FUSE28 : Be yourself... colour outside the lines (Boy Cover) by FUSE Magazine

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LIFE LOVE 28 24 EQUALITY

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CONTENTS

FUSE MAGAZINE MADE IN AUSTRALIA MAY / JUN 2012

LIFE LOVE 28 EQUALITY EDITOR Alexander Thatcher ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Tony Hamlyn

POLITICAL EDITOR Simon Copland

FUSE FEATURES

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Yasmin Element CREATIVE DIRECTOR Christopher Powell PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Linda Djumlija CONTRIBUTORS Scott Malcolm Jacqui Bushell Rose Pappalardo Stuart Poole Robert Henderson Colby Kern Morrell Lachlan Keddie Melisa Paz Kyle Manning JC Alvarez PHOTOGRAPHERS Keith Jeffers Rick Day Gaytravel.com Daniel Liebeck CONTACT FUSE Telephone: 0412 309 992 Email: hello@fusemagazine.com.au Mail: PO Box 3577 Manuka ACT 2603 Published + designed by: Lithium Innovation Pty Ltd www.lithium.net.au ISSN 1836-8387

Meet lesbian pop songstress LALA. She’s setting the dance seen on fire with her new brand of dance music, unique fashion and outrageous showmanship.

There is no doubting that iPhonegraphy is currently the hottest hobby on the planet. We look at why the photo app Instagram is just so damn popular and how it’s changed the face of photography forever.

Sam Sparro rocked the world with his 2008 hit ‘Black and Gold’ and now the white soul boy returns to glory with his new album. After performing at Sydney Mardi Gras last month we chatted to Sam about his life and his music.

30 Stressed out? Join the club. We look at some simple ways to keep you free, gay and healthy.

FUSE OP.ED 27

29 Lachlan Keddie writes about the big difference between disapproval and persecution.

FUSE REGULARS

WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU 35 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 FUSE publisher, editor or 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.

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FFUUSSEE

TTHIIRR Editor’s Rant BBIIRRTH THH DD The Flicks IISSSSUUDDAAYY EE What’s On Round Up : News & Politics Fabulous Things Buzz : Entertainment & Gossip Homo Heritage : Roseanne Style : Colour Outside the Lines Money Shot : Money Can Bring Happiness Out & About : Cube Nightclub Out & About : Sydney Mardi Gras Travel : World Pride 2012 Ear Candy : Music Reviews & Gossip Top Queer : Are you Cruzing Stargazer : Your Horoscope FUSE Community Directory Dear Rose 1

EDITOR’S EDITOR’SRANT RANT

❂ HAPPY BIRTHDAY FUSE Birthdays are funny things. In our youth we love them but as we get older... eh, not so much. As we enter into our fourth year here at FUSE we’re still loving our birthdays and feeling very grateful for all the fantastic community support we have had from everyone — including our readers, contributors and advertisers — who make it possible to go to print with each issue. Over the years we have had the pleasure of meeting and working with so many amazing people, talented writers, photographers and artists, and I’m sure that there will be many more to come. Alexander Thatcher Editor

In this, our third birthday issue, we have some great features for your reading pleasure: With the help of Jacqui Bushell, Naturopath and Herbalist, we look at being happy and living stress free in today’s demanding world. So many of us live under high pressure, often feeling completely overwhelmed. Being happy can be just plain hard work in itself. But all is not lost. Our five simple ways will get you on the right track to being fulfilled and happy everyday. p30. We also look at the hobby that has literally taken the world by storm, Instagram. With over 40 million users this photo app helps individuals see the world in a whole new way and reminds us of the beauty in everything — even the mundane. With Instagram every click has the potential to make a fabulous picture. Find out what all the fuss is about. p18. We chat to openly gay white soul boy, Sam Sparro. Fresh from Mardi Gras, we talk to him about music, love lost, his quest for happiness and his dog, George Michael III. p24.

Tony Hamlyn Entertainment Editor

And lastly we interview lesbian pop mistress LALA. We wanted to know more about the girl who’s been turning heads and making a new style of dance music that has gay and straight party goers begging for more. p10. PS: A big thank you for everyone who posted so many wonderful birthday wishes on the FUSE facebook page. Enjoy, Alex.

Simon Copland Political Editor

Vik Fraser I really enjoy FUSE. Loved the Krystal Warren article in FUSE27. My partner and I jumped straight online after reading it to listen to her music ourselves! Keep up the good work, FUSE is one of our favourite treats! March 21 Wednesday at 02:26pm Keiran Rossteuscher AAC Congrats for threee years of reflecting the thoughts, feelings, joys, diversity and vibrancy of the Canberra GLBTI community! April 04 Wednesday at 08:30am John Turley Happy Birthday FUSE. Well done on three years. FUSE is a gr8 mag! I looking forward to many more. Keep up the good work. April 04 Wednesday at 07:32pm

Yasmin Element Associate Editor

Christopher Powell Creative Director

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MOVIES IRON SKY : OPENS 10 MAY In the last moments of World War II, a secret Nazi space program evaded destruction by fleeing to the Dark Side of the Moon. During 70 years of utter secrecy, the Nazis construct a gigantic space fortress with a massive armada of flying saucers.

THE AVENGERS : OPENS 25 APRIL

When American astronaut James Washington (Christopher Kirby) puts down his Lunar Lander a bit too close to the secret Nazi base, the Moon Führer (Udo Kier) decides the glorious moment of retaking the Earth has arrived sooner than expected. Washington claims the mission is just a publicity stunt for the President of the United States (Stephanie Paul), but what else could the man be but a scout for the imminent attack by Earth forces? The Fourth Reich must act!

Continuing the epic big-screen adventures started in Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers is the superhero team up of a lifetime. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, Nick Fury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency, finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster.

THE FLICKS Two Nazi officers, ruthless Klaus Adler (Götz Otto) and idealistic Renate Richter (Julia Dietze), travel to Earth to prepare the invasion. In the end when the Moon Nazi UFO armada darkens the skies, ready to strike at the unprepared Earth, every man, woman and nation alike, must re-evaluate their priorities.

THE DICTATOR OPENS 16 MAY SILENT SOULS : OPENS 17 MAY When Miron’s beloved wife Tanya passes away, he asks his best friend Aist to help him say goodbye to her according to the rituals of the Merja culture, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe from Lake Nero, a picturesque region in West-Central Russia. Although the Merja people assimilated into Russians in the 17th century, their myths and traditions live on in their descendants’ modern life. New York Times Sex and death are inextricably entwined in Silent Souls, a melancholy poem to love, loss and the tug of tradition

✔

The Dictator is the latest comedy creation from Sacha Baron Cohen. The heroic story of a dictator, General Aladeen, who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed. It is inspired by the best selling novel Zabibah and The King by Saddam Hussein.

FREE MOVIE TICKETS FUSE has double passes to give away to Dendy Cinemas.

Email us 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 261-263 KING STREET, NEWTOWN • SHOP 9, 2 EAST CIRCULAR QUAY, SYDNEY PORTSIDE WHARF, REMORA ROAD, HAMILTON • 108 JONSON STREET, BYRON BAY WWW.DENDY.COM.AU

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WHAT’S ON

WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS

CANBERRA’S GAY & LESBIAN QWIRE

SE MO E

OUTSRE I BAC DE COVEK R

THE LAND OF YES & THE LAND OF NO 28 – 30 JUNE : CANBERRA THEATRE Rafael Bonachela’s dance work The Land of Yes and the Land of No performed by the Sydney Dance Company, takes inspiration from the signs and symbols of everyday life. We take that to mean both literal signs, telling us what we can and can’t do, ‘one way’, ‘don’t walk’, as well as metaphorical and figurative signs. The work of Rafael Bonachela’s, to my eyes is of neutrally clad dancers moving abstractly rather than in a narrative. Unlike the works of Graeme Murphy, which told very clear stories, just as Death in Venice or stories of a theme, such as Some Rooms or Fornicon, Rafael’s work is less immediately clear. I have to stop myself when watching and I see a couple dance together and the male leaves and a second male joins and dances with the woman, that it’s not necessarily a representation of an affair. Mind you, it could be. His work has every sort of figure combinations. Men and men, women and women, women and men, groups, all are shown, intimately entwined. A highlight is always the very interesting and exciting minimalist music of Ezio Bosso. His music is always an inspiration for Bonachela. The Guardian said when the work premiered in London in 2009, ‘The Land of Yes and the Land of No starts with an elastic and mesmerising solo… and builds from there into strong ensemble formations of increasing weight and complexity’. An exciting element of his work is almost like a dance version of a fugue in that every member will be on stage, each dancing their own unique choreography, being reflected, mimicked by other dancers but in their own time and way. Then suddenly the swirling figures swing into unison briefly. Fantastic to watch. By Robert Henderson. More info & tickets canberratheatrecentre.com.au

SATURDAY 16 JUNE LLEWELLYN HALL, ANU, CANBERRA Canberra’s Gay & Lesbian Qwire will join with Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir to perform for one night only at the Llewellyn Hall. The show, called With a little Help From My Friends, which will feature popular songs such as Lee Hazelwood’s ‘These Boots Are Made for Walkin’, Duffy’s ‘Mercy’, Whitney Houston’s ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’ and of course Joe Cocker’s ‘With a Little Help From My Friends’. The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Choir will also be singing the winning entry from their recent OutPost Choir song competition Howard Alexander’s ‘You Make Me Proud’. Members of both choirs come in all shapes and sizes and from all walks of life. What unites them is a passion for singing. Everyone is invited to enjoy an inspirational evening of togetherness and friendship. For more information please see cglq.org.au and sglc.org or email seanone77@hotmail.com. Tickets for the concert are available through the Ticketek online at ticketek.com.au

WHAT’S ON! WANT TO KNOW WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING, CHECK OUT OUR ‘WHAT’S ON’ SECTION AT WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

QL2 DANCE 9 – 12 MAY CANBERRA THEATRE

SEE E MOR E 16 PAG

Quantum Leap is Canberra’s own youth dance ensemble, making passionate contemporary dance for all audiences. ‘We’ve been classified, deconstructed, censored and endlessly re-imagined into extremes: the desirable ideal or dangerously out-of-control. Me Right Now is our own story, with limitless opportunities for distraction and over stimulation, and our inheritance of a world changing as rapidly as we are.’ 5

NEWS & POLITICS

NOTE PASSING

By Simon Copland & Alexander Thatcher

ROUND UP)

John Hargreaves, the party whip for the ACT ALP resigned after Liberal MLA Alistair Coe released a note Hargreaves passed him almost eighteen months ago, which had a homophobic joke about ALP Minister Andrew Barr. Coe called the joke ‘homophobic and offensive’. One couldn’t help notice the irony of Coe’s statements, particularly given the many homophobic positions he has taken on public policy in his time in the Assembly. ACT Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr told FUSE magazine that the note was stupid, in bad taste and not particularly funny. ‘That said, I’ve had worse things said about me across the chamber from members on the Liberal Party.’ The Deputy Chief Minister felt that it seemed out of character for Hargreaves to act in such a manner. ‘On issues of substance that have come before the ACT Assembly, whether that’s gay law reform or particular campaigns I’ve run for preventing homophobia, John’s always voted for them and spoken in favour of them. So it’s completely out of character for him to have made such a joke.’ ‘I’ve accepted his apology and certainly have pointed out the hypocrisy of the Canberra Liberals who, to a person, over the last decade have voted against every gay law reform measure.’

ANTI-SAME-SEX MARRIAGE TRUCK Conservative preacher Peter Madden may think twice before driving his giant anti-same-sex marriage truck to Lismore again. Activists painted and glittered the truck that was heading to Queensland on an ‘Election Prayer Rally Tour’. Whilst the queer activists won’t have changed Madden’s mind on gay marriage, they definitely brought attention to the homophobic message he was trying to bring to Queensland. Mr Madden said he was just exercising his right to free speech and told the media that ‘Anybody who stands up and says anything is immediately branded a homophobe and full of hate,’ he said. Lismore Mayor Jenny Dowell told the ABC she did not support the vandalism but did support the protesters’ message. She said she believed Mr Madden’s truck, which showed a picture of a man and boy embracing beside the words ‘the dark side of same sex marriage,’ was suggesting links between homosexuality and paedophilia. ‘To link same sex marriage with paedophilia and risks to children and to say that same sex couples are not capable of safely bringing up children is totally offensive,’ Cr Dowell said.

BOB KATTER’S “UN” AUSTRALIAN PARTY With an overwhelming victory in the Queensland state election held on 24 March, Campbell Newman’s Liberal National Party now holds 78 of the 89 seats in the Queensland parliament, reducing Labor to only seven seats (falling short of the ten seats required for official party status and entitlements). Newman has previously stated that although he personally supports same-sex marriage, he would not overide his party’s policy to scrap civil unions if it wins government, so we can’t really expect any marriage equality progress on that front. 6

In an ad attacking Campbell Newman, Katter’s Australian Party used two men who posed with fake breasts and a pregnant stomach prosthesis. They decided to pixelate the image as not to offend the general public. The campaigners did not seek consent from the models

During the campaign, (Bob) Katter’s Australian Party (who secured two seats in the new parliament) ran an ad claiming Newman did not have strong enough family values because he supported gay marriage. The ad was decried across the country as homophobic and offensive, and received harsh criticism from Bob Katter’s half brother and Australian Marriage Equality board member, Carl Katter. It’s a wonder Katter’s party bothered to even address this issue considering back in 1989 Bob claimed that there were almost no homosexuals living in his vast electorate in Northern Queensland, and promised to walk backwards from Bourke if they represented more than 0.001 per cent of the population! WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

ROUND UP)

ADD IT UP

GAY CANDIDATES FOR 2012 ACT ELECTION

The ALP, Liberal Party and the Greens have all announced new candidates for the ACT 2012 election over the past months. The ALP and Liberal Party have announced a total of seventeen candidates, whilst the Greens have announced ten new people.

Number of Olympic gold medals won by Ian Thorpe — known as the Thorpedo — who sadly failed to qualify to compete in the 2012 London Olympics.

Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr won’t be alone this year when it comes to queer candidates with the Greens announcing two young gay nominees for their 2012 campaign — James Higgins and Jonathon Davis. ACT Greens candidates Johnathan Davis & James Higgins

2007

The year Australia had its first openly lesbian member of the Australian cabinet, and the first Asian-born federal minister — Penny Wong. In December 2011, the Finance Minister and her partner Sophie Allouache gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

You may have seen newcomer Johnathan Davis — Johnno to his friends — on stage doing his comedy act, as drag star Pixie Darling or hosting karaoke at the Irish Club. Since leaving school Johnathan has been working in the real estate business and now at just 20 he has become the youngest person to run for election in the ACT. Johnathan will have his name on the ballot for the seat of Brindabella in the election in October, supporting the re-election of the incumbent, Greens MLA Amanda Bresnan. We asked Johnathan how it felt to be running as a candidate for the ACT Greens. ‘I am so proud of my connection with Canberra’s fabulous queer community. It took a progressive party like the ACT Greens to preselect a candidate with my age and diverse resume and for that, I thank them. I am excited about the prospect of being elected and giving a voice to the disinfranchised in our community. ‘ James Higgins, who was also a candidate in 2008, is a former union organiser at the CPSU and an expert in social media. In his spare time he plays Bridge and is a roller derby referee, where he goes by the name of REFLCopter in the Varsity Derby League. James will run with Greens leader Meredith Hunter in the seat of Ginninderra. James told FUSE magazine that he was looking forward to running in the 2012 elections.

40 Million

The number of Instagram users (April 2012). 20% of users connect their account to Facebook.

‘I’m really excited to be running again this year with a party that embraces the diversity of this great city we live. Over the last four years we’ve seen what a difference four Greens can make to Canberra. Imagine what we could do with more.’

l TONY ABBOTT’S GAY SISTER Australian Marriage Equality has welcomed the support of Tony Abbott’s sister, Christine Forster, for marriage equality. Ms Forster spoke about her support in the context of her same-sex relationship with Virginia Edwards to the Australian newspaper.

1 Billion

The amount Facebook paid to buy Instagram. Aside from the genuine astonishment at the sum, the real disbelief came from many Instagram users who felt their private worlds had been invaded by an enemy-at-large.

AME National Convener, Alex Greenwich, said the story highlighted the respectful and loving way Mr Abbott has responded to his sister, and hoped her support would have an impact on him. ‘Ms Forster proves the point that this reform is about the importance of family, love, and equality, not politics. With a clear majority of Australians supporting reform, same-sex couples are more comfortable than ever in being public and proud. This will only increase and blocking this reform will just get harder and harder for the coalition.’ Tony Abbott has commended his sister for her bravery in coming out, saying ‘I’m proud of my gay sister’, but says it will not shift his stance on gay marriage. 7

NEW STUFF

MILK It seems there is a lot more to swim star Michael Klim. Yeah he’s pretty damn hot, but the 34-yearold has also built a new career with his male skincare brand Milk (Milk is Klim spelt backwards — clever), and by all accounts it’s a kicker. We just had to try it and find out for ourselves — we were not disappointed, the Milk range is awesome!

LEGO RULES! Remember as a kid when you would spend hours and hours playing with your Lego? Well now you can relive them with this highly detailed and super cool authentic replica of the classic Volkswagen Camper Van from 1962. OMG we so want one here in the FUSE office. It’s 30cm long x 14cm high, and is recommended for experienced Lego builders — that’d be you! It costs $169.99.

Milk comes in very slick packaging, so it will look great in your bathroom. The entire range smells really, really nice, it’s fresh and easy to use. Milk uses all natural marine based ingredients, such as brown seaweed and algae extracts. So all in all, Milk gets a big thumbs up — our personal favourite was the peppermint moisturising cream.

thIngs FAB { }

milkskincare.com

lego.com.au

GIZMON IPHONE CAMERA COOLNESS

Just click the Gizmon iCA Case on to your iPhone and it’s suddenly a cool retro camera. Inspired by classic rangefinders, this case adds an optical viewfinder, a top mounted physical shutter button, a detachable tripod mount, and a conversion lens mount with your choice of fisheye, wide angle, or macro lenses. What’s not to love — black, brown or silver and only $70.

TWEET THIS If it’s not enough that your friends and the rest of the world are constantly tweeting at you — soon your home appliances will be doing it too. If your fridge has just died, or you left the front door unlocked, or maybe a load of washing has just finished — soon you can expect a tweet to let you know via a new Wi-Fi connectivity box called Twine. Twine is designed to function through a basic set of rules created by you. For example, you could set up the rule: when the moisture sensor in my house gets wet, then tweet ‘OMG the house is flooding!’ Sounds like a really useful and cool tool... just so long as the fridge doesn’t start blogging next.

fourcornerstore.com

supermechanical.com

Instagram Instagram is free and has over 40 million users. If you have not yet heard about it, it’s a simple photo app that requires only a couple of touches to produce truly fabulous looking images. But what’s really cool about Instagram is the sharing capabilities that lets you tell the story of your life through photos.

{APP}

After taking your photo you can pick from one of several gorgeous filtered effects or tilt-shift blur to breathe new life into your mobile pics. Transform everyday moments into works of art which you can then share with friends and family. Sharing your photos is simple, plus you can also follow your friends’ photos with the click of a single button. Every day you open up Instagram, you’ll see new images from your closest buddies, and creative people from around the world. This is a five star app kids. Available on both IPhone and Android platforms. See the FUSE Instagram feature on page 18. 8

WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

Photo by Rick Day

Meet lesbian pop songstress

LALA

By JC Alvarez

LAUNCHING A CAREER AS A POP STAR WITHOUT THE HELP OF A COMPETITIVE SINGING TV SHOW CAN BE AN IMPRESSIVE FEAT. 10

WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

FEATURE

TODAY’S ARTISTS ARE JUDGED ON AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STANDARD THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE MERITS OF THEIR VOCAL ABILITY. THERE’S A GREATER CREATIVE EXPECTATION REQUIRING STARS TO BE LUMINOUS. TO SHINE SO BRIGHTLY, A PERFORMER NOT ONLY HAS TO BE A SKILLED MUSIC MAKER, BUT A MULTI-FACETED AND INTERESTING PERSONALITY WITH A GENUINE PENCHANT FOR CONNECTING WITH THEIR AUDIENCE.’

‘I AM SO GRATEFUL OF THE RECEPTION I HAVE RECEIVED FROM GAY CLUBS,’ SAYS LALA. ‘THEY’RE THE FIRST CROWD TO REALLY GET ME AND UNDERSTAND MY DESIRE TO BE LOVED FOR MY DIFFERENCES. WHEN I’M ON STAGE IN FRONT OF MY GAY BOYS AND GIRLS, I FEED OFF THEIR POSITIVE VIBE. I SWEAR I WOULD SHOWER IN IT IF I COULD.’

Lesbian pop-songstress LALA is all that and more. Her unique mix of music, culture, fashion and performance present a creative formula that is purely her own design. Born in Hong Kong from Chinese parents and raised in Canada, LALA is blending eastern and western traditions that speak to an entirely new generation of dance music fans.

The gay love has also brought LALA to the attention of record labels and producers who often view the gay audience as a barometer to suggest the future success of an artist. She recently received the green light for her first full-length album, scheduled for release this summer.

‘My first introduction to music was through Bollywood,’ explains LALA. She was captivated by the colorful mélange of music, dance and fashion from Indian pop culture. ‘Even though my home life stuck close to our Chinese roots, I found myself drawn to East Indian traditions. Still, I knew I would need to reach beyond them if I were to make it in the gig league.’ Confident in her ability to sing, and testing the limits of her comfort zone, a young LALA experimented and exposed herself to all types of music. ‘I became deeply entrenched into the hip-hop and R&B worlds,’ she says. ‘I love R&B music because it allows you to stretch your vocals to the highest heights. All the greatest singers that I admire come from the world of R&B.’ She began crafting lyrical hip-hop rhymes that spoke to her culture and Asian influence. ‘But people saw it as cultural music,’ LALA continues, ‘and I wanted to be more mainstream’. Feeling she would never find true acceptance in hip-hop, she resigned herself to explore even more genres. ‘I was drawn to dance music because I love to perform and the reaction from the crowds in clubs is instantaneous.’ LALA hooked up with the remix/production team Maniacalm on the single ‘Never Forget You’, a song that would become her first Billboard charting hit. ‘Maniacalm was looking for a singer to sing on the track, and when they offered it to me, I didn’t think twice about it.’ The single caught fire in dance clubs and radio immediately, rising to #5 on the Dance Radio Airplay charts. LALA and Maniacalm quickly followed it with the sonically stirring ‘I Miss You’ (co-written by LALA), a song that is playing in clubs and on dance radio now.

She says it will be a dance jubilee that celebrates the party girl journey she has undertaken in the last few years, and playfully warns that ‘there is no room in clubland that can hold the rhythm back, and radio should prepare itself for the BPMs that LALA is about to transmit via the airwaves’. Citing her inspirations, LALA doesn’t deny that some of the leading female artists on the scene today will influence the overall feel of her up-coming album. ‘Anything that sounds like Ke$ha, Katy Perry, or Nicki Minaj really gets my attention.’ LALA’s latest single, ‘Who’s In My Mouth?’, certainly fits in the shock pop category ruled by her idols. She also plans to delve into the realm of electronicsynth dance that is steadily gaining mainstream attention in the States. ‘I love Euro-dance. LaRoux and Robyn are both really wonderful Euro-dance artists.’ As her life experiences continue to define her art and image, LALA is comfortable accepting she is a work in progress. ‘There are so many Asian motifs I would like to incorporate into my sound and performances. I find martial arts movement very rhythmic and the Chinese lion dances entertaining. I would love to find a way to meld them into my performance. I’m not sure how audiences will react, but they will just have to get used to it,’ she says with a smirk and a glint in her eye. It’s another prevailing theme that can’t be denied in her album. LALA is a fighter. She plans to usher in a new generation of dance so you just better get used to it.

FOR MORE OF LALA VISIT HER ONLINE AT WWW.LALATHEMUSICARTIST.COM HER NEW SINGLE, ‘WHO’S IN MY MOUTH?’ IS AVAILABLE ON ITUNES NOW.

ENTERTAINMENT

By Tony Hamlyn

BUZZ ! PRISONER: REMADE AND REMODELLED Okay, let’s talk about this Prisoner thing. Earlier this year, Foxtel announced its plans for a “reimagining” of the seminal Australian series based in a women’s prison. Whenever the word “reimagining” is thrown about I immediately begin to feel a mixture of doubt and nausea. It’s that idea that the production will be borrowing from the original but pruning out the bad bits. And while I do kind of admire the fact that the producers are making a very clear distinction between the Prisoner of old and this new creation — currently officially dubbed ‘Wentworth’ — it troubles me that they’re relying on the branding of the old classic for something new. I mean, part of the charm of shows like Prisoner are, of course, the bad bits that they’re so desperate to prune; those less than perfect storylines or performances that play out so shockingly in reruns, making something memorable out of something ridiculous.

GYPSY REVIVED Warning: the following article is obscenely gay. So a few months ago it was announced by Warner Bros that Barbra Streisand was in negotiations to remake the musical Gypsy for the big screen. Considered by most as the greatest book musical of all time, the Jules Styne/Stephen Sondheim classic based on the life and times of burlesque legend Gypsy Rose Lee and her ruthless stage mother Mama Rose, was made into a film back in 1962 but Streisand is apparently convinced that it’s well due for a reboot. And no prizes for guessing which role she’s coveting. The musical has been revived on the Broadway stage no less than five times, and the actresses who’ve played Rose have won the Tony Award for four out of those five revivals. It’s a fantastic role, but one has to ask, is Streisand up to the vocal requirements? I mean, let’s get real — she hasn’t been in top voice since the late 80s. And for that matter, is the wider audience really calling out for a revamped version of this 1950s relic? Well, the writer of the acclaimed Downton Abbey, Julian Fellowes, is now confirmed to be writing the screenplay for this new adaptation, and while this does lend a certain air of respect to the whole project, it doesn’t necessarily indicate this new version will be a marketing coup for that all important Glee fanbase — unless maybe Lea Michele is cast as Baby June. Oh god… I think I just overdosed on gay.

KURT MAKES A MOVIE! It’s what camp is born of, and to try and schmick that up does nobody any favours. Look at Young Talent Time. The remake is a great idea on paper but it unfortunately comes off as far too slick and professional, when the likeability of the original came not from its professionalism, but from its lack there of. Nobody wants to see talented kids in skinny jeans belting out Bruno Mars hits. We want to see mediocre talent hitting bum notes in early 80’s Jenny Kee knitwear. Or we want to see Tina Arena in a slutty dress belt the hell out of ‘Chains’. And we want to see overweight scrubbers with zero makeup slamming defenceless girls’ hands into industrial laundry appliances. So be careful when you’re “reimagining” Foxtel — don’t take the camp out of the classics! 12

A while ago we reported that Chris Colfer had written a screenplay and was shopping it around Hollywood. Well now that screenplay is a bona fide film called Struck By Lightning, and it’s about to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival with Colfer in the starring role. The film is about a dead high school student recounting how he blackmailed other students into contributing to a literary mag he created. Sounds a bit weird and heavy, but in a recent interview Colfer promised it is in fact a dark comedy. It’s got a great cast, including Sarah Hyland from Modern Family as well as Australia’s own Rebel Wilson. Smart move on Colfer’s part to show some versatility and focus on writing as well as acting. As you know, this business we call “Show” is a fickle beast, but if Struck By Lightning is a hit then it may be the start of a whole new career for him. WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

BUZZ ! THE PIT OF MONSTERS Do you have your Gaga tickets yet?

GAY WEDDING PLANNER EXTRAORDINAIRE

VIEW SPARKS WEBISODES ON THE FUSE WEBSITE

Sparks — a comedy for marriage equality We’ve said it before, a few times now, but we like it so much we’re going to say it again: Web series are the new black. And the latest one to come to the attention of The BUZZ is a new Aussie project called Sparks. If you like that mockumentary style comedy then you are going to love this show, which follows the day to day adventures of Gerald Sparks who runs a Wedding Planner business out of his front room. It’s Kath & Kim meets Parks & Recreation, poking fun at Australianisms whilst relying on the immaculate comic timing of its fantastic cast. While all involved are superb, the heart of the show is well and truly Brendan Maclean in the titular role. Some of you might already know Maclean as the owner of one of the country’s most infamous Twitter accounts. His razor sharp wit has earned him many accolades in the Twitterverse. If you’re gay and like to laugh then you should definitely be following him, no question. Those of you who might’ve seen the Darren Hayes gigs at the end of last year might also remember Maclean as the support act; a weird and wonderful artist, his performance in Sparks is both extraordinarily sweet and laugh-out-loud funny. If you have a few minutes spare in front of your laptop today be sure to watch the existing episodes because they’re really something!

It’s a perfectly reasonable question, and if you’re answer is no then I expect you either don’t care or you might be curled up in foetal position on your living room floor over late June. The Born This Way Ball is hitting Australian shores and promises to be an unforgettable tour. Ever a fan favourite, Gaga has announced details concerning the area of each show referred to as “The Monster Pit”. If you have GA Floor tickets you can start queuing at 8am on the morning of the show. The earliest arrivals get special wristbands allowing them Monster Pit access. Limited Monster Pit passes will be held and distributed at random each night for those who do NOT have GA floor tickets, but you have to be keen as mustard and dressed to ‘Ball’. Is it just me, or does that sound rude? She’s doing what all big name artists should do, and that’s make sure the front section of her gigs are filled with surprised, grateful fans who thought they’d be sitting up the back with the mums and dads but have ended up in the front, close enough to look up her sequined romper leg. Those of us lucky enough to have seen the last Gaga tour know this lady has the style and the substance to give you an extraordinary night of live music, regardless of cost. Grab your tickets at ticketek.com.au

TALK TALK TALK Kathy Griffin kicks off her own talk show. It was only a couple of months ago we were singing the praises of the new Rosie O’Donnell show. Unfortunately television is a fickle mistress, and the recent controversy surrounding the axing of Rosie’s show left us very disappointed. ‘Who better to speak to American households about gay issues?’ we asked ourselves.

Sparks is a comedy for marriage equality. Brendan Maclean, who plays Gerald Sparks said, ‘There are a lot of independent projects out there but Sparks was the first one that felt like it had a purpose. Sharp script writing, relevant to everything I believe in — but really it was because it made me laugh right from the first script read. It’s powerful but not preachy, hilarious but with heart.’

Sparks is a hilarious mockumentary born from the minds of Warren Clarke and Kyran Wheatley during a walk along Coogee Beach. Check it out on fusemagazine.com.au

No sooner had we asked than the answer was revealed; Kathy Griffin kicks off her own talk-show on April 19. A nighttime affair, the show will air weekly in the US and according to the Bravo website, Kathy will ‘have a whole hour to deflate the egos of everyone who is anyone and those who think they’re someone’. It sounds gay, it sounds fun, it sounds like business as usual for our favourite gal, only now she gets to do it regularly. Expect Arena or Oxygen here in Australia to get hold of this one straight out of the gate. 13

BUZZ !

ENTERTAINMENT

We look back at a significant cultural phenomenon from our big gay past.

HOMO HERITAGE

Roseanne FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER ITS CANCELLATION, WE LOOK AT THE GREAT TV SITCOM ROSEANNE. It was May 1997 that we last sat around the kitchen table with the Connor family and their numerous nomad acquaintances. It’s hard to gauge in this current TV climate of Kurt and Blaine et al, but when Roseanne began in 1988 gays were usually only seen through condescending outings or as homos contracting HIV. Roseanne changed all of that. By portraying sexual identity as seen through the eyes of redneck Middle-America it was, more often than not, the straight characters being patronised onscreen through their own hilarious ignorance. Lesbian icon, Sandra Bernhard, played frank, sexually ambiguous Nancy who was initially introduced as the onscreen wife of Barr’s real-life husband, Tom Arnold. But as she developed, Nancy outed herself as a bisexual without labels, entering into relationships with women played by the likes of Mariel Hemingway and Morgan Fairchild. Nancy revelled in challenging the straightlaced attitudes of Lanford, the small Illinois town in which Roseanne was set, often taunting her friends with details of her sexual exploits. Later, Nancy finds love with debonair Roger, played by Tim Curry, most famous of course as Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, cleverly cast in the role. Roseanne enjoyed the love/hate relationship with her openly gay boss, Leon, played by sitcom legend, Martin Mull. The next time you hear criticisms that gay TV characters are supposedly way too effeminate (an argument mostly brought up by straight-acting queers) please feel free to mention that Leon was a seemingly straight, mostly conservative, bearded, balding man in his late forties who managed a business and for whom snippy, bitchy dialogue was only ever used as a comeback to Roseanne’s sarcastic insults. Whilst not especially butch, Leon was portrayed as just a regular, albeit uptight kinda guy, and someone happy to openly discuss his own alternative lifestyle. 14

Later in the series the title character’s own elderly mother, played by legendary actress Estelle Parsons, embarks on her own exploration with lesbianism, resulting in some explicitly awkward and incredibly funny comedy from Barr and Laurie Metcalf, famously portraying her onscreen sister, Jackie. By depicting a broad array of everyday people taking on their own sexual identity, the show took great leaps in normalising what was, at the time, regarded as anything but. Roseanne Barr’s brother and sister’s own homosexuality was apparently the star’s motivation to be so forthcoming about sexual identity within the show, claiming in an interview that the sitcom ‘seeks to portray various slices of real life, and homosexuals are a reality.’ Roseanne as a show, through the eager direction of its star, fought hard to represent gay relationships nonjudgementally at a time when most gays on American television were either sick or invisible. And without it, fifteen years later, Kurt and Blaine just might never have been. WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

IN THE MOOD!

THE START OF ANOTHER FANTASTIC SELLOUT YEAR AT THE QUEANBEYAN PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

K CHEC FULL R U OUT O EASON AT S 2012 Q.NET.AU E H T

LET THE SUNSHINE BY DAVID WILLIAMSON

APRIL’S FOOL 15 - 17 MAY

A true story of love, family, strength and the choices we make. In April 2009, two weeks short of his nineteenth birthday, Toowoomba teenager Kristjan Terauds died due to complications from illicit drug use. A must see play.

‘I think seeing the show will be a beautiful experience because you see how people survive. That is what the most moving thing is for me.’ David Burton, Author

26 - 29 APRIL

Award winning Australian playwright David Williamson’s play Let The Sunshine has been described as part Romeo and Juliet, part Meet the Parents. This satirical comedy sees Toby, a maker of hard hitting documentaries, flee Sydney in shame when the press finds out he had inadvertently used a bogus witness in his latest film. He convinces his reluctant partner Ros to travel north with him to Noosa, a haven fondly remembered from visits in his youth. Problem is it has now moved from a simple fishing village to a chic, upmarket, manicured playground of the wealthy and privileged. Don’t miss this fantastic funny play at the Q. ‘... Let the Sunshine notches up its first chuckle in less than 30 seconds without a word being spoken. This play’s scale, its themes and its humour are a perfect fit... a much-anticipated return to the stage.’ Jason Blake - Sydney Morning Herald

253 CRAWFORD STREET QUEANBEYAN

TICKET BOOKINGS 6285 6290 WWW.THEQ.NET.AU

THE IMAGINARY INVALID 11 - 21 JULY

The Imaginary Invalid is an exuberant play full to the brim with naughtiness, flamboyance, hypocrisy. Argan is deathly sick, or so he’d like to think. He wants his daughter to marry a doctor, so that he’ll have free health care. But Angelique already has a lover. Will she get to marry the man she loves? Will Argan survive? Will anyone survive this craziness. ‘A triumphant carnival of colour, crazy characters and clever business and one of the most authentic interpretations of Moliere’s scintillating comedy that you are likely to see.’ Peter Wilkins - The Canberra Times, May 2011 15

QL2 DANCE PRESENTS QUANTUM LEAP IN 9 – 12 MAY 2012 CANBERRA PLAYHOUSE BOOK NOW! 02 6275 2700 canberratheatrecentre.com.au

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Loose-limbed, fast and furious dancing… Michelle Potter*

*from reviews of previous Quantum Leap performances Photography: Lorna Sim

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STYLE

Colour outside the lines By Colby Kern Morrell

With winter only a few months away and a chill in the air, the powers that be (I am not sure who those powerful people are, but I want their job) have decided that we should be wearing mustard yellow, burnt orange, plum and taupe (dark grayish-brown). Now these colours are all very lovely and autumnal together, but like everyone else I feel a bit ripped off that summer was... well quite frankly, crappy. So I’m gunning to hold on just a bit longer before it all gets cold and gloomy... and my suggestion to brighten up autumn is to go pastel, including autumn hues to mix it up. I wanted to find a way to customise my wardrobe by staying fresh and using pastels to avoid looking like a copy of everyone else. I took my love for vintage and coloured outside the lines.

LOOK

This look is a great example of accessorising with pastels. I paired a white cotton shirt with a neutral pair of black shorts. What makes the outfit trendy are the bag and shoes, both of which are vintage. Accessorising with a bright colored bag is the easiest way to make a statement. The shoes I wore are a pair of vintage Rockports that I hand painted myself with leather paints.

Vintage tee-shirts can be a fun and easy way to bring pastels into your wardrobe. You can find them in great colors and designs. I took an oversized shirt in a colour that I love (pink) and tore the sleeves off. My pants are neutral chinos, and the bag compliments the shirt perfectly, blue and pink always look great. My favorite thing about this outfit is how casual and easy it is to wear, perfect for mixing it up on those more casual days.

This is a fresh take on a classic vintage look for those coolers days. The brightly coloured polo shirts underneath the vintage leather jacket make the outfit modern. I layered two polo shirts for texture and colour, yes that can be done. You can even layer polos with different patterns or designs. To complete the look, I tucked the jeans into a pair of boots, making it look more current. The hat is the perfect finishing touch.

We all want that perfect trendy look that nobody else has, but it’s so easy to become an exact copy of someone else. When you are updating your own wardrobe with pastel colors, remember my advice and color outside of the lines. I guarantee you will have that super hip look that everybody wishes they could have.

For more fashion tips and to learn how to turn a pair of one dollar vintage shoes into an individual fashion statement visit Colby’s website at colbykern.com Twitter: @HeyColbyKern • Instagram: @heycolbykern

FEATURE

INSTANT PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN POPULAR SINCE THE 1950S AND WAS INVENTED BY EDWIN LAND. The first Polaroid camera was sold to the public in November 1948 for $20. The American inventor and physicist’s one-step process for developing and printing instant photographs created a massive revolution in photography. However, unable to compete with digital sales in 2008, the Polaroid corporation announced that they would begin slowly phasing out production of the beloved instant film, with the intention of completely cutting of production in 2009. After only one year Polaroid announed its ‘Impossible Project’ They planned to re-launch the legendary camera with both instant film and digital formats available. With Lady Gaga as its new Creative Director the new products were aimed at nostalgists and the youth market — instant film photography was not dead yet and Polaroid was out to prove it.

FREE GAY & SNAPPY

THE WORLD’S HOTTEST HOBBY By Yasmin Element & Alexander Thatcher

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The huge popularity of photography also lead to another photography cult — that of Lomography. In the early 1990s a couple of students discovered a small, enigmatic Russian camera, the Lomo Kompakt Automat, and created a new style of artistic experimental photography with their first unorthodox snapshot cavortings. The approach — taking as many photographs (Lomographs) as possible, in the most impossible of situations possible, and from the most unusual positions possible. What started out spontaneously as an artistic approach to photography in the Vienna underground scene developed into a far-reaching and massive international sociocultural movement. Lomography took the world by storm. With the invention of digital photography and iPhones, it was only a matter of time before an app and our need to share, like and follow would again create a new photography revolution. Enter iPhoneography — instant photography on steroids.

Instagram (or IG as it’s fondly known by its devotees) is the world’s most popular iPhoneography image-sharing app with well over 40 million users amassed in just eighteen months. Previously only available to iPhone and iPad users, Instagram recently became functional on all android phones with more than one million users downloading the app during the first twelve hours of release. PHOTOGRAPHER ARNOLD NEWMAN COULD HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT INSTAGRAM WHEN HE SAID, “PHOTOGRAPHY, AS WE ALL KNOW, IT IS NOT REAL AT ALL. IT IS AN ILLUSION OF REALITY WITH WHICH WE CREATE OUR OWN PRIVATE WORLD.” Instagram has its roots firmly grounded with both Polaroid and Lomo and is popular for many of the same reasons — it’s fast, easy to use, beautifully designed and of course a fun way to share your life with friends (and strangers) and make new ones. It’s so instant it’s almost scary.

Snap a photo with your phone, choose a filter to transform the look and feel and then load — it’s photo sharing reinvented. Whether you love photography or just want to snap away to share your life in images, you will love Instagram. And it’s free!

TOP 5 PHOTO APPS THAT WILL ENHANCE YOUR IPHONEOGRAPHY Filterstorm : for general image tweaking Juxtaposer : for cutting and pasting layers Camera + : for gorgeous filters and lighting effects PicFrame : for cool borders and collage effects Filter mania : for heaps of amazing and fun filters But IG isn’t just about taking photos. It’s about building the iPhoneography community and sharing a love for photography. You can follow, like and comment, and if you’re lucky (or not) other Instagramers will follow, like and comment back. It is a great concept but is does have its drawbacks; Like other online social networks the ‘like’ and ‘follow’ buttons can cause an absolute ego frenzy in many users — and when getting likes and followers becomes the primary goal, the actual photography gets lost somewhere in the haze.

INSTAGRAM LETS USERS SEE THE WORLD IN A NEW WAY AND REMINDS US OF ALL THE BEAUTY AROUND US — EVEN THE MUNDANE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAKE A NICE PICTURE. The people who understand the original philosophy of Instagram are called “Igers”. They have “Instawalks” and “Instameets” where people meet up, take photos and discuss “Instaissues” and editing techniques. There are Instagramer groups in cities all over the world; there is even a Canberra Instagramers group (@igerscanberra)... It’s all a bit nerdy but lots of fun. So how do you find the real Igers? Well first of all you should follow your friends and check out who they are following etc. There are also endless hash-tags you can use to search for people who are taking photos of things you like as well (#gay #lesbian #abs #food #garden #cats #mardigras #canberra #sydney etc.). You can also tag your photos so like-minded people can find them and follow you. IG also has fun challenges and contests to take part in to meet people and expand your creative horizons.

IN APRIL 2012 FACEBOOK ANNOUNCED IT WAS SPENDING $1 BILLION TO BUY THE PHOTO SHARING COMPANY INSTAGRAM IN THE SOCIAL NETWORK’S LARGEST ACQUISITION EVER. The need to then make it onto the “popular” page is, it seems, obsessive with many Instagramers and has become overrun by individuals with ten-thousand Facebook friends linked into their IG account, who “follow for follow” and “like for like” regardless of talent or subject. It means that the popular page is actually littered with rubbish... and a lot of it. It’s a major problem with social networking in general, but that’s another story. However, there is a strong movement on IG for real Instagramers who are there to make art, photograph and express themselves. There is an obvious divide between the people who get Instagram and the people who don’t. 20

Like with all new technology, the gay scene is very much present on Instagram. There are of course lots of hot boys flashing their pecs and other bits in amateur self-portraits (not that we’re complaining) but there are also many serious gay and lesbian photography enthusiasts including some of our favourites: @Giornisimo, who takes beautiful portraits of bears in tender embraces with their lovers; @heycolbykern, the FUSE fashion and style contributor; @jadeturner, a New Zealand boy; locals girls @howlinbelle and @amudays (@amudays recently had one of her photos published in the book Instaburb, showcasing iPhoneography images of Australian suburbia); and of course @theyas76, the FUSE Associate Editor. WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

Tilley’s

Devine Café Gallery

TILLEY’S IS NESTLED IN TREE LINED LYNEHAM For over 26 years Tilley’s has been a gathering place for the gay and lesbian community. It’s famous for its breakfasts, lunches, dinners and 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.

THE CALL IS YOURS! TILLEY’S CAN DO IT FOR YOU! CORNER OF WATTLE & BRIGALOW STREETS, LYNEHAM Serving you breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days • Monday to Saturday: 9am – 10pm Sundays: 9am – 6pm • To reserve your favourite table or booth phone us on 6247 7753

qnet.org.au

qnet queer youth canberra

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Canberra’s queer youth cyberspace - a safe space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and ‘not sure’ young people

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MONEY SHOT By Scott Malcolm Scott is the Director of Money Mechanics

MONEY CAN BRING HAPPINESS Spending our hard earned cash releases the same endorphins as sex, exercise and eating our favourite food but does spending money on material objects make you happier? A study out of the US suggests money can lead to greater happiness for the person possessing it and those around them, if it is used to buy experiences, not possessions and this is interestingly not related to our income levels. The study ‘The Mediators of Experiential Purchases: Determining the Impact of Psychological Need Satisfaction’, was conducted by Ryan Howell, Assistant Professor of Psychology at San Francisco State University and Graduate Graham Hill and is interesting from a human nature perspective as we reflect on how we spend our own money.

‘Even for people who naturally find themselves drawn to material purchases, our results suggest that getting more of a balance between traditional purchases and those that provide you with an experience could lead to greater life satisfaction and well-being.’ State University Professor, Ryan Howell

Participants in the study were asked to write reflections and answer questions about their recent purchases. Participants indicated that experiential purchases represented money better spent and greater happiness for both themselves and others. The results also indicate that experiences produce more happiness regardless of the amount spent or the income of the consumer. Experiences also lead to longer-term satisfaction. ‘Purchased experiences provide memory capital,’ Howell said. ‘We don’t tend to get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object.’

Can money make us happy if we spend it on the right purchases. Investigators, led by San Francisco State University Professor, Ryan Howell, discovered that habitual “experiential shoppers” reported greater life satisfaction.

If would like to ask Scott any questions, you can call him on 02 6257 5557, email scott@money-mechanics.com.au or visit money-mechanics.com.au Scott Malcolm is Director of Money Mechanics who are authorised to provide financial advice through PATRON Financial Advice AFSL 307379. The information provided in this article 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.

‘People still believe that more money will make them happy, even though 35 years of research has suggested the opposite,’ Howell said. ‘Maybe this belief has held because money is making some people happy some of the time, at least when they spend it on life experiences.’ From my perspective I find greater joy in spending money on nights out, the movies and travel, and often enjoy the instant rush of buying new clothes or other objects but find this quickly fades. So what do you think? Would more money make you happier? If so what would you want to do with it, buy more stuff or enjoy more experiences. Awareness around our money behaviors and how we relate to it is an important element in putting together a longer-term plan. If you need assistance in exploring these further talk to a professional but most importantly start your journey to being free around your money and creating wealth with understanding. 23

By Tony Hamlyn

SAM SPARRO

MARDI GRAS, MUSIC, LOVE LOST AND THE QUEST FOR HAPPINESS

FRESH FROM SYDNEY MARDI GRAS WE CHATTED TO SINGER SONGWRITER, MUSIC PRODUCER, (AND FORMER CHILD ACTOR) SAM SPARRO. Sam Sparro, an openly gay white soul boy is a pretty cool character and one of the darlings of the hipster scene, thanks primarily to his electro-disco anthem from 2008, ‘Black and Gold’. Today he is chilling out in Los Angeles, spruiking his wares, namely a new album entitled Return to Paradise. He says that he’s feeling a bit cranky, but through the slight phone delay he sounds fine, even when I inform him that the interview may be cut short due to various technological issues I’ve been having. ‘Mercury is in retrograde,’ he tells me matter-of-factly; And when I ask him what this means he laughs and says to make sure I back up my computer. ‘That’s so LA isn’t it? I’ve been spending too much time here obviously.’ But we’re not here today to discuss the pros and cons of East Coast California; there’s a new album due and, according to the record company’s press release, it’s influenced by the Paradise Garage house recordings of the late 70s and early 80s. A wonderful era for all involved, this new material sounds like it’s going to be a real knees up affair. He agrees, and comments on how proud he is of the finished product. ‘This album sounds completely how I wanted it to. It’s a raw and honest representation of me as an artist.’ I comment that this seems a natural development for most artists, that the second album is perhaps a bit more ‘them’. Is it an issue of having a bit more control? ‘You learn a lot the first time out. You make mistakes; some things go well, some things go not so well. You learn a lot.’ His self-titled debut made a huge impact, earning him three ARIA nominations and a number two position on the British charts, and ‘Black and Gold’ earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Dance Recording. Was there a lot of pressure on him to make this new record a commercial success?

The 2008 hit ‘Black and Gold’ was the lead single from Sam Sparro’s eponymous first album. It debuted at number twenty-three on the UK Singles Chart, and a week later it went to number four. It peaked at number 2, behind Madonna’s ‘4 Minutes’, and stayed in the top 40 for 28 weeks.

‘People have asked me if I’m concerned about its success, but to me it’s already a success cos I’ve finished it and I really, really love it.’ And how would you describe the theme of the album? ‘It’s a breakup album disguised as disco. ‘ At this year’s Mardi Gras party, Sparro was given the coveted closing spot in the RHI. Amidst a room full of screaming sweaty gays, he hit the stage just before 8am. So did he spend the whole night partying beforehand? 24

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FEATURE INTERVIEW ‘No. They worked me hard whilst I was in Sydney: The night before I did a gig at the Beresford, so I went to bed, got up at 6am, put my Dior suit on, and ventured into the sauna that was the RHI.’ Did you manage to get a party pash? ‘No I didn’t! I’d just woken up so I wasn’t really in a party pash place.’ The early morning revellers went nuts to his new single, ‘Happiness’, as well as a cover of the Motown classic ‘Ain’t no Mountain High Enough’. Covers have become a staple of his live set, with fabulous and diverse choices such as Mariah Carey’s ‘Make It Happen’ and Estelle’s ‘American Boy’ making the list. When I ask him about his Mardi Gras cover he giggles conspiratorially.

Sam Sparro wrote ‘Happiness’ — the second official single from his upcoming album Return To Paradise — after a break-up. In fact many of the songs from the new album are inspired by bad break-ups. ‘I was totally miserable when I wrote ‘Happiness’. Really depressed. I went through a lot of personal hell to find a place of serenity through a difficult period.’ He didn’t give many details about the pain behind the song: ‘It was relationship stuff, among other personal challenges. A lot of the songs on this record are about break-ups. A break-up. One break-up in particular. Good songs come out of bad break-ups. Look at Adele. Singing those songs every night will be interesting.’ The video for ‘Happiness’ was directed by Mike Rosenthal and features Sam in 50’s imagery similar to Tom Ford’s classic film The Single Man.

‘Can I make a confession? I haven’t told any other journalist this. I actually did a mash up of ‘Ain’t no Mountain High Enough’ and ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’ by Amy Winehouse. But I didn’t learn the lyrics to ‘Tears Dry on Their Own’ and so I had to just make them up on the spot. If you watch it on YouTube you’ll see I pretty much mumbled my way through it.’ With great pop-stardom comes great responsibility, and of course great rumours about collaborations with other great pop-stars. Adam Lambert recently revealed that Sparro had co-written a couple of tracks on his upcoming album, and I had thought he’d also been working with George Michael. I am, however, quickly set straight on this rumour. ‘That’s false. Where did you hear that?’ I thought that George had tweeted it. ‘No. I’m friends with Paul Mac and Jonny Seymour, the guys who make up Stereogamous, and I think they’ve been working with him. Not me, though.’ ‘But I actually have a dog called George Michael.’ Being a huge George fan, this excites me greatly. But I then wonder if his dog is named after the great pop-star, or after the character Michael Cera played in Arrested Development? ‘He’s actually called George Michael the Third, out of respect to the first two George Michaels.’ And what kind of dog is he? ‘He’s a very naughty dog who just peed on my bed.’

Return to Paradise is out May 25 — It’s an eclectic collection of songs about love lost and the quest for happiness. Stylistically, there are songs that range from 80’s electro soul and disco dancefloor fillers to beautiful ballads. With a new album under his belt, Sam has brought out the big guns with a phenomenal sold out show at Oxford Art Factory, Darlinghurst, Sydney.

‘Happiness’ is available on iTunes or at samsparro.com. See the single’s video clip at fusemagazine.com.au

OUT & ABOUT

FACEBOOK Join Cube on facebook! facebook.com/groups/cubenightclub

MASQUEERADE friday 25 May Free entry in theme dragshow + dj matt

ARE YOU FREE THIS WEEKEND? CUBE IS. HAPPY HOUR+FREE ENTRY

EVERY THURSDAY, FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT TIL 11PM.

TO AVOID DISAPOINTMENT PLEASE ARRIVE BEFORE 10.45PM 26

DJ Pete & DJ Matt playing the hottest dance tracks every Friday night. Friday nights at CUBE.

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♥

FREE ENTRY & HAPPY HOUR

There is nowhere else you should be! Come and join us at Cube nightclub. We do Free entry and happy hour every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night until 11pm.

OPENING HOURS • THURSDAY 9PM-5AM • FRIDAY 9PM-5AM • SATURDAY 10PM-5AM • SUNDAY 10PM-LATE 33 PETRIE PLAZA CIVIC, CANBERRA CITY WWW.CUBENIGHTCLUB.COM.AU

♥

PARTY ON AT CUBE

Drag idol was a huge success this year — enormous thank you to all the performers and supporters for making it such an exciting and captivating night. As we promised to each and every one of you, Cube night club will be bringing you more drag shows than ever before. We have loads of interstate drag productions coming to cube this year. So please join our facebook group page to be updated on upcoming drag shows and all up-coming themed parties. As we all know the camo party was a mountain of fun. It is always tremendous to see how many people get behind these events and dress in theme to show their support. Thank you to all involved for making this happen. Please check our website or facebook group page for photos. For any more infomation about Cube please email us at: info@cubenightclub.com.au Once again thank you and hope to see you all this weekend! Kiz

PARTY ALL NIGHT @ CUBE

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This campaign was developed by ACON. Reproduced with permission.

OP.ED Christian fundamentalist Peter Madden’s anti-same-sex marriage ad. Rush Limbaugh is a popular and controversial US radio talk show host, political commentator and an opinion leader for American conservatives.

Bob Katter’s Australian Party ads slammed Greens leader Bob Brown and Queensland LNP leader Campbell Newman for supporting marriage equality.

BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN

By Lachlan Keddie

DISAPPROVAL & PERSECUTION If you’re like me, you’re the sort of person that likes to avoid an argument when you can, but when it becomes clear that one is happening, you get stuck right into it. When this happens, all that fear of confrontation disappears in a flash and you become determined to push your point through at any cost. When I find myself arguing about politics, I am sometimes accused of trying to silence the other person’s opinion, simply because I’m disagreeing with it. I find that often people seem to think that expressing disapproval means you also want to suppress their freedom of speech. Society is often convinced that ‘political correctness’ is out to silence any diversity in opinion. THE GAY HALF BROTHER OF BOB KATTER, CARL KATTER USED TWITTER TO BLAST HIS BROTHER’S “HOMOPHOBIC” ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN AGAINST SAME SEX MARRIAGE Ultra conservative American radio personality, Rush Limbaugh recently came out with his rather extreme views on the issue of women’s contraception, and ultimately resorted to sexist remarks to one particular woman, Sandra Fluke. After tirade upon tirade, in which Rush all but called the woman every name used against women in history, his radio program faced a massive backlash, lost around fifty sponsors from his show, and faced numerous calls for him to be fired from his broadcasting network. Would you call this backlash a call to censorship? Some people would.

Here in Australia, there has recently been a massive backlash over two separate but related anti-gay marriage campaigns. The now infamous Queensland election advertisement by Bob Katter’s Australian Party and an anti-gay campaign truck, with an explicit anti-gay message on its sides both gained attention within a few days of each other. The backlash has included retort ads, including a YouTube response by Bob Katter’s gay brother, Carl Katter. Organisations such as the Australian Christian Lobby’s, Wendy Francis, have tried to paint the backlash as being a concerted effort by an aggressive ‘gay lobby’ to suppress their freedom of speech. But where do we draw the line between a backlash and an attempt at suppression of one’s free speech? In many cases, it’s actually fairly easy. The overwhelming majority of Australians support our common right to speak without being arrested for it, but that doesn’t mean people in the public can say what they want and not expect a large and negative reaction from the public, because they have their right to free speech too. If a person in the public eye were to come out with an extremely offensive comment, for example, that they are glad a young girl was brutally murdered and claim that she deserved it, it would be fairly understandable that a lot of people would be up in arms over it, right? While, yes, any physical vigilante action against this person would not be tolerated by society or the law, there is a good chance there will be calls for them to be sacked from their organisation. If they had a radio program, for example, they may face a large drop in ratings, loss of sponsors, and may even have their contract terminated. Does this count as persecution? In my opinion, it isn’t, given that the person in question should know such a comment would be deeply offensive to a significant number of people. But this topic isn’t without its grey area; there will always be those who actively call for the harassment of people who make such comments, and those who advocate violence. But those people are a fringe, and rarely representative of the wider backlash. People such as Rush Limbaugh and Wendy Francis would do well to remember that the right to free speech also means you are open to large-scale criticism from the public. 29

YES, YOU’RE STRESSED... SO WHAT, ISN’T EVERYONE? There’s been so much discussion on stress I think we all find it pretty passé these days. We do our breathing exercises (ho hum), our yoga weekly (maybe), go to the gym (sometimes), eat our vegies and try new diets like the delicious raw foods sweeping our culinary taste buds recently. So why write about stress when we are all so well informed?

Free, gay &

If the hundreds of folks coming into my clinic the over the last five years are anything to go by, I say it’s essential to reappraise our relationship with our levels of life demands, anxiety and health. So many of us live under high pressure, that being stressed becomes normalised background noise, until our body starts rebelling. Stress is implicated in nearly every chronic disease; increasing risks of heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and auto-immune problems. So for all of you with ‘metabolic syndrome’, hypoglycaemia, digestive issues, blood pressure higher than the Eiffel tower, eye strain, PMS, feral menopause, fatigue, not coping, insomnia, irritability or depression, read on. We all know the usual stress causing culprits and the many symptoms, from overwhelm, anxiety and panic, to the adrenalin rush, pulse racing, ‘can’t shut it up’ mind and shallow breathing. There are actually a couple of stages to the body’s stress response. Initially we cope well and our body kicks in with cortisol to restore balance. Cortisol also crosses the placenta and some bubs are born already ‘burned out’. Other more hidden responses include our digestion being inhibited, less cell growth and repair and immune system depression. Stress is only meant to be a short lived response situation, fleeing from that sabre toothed tiger, not a long term live in relationship. We really only notice our stress response when our body stops coping with it, when we get insomnia, constant colds and flu, aches and pain, hormone imbalances, fatigue, anxiety or poor concentration. Other body systems try to buffer the load but can only last for so long before we burn out. Then we get the long term serious stuff; chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, diabetes, depression, heart disease, cancer, weight gain, eye sight problems.

LIVING CALM? It really doesn’t help if you’re muttering your affirmations culled from Louise Hay, through gritted teeth, or pounding your body in the gym or doing that severe detox flush out diet if your body has little vitality or reserves. These things will just cause another level of stress in an already depleted system. It’s important to notice when your stress levels are escalating and your coping skills drop, not just push through. Good as they are, B Vitamins can only do so much! There are many things you can do to reduce the impact of overwork and worry. It’s so much easier to support someone in these early stages than when you reach total exhaustion. Rebuilding adrenal strength can take years 30

FOODS TO SUPPORT MOODS There’s no real ‘happy’ food as such, it’s more about eating regularly and making healthy choices, like not skipping meals, cutting down alcohol, avoiding sugar and refined carbohydrates and steering clear of the ‘whites’: white flour, rice, potatoes. These foods are quick fix eats with zippo nutrient value, are inflammatory, acidic and contribute to us being more strung out. We all know what a healthy diet looks like; it’s fresh and bright with rainbow colours of veg, fish, hormone free chicken, nuts, seeds, some beans and lentils. Decaf is better than full caffeine, but be warned that coffee is still very acidic. Green tea can also be too agitating for some, due to its caffeine level. Try Rooibos tea which is a superior antioxidant and caff-free. If a food product has got numbers and unpronounceable things in it, it’s not real! I see trolleys in supermarkets laden with ‘faux food’. Plastic is plastic is plastic, even when coated with super snack taste enhancer. Eating enough protein is really important. Increasingly I see folks these days on very low protein diets or who are doing a strong detox diet (or suffering the consequences afterwards). The liver needs protein at every level of its function, as well as for manufacturing every hormone and neurotransmitter. The most effective detox is to nourish yourself with good quality protein, such as chickpeas, lentils, fish, hormone free chicken, eggs, nuts and seeds, while cutting down the sugars, ‘whites’, caffeine and alcohol. If you’ve been living stressfully for a while then a strict detox regime and herbs to ‘flush’ your system just rams up against the ‘dams’ in your body, consisting of clogged lymphatics, a sluggish bowel, poor liver function, and dodgy digestion. WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

FEATURE

healthy ENJOY A STRESS FREE LIFE

By Jacqui Bushell

This in turn triggers off more cravings. Eating protein rich meals can slow down this hypoglycaemic cascade. And eating slowly helps too by giving time for the gut to produce more enzymes and digestive juices. If your digestion isn’t good, which it won’t be after long term stress, then your nutrient absorption will be poor. I’ve seen people on the best diet imaginable but if they’re not absorbing it then they’re not getting the benefit. Also, the gut is one of the biggest producers of the feel good neurotransmitter, serotonin. Nourishing and healing the gut can be a key help with depression and mood swings.

KIDNEY CHI

Be mindful of what you habitually reach for when stressed, as well as the way you eat it. Stressed folks tend to use more alcohol, caffeine, cigarettes or other drugs, take away foods, higher fat foods, sweet foods, chocolate, eating too fast as well as chronic overeating. Higher amounts of carbs switch off our satiation response so we eat loads more. With the ensuing insulin surge then dip, our glucose levels plummet causing cells to feel like they’re starving, triggering off ravenous hunger even though it’s only been two hours since we last ate.

In Chinese Medicine, our kidney chi is the storehouse of constitutional energy we are born with. It is our energy reserves, useful when we suddenly need to pull out all stops and get something done. Unfortunately, if not cared for it becomes drained and depleted. We then end up exhausted with no reserves, no resilience and no emotional or physical flexibility. To support our kidney chi and the day to day running energy we make, which is our spleen chi, we rely on good dietary and emotional nourishment, rest, joy and love. If our kidney chi is run down then we quickly burn through what we’ve created that day so there’s nothing to draw from, leaving us exhausted, irritable or depressed.

BREATHE! It’s the simplest thing that we often don’t do well: breathing to fill our lungs. It’s also the only thing that we can consciously do that will kick start our parasympathetic nervous system, or the calming reflex. As we get more anxious we tend to dissociate, get spacey and take shallow breaths. Even five minutes per day of deep breathing and calling yourself home into your body makes a huge difference. 31

‘Adaptogenic’ herbs help us adapt better to stress. Be wary of stimulating herbs which can push the adrenals in a similar fashion to caffeine and be draining in the long term, for example Korean Ginseng, Cola or Guarana. Consider herbs either as teas, supplements or liquid for the adrenals, liver and nervous system, such as Withania or Passionflower (calms the ‘passions’). Valerian is useful as a muscle relaxant and a sedative but is a heating herb, so don’t take it if you’re a ‘hot’ person or it can trigger insomnia, agitation and wild dreams. St John’s Wort is great for the liver, nervous system and moods but has a number of drug interactions so avoid with anti depressants or HIV drugs. Zizyphus is calming and beneficial to help sleep and reduce hot flushes of perimenopause. Gotu cola helps brain function and memory, is anti inflammatory and an adrenal tonic. Schisandra is a liver detoxifier as well as an adrenal and nervous system support. Oat seed nourishes the nervous system too, as porridge or a tincture. Flower essences are another fantastic emotional support. The Bach or Bush Flowers are commonly available in most health food shops. Consider Olive for more stamina, mimulus for release of fears, cherry plum for when you feel crazy, white chestnut for the non-stop head chatter and vervain is great for those of us with too much ‘enthusiasm’ (the unkind call us perfectionist workaholics…), Bush fuchsia helps concentration and paw paw or elm for overwhelm.

CHOOSE FOODS TO SUPPORT YOUR MOODS... CARROTS ARE A GOLD MINE OF NUTRIENTS. HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS Living with stress increases our need for nutrients for a few reasons such as a lack of gut absorption and cells having to work harder and burn through nutrients faster. We also use up more antioxidants, which leads to cell damage and inflammation. Key antioxidants include Vitamin C, Selenium (eat four Brazil nuts per day) and Vitamin E. Try eating some of the superfoods now available like Acai, Goji or Inca berries, spirulina and raw cacao nibs. Increase your antioxidants for less cell damage and improved function and oxygenation. This assists the immune system and reduces cardiovascular disease, resulting in better energy levels and more resilience. I prefer to use whole foods wherever possible but when folks are under great stress then our diet is just not enough. Horrifyingly, we need to eat 25 times as much food as we did in the 1930s to get the same amount of nutrients that were available then! With a strung out nervous system there are many minerals and vitamins that get depleted or excreted faster, such as Magnesium (great for overwhelm, insomnia, anxiety), Calcium, Zinc which is needed in nearly every enzyme action in the body, B vitamins (these work synergistically so if you want extra B5 or B6, add it on top of your B complex capsule). During stress we need more Bs and Vitamin C than usual. 32

The ultimate key though, is where our mind is in relation to our stress. Sometimes a shift in our perception can make a huge difference in our stress response. The stress buzz word is balance, but I prefer to consider how much of your life makes your heart sing? If it’s less than 40 per cent then it’s time for change. There are three key questions that native healers have traditionally asked their patients: when did you stop singing? When did you stop dancing? When did you stop dreaming? Do you still sing, dance or imagine amazing possibilities? Start again, right now. Your body will respond. Live joyfully, generously and passionately!

Jacqui Bushell ND, DBM, DRM is a Naturopath and Herbalist. Jacqui works with many locally grown, wild crafted herbs, Flower Essences, Cranio Sacral Therapy, Hot Stone Massage and Spiritual Healing. These modalities support and heal our body and mind, inviting us to a more inspirational way of living, to connect on a deeper level with ourselves and our environment. Practicing from West Ryde, Sydney and Katoomba. All Health Rebates available. Call 0414 837 558. For more information on improving your life visit Jacqui’s website at puretherapies.com.au

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A Little Laser

Cosmetic Laser Clinic Jennifer Dromgold is the owner of a new boutique laser clinic A Little Laser in Manuka. She provides safe, fast, high end medical grade treatments at affordable prices. Hair removal and skin rejuvenation treatments for people of all skin types. Jennifer’s experience in providing clinical and laser treatments spans over 10 years. Jennifer has clients ranging from gay boys who want to be ultra smooth to people in the trans* community who need a professional clinic that understands their needs. “As somebody that supports and understands the needs of trans* people I’m very keen to offer my services and help individuals look and feel better. I am excited and proud to be able to offer my clients individual treatment plans and give them the time they deserve in a boutique style clinic. I enjoy building an honest relationship with my clients and love having the opportunity to help people achieve results with their individual concerns.”

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TRAVEL

WORLDPRIDE 2012

FOLLOW THE RAINBOW TO LONDON

By Kyle Manning

Ian McKellen at WorldPride. Image gaytravel.com

THIS MAY BE LONDON’S GAYEST YEAR YET. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee may seem abstractly queer, but there’s nothing subtle about WorldPride, which is coming our way this June. This year is the third instalment of WorldPride, created by InterPride, and is being hosted by the 40th annual London Pride. It’s a celebration of all things LGBT. So, if you’re not still exhausted from the Sydney Mardi Gras, or even if you are exhausted but still up for more, why not hit up the UK this Winter? (Well, it’ll be Summer there, if that’s more incentive). The two weeks of festivities (anticipated to take place from 23 June – 8 July) are expected to draw in more than one million people from around the world. And, if we’re lucky, the crowds will include some major celebrities — Sir Elton John and Sir Ian McKellen have both attended London Pride previously.

WORLDPRIDE WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE CAPITAL, LIKE A BIG, GAY BLANKET OF FRUITY GOODNESS.

Key venues to check out include the Candy Bar (a lesbian’s home away from home), Ku Bar, G-A-Y Bar, The Eagle London and The King’s Arms (ideal for bears and cubs). If you dig leather and fetish clubs, you’ll want to head over to Vauxhall, south of the river. Crash is the place to be on Saturday nights and Instinct is the perfect spot for lovers of house and techno music. The bottom line is: whatever your preferences and quirks, you’re sure to find a bar or club that’s just right for you. And you shouldn’t have any trouble getting to that perfect place — London’s public transportation system is actually pretty decent (unlike some Aussie cities we could name). You can get a daily travel card to access the tubes and buses for less than £5 (or about $7.50 Australian). The previous two WorldPride events took place in Rome and Jerusalem. If these two are anything to go by, we can expect an exciting two weeks in London this year. The gauntlet will surely be thrown down for Toronto, which has won the bid to host WorldPride in 2014.

The highlight, the parade on 7 July, will weave its way through many of London’s iconic landmarks, including Piccadilly Circus, where a Pride Rally will also be taking place.

If you haven’t experienced the sophisticated metropolis that is London before, or if you have been there and loved it, June is looking like the perfect time to grab a ticket, pack your bags, and head on over. Live like a queen during WorldPride in London.

Soho, as the heart of the GLBT community in London, is where most of the action will take place. You’ll know you’ve reached the yellow brick road when you find the rainbow flags and the most popular gay clubs, bars and restaurants in the city.

By the way, the Olympics will be starting not long after on 27 July, so maybe you could stick around and check out some sexy athletes. Check out gaytravel.com for more information about WorldPride 2012 in London. 37

MUSIC

By Tony Hamlyn

GIFTS FOR YOUR EARS

EAR CANDY

SINGLES JUSTIN BIEBER

BOYFRIEND

The problem with Justin Bieber has always been that while he has one of the most out of control celebrity profiles of anyone in the world right now, he has a back catalogue of mostly forgettable tunes. That said, this single was always going to be the make or break moment for The Biebs. And lucky for him it well and truly hits the mark. A highly stripped-back R&B affair, ‘Boyfriend’ cruises along with a very cool vibe reminiscent of Justin Timberlake’s ‘Like I Love You’. It’s a step in a more mature direction, still retaining that teen taste, and it will be massive, make no mistake. The vocal is top class and not as overproduced as previous offerings. The haters can just keep on hatin’, but this here is nothing short of amazing.

RICKI-LEE

DO IT LIKE THAT Ricki-Lee doesn’t get nearly the kind of attention she deserves. She’s always been a sweetheart and released consistently good material that’s easily as (if not more!) likeable as the other Australian Idol graduates. And yet she doesn’t seem to enjoy the same successes for some reason. Hopefully that will change here and now, because ‘Do It Like That’ is a catchy and commercial, fast-paced, frenetic pop-a-palooza the likes of which Beyonce or Rihanna would kill to get their hands on. The vocal is exceptional as always and the production on this has an international quality. There is a phenomenal remix by Fred Falke to look out for, but in the meantime we all need to get behind this song because it’s fresh, it’s fun and it’s fabulous. 38

IT’S ALL ABOUT KYLIE! Our Kyles has seemingly gone from strength to strength. Wowing everyone with her Mardi Gras performance, before playing four exclusive Sydney and Melbourne gigs dubbed the “Anti Tour” in which she pulled out old album tracks and B-sides just for hardcore fans. Now it’s been announced that she’s overseeing the New Year’s Eve festivities in Sydney this year, being given the title of Creative Ambassador. It’s not really clear how this will all work just yet, whether she’ll be performing, or choosing specific artists, or what. But whatever it entails, expect a New Years filled with lots of hot pink and glitter.

FIT FOR A QUEEN UK pop-star Gary Barlow has been travelling the globe collecting recordings from various Commonwealth countries to help create a track he and Andrew Lloyd Webber have written in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s upcoming Diamond Jubilee. FUSE has learned that it’s mostly unsigned talent going onto the song, with the Aussie contingent being Indigenous guitarist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It’s been a dream of Gary’s to record an orchestra at the Sydney Opera House, one he finally got to fulfill during a visit in March. He’s described the Jubilee single as a bit of new world mash up, with a variety of sounds from countries such as Kenya, Jamaica, South Africa, The Solomon Islands and Australia.

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PERFECT WORLD BY GOSSIP This is a truly fantastic return for Gossip. Produced by Brian Higgins, it has a distinct element of a 1980’s film soundtrack, while still managing a punk-pop guitar based angst that remains true to what we’ve come to know and love from this band. Everyone’s favourite lesbian lead, Beth Ditto, is on fire here belting out an anguished melody with all the moxy she can muster. They’ve never quite hit the big time, but this is about as radio friendly as you can get, and will surely be a huge breakthrough track for them.

EAR CANDY

ALBUMS MADONNA

MDNA

In 1998, amidst the release of the ‘Frozen’ single, Madonna and I had a falling out. I won’t go into too much detail, suffice to say that she made a derogatory comment about television that was not only a lie but also insufferably pretentious. It filled me with such blind fury that I boycotted all Madonna vision (‘she thinks she’s too good for TV? Fine!’), and swore I could never love the woman I’d worshipped for decades the same way again. Of course I loved the Ray of Light album, easily her finest recording and an opus for the ages, and there have been consequent releases I’ve rated as well. But to be honest, things have never been the same between us. And with each badly received album (Hard Candy, anyone?) I have taken immense schadenfreude in her public failings.

STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN RENAISSANCE If you grew up in the late 80s then you couldn’t help but be caught up in the Stock Aitken Waterman frenzy indicative of the times. The famous production team and their legendary Hit Factory studios had sales of more than 250 million units worldwide and were responsible for classic pop songs like ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’, ‘Venus’ and ‘You Spin Me Round’ to name but a few. It was announced last month that a concert will take place at London’s Hyde Park in mid-July entitled The Hit Factory Live, which will see a lineup of names the likes of which will have every 80’s pop fan doubling over with excitement. The confirmed cavalcade of SAW stars so far includes Rick Astley, Sonia, Dead or Alive, Sinitta, Bananarama, Jason Donovan, Princess, Hazell Dean, and Lonnie Gordon. If those names mean anything to you, you’ll no doubt be thrilled to learn that even more are still to come. It’s a one-night-only experience and if you’re keen to be part of it you should look into booking your UK trip now.

GOSSIP

But something changed — maybe her, maybe me — and since the announcement of this new album a few months back I found that I’d been anticipating new Madonna material with surprising optimism. And so, as I sat down this week to give it a proper listen, I was thrilled to discover my optimism was warranted. MDNA is a corker! What we have here is an unusually well blended bundle of millennium dance beats and 60s inspired pop, laid over a bagful of attitude and a ton of melody. Highlights include the electro go-go ‘I’m a Sinner’ and the dark and dreamy ‘Gang Bang’, both collaborations with the great William Orbit who of course helped write and produce the Ray of Light album. ‘Turn up Your Radio’ is a throwback to pop roots with a chorus to die for, while ‘I’m Addicted’ is a phenomenal, hard-edged dance track sure to induce an arms-in-the-air “WHOOOO!” in gay clubs the world over. Also noteworthy is the fab and funky ‘I Don’t Give a’, one of the album’s finest moment, skirting lyrically around the subject of divorce and biting as close to the bone as she wants to. And the most surprising and joyous thing about this album as a whole is the distinct lack of filler. There’s a pop sensibility that’s been missing in her work for so many years, and there’s a consistency to the production that was lacking in more recent, reviled offerings. If there was ever a reason to forgive and forget then the MDNA album is it. Welcome back, Madonna... All is forgiven! 41

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TOP QUEER

ARE YOU CRUZIN’

By Stuart Poole

TOP QUEER TAKES THE AUSSIE HOLDEN CRUZE,

CRUZIN’

We are all very aware of the connotations that the name ‘Cruze‘ brings up, but given the sales figures, it made sense to take a drive and see what all the hype was about. The Cruze comes in a sedan or a hatch and has some fairly radical styling. Not being a Holden man, I didn’t want to like the Cruze, but I quickly changed my mind once I was in the drivers seat. One of the best things about the Cruze is that it is built in Australia, thus saving Australian jobs every time one romps out of the show room. Last year the Aussie Cruze came in at number five for individual model sales in Australia, moving 33,000+ units. Holden must be pretty glad to have the Cruze on their menu at that rate. Given that the introduction of the hatch and the commencement of Australian production came later in the year, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to expect the Cruze to top 40,000 sales for 2012. So enough numbers, how did it drive? I took the 1.4 iTi model for this test; it’s a 1.4 litre turbo petrol engine (the Cruze is also available with naturally aspirated 1.8 petrol or a turbo diesel). I am lead to believe that the 1.4 iTi or the turbo diesels are the best picks from the pack. The 1.4 turbo powered away in a spirited fashion from the lights. The short throw manual transmission added to the fun.

AUNT DOROTHY’S

MOTORING TIP

My friends own a turbo diesel version, which they tell me has some initial turbo-lag, but once up and running it cruises very nicely, with fuel consumption around 6.7 litres/100km. They live in the country, and their Cruze is subjected to rural roads on a daily basis. They reported that they have had 100,000+ trouble free kilometers from their Cruze. Their only issues being caused by straying wildlife. On the test drive the chassis felt tight and the handling was better than expected, reflecting the Australian input into the design of the Cruze. But the biggest surprise was when I hopped in for the first time. I instinctively slid the seat all the way back, as I am accustomed to having to do in almost every car I have ever driven (Falcon and Commodore excepted) and I couldn’t reach the pedals. Seriously, if you are a tall person, then this is the car for you! The seats were comfortable, and there were plenty of gadgets and “infotainment” to keep the average techno-phile more than happy. The sound system was great too. People who wish to carry adults in the rear seat might want to consider the hatch, which has a full 120mm extra rear seat headroom as well as the increased practicality of the hatch. The Cruze comes in a variety of colours and models, with a range of options and practical accessories.

So there you have it, I have been converted! I found the Cruze to be a totally sensible (but far from boring) car at a reasonable price, with one of Australia’s largest dealer networks to back it up. It was a great car to drive and very comfortable. Safety was right up there with the best too. This test drive, it was a real eye opener! If you would like to try the Cruze for yourself, contact Chris Maher at Commonwealth Motors in Phillip. He would be only too happy to help out. See you on the road!

Buy the latest possible model you can afford. The money saved on “last year’s model” will just bring you pain and cost you dearly at trade in time, when the year your car was manufactured counts for everything. A December 2011 model is only a month older than a January 2012 car, but the last couple of digits in the year manufactured count for a lot more than you might think when the time comes to move on. 43

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STARGAZER MAY & JUNE

By Melisa Paz

YOUR HOROSCOPE

May will be Venus retrograde month, so since Venus runs everything that has to do with affections and pleasures, there might be three weeks in May when everyone is going to feel less motivated about certain things in life. But it won’t last long, and of course, this will happen for a good reason so you will have to keep a positive attitude about it in order to get the best from this special time. By June 27th, Venus will go direct and it means that everyone’s motivation will be back and stronger than ever. Plus, with the help of Saturn — which will also be direct by late June — this will be the best time for all signs to pursue their goals and put all their passion into whatever they want to achieve. These two months will be great to all signs regarding prosperity and success in any project, so keep on working hard, because Venus and Saturn will be there making sure we do great.

Aquarius

January 21 – February 18 These two months will be about building yourself and finding something that really makes you happy, that is why by early June you will feel a lot of self-confidence, so enjoy it and use it well. Tip: Listen to yourself instead of listening to everybody else.

Taurus

April 21 – May 21 Venus will make sure you have a surprise in regards to love in May, so get ready, because it’s going to be good! Plus, by middle June, Jupiter will help you about that thing that has been taking away your sleep. Tip: Take your time before making any decisions around June 17th.

Leo

July 23 – August 23 June will be a great month for you in the financial area, so get ready to enjoy the results of your hard work. By middle May a difficulty might appear, so keep calm and let things take their own course. Tip: Around May 24th go out with an old friend, you won’t regret it.

Scorpio

October 24 – November 22 Lucky you, late May will be a great time for you when it comes to sex and by June, Saturn will make you feel invincible, so make sure you use that energy to achieve all your month goals. Tip: Around the middle May avoid any kind of arguments at work.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20 By May you might feel like you’ve lost the motivation to keep working on that special project of yours, but don´t worry, by the first week of June you will feel Saturn´s energies and the motivation will be back. Tip: By middle May have some rest, maybe away from the city.

Gemini

May 22 – June 21 Jupiter is going to be there for you all May, so this is the perfect time to focus in the changes you want to do about your routine. Tip: Don’t be shy and if you feel like doing something, just do it, these will be two great months to be spontaneous. Experiment new things and experiences.

Virgo

August 24 –September 23 By early May Mercury will help you to keep focused in a rational way about your love life. But by late May you will have no option but to listen to Venus and follow your instincts due to a surprise Venus will give you. Tip: Be honest about your feelings, especially at home.

Sagittarius

November 23 – December 22 In early May your financial area is going to get better and you might be able to pay some debts that have been hanging around. By early June, Venus is going to help you in solving a situation that might appear that involves an ex-lover. Tip: Around May 21st avoid drinking.

Aries

March 21 – April 20 May will be crazy in the love area, and you may have lot of ups and downs so try to enjoy all the ups and let the downs just flow by. Tip: Jupiter is telling you to focus about just one thing at a time. Stop trying to do a million things, just do one and make sure it is amazing.

Cancer

June 22 – July 22 May will be perfect for adventure and creativity, especially regarding relationships. Thanks to Saturn, June is going to be full of good energies in the work area and you will feel appreciated. Tip: Around June 4th a stranger is going to give you advice, take it.

Libra

September 24 – October 23 May will be the perfect month to spend some more time with your friends. And thanks to the Sun, by June, you will have energies to achieve that one goal you have been pursuing for the last months. Tip: Spoil yourself and take a day to rest by middle May, you’ll feel a lot better for it.

Capricorn

December 23 – January 20 Thanks to Mercury, Venus retrograde won’t be so hard on you. You’ll have patience and discipline to help overcome that feeling of lacking the strength. By June you will have the opportunity to get that thing you have been asking for in regards to love. Tip: Watch your finances. 45

COMMUNITY DIRECTORY AIDS Action Council The AIDS Action Council provides information, support and services. More info: www.aidsaction.org.au A Gender Agenda A resource for transgender, intersex, gender queer and gender variant people. www.genderrights.org.au ACTQueer A free email list for LGBTI people in Canberra and surrounding region. groups.yahoo.com/group/actqueer Bent Lenses Canberra’s very own queer film culture group. Check out movie times online at www.bentlenses.org 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. More info email: bit_bent@hotmail.com Canberra Gay & Lesbian QWIRE Want to be involved with Canberra’s own gay and lesbian choir? Singers and non-singers encouraged. More info: canberraqwire@yahoo.com.au Dyke Dinner & Movie Group More info on FUSE website or see Canberra Lesbians on Facebook. Fruits in Boots A social and support network for rural GLBTI members outside the ACT. Email: fruitsinboots@gmail.com Gay ACT Squash Group Wednesdays 6.30pm–7.30pm. National Sports Club, Mouat St, Lyneham. groups.google.com/group/gayactsquash PFLAG-ACT A support and friendship group for parents and friends of LGBTI people. More info email pflag.act@gmail.com

Long Yang A friendly social club for Asian and non-Asian gays and their friends. Canberra: lyccanberra.org Sydney: sydney.longyangclub.org Pink Tennis Gay & Lesbian Tennis Group meets Mondays 6pm–9pm at Turner Tennis Club, Cnr McCaughey & Condamine Sts.

✪ Come and play at CUBE Nightclub! CANBERRA HANGOUTS

Qnet — Queer Youth Cyberspace Qnet is an online community for GLBTI people under the age of 25. www.qnet.org.au

Cube Nightclub Canberra’s premier gay nightclub venue. 33 Petrie Plaza Civic, Canberra City. www.cubenightclub.com.au

Queanbeyan Youth Support Group Make new friends and discuss issues. Mondays 4pm–6pm at Axis Youth Centre, Campbell Street, Queanbeyan Park.

Phoenix Pub The Phoenix is a chilled out friendly pub where everyone is welcome to drop by for a beer or some Drag Bingo! 21 East Row, Canberra City. www.lovethephoenix.com

Queer Scientists of the ACT For queer scientists of all disciplines for networking, support, socialising, and to combat discrimination. Email damien.huffer@gmail.com for more info. Radio Q Canberra LGBTI community radio show on 2xx 98.3FM, 8.30pm–11pm on Thursdays or online at 2xxfm.org.au Rainbow Bubs A playgroup and support group for same sex parents and their kids. Email: hoogied@yahoo.com Rainbow Bowlers ‘Gay Bowling’ Sunday nights. Belconnen Bowling Alley. 1 Emu Bank from 7pm. South Coast Pride NSW From Wollongong down to Merimbula come out, come out, wherever you are! Email: southcoastpride@live.com Uni of Canberra LGBTI group A social group for all LGBTI students and staff. Queer Space is located at the UCSA building 1 at the Uni of Canberra. Info email: sexuality@theucsa.org.au

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. To reserve your favourite table or booth call us on 6247 7753. Cnr of Wattle & Brigalow Sts, Lyneham. Bar32 Bar32 is a 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 Ranch Men’s Lounge Canberra’s mens’ space. They are located at Unit 19, Molongo Mall in Fyshwick ACT. A safe venue for men who want to meet men. See ad p47.

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

WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

DEAR ROSE

‘‘

By Rose Pappalardo

Dear Rose, My girlfriend has just moved in to my house. OMG I’ve made a huge mistake. I don’t want to break up but after only one week I’ve realised there is no way I can actually live with her. What do I do? Lou

Lou, @ Dear Damn girl, you are definitely in trouble! Seriously

though, if it’s only been a week living together, you probably need to stop and take a breath. Moving in with anyone is always going to be rough until you both find your balance. This would be especially hard if you are used to living on your own. First work out what is actually driving you crazy. Is she a neat freak? Is she a slob? Does she leave her dirty knickers on the bathroom floor? Ask yourself the question, ‘Am I being reasonable or unreasonable?’ Once you have worked it out, sit down and be honest with her about your concerns. She may not even be aware of how crazy she is making you. Either way, the best way to approach such a delicate subject is to be honest and sincere!

‘‘

Dear Rose, I have met this cute boi who identifies as bi. He is heavily in the closest and has sworn me to secrecy. We had one amazing time and he said he has never felt this way about a guy before. The thing is, we have tried to connect up again but it never seems to happen. Do you think this relationship has a future? Tired of Being Alone

Tired of Being Alone, @ Dear I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news but I think

your “closet” boi has taken flight. Take heart though, your fellow sounds like he is struggling big time with his sexuality and his experience with you may have proven what he has suspected of himself for a long time. While it may not mean a blossoming romance for you, on an optimistic note, you can walk away with the thought you have been instrumental as a positive experience for someone’s struggle to identify his sexuality! So to borrow from my late Nona Rosina’s favourite saying, ‘If at first you don’t succeed — try, try again!’ While this romance has not worked out like a big Gay ever-after fairytale, there is still plenty of beautiful rainbow Princes out there for you! So your fabulous Fairy godmother Dear Rose says, get out there and wave that magic wand!

If you would like to write to Dear Rose email her at: dearrose@fusemagazine.com.au

‘‘

Dear Rose, I’ve met this guy online. He lives in the US and we have been chatting for about a year now. I think we really have something special maybe, but the only way we can be together is if I pay for his airfare as he can’t afford it. Do you think that would be a good thing for me to do? Online Guy

Online Guy, @ Dear Ok, I have some rules about online

activity/dating and the first one is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give anyone any money. By sending him a ticket you could be opening a Pandora’s box of problems. You may be landed with being financially responsible for him while he is here and ensuring that he leaves when he is supposed to. Don’t get me wrong; while I have heard of successful online romances, the majority seem to end up as a bust. Philosophically, I believe it’s really easy to tell someone online exactly what they want to hear, but having an experience face to face gives you a more realistic sense of who the person is. Why put yourself in a risky situation when you don’t have to? What may work better is for you to go to him. Book a hotel close to where he lives and spend some time with him. That contact will give you an opportunity to get to know him and work out whether a relationship is going to work. Make sure that you also arrange a contact/support person close by that you can turn to if things go pear shaped. Always, remember to be safe when travelling overseas.

‘You know, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender… people are people.’

Judith Light Lead actress in the 80’s sitcom Who’s the Boss? Judith Light sits on the board of the Matthew Sheppard Foundation and is a leading gay activist in the US. WWW.FUSEMAGAZINE.COM.AU

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EXHILARATING VIEWING” THE GUARDIAN

28-30 JUNE 2012