Every week at HUSH we now have Acoustic Wednesdays with Rock Nation Unplugged, organising local musicians to sing and play.

That means that every Wednesday night we turn down the lights, turn down the volume and unplug the amps for an intimate session with Canberra’s finest musicians — this is not a rock event, so come and chill out with us.

COMING UP AT HUSH IN JULY Friday 9th Saturday 10th Friday 16th Saturday 24th Friday 30th Saturday 31st

DJ Brooklyn Karaoke DJ Daniel Phonaphopia Karaoke 6 Course Degustation Menu Ashanti Corsets and Lingerie Launch

FINE DINING NOW

AT HUSH LOUNGE Come by and enjoy a fine wine and dine in with HUSH on Thursday evenings with our exclusive new menu options for both meat lovers or vegetarians. There is something delicious for everyone. Bookings call Joel 0433 858 467.

THREE COURSE MEAL WITH ONE GLASS OF WINE OR BASIC BEER FOR ONLY $35.

The menu is a set menu with a vegetarian option.

This event will be held every Thursday and the menu will change from week to week.

Corner of Launceston & Irving Streets Phillip www.hushlounge.com.au ~ 02 6282 1944

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}

WWW.HUSHLOUNGE.COM.AU CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE FOR THE FULL LINE UP OF LIVE MUSIC, KARAOKE NIGHTS, SPECIAL EVENTS, PARTIES & MORE!

Lesbians have the same risk of cervical cancer as heterosexual women.

Genital HPV is spread through genital skin contact during sexual activity. Over time an abnormality can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated.

Having a Pap test is not always easy for lesbians, as community acceptance and recognition of lesbians and lesbian relationships can vary. Finding access to a practitioner who is knowledgeable and understanding of lesbian health issues may be difficult.

SHFPACT’s all female doctors & nurses have been providing sensitive health care to our community for almost 40 years.

The choice to disclose information about your sexuality is yours, so don’t feel that you have to. It may, however, result in a better and more informed health care experience.

For info phone 6247 3077 or visit www.shfpact.org.au

FUSE 33

HEALTH

E R A W BE

OWS L L E F D E B E G STRAN {

HERE’S SOME FABULOUS NEWS FOR YOU IF YOU’VE MISSED IT SO FAR. IT’S SERIOUSLY ALL THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IN SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE. We have another STI that has decided to set up camp amongst men!

Oh yes, when you thought it wasn’t enough that we have HIV, Syphilis, Chlamydia, Herpes, Genital Warts, Crabs and the most recently en vogue Gonorrhoea to worry about, along comes ‘LGV’.

So what the hell is LGV? Its typically near unpronounceable name is Lymphogranuloma Venereum (and I thought Gonorrhoea was a pain in the ass to spell!) but for brevity we refer to it as LGV. LGV is a bacterial infection quite similar to Chlamydia but more aggressive and with more noticeable symptoms (I know, an STI with symptoms — how exciting!).

LGV isn’t so much a new STI, it has just decided to poke its head up with outbreaks being found in Europe and America amongst groups of sexually active gay men. It has only recently been picked up in more than occasional isolated cases in Sydney, with eight cases identified in the last four months.

Dr Chris Bourne, Head of the NSW STI Programs Unit at the Sydney Sexual Health Centre, has said that, ‘It appears that the group most at risk from this outbreak of LGV is men who have sex with men who have unprotected anal intercourse with casual partners. This group includes some gay men with HIV who choose not to use condoms with partners who are also HIV positive. This puts these men at high risk of LGV.’ For men symptoms start to appear a few days after infection, including: • Blood or mucous discharge from the anus • Pain or discomfort on passing bowel motions • Constipation Alexandra Tyson from Canberra Sexual Health Centre says that the testing for LGV is ‘quite simple, requiring a sample taken from the rectum’ similar to an exam for rectal Gonorrhoea. Specific tests are required and the samples sent to labs in Sydney or Melbourne. Results will take two weeks to come back. Alexandra continued that ‘treatment is with a three week course of antibiotics’. Like Chlamydia quick detection and treatment is recommended as the longer that someone goes untreated the more chance of complications arising, such as scarring and tissue damage. This is especially important for gay men that are HIV positive.

FUSE 34

By Keiran Rossteuscher

Safe sex with condoms and water-based lube, gloves when fisting (new condoms and gloves for each partner), and cleaning sex toys between uses or using condoms and not sharing douching equipment will all reduce the chances of spreading LGV and many other STIs. Washing hands with soap and water after sex can also reduce the chances of transmission.

STRIP THE AIDS ACTION COUNCIL WILL BE STARTING THE NEXT ROUND OF STRIP CLINICS AT THE END OF JULY. STRIP is a free sexual health check up service run several times a year with the help of Canberra Sexual Health Centre and Interchange General Practice. Clinics are held at Westlund House for all members of the LGBT community on Saturday mornings (10:00 am – 12:00 pm, July 24th – August 14th) and for men only at Champions Mustang Ranch (6:00 – 8:30 pm, July 22nd – August 19th) with a free re-entry pass given so the guys can come and get their results the next week.

Check out aidsaction.org.au/strip for more information about free sexual health screening.

The last round of clinics held after Mardi Gras this year were some of the most successful we have had in the ten years of the program.

Any gay or bisexual men that have any of the symptoms for LGV should get a sexual health screening and any necessary treatment as soon as possible.

Call 6257 2855 to book an appointment for STRIP or call 6244 2184 to speak to a clinician at Canberra Sexual Health Centre.

FUSE 35

FEATURE

{

By Hilary Caldwell (MHSc – Sexual Health) Sexuality Counsellor : Call 0430 855 739

RELATIONSHIPS & SEX WHEN LIBIDOS DIFFER FUSE 36

SEXUAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT SURVIVE AND ARE ENJOYED EQUALLY ARE THOSE THAT HAVE BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN EARLY LIMERENCE AND THE LATER COMFORT AND SECURITY THAT LONG TERM RELATIONSHIPS OFFER.

HOW THE LOW LIBIDO PERSON MIGHT FEEL Hates themselves; don’t understand what’s happening; bored; sick of their partner; no energy; has a problem; thinks their partner is a sex maniac; pressured to have sex; sex is a duty; only valued for one thing; like they have no time;

why should you have sex if your partner is not supportive or loving?

feels sorry for partner or self; feels selfish or mean; too stressed; body is property;

Limerence refers to being in romantic love where there is an abundance of hearty lust.

It is commonly thought that wedding cake or lesbian death bed (gay men experience this too) causes libido to dwindle, as if earlier interest in sex was a ploy to catch the desired mate. Blaming either partner for their lessening libido or for their ‘one track mind’ perpetuates any communication difficulties and will not result in one’s desires being satisfied.

How often a person wants sex is influenced by many factors. The most common causes of not being interested in sex, in any way (even fantasising), include low self esteem, mental health issues, medical issues (including the effects of drugs) and low energy levels. The most common causes of not being interested in having sex with a partner, when sexual fantasy is still rich, are relationship issues. Many people believe that women need security in relationships more than men and value romantic gestures that include more affection over the sexual act. Recent evidence shows that men and women have similar needs of affection and of sexual expression.

No two people are going to have the same sex drives all the time. Although no one is responsible for anyone else’s sexual needs, in a monogamous relationship it is understood that the only sex that is going to occur is between the couple. This can set up patterns of behaviour where the person who wants the most sex ends up putting pressure on the other person. Or the person with the lower libido holds sex to ransom and demands certain favours, behaviours etc. Another difficulty is that sexual needs fluctuate all the time and particularly during a woman’s menstrual cycle and times of success or stress in relationships. Good communication between partners is the most effective way of achieving an acceptable level of sexual activity and this requires that each person is willing to try to understand how the other might feel.

no privacy; everyone else wants sex; tired.

POSSIBLE REASONS: Ageing; depression; sickness; medication; low fitness; bad diet; body image issues; alcoholism or drug abuse; hormone abnormalities; relationship problems; living conditions.

Contrary to myth, the menopause in Women doesn’t usually cause loss of libido, and many women feel a lot sexier and have more orgasms in the postmenopausal part of their life.

HOW THE HIGH LIBIDO PERSON MIGHT FEEL That something is wrong with them; randy; entitled; ripped off;

betrayed; like having an affair; the other person doesn’t love them;

there is something wrong with their partner; feels sorry for partner; doomed if you ask for it and doomed if you don’t; feel selfish or mean;

partner is too fussy about sex; why can’t they just do it?

don’t want pity sex; would be happy with just pity sex; happy; low self esteem; just want to be loved; everyone else is getting it;

no outlet for stress release; bored; full of energy.

POSSIBLE REASONS: Happy and healthy; youth; high fitness levels; *hyperadrenalism; depression; bipolar disorder; self esteem issues. *Hyperadrenalism is caused by high levels of adrenal hormones within the body.

SOME IDEAS THAT MIGHT

HELP WITH YOUR SEX LIFE Be nice to each other; flirt; compliment; read about sex; watch porn or read erotica; schedule dates when sex may occur; schedule other dates when sex may not occur but 100 per cent attention is on each other; show your partner you are making an effort; consider your relationship an investment for the future.

Many people these days have extremely busy and stressful lives.

This can lead to all sorts of health and mental issues — including low sex drive. Remember to take time out to spend with your partner — do the things that make you both feel good. Oh, and a holiday, weekend or romantic dinner may just be the magic you need.

A better question than, ‘How often do you have sex?’ might be ‘How satisfied are you in your relationship?’

FUSE 37

FOOTLIGHTS Canberra audiences are in for a rare treat with the Royal New Zealand ballet’s production of Romeo and Juliet. The music by Sergei Prokofiev, probably best known for his Peter and the Wolf, has one of the biggest, most well known hit tunes.

Featured in numerous commercials, rock songs, soundtracks and even computer games, the item, The Montagues and the Capulets, also known as the Dance of the Knights, will be thrilling to hear.

It’s ‘a dark and atmospheric piece, it has become a de facto signature tune for the Soviet era, and is used as the soundtrack for numerous dramas, documentaries and adverts that have Soviet subject matter.’

Pulling out all the stops, the music will be played live by the excellent Canberra Symphony Orchestra conducted by Tom Woods. Their recent sell-out performance of Verdi’s Requiem was a triumph. If you haven’t seen the Canberra Symphony live at Llewellyn Hall yet, don’t miss their last two concerts, featuring Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Bruch’s popular Violin Concerto.

There’s even a special deal for people who’ve never been.

Too often Australian audiences have been duped by seventh rate touring companies from Russia with amateur choreography, recorded sound and stinking, unwashed costumes. I sat through a production several years ago at the Canberra Theatre where the set consisted of a large, multicoloured backdrop from some exuberant production, with holes cut out for doorways. There is none of that with this production.

Christopher Hampson’s staging of Romeo & Juliet was first performed by the Royal New Zealand Ballet in 2003 and, following a hugely successful UK tour, it was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Production in 2005.

The production is inspired by the look of Fellini’s La Dolce Vita and Baz Luhrmann’s film version so expect to see something lavish and dramatic. It features rich and bloody colours from designer Tracy Grant Lord. The costumes are a mix of stunning and drab. The set at times stark and simplistic, other times featuring a sweeping staircase and enormous rear projections.

Probably no other play of Shakespeare’s has been adapted more and this production has all the indicators of being one not to miss.

Romeo and Juliet. Canberra Theatre.

Tuesday 10 August to Saturday 14 August 2010. Bookings 6275 2700

FUSE 38

{

By Robert Henderson

Tilley’s

Devine Café Gallery

TILLEY’S IS NESTLED IN TREE LINED LYNEHAM JUST 4KM FROM THE CITY

For over 26 years Tilley’s has been famous for it’s breakfasts, lunches, and dinners... and of course its fabulous coffees. Tilley’s attracts not only ‘regulars’ but visitors from overseas and interstate who enjoy the all-day menu specials, and oh such lovely cake!

Internationally renowned for legendary blues, jazz and classical concerts, Tilley’s continues to attract artists of international calibre who prefer the intimacy of a warm theatre atmosphere clad in red velvet, brass and dark timber booths.

With a fully licensed bar, one can enjoy Champagne with breakfast, or in the evening savour our broad range of wines, spirits or boutique beers on tap.

OPENING HOURS 9am – 10pm Monday to Saturday 9am – 6pm Sunday

Darren Hanlon @ Tilley’s Saturday 14th August 2010

Darren Hanlon releases his new album ‘I Will Love You At All’ on 16 July 2010 via Flippin’ Yeah Industries/MGM and will take to our towns and cities this August.

He will appear at Tilley’s on Saturday 14th August 2010.

“Here is a man who loves words, not just the sound of his own voice. And he makes those words into stories that seem like conversations you’ve walked in on or lives you have lived, unaware that someone was watching while you did it.” — Bernard Zuel, Sydney Morning Herald Tickets available at www.flippinyeah.com

To reserve your favourite table or booth phone us on 6247 7753 Corner of Wattle & Brigalow Streets, Lyneham • www.tilleys.com.au FUSE 39

You’ve been working all week and if you’re like me, you’ve most likely burnt the candle from both ends.

GROOMING

The week’s woes have started to show in your eyes, but we have the perfect solution to make you look like you’ve just got back from a summer holiday! And no I’m not talking about fake tan, although that can help.

This may seem like a military operation but trust me it’s worth it if you’re keen to rid yourself of that tired look.

Firstly, I always suggest some time out for an hour or so. A hot bath with scented candles is a great idea; get your blood circulation going, warm up from the winter cold, and of course loosen your muscles for the weekend’s activities — whatever that means for you.

After a relaxing bath, start with a toner and a good quality moisturiser. Then grab some saline eye drops — three per eye and repeat after a minute. For those who’ve never used eye drops before, they’ll reduce irritation and help keep your eyes clear and bright later on when everyone else is looking like Lindsay Lohan.

This next step is a secret to all celebrity make-up artists: hemorrhoid cream. Yep you heard right, I did say hemorrhoid cream, but it’s not for your bum kids.

I know it sounds kind of weird and possibly a little gross, but it really works wonders around your eyes and can take years off, instantly! The ingredients in this product will reduce puffiness and remove bags.

Apply a sheer amount under your eyes, but be very careful not to get too close, this is powerful stuff.

You’ll notice a huge difference in the tightness of the skin. Your local chemist sells this product.

Note, although this is a common usage, makers of hemorrhoid creams have asked people not to use it for puffy eyes because of potentially harmful effects.

Next, you’ll be surprised how effective a big glass of fresh juice can be instead of alcohol whilst getting ready to got out. I know it’s not as much fun, but the natural sugars and nutrients will give you a great energy buzz. Fruit is fabulous for your skin and can give it a real boost. How someone looks on the outside is most often a reflection of what they’ve put inside.

FINISHING TOUCHES! As for make up, I say go for it. And this isn’t just for the gals — it’s OK for boys too!

Weekend is here!

LOSE THAT TIRED TOUGH WEEK LOOK

FUSE 40

{

By Byron Turnbull

➊

A highlighting concealer lighter than your skin tone for under the eye area — remember to tap onto the skin and not drag.

➋ ➌

A light dust of a bronzing powder on your cheeks, nose and forehead.

An application of a luscious lip balm will finish you off.

Hope these tips have helped you look and feel great again — Enjoy life!

Thurs nights @ Champions: 22 July - 19 Aug Sat mornings @ Westlund House: 24 July - 14 Aug

www.aidsaction.org.au/strip

FUSE 41

OUT & ABOUT

WEAR IT WITH PRIDE LAUNCH

Photos by Kieth @ www.fauxtografix.com.au IT’S HUGE. 85 FEDERAL LAWS THAT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST SAME-SEX COUPLES AND THEIR FAMILIES HAVE BEEN REFORMED. ‘WEAR IT WITH PRIDE’ WAS LAUNCHED IN CANBERRA AT THE HUSH LOUNGE 19 JUNE 2010 . INFO @ WEARITWITHPRIDE.COM.AU

LOCAL & WORLD NEWS ≥ THE ENTERTAINMENT BUZZ GAY & LESBIAN MESSAGE BOARD & DIRECTORY WHAT’S ON ≥ SOCIAL SCENE ≤ FEATURES & MORE!

PLUS YOU CAN VIEW FUSE MAGAZINE ONLINE

> WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU < FUSE 42

FUSE 43

FEATURE

LOCAL CANBERRA GIRL JULIE STENTON HAS JUST LAUNCHED HER FIRST ALBUM, CATCHING BREAM WITH HER BAND, RUBY FOR LUCY.

{

Interview by Alex Thatcher

After finishing at Canberra UNI, Julie decided to teach herself to play guitar.

After three years of practice she met fellow songstress Kat Borghetti (who just happened to live around the corner from her) and decided to start a girl band.

They called it Ruby for Lucy — she’s not looked back since.

FUSE 44

RUBY

4

LUCY

The girl’s new album, Catching Bream, which was recorded at Limestone Studios in Sydney, has been described as by Leon Hill of The A&R Department as having an ‘indie-folk fairytale vibe’, which is pretty spot on.

We recently had a chat to Julie about her and Kat, her music and the band.

FUSE : I always think it’s great to see Canberra girls out showing the country how it’s done. It seems your band is kicking along famously. Can you tell us how you girls got together?

Julie : Eek, we actually met online! Through a music website — sounds a bit weird doesn’t it? I had posted an ad because I was interested in meeting someone to write songs with. Kat answered it that same day and, after a few emails back and forth, we discovered that we lived around the corner from each other, were the same age and working in the same industry. Rather odd, really! So, I walked over to Kat’s house with my guitar, and we’ve been together ever since.

Ruby for Lucy is a great name for a band, is there a story behind that?

Ruby and Lucy are characters in our little musical fairytale! It gets a little bit confusing actually, with neither of us being Ruby or Lucy.

I’d probably answer to either though!

How do you describe your sound?

Well, it has an acoustic singer/songwriter feel to it.

But it’s also a little bit dreamy. Close-your-eyes-andpretend kinda stuff!

RUBYFORLUCY.COM

Were you playing the guitar and singing at Daramalan College in Canberra?

No, at Daramalan I was more into writing.

And being a teenager! I didn’t really pick up a guitar, with any seriousness, until I moved away from home.

Has music always been in your blood?

Talking about spooky, we saw you on Sunrise (Channel 7) a while back — was that scary?

OH YES! It was horrifically scary. We were smuggled in through a side door, wired up and led into the studio. They sat us on stools and told us to play when we were pointed at. Yikes, just thinking about it gives me butterflies.

Where do you think you girls and ‘Ruby for Lucy’ are headed in the furture?

Ha, no idea. We’re just rolling along with it. We have a few folk festivals lined up this year, which is so lovely. We really like playing during the day! We’re such nanas.

So who is your favourite female artist?

Not really. I mean, my Dad was always singing Kenny Rogers’ songs in the kitchen when I was little, but I’m not sure it’s in the blood! My folks bought my sister and I an organ when we were in primary school though.

Pretty cool, huh? Piano with pedals. Not super portable, but certainly different.

Aimee Mann. Without a doubt. She’s a strong lady and her lyrics are exceptional.

You should go and listen to ‘Beautiful’ right away, don’t waste a second! You can download it on iTunes.

Wow an organ, that’s like so 80s of them. So your new album, Catching Bream, has been described as having an ‘indie-folk fairytale vibe’, how would descibe it?

I’ll do that and hopefully so will our readers. With such a busy touring schedule ahead of you, do you think you’ll get back to Canberra to do a gig here?

It’s a tricky one to pop into a box! I guess it’s a mix of Folk Rock, Acoustic and Alternative. The lyrics are quite descriptive and we do like to tell stories.

What are your favourite songs off the new release?

Ooh, my favourite is ‘Song for a Ghost’ — the way it turned out is exactly what I had in my head. It sounds a little spooky actually... sweet, but spooky.

We sure hope so! With any luck we’ll be at The Merry Muse in Turner, before too long.

Gotta play one for the olds, see? And I must take Kat to Questacon — she’d love it.

Listen to a selection of songs by Ruby for Lucy at MySpace. www.myspace.com/rubyforlucy

FUSE 45

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY REGULAR QUEER EVENTS

GLBTQ COMMUNITY DIRECTORY

HANGOUTS

Q RADIO ON 2XX FM98.3 Canberra Queer Radio Show.

Saturdays 7pm – 9pm 2XX, 98.3FM Canberra’s own GLBTQ radio show.

CUBE NIGHTCLUB Canberra’s premier gay night club venue along with ARIA accredited resident DJs playing a mix of music beyond the charts.

DYKE DINNER & MOVIE GROUP More info on FUSE website or see Canberra Lesbians on Facebook.

GAY & LESBIAN TENNIS Mondays 6pm – 9pm. Turner Tennis Club, Cnr McCaughey and Condamine Streets. Bring a tennis racquet, shoes and $5.

GAY ACT SQUASH GROUP Wednesdays 6.30pm – 7.30pm.

National Sports Club, Mouat St, Lyneham. For more info: GayACTSquash@gmail.com

COMMUNITY GROUPS FUSE 46

BENT LENSES Canberra’s very own Queer screen culture group. www.bentlenses.org GIRL THING ON RAW FM 87.6 Wednesdays & Sundays from 7pm For girls who like girls. Presented

by Tori Mac, an hour of sexy house and electro served up girly style.

QWIRE WANTS YOU! Want to be involved with Canberra’s own gay and lesbian choir? Singers and non-singers encouraged. More info: canberraqwire@yahoo.com.au RAINBOW BOWLERS Meet new people on ‘Gay Bowling’ Sunday nights at Belconnen Bowling Alley. 1 Emu Bank from 7pm.

RAINBOW BUBS A playgroup for same sex parents and their kids. Email Michelle at hoogied@yahoo. com for info.

ACTQUEER A free email list for LGBTI people in Canberra and surrounding region. groups.yahoo.com/group/actqueer

AIDS ACTION COUNCIL The AIDS Action Council provides information, support and services.

More info: www.aidsaction.org.au

BIT BENT YOUTH GROUP Meet other young people, get support or just hang out. Mondays at Belconnen Youth Centre 6pm – 8pm and Thursdays at the Woden Youth Centre 5pm – 6.30pm. For more info email: bit_bent@hotmail.com

ACTOUT ACTOUT is an informal outdoorsie activities group for Canberra’s gay and lesbian community. More details: www.fusemagazine.com.au UNI OF CANBERRA LGBTI GROUP A social group for all LGBTI students staff at the University of Canberra.

Queer Space is located at the UCSA building 1 Uni of Canberra. Info email: sexuality@theucsa.org.au

CANBERRA BEARS Bears at the Bar is held at 4pm, first Sunday of each month at The HUSH Lounge. For the bear facts and info check out: www.bearscanberra.com

LONG YANG CLUB ACT A social club for Asian and nonAsian gays and their friends. More info: lyccanberra@gmail.com

RAINBOW BUBS Rainbow Bubs and IVF Support Group is a playgroup for same sex parents and their kids as well as a support group for GLBTQ people who are thinking about starting a family.

More info: hoogied@yahoo. com

FRUITS IN BOOTS A social and support network for rural GLBTI members outside the ACT. Email: fruitsinboots@gmail.com

CANBERRA GAP GROUP A social group for women that like women. More info email: krisscorpio@hotmail.com

33 Petrie Plaza Civic, Canberra City. www.cubenightclub.com.au More p30 THE HUSH LOUNGE Hush is a unique and stylish gay and lesbian (GLBTI) lounge bar. It has a friendly, relaxed and chilled feel about it with regular live music, shows and great food.

Cnr Launceston & Irving Streets, Phillip. www.hushlounge.com.au More p32 TILLEY’S DEVINE CAFE For over 26 years Tilley’s has been a gathering place for the gay and lesbian community. Warm and sumptuous, it’s famous for its food and fabulous coffees and cake. Tilley’s is a place for everyone.

With a fully licensed bar, you can enjoy champagne with breakfast, or in the evening savour a broad range of wines, spirits or boutique beers.

Corner of Wattle & Brigalow Streets, Lyneham. To reserve your favourite table or booth call us on 6247 7753. More p39 BAR32 Bar32 is gay friendly bar and nightclub with a mixed younger crowd. Indy and alternative dance music and bands.

32 Northbourne Avenue, Canberra City. www.bar32.com CHAMPIONS MEN’S LOUNGE Canberra’s men’s space. Champions Lounge is located within Mustang Ranch and is a venue for men who want to meet men. More p47

Want to know ‘What’s On’ or be listed here, then visit us at www.fusemagazine.com.au

FUSE 47

DEAR ROSE

Dear Rose, I’m 37 and am “out” at work and with my friends but not with my family, who live interstate (Country QLD). The only family member I have told has told me NOT to tell anybody else, as it will only go badly. Your thoughts? — Steve Dear Steve, As much as I hate to say it, your relative is probably right, more than likely it will go badly. Whether they find out now or later, they will eventually find out, even if they do live in country QLD.

But let me ask you this, how much worse would it be if they find out this incredibly personal piece of information by someone else?

Someone wise told me once,’You cannot control what everyone else thinks of you; you can however, control how you behave’.

So you can go with the status quo and leave things as they are, knowing that someday the question might be asked, or you can be pro active and be honest with them and yourself and control how you behave with this issue.

If you do decide that you are going to tell them expect; 1. They will be shocked 2. They won’t understand 3. They may not want to speak to you for a while 4. They will be disappointed If you decide that you are going to come out to your family, I would suggest a time when there is no special family event going on.

Arrange alternative accomodation if need be, or bring someone with you that will be supportive and on your side, a friend (not a lover) from the scene perhaps?

I can tell you this, after you do come out, regardless of the outcome with your family, you may feel initially terrible about the situation, but I guarantee you will feel much better about who you are. I felt like I didn’t have to pretend I was something that I am not, and no one has asked me since whether I have a new boyfriend. That alone was worth it!

48

If you would like to write to dear rose please email her at dearrose@fusemagazine.com.au ~ letters are placed either here or on the Fuse website fusemagazine.com.au

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Dear Rose, I’ve always been committed to attending church and most people know I’m gay and think nothing of it. Last month our church was appointed a new Pastor, who speaks of damnation for gay people. This has made it uncomfortable for me, but I’m hesitant to leave my friends and a church I have attended for the past five+ years. What should I do? — RC Dear RC, I wish that I could say ‘just find a new church to attend’ but there are few churches who embrace the concept of acceptance of all people into their fold. So forget for a moment that you are gay, as a Christian would you find what or how the pastor spoke as being offensive? And if you did is it possible that others in the congregation may also have found it offensive? After all, it is more than likely most of your church community would probably have a son, daughter or close relative that is gay.

Dear Brian, Having been in that position of letting myself go in a comfy relationship once, I understand completely how he feels. The chase is over, I’ve found my man... sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labour!

My suggestion would be that you might consider speaking to the Pastor privately and perhaps discuss with him that you find his attitude towards this subject as offensive. Whilst some have interpreted and pointed Christian teachings specifically to this subject, it seems that most have missed the point of Christianity; things such as brotherhood, caring for one another, community and acceptance.

There are lots of things that you can do to get the boyfriend back into being “six-pack-alicious”. Eat less and move more would be my first suggestion! Banish from the house anything that resembles comfort food and begin nightly walks after dinner. Start to socialise more and find a sport that you both like to play or anything that resembles activity. It could be dancing, the gym, nude yoga... anything! If sport isn’t both your thing, then try short getaways, hiking, camping or visiting friends in other states.

As a country, if we expect changes from churches, we need to participate in the process of addressing all issues instead of silently accepting or ignoring these problems. When questioned by the apostles during teachings, Jesus didn’t say ‘It is this way just ‘cause I said so!’ there was discussion and questions.

What you need to do is change the scenery in your relationship, by doing this you are breaking up the monotony and the inevitable boredom that comes with a long term committed relationship. By doing these things it will give him a kick start and you a feeling that something is at least happening!

After all, if this Pastor spoke or preached in a workplace this kind of discussion, it would be considered not only offensive but even unlawful, and would you have been the first one to say, ‘This is not on’?

Dear Rose, I’ve been living with my partner for three years now. Recently he has really let himself go and has replaced his abs with a pot belly. I’ve tried to be cool about it, but sexually, it’s just not happening for me now. He’s says I’m being shallow. — Brian

FUSE

Rose

Dear

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