OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT subscription.

INTERVIEWS

This is our 12th Issue and we are delighted that it will be the first one available in 134 CNA outlets throughout the country. We will still be available for free at your favourite bar, club, restaurant and community centre as well as on

Spring in in the air and we have gone a bit gaga. The weirdest woman on the planet is coming to South Africa so we honour Lady Gaga. John French asks who is the Queen of Queens, Gaga or Madonna. And just to keep us in the mood, Gaga and Britney impersonator Derrick Barry will be appearing at MCQP in December.

Pride is an important celebration of who we are as well as a reminder of how far we have come and how far we still have to go. Joburg Pride has grown from a small protest march in 1990, where marchers had to wear paper bags over their heads for fear of exposure, to a major event with over 20 000 celebrants. Durban had a successful Pride in June and East London is the latest South African city to host its first Pride. Nelson Mandela Bay Pride in Port Elizabeth will be hosting its second Pride this year. Brave gays and lesbians in Uganda recently marched with Pride, despite threats from Church and State. Pride is an exciting event, however big or small or wherever it may be celebrated, we print news about Pride in Joburg and PE and Mr GSA Lance Weyer writes about his impressions of Amsterdam Pride.

In this issue, we talk to ChianoSky, the country’s latest singing sensation; the fiercely extravagant drag performer Terry Tiger Victor; and Bros B4 Hos, the nation’s first Drag King Troupe. As usual we keep you up to date with the latest trends in food, books, music, film, fitness, theatre and travel. And oh….We had a ball shooting this issue’s cover with the one and only ODIDiva. Enjoy!

Evan Tsouroulis MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358 ISSN 2304-859X published by: Patterson Publications P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 434 6034 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net evan@outafricamag.co.za Advertising Sales: Robert Simpson 072 266 7051 Evan Tsouroulis 072 905 8489

Contributors:

Daniel Dercksen, Lance Weyer Glenn de Swardt,John French Gary Hopkins, Gabriela Marquez, Tim Owen Jarred Plu’g , Veri Dre Sweet Additional Photography: Barry Reid, Danie Bornman, Simon Deviant

Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town

Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners.

All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine.

The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinionsof OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

Cover Model: ODIDiva Photo & Makeup: Reno Horn.

ODIDiva dressed by Justin Peters of The StyleRoom, TART and Ministry4Style. Photographed at Beefcakes Green Point with some prime beef.

4 TOO FIERCE: OUT chats to the fabulous Terry Tiger Victor 22 I MAKE A FABULOUS DRAG QUEEN: Getting to know the real Chiano Sky 40 BROS B4 HOS: SA’s newest drag troupe only this time they’re women

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REVIEWS

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43 OUT ON DVD 44 OUT TO LUNCH: 45 WORD PERFECT: 46 OUT ON FILM: What to miss on the circuit...and what not to!

47 MUSIC MOVES: What’s hot & what’s not...

48 ON STAGE: The performing arts all over South Africa

SCENE OUT

FASHION 26-27: SUPER HOT T’s: Sexy Summer T-shirts

FEATURES

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26 Who’s been spotted out and about the party scene

1 EDITORS COMMENT: 2 ADVICE FOR THE HOPELESS ROMANTICS: by Tim Owen 3 10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DERRICK BARRY: 5 THE BUZZ: News, snippets & gossip 6 THIS IS HOW WE DO IT: Take part in the Health 4 Men survey 8 ULTIMATE LUXURY: The Views Hotel & Spar - the best kept secret in Wilderness 10 THE LONG STREET OF FITNESS: Keeping in shape with Jarred Plu’g 11 EQUINOX SPRING FAIR: A street party to celebrate Spring 12 BEEFING UP JOZI: Cape Town’s famous night spot is set to take Johannesburg by storm 14 PRISCILLA RIDES AGAIN! 14 NELSON MANDELA BAY PRIDE 15 JO’BURG PRIDE: Africa’s biggest Pride festival 16 OLYMPIC EYE-CANDY: Some of the sights at London 2012 17 GAY TRAVEL SPECIALS 18 GOING GAGA FOR THE LADY: Hold on to your hair, Gaga is coming to SA 19 CHRONICLES OF A DRAG QUEEN: More news from Ms Gabriella Marquez 20 WHO IS THE QUEEN OF THE QUEENS? Madonna or Gaga?

24 AMSTERDAM PRIDE with Lance Weyer 25 BLOODY GIVE: Support OIA Film Festival 32 THE HUNT IS ON: Meeting through Manhunt 34 CHALLENGING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS: Health issues 36 THE VERI SWEET LETTERS: KZN’s latest gossip 36 THE LOUNGE: Durban’s glamest venue 37 KINX BDSM LOUNGE 38 THATSOGAY: Gay theatre festival 42 CABARET: Still fabulous at 40!

43 DJ ARIEE’s TOP 10 45 GORE VIDAL: A literary Titan

The winner of the GRAND DADDY competition was JOHN THACKRAY Mag 1

ADVICE FOR THE HOPELESS ROMANTICS

by Tim Owen

T

here is a very common debate that comes out in support of the notion that being in a gay relationship is easier than being in a straight one. The usual argument is that we are both guys, which means we know how the other works, both physically and intellectually. It is universally understood and agreed upon that any relationship is going to start with a pair (sometimes more) of erections, and only if that rocks our world (or at least wobbles it a bit) will the meat of the relationship be built onto the boners that formed the initial skeleton. With so many potential matches out there we can’t afford to waste time, so there is some basic ground work that is done before we get to this stage. The Internet provides a convenient way to do the initial screening to ensure our potential objet d’shag meets the entry level requirements with regards to role, foreskin, length, girth and applicable fetishes. Criminal records, HIV status and “still living with my parents” are usually 3rd date topics.

Clean and simple.

To that I say: what a load of soggy condom!

Being in a heterosexual relationship for over ten years, I learnt how to successfully navigate the usual clichéd questions, such as “Does this dress make my ass look fat,” and “Should we do something special for our anniversary this year?” These are such mind-numbingly boring run-of-themill issues that I’m pretty sure there is a Heterosexual relationships for dummies out there that neatly deals with them, and several thousand like them. For dummies read “straight men” as women don’t appear to need or want to understand their male counterparts. If a woman buys this book it is most likely a gift for some unsuspecting guy whom she intends to mould into something that she might one day not be embarrassed to be seen in public with.

Being in a series of homosexual relationships for over ten years I learnt how to successfully navigate the usual clichéd questions, such as “Does this Mag 2

cock ring make my penis look short?” and “Should we invite the Nigerian with the big knob to help us celebrate our 6 month anniversary?” On the face of it, you would think the answers are obvious.

The irony of it is that the more important the relationship, the more likely we are to screw it up. Yup, it is true that because we are all guys we understand how each other works physically and intellectually.

It’s the emotionally bit that’s the bitch.

And like it or not, the odds are good you are going to find your emotions getting in the way of a good shag eventually, wanting more. It’s the gift of being human.

We don’t all mature at the same pace on the hedonism scale, some of us not being ready for true intimacy until we are in our fifties, while others are ready for it in our early twenties (referred to as hopeless romantics by the former set). What happens when one person in the relationship matures past his hedonistic desires and realises that it’s no longer enough? The answer to the question “Should we invite the Nigerian with the big knob to help us celebrate our anniversary?” is suddenly not quite so obvious. And if the partner is not on the same page, then this question might very well be the thing that ends the relationship.

I’m grateful to be in a long term relationship that has moved past the trivial issues, but this I have learned: the tricky questions never stop, they just change shape. An additional problem with being with the same person for a long time is that your partner knows you well enough to recognise when you are fibbing, so instead of a casual “yes” or “no”, you have to dress it up in a creative way that leaves him with a slight sense that he didn’t like your answer, but with nothing concrete that he can actually put into words. Consider this dialogue for example, which starts with a question from Dean: “Can you taste the difference now that I’m cooking with my La Creuset pots?”

(The fact that we could actually afford to buy food after buying the pots is in itself

a miracle) “No.” (spot the mistake).

“So, what, now you don’t like my cooking?”

Now, I personally have no idea how this leap of logic occurred. I think the only actual fact that can be gleaned from this conversation is that Dean is not a scientist. This is obviously the thought process of somebody very creative, capable of seeing associations where the rest of us are blind, like the guys in The Matrix who could discern some sort of order in the washy green mess of data that constantly dripped off their screens.

Which means that the only correct way to answer it is with something equally creative, “no” not being it.

An insincere answer of “yes” would have been even worse, with a possible sentence of night-on-the-couch. I think a good rule of thumb is that single word answers, and single syllable answers in particular, are ultimately just going to prolong an argument that you had no idea was even brewing. So now what?

Studying a politician’s ten minute response to a simple yes or no question like: “Did you buy a house in Sandown for R36 Million?” will give some useful pointers on the art of speaking a lot whilst saying nothing, the best way to stay out of trouble. If we have to be constantly exposed to their antics we might as well learn something from them, they have to serve some purpose, after all.

First prize, of course is to think on your feet and come up with the near-perfect answer, the best being one that actually makes him feel good while at the same time getting you off the hook. Something like “Absolutely, that was the tastiest asparagus I have ever eaten” might seem like a winning answer, but it’s a good thing I didn’t say that because as it turns out they were beans. Beware of these sorts of pitfalls.

Failing that, it’s essential to have a couple of back up plans, which I do. The first one can be quite onerous as it entails being

vigilant the entire day for any bit of scandal or information that your partner will find interesting. It has to be really juicy and/or interesting otherwise your ruse will be as transparent as things used to be before The Secrecy Bill was passed. Then, when presented with an A-grade question, you act like you just suddenly remembered something you felt sure your partner would really like to know, emphasising the fact that you specifically made a point to remember it because you knew how much he would enjoy it. The implication of course being what an excellent boyfriend you are. It will usually start with “Oh my God, did you hear about……” because everybody knows that whatever follows OMG has got to be deliciously scandalous and automatically gets priority regardless of whatever conversation was in play the moment before.

10 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT DERRICK BARRY

The second one depends on the nature of your boyfriend.

If he is the nurturing, paternal kind, you can suddenly grip your wenis (no, the skin on your elbow), wincing in what must appear to be pain that you are trying to conceal from him. If you do it properly his attention will be diverted from the minefield he was leading you through as his concern for your well-being derails his current train of thought. If your follow-through is good enough, you may even squash the issue permanently as he rushes off to get you a Transact plaster before making you a cup of herbal tea.

If he is the slightly more self-involved sort, answering his question with a question about him might work. You know what his vanities are. It could be something like: “Are you using a different shampoo because your hair is looking really thick,” if he is a hair guy, or “Has that T-shirt shrunk?

Because it’s looking really tight around your biceps,” if he started going to gym the day before. If you can muster a lustful sneer at the same time, that would be useful.

For me, it’s psychology journals. Dean is passionate about his career, so sometimes when his latest journal arrives I hide it away, so that I have this line stored up for when I need it: “Oh, I forgot to tell you! Your latest psychology journal arrived today,” as I scramble away from the danger zone to go and get it like a special treat that I had kept just for him.

Some of you will be nodding as you read this, but I suspect many will be making the “huh?” face. That’s okay. But let me just give you a little heads up. One day you’ll be walking through Woolies and you’ll find yourself putting a loaf of the flavourless, dry, wheat free bread that looks like a cow patty into your trolley, instead of the delicious olive ciabata - because it’s the bread he likes. Oh, and yes, you’ll be using a trolley not a basket, because suddenly you find yourself stocking up on all sorts of novel treats and delicacies just in case he comes round. You’re buying Earl Grey and Darjeeling tea bags, even though you’re a coffee boy.

Having a selection of Champagne in the pantry now feels like a necessity, not an extravagance. You’ll be buying three different soaps for the shower, because he mentioned how much he really likes this one particular brand but you can’t remember which one it was. And then, OMG! One morning you realise that you are texting him and you aren’t even out of his driveway yet, and, even better, he responds by phoning you to tell you he misses you too.

Isn’t being human wonderful?

B

ritney Spears and Lady Gaga impersonator Derrick Barry caused a sensation when he visited South Africa in 2011, performing at Babylon in Centurion and at Crew Bar’s 2nd Birthday Bash in Cape Town.

He will be back in the country in December, taking the stage at MCQP, Africa’s biggest and queerest costume party.

1 At the age of 20, Derrick became the first Britney impersonator in An Evening at La Cage, which played at the Riviera Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. He was also the youngest to join the cast in the show’s 23-year history.

2. In 2008, Derrick appeared as Britney Spears on America’s Got Talent as a Top 40 semi-finalist.

3. Derrick appears as Britney Spears in Eminem’s We Made You and Katy Perry’s Waking Up in Vegas videos 4. The real Britney Spears was first introduced to Derrick on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

5. Lady Gaga’s team requested Derrick to open for her at Krave in Las Vegas.

6. Derrick’s pet peeve is hearing the words “I can’t”. He lives

by Mariah Carey’s anthem Make it Happen 7. His secret indulgence is strawberry churros.

8. He cannot live without Swarovski crystals. He uses them to embellish every single one of his costumes.

9. When not touring the world, Derrick stars as Britney Spears and Lady Gaga in Divas Las Vegas at Imperial Palace. He was the first Gaga impersonator to hit the stage on the Las Vegas Strip.

10. Derrick Barry is performing on the Main Stage at the 2012 Mother City Queer Project on 15 December in Cape Town Mag 3

TOO FIERCE Anyone who has been going to Pride in Cape Town or Johannesburg in recent years could hardly have failed to notice the impossibly glamorous Terry Tiger Victor. Always immaculately turned out, looking like the consummate showgirl, he is always a magnet for the paparazzi. Yet few people know that he had an exciting career in the United States...Terry’s alter ego ManneQueen was born in 1996 out of New York City club scene and went on to perform in all major club stages in New York, Miami and Los Angeles. ManneQueen’s club dance single “Chelsea’s On Fire” was released worldwide in 1996 and he performed the hit to thousands at the NY Gay Pride main event as featured entertainer for world renowned DJ Junior Vasquez. He also took pride of place on KTU Dance Music Radio’s float in the Parade down 5th Avenue. In South Africa he is best known for his spot-on impersonation of Madonna. He appeared at M-Net’s Live Across Africa New Year’s Eve Party at the Sun City Superbowl before embarking on his American adventure. When Terry returned to South Africa in 2004, he lived and worked as a hairstylist in Cape Town for two years before returning to his hometown Port Elizabeth to be with his family.

He now owns his own hair salon, the BHive in Mt Pleasant and performs cabaret at the salon on weekends. Terry Tiger Victor has become very well known in PE and is the face of Nelson Mandela Bay Pride 2012, which happens on 22 September. OUT wanted to find out more…

OUT: Tell us a secret …..

TTV: I’m really a woman pretending to be a man, impersonating a woman.

Queen and having two wardrobes, but I cannot go without feathers, jewels and designer outfits.

OUT: Tell us what not to wear this spring?

TTV: If anything gets my goat it’s girls in Daisy Dukes and calf-length, flat furry boots. Such a fashion no-no.

OUT: Who is your inspiration or role model?

TTV: I take my inspiration from anyone and everyone around me in everyday life. As for a role model, there are so many to choose from so I don’t pigeonhole myself with one.

OUT: What item in your closet can you not do without?

TTV: My gaf/ballet support for a sure tuck, to hide the family jewels - for stage, that is!

OUT: What’s in your handbag?

TTV: I don’t or rarely do handbags. I’m not that kinda girl.

OUT: What’s your greatest extravagance?

TTV: Drag, drag and more drag. It becomes very expensive being a Drag Mag 4

OUT: Which famous person, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with?

TTV: Dead Marilyn Monroe and living Madonna.

OUT: Madge or Gaga?

TTV: Both! I don’t get why people are constantly comparing the two of them. I love them both and impersonate both of them. Madge came before Gaga, as did so many before Madge. Yes they are similar but each one is good in her own right.

OUT: Have you ever been drunk before noon?

TTV: No, not that I can recall. I’m definitely not an early drinker, unless it was from the night before and stayed up till all hours of the morning. I had many of those days when I lived in New York.

OUT: What keeps you going?

TTV: My zest for life, new adventures of the unknown and mostly the wonderful people I surround myself with.

OUT: Love or Money?

TTV: I can really do with love but I definitely cannot do without money. But if I can have both at the same time, then bring it on!

OUT: What is your ambition/goal?

TTV: To be the best I can be at whatever I do.

OUT: Chocolate or Vanilla?

TTV: Love chocolate and love Vanilla. I’m

pretty much a well balanced person, I don’t take sides. Top or bottom, chocolate and vanilla, I like it all!

TTV: The tough times we are living in and I am so tired of giving my art and talent away and not making much from it.

OUT: What is the most attractive feature of a man?

TTV: Hands, feet, and a big....No! No really! A tall good looking man with a great personality and a heart of gold, I guess, the same as most people want.

OUT: Who do you perform with?

TTV: Miss Coco Caine aka Ebi West. We were both professional dancers in Sun City Extravaganzas back in the good old days.

He impersonates Tina Turner, Shirley Bassey and Whitney Houston and is my partner in crime and best friend!

OUT: What is the most attractive feature of a drag queen?

TTV: Someone who knows her art and who does not just think she can put on a little frock from Mr. Price or the Chinese store, slap on some make up and get on stage and not even know her words.

OUT: What’s your best quality?

TTV: I’m 2FIERCE…Hahahaa!

OUT: Have you ever had sex in a public place?

TTV: Oh all the time when I lived in NY, but here in SA It’s another ballgame.

OUT: Have you ever paid for sex?

TTV: Oh hell yeah! If you see those Latino hustlers in NY, you will too.

OUT: Have you ever been paid for sex?

TTV: Oh hell NOOO !!!!!! I give it away for free, although I don’t come cheap!

OUT: Who are you currently having sex with?

TTV: Mr. Palmer and his five sons! For God's sakes I live in Port Elizabeth, what are you thinking!

OUT: What advice do you have for aspiring drag performers?

TTV: Rehearse! Rehearse! Rehearse! Know your craft and be sincere!

OUT: Is Port Elizabeth coming out of its shell?

TTV: Yes I think it is, but not without a struggle and a push.

That’s why we are here doing what we are doing and setting the pace. Hopefully others will follow!

OUT: What’s the best and worst thing about PE? TTV: Everything is very close and centrally situated unlike Johannesburg and we have beautiful beaches (even a nude one).

The worst has to be the wind, but you soon get used to it. Close to the top of the list would be not enough gay nightlife.

OUT: Why should anyone come to PE? TTV: To see our show 2FIERCE Live at the B hive......

Terry Tiger Victor stars with Coco Caine in 2Fierce! every Friday and Saturday night at the BHive, 8 High Road, Mt Pleasant, Port Elizabeth. Also see www. youtube.com/watch?v=ZByG00nsUE

OUT: Do you ever get hit on at your performances?

TTV: Oh yes, but I just can’t get it on with a tuck! And most of the time it’s straight men.

OUT: How often do you ever say yes?

TTV: Most of the time. I have difficulty saying no.

OUT: Have you ever been arrested?

TTV: Yes just recently was falsely accused, charged and arrested!

OUT: What are you reading?

TTV: I am not an avid reader, but if you stick around long enough I might just read your ass!

OUT: What’s your favourite song of the moment?

TTV: I don’t really have a favourite song at the moment, but like many songs dating as far back as the fifties and sixties.

OUT: When did you discover your inner drag?

TTV: The first time I ever dragged was when I worked at No 58 Restaurant in Hillbrow, Johannesburg in the Eighties, where I started doing Marilyn Monroe. Since then I have travelled the world and impersonated Madonna on some of the biggest club stages in America.

OUT: Is drag a political statement?

TTV: Not at all for me. It is purely for entertainment and allowing my alter ego to come out and play!

OUT: You have recently started performing at your own venue. What made you do it?

Mag 5

THE BUZZ CAFE ERTE SHINES AGAIN

C

afé Erté on Sea Point’s Main Road has long been an alternative funky refuge in the Heart of the Atlantic Seaboard. But its reputation of being of being a lesbian vegetarian hippie hangout are long gone, thanks to a great makeover and new management. Located in a gorgeous Art Deco building, the new look Café Erté offers a “social environment with style” according to manager Bash Rihawi. The chic café, which opens from 10.00am to 4.00am, has become a buzzing hotspot over the last few months. One of the reasons is that it serves breakfast all day and that it offers a tasty and reasonably priced menu. Apart from a full range of coffees and a fully stocked bar, Café Erté is about to launch its new cocktail menu. Located down the drag from the Pink Village in Green Point, Café Erté is a great place to start the evening… or to end it with a some munchies after a night of clubbing.

256A Main Rd, Sea Point, Tel: 021 4330726

ABC, Nick Kershaw, Imagination, Tony Hadley from Spandau Ballet, and Human League will all be appearing on one stage performing over 40 hits! This Eighties Extravaganza will be at the Grand Arena at Grand West in Cape Town on 31 October, and at Supersport Park in Centurion on 2 November. Book at Ticketpros for Centurion and Computicket for Cape Town.

MISS GAY WESTERN CAPE GOES LARGE a global community of listeners who share the same positive view on life that the Mother City stands for. The eclectic a mix of lifestyle, current affairs, arts and culture on Taxi is the brain child of veteran radio and television personality and entertainer Soli Philander, who had attracted some of the most interesting broadcasters to the station. Amongst them is Style Guru Justin Peters, whose daily #AccelerateU show has featured the who’s who of Cape Town’s gay society.

If you are gay, interesting and fabulous, no doubt Justin has invited you to his StyleRoom. Catch Justin and his gay glitterati guests (and some fab straight ones too) from Monday to Friday between noon and 3.00pm at: www.thetaxi.co.za/ listenlive

80’s REWIND FESTIVAL REPLAY

PERENNIAL PET POP

Rick Astley

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reparations for the Mother City’s biggest and most glamorous drag pageant are well under way, with a string of events leading up to the Grand Final on Saturday 10 November 2012. The popular Miss Body Beautiful takes place on the 23 September at Club Fever followed by an Evening of Song and Dance on 25th October. This year’s theme is “Out of Africa” and the final will be happening at the Amphitheatre at the Cape Town International fter the massive success of the 80’s Rewind Festival earlier this Convention Centre which can accommodate up to 1500 people. year in Durban, Rewind SA, is back with more stars from the TAXI RADIO Eighties, in association with Virgin Atlantic, Jacaranda FM and Heart FM. After here are a number of online 20 000 raved about the Durban gig, it radio stations broadcasting was obvious that the sounds of the Eightthroughout South Africa, but ies are as popular as ever. So now it is the Taxi Radio is one of the few with turn of Gauteng and Cape Town to host a regular queer content, as one would some of that decade’s biggest names in expect from a station that epitomizes the pop music. Rick Astley, Belinda Carlisle, spirit of Cape Town and which engages

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he perennial Pet Shop Boys’ latest album Elysium is finally ready for world-wide release this September. This follows hot on the heels of the release of the first single off the album, Winner. As always Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe deliver some catchy tunes with witty lyrics which have made them the UK’s most popular popsynth duo of all time. The album is available as a single CD and a limited-edition double-CD which also includes instrumentals of each song, as well as on DVD.

THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

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lease participate in Health4Men’s online survey on South African gay and bisexual men’s sexual behaviour and related issues. They are trying to find out more about the kind of sex we have, how often and with who.

It is totally anonymous and after completing the survey you’ll be able to view some of the results obtained thus far. To participate in this confidential survey please follow the link: http://h4msurvey.limequery. com/67877.

GET OUT OF TOWN! Y ou can now buy a copy of your favourite gay glossy magazine at a one of 134 CNA outlets from Alberton to Walvis Bay for only R25.

Or you can subscribe and have OUT delivered to your doorstep. Send us an e-mail to: outmagafrica@telkomsa. net and we will tell you how. It’s only R100 a year, and we’ll pay the postage!

Don’t miss OUT!

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Mag 7

THE VIEWS ULTIMATE LUXURY

“Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction and skilful execution: it represents the wise choice of many alternatives.” - William A Foster

G

etting out of town is always a treat and when an opportunity arose for a weekend getaway in Wilderness we jumped at it, packed the car and headed off along the N2 to what promised to be a weekend of fun in the sun filled with oysters, good food, great company and a few glasses of wine. After all, this is the Garden Route and God’s wine country, and Knysna’s famous Oyster Festival was sure to attract visitors from far and wide.

The weather in Cape Town had been miserable for the past few weeks and we figured that it might improve up the coast. This was not to be, and when we stopped for fuel in Swellendam, the snow covered peaks of the Langeberg Mountains and the cold damp weather didn’t hold much hope for the sun-break we were so looking forward to. George was living up to its reputation (CAW = cold & wet), so we swept through without stopping and pressed on to our destination – The 5-star Views Boutique Hotel & Spa in Wilderness. As we arrived the bad weather caught up with us and the rain started to “chunder” down accompanied by gale-force winds and a drop in temperature that would have made a polar bear happy.

Premier Suite overlooking the Indian Ocean with its pristine yellow sandy shore. As the wind howled and the rain lashed against the windows, we acquainted ourselves with the room.

Apart from the very comfortable extra-length king-size bed, the room had a flat screen TV, (with several DSTV channels), a fullyequipped mini bar (yay!), coffee maker (with super coffee pods), free Wi-Fi (for Manhunt and and and…), a comfortable sofa and recessed mood lighting to suit any eventuality. The bathroom was spectacular with a huge bath that could easily accommodate 2 people, shower, and his & his basins with Hollywood- lighting around the mirrors – I kept thinking that this was large enough for me to settle in permanently.

Being at the Ocean, the interior design theme, the brain-child of Cape Town interior designer Lulu Ridgway, is the sea, and throughout the hotel there is lots of light with floor to ceiling windows capturing the spectacular ocean views. The floors are lime-washed with sandy beach-coloured carpets and seascapes on the walls. Ceilings are decorated with hanging life-size glass seagull sculptures. The glass-sided lift looks out on a rotating “aquarium” of hand-crafted glass fish that hangs down 3 floors.

It is a magnificent piece of art that could have become quite mesmerizing had it not been for other enticements that awaited When we arrived at the hotel we were warmly welcomed at in the form of a Jacuzzi, heated pool, gym, sauna and steam reception with a heartwarming glass of champagne. This was to set the mood for the Views…what a stunning retreat. We met rooms in the spa section of the hotel. Again the ocean theme was marketing manager Fiona Cuerden who was delightful, and who carried through. took the trouble of showing us the various accommodations on The spa has four treatment rooms where one can be pampered and offer. The penthouse suite with panoramic sea views is to die revitalized. It also features a Tylarium herbal sauna (the unique for, so start saving guys! experience of a traditional sauna and a steam bath in the same room), and a Moroccan Rasul steam room with a sensation shower All accommodation comprises of suites and we were given a Mag 8

(where traditional mud cleansing rituals are enjoyed). There is also a flotation room and hydrotherapy bath to relieve the stresses of the long journey or just to restore your well-being. A number of treatments include: massage therapy, spa body therapy skincare therapy, hair removal, nail aesthetics and hydrotherapy which are available for guests as well as walk-ins. If you’re a gym bunny, well there’s a fully equipped gym to pump up those pecs before heading out for a night of revelry in the village Overlooking the ocean is a pool deck and outside lounge area where, if the weather is good, one can work on the tan or sip

and rejuvenation before going back to Bongo’s to meet more local talent… Say no more but the sms I got on my cell phone when I eventually got home read “We are having a jol. Where R U? Cum on boys” - Eish!!! I just couldn’t, so I declined the invite and fell in to bed so as to be refreshed for the drive back to Cape Town in the morning.

Breakfast is my favourite meal and the buffet-breakfast at the hotel was wonderful. It has everything one could imagine: fruit juices, cereals, porridge, kippers, eggs, bacon, sausages, hash browns, cold meats, biltong, cheeses and an array of jams and honey that would make even Pooh Bear come running,

cocktails as the sun goes down or simply enjoy the spectacular sea views. If you are not in the mood to party with the locals then the Views has the Sails family restaurant. Here you can enjoy a meal whilst watching whales and dolphins at play.

After a short rest and a freshen-up, we chose a small but reputedly the most popular bar/pizza place in the village called Bongos, for a bite and the chance to meet some of the locals. Well this is undoubtedly one of the best pizzas I have ever eaten. Marcia, who served at the bar, was a mine of information, chatty and oh so friendly …as were some of the locals who insisted we share a “fish bowl” which is a near lethal but delicious concoction of alcohols.

That, the roaring fire, the homely atmosphere and the fact that I probably had a few sips too many, were the reason that when I stumbled out in the wee hours my footing wasn’t as sure as it was when I went in. It was a great gay-friendly place, so much so that we managed to find our way back to it the next night.

On the Saturday we decide to motor through to Knysna to gorge ourselves on oysters – seeing as it was the Oyster Festival. The weather was so foul the Oyster Festival’s outside events had to be cancelled, as was the marathon, (mind you, I had no intention ever of running it). We managed to get in to Sirocco’s Restaurant at the Waterfront for a bite. The food was good. We tried out a beer platter with a variety of beer from Mitchell’s the local Brewery, but not being a beer drinker I was soon back on the vodka. The oysters however were not cheap as we thought they would be and some of them required a magnifying glass to see.

We didn’t linger and fled back to the awesome comfort of The Views Hotel where we treated ourselves to a bit of pampering

All in all, even though the weather didn’t clear, we had a fabulous weekend. The Views Hotel and Spa was outstanding and deserving off all its 5 stars. For any readers looking for a getaway check out the hotel’s website at www.viewshotel.co.za where you can view prices and book online or you can phone the hotel on +27 (44) 877 8000 – believe me you will not be disappointed.

Bon voyage. - Travel reporter

WIN A WILD WEEKEND AWAY!

A lucky reader can win two night stay for two guests sharing in the luxurious Honeymoon Suite, welcome drinks on arrival, champagne breakfast in Views Restaurant and complimentary use of the Gym, Sauna & Hydro in Views Spa. Just tell us in which scenic town on the Garden Route is the Views Boutique Hotel situated.

Replies to outmagafrica@telkmomsa,net by 31st October 2012 Mag 9

THE LONG STREET OF FITNESS Keeping in shape with Jarred Plu’g Over the last 5 odd years of training I’ve noticed that the health and fitness industry can be a lot like the fashion Industry.

Annually new ranges of revisited styles from some era are slightly tweaked to bring about craze, hype and the swiping of credit cards to satisfy the consumer spirit of “now” which is our generation. It’s up and down, it’s in its out, it’s cool and it’s old school.

The Fitness Industry can be compared in the same way that new names for old methods of training or eating plans keep us in the grip of trying to attain the perfect “formula”. The trends will go from overly scientific measurements for the perfect amount of X Y Z in your diet according to your carefully monitored calorific output each day to just juicing to high fat low carbs to high protein and no carbs. Or once you’ve got any of those right you’re told to forget all the hours of research and food weighing and to rather get on board a completely simplified caveman routine of living. One minute we’re loading up as much weight as we can so that we can build muscle and burn fat through isolated one muscle a day training, until we either injure ourselves or fall asleep. Then after one conversation about functional training we start banging out full body sessions everyday with very little structure.

For someone relatively new to fitness or even someone who has been involved for a while, this can all seem a little daunting.

Instead of growing ourselves to a place of confidence in our wisdom and knowledge, we become burdened with information overload and self –doubt. It is always a good idea to take a step back from time to time to re-asses ourselves, our goals and the tools we have at hand. Regardless of who is the most correct in the quest to become a health and wellness Icon overnight by rediscovering old news, there are some principles that never change.

Let me throw down a few encouraging words. Discipline, routine, hard work, commitment, persistence. Without the ability to live by the definition of these particular words you are just setting yourself up for a long, frustrating and expensive experience. A favourite saying of mine that I once read goes like this – “The pain of regret far outweighs the pain of discipline” Which to me seems to answer the question of why some win and why others don’t.

around me who will push and motivate me to keep working hard.

The key here is to embrace hard work rather than avoid it and learn to love the idea of delayed gratification. It seems like a long road, and sometimes it is, but it’s the lessons that you learn along the way that keeps you at the top and will keep you wanting more.

Be encouraged to know that in most cases in life success comes down to 90% hard work and 10% talent or luck. The fact that it’s not the other way around is great news, for me in particular.

You need to know what you want, and you need to know how badly you want it. Then you need keep it as simple as possible and pursue it with everything you’ve got. Put simply, if you want to look like a body builder, train like one. If you want to look like and perform like an athlete, train like one. Both require hard training, eating clean foods (non-processed), drinking lots of water and getting good rest.

You see the thing is success is never easy, it will always require hard work. But it’s the hard work that’s easy because once you’ve made up your mind that you’re going to work hard then it’s just a matter of time until you succeed. Don’t be swayed by what may seem like quick fix opportunities. They always end somewhere short of where you want to be. Keep good, hardworking and inspiring people around as often as possible and remember at the end of the day, there is no substitution for hard work.

I personally like looking and performing like an athlete, having a body that can function as well as it looks is the most incredible and fulfilling feeling. So I train like an athlete and keep people

Jarred is a Personal Trainer @360 Specialized Training –F Block Boulevard Building Woodstock. Contact him at jarredplug@ gmail.com or follow him on Twitter: jarred_360

Mag 10

EQUINOX SPRING FAIR

13:00 to 22:00

S

treet Parties seem to be the thing in Cape Town right now. The Cobern Street Fair in July was great fun and Cape Town Pride in March was a huge hit, the general consensus being that it was the best Pride in years.

Building on that critical triumph, the organisers of the Pride Village Fair Day will be putting on the Equinox Spring Fair, on 22 September. Not only does it coincide with the Heritage Day long weekend (Monday being a public holiday), the day falls on the actual day of the astronomical equinox, hence the name. As with Pride, Equinox will be happening in sectionedoff areas of Napier, Cobern and Liddle Streets in Green Point, with the collaboration of a whole lot of the gay venues in the Village, namely Amsterdam Bar, Backroom Bar, Beaulah Bar, Beefcakes, Crew Bar and Café Manhattan. The event is a mini –Pride of sorts. There will be two stages of the best live entertainment Cape Town has to offer, including bands, dancing boys, fashion shows, singers, the best club DJs and the inevitable drag performers (Anna Torna-Hymen, Mary Scary, Victoria Cabalaire, ODIDiva, and Princess Pop are confirmed!)

There will also be some delicious food to eat and interesting stuff to buy in one of the fair stalls.

But this is not just another excuse to party. There is a very important reason behind Equinox. This is the first time in a very long while that Cape Town Pride is in the black, which means that it is in the happy position to be able to make a donation to its chosen beneficiary, the Pride Shelter Trust. A substantial cheque will be handed over to Africa’s first and only autonomous shelter and crisis centre for gay people on the day.

Another highlight of the day will be the announcement of the dates and theme of next year’s Pride events. The choice of the theme is the culmination of a public consultation where people were asked to send in their ideas for theme.

sat 22 Sept napier cobern liddle streets

N I O U X Q E SPRING FESTIVAL LAUNCH of the PRIDE 2013 Theme

live entertainment bars stalls dj’s & lots lots more...

So celebrate the start of Spring! Doors open at noon and the performances on stage will continue until sunset, whereupon the party will carry on late into the night in the bars all over the Village. Entry to Equinox is R40, with free entry later to all the participating bars.

Mag 11

BEEFING UP JOZI Cape Town’s famous night-spot opens it’s doors in Johannesburg....

W

hen brothers Grant and Andrew Eglin opened up Beefcakes, their jaunty burger-cum-cabaret bar on the edge of Cape Town’s gaybourhood three years ago, they never imagined that it would be the success it has become.

The idea was to reproduce a fun 50s retro-diner Burger Bar with a hint of madness, touch of campery and a dash of chic. This was achieved with a combination of the best beef in town (in the form of scrumptious burgers and the hottest, beefiest waiters serving them), friendly and efficient and not to mention gorgeous staff, and some general tomfoolery courtesy of some of the best live drag acts in town….and did we mention the hot boys? It is a formula which has clearly worked as the restaurant is packed seven days a week, with waiting lists on Cabaret nights. It is a popular starting off point for clubbers who do not necessarily want to eat, and the bar, manned by beautiful topless baristas, is packed on most nights, but especially on weekends. And being located on Cape Town’s Fan Walk leading to Cape Town Stadium, it is an ideal place to party on match or concert days.

For quite a while, loyal patrons from out of town have been begging Grant and Andrew to open up a Beefcakes in Jozi. And their wish will come true when Beefcakes opens its doors in Illovo on 29 September. Beefcakes Jozi will be a replica of the Cape Town mother ship in every way, but being in Jo’burg, it will be bigger, brasher and just more. There will be a few familiar faces from the Cape to get the ball rolling.

ODIDiva, Cape Town’s Live First Lady of Song will bring a taste of the Mother City to the City of Gold for the first month, as well as taking pride of place on the Beefcakes float at Joburg Pride.

After that, Beefcakes will be featuring some of Gauteng’s fiercest drag divas all under one roof. South Africa’s First Lady of Flying Cathy Specific hosts Bitchy Bingo every Tuesday.

Wednesday nights are Guest Cabaret nights featuring some of Jozi’s top drag divas. Cathy Specific is back with the Trolley Dollies every Thursday in October, sprinkling her magic, with a little help from her friends Molly and Holly, the deliciously decadent red-head and the tantalizingly tempting brunette. With superb choreography and harmony, these delicious divas will swallow you whole and spit nothing out! Big, busty and beautifully bodacious...fasten your seatbelts...this ride is anything but a drag!

Mag 12

Fridays and Saturdays are party nights and since they are neighbours, Beefcakes and Babylon the Bar will be working hand in hand to plan some amazing events, starting with a giant Joburg Pride After Party on Saturday 6 October. Who knows, maybe Illovo is set to be the new Heartland!

Beefcakes Jozi at 198 Oxford St, Illovo, is open for lunch, coffee, cocktails and dinner from 11.00am till late Monday to Saturday. Sunday open from6.00pm

SHOP ROP OU D e an TILL Y ill hav

sw y efcake you can bu ew Be e n r ght e i e h n h T ood op w g h s a r e s d fo s and in hou u nee mask o , y s a g o n rb thi s of every feathe mento g e n i m d y of clu bu range out in n also from ou ca t ch Y h u . g s s i t ha cts, ut n reat o produ calg d r e u d o y ran nd akes b e-coolers a Beefc y n i e w , r b ef ts as ves rs and othe a end stuff. camp

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Nev trolleye your er fe d to ar. dri ca of u r in the You ca ve? n nde leav rgro one of t adv e u h safe antage o nd park e five fl oor ing Ta fB road xi Servi eefcake and ta s ke ce s’ s blo who cks an and not wift an d br d ever w or e brin you we athalys ry abou g yo ers. nt h t ub om Th car i ack to c e with c en o n th a e mo llect yo n ur rnin g

ODIDiva LIVE & FAGULOUS

Sexy Bar man!

!!

W hat a show

o HO s e b t to The spo

W

hen ODIDiva, Cape Town’s one and only First Lady of Live Singing Drag, first hit the scene five years ago, the drag scene was a very dull place. She has been a trailblazer, and today the Mother City boasts several up and coming drag performers who use their own voice. But few have her energy or sharp wit. And off course, there is the voice! Some of ODIDiva’s noteworthy performances have been at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, on the Face of Africa Finale in 2008, Design Indaba, World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, MCQP and Cape Town Pride. ODIDiva has collaborated with some of South Africa’s most renowned artists like theatre director Brett Bailey in The House of the Holy Afro, film director Jack Lewis, DJ/Producers Dino Moran, Tony Finger and Ryan Dent as well as acclaimed choreographers Adele Blank and Natalie Fischer. Famous for her rousing renditions of hits by Tina Turner and Grace Jones, ODIDiva has been recording original music and songs since 2003. Some of her best work has play listed in charted on major South African and international radio stations. You can find some of her hits on: http://soundcloud.com/odidiva For much of the last three years that Beefcakes has been open, ODIDiva has had a regular Wednesday night gig there….and the crowds keep on coming back for more. So it is fitting that she will be the star attraction and Poster Girl for Beefcakes Jozi! The First Lady will be performing her Live & FAGulous show every Wednesday throughout October.

ODIDiva Live & FAGulous will be at the 16th annual FEAST Gay & Lesbian Arts Festival in Adelaide, Australia 10 - 25 November 2012 (www.feast.org.au). And watch out for a guest appearance in the second series of Come Dine With Me South Africa.

T!

Hot sta f f!

O ur del icious

B urger!

NOW OPEN IN JOZI! JOBURG: 198 Oxford Road, Illovo Tel: 011 447 5266 | joburg@beefcakes.co.za

CAPE TOWN: 40 Somerset Road, Greenpoint Tel: 021 425 9019 | capetown@beefcakes.co.za

www.beefcakes.co.za Bookings Encouraged

NELSON

RIDES AGAIN

MANDELA BAY

Photo Credit: Karl Schoemaker

T

here’s no rest for the wicked! After last year’s inaugural Pride Tour from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, Soweto, Jo’burg, Bloemfontein and back, The Flag Boys and their entourage of exhibitionist activists are about to embark on another National Gay Bus Tour courtesy of Budget Rent a Car this September. Inspired by Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the campest road movie of all time, this16 day romp through the national highways will feature more hilarity and outrageousness, not to mention a few cocks in frocks on more than a few rocks! Apart from being a vehicle of outrage, the aim of the tour is to draw attention to challenges that face the gay community, such as homophobic violence and hate speech. Passengers on the bus will include the winners of a national gay talent search, the designer of the winning logo to be painted on to the bus, as well as all the usual suspects. The tour will be stopping off at Soweto and Joburg Prides. This year’s gambol promises to be bigger, better and even more fabulous.

Follow the story in our next issue.

L

PRIDE 2012

PRISCILLA

ast year, the gay community in the Eastern Cape took the plunge and organised the first ever Gay Pride in the Eastern Cape. The Friendly City of Port Elizabeth was host to visitors from all over the province and beyond. Building on the success of that inaugural event, this year’s Nelson Mandela Bay Pride, whose theme is Life in True Colour, promises to be bigger, better and louder, with a touch of glamour and colour thrown in for good measure. Port Elizabeth’s Nelson Mandela Bay Pride is all about fun, charity and promoting tolerance of people with different sexual orientations. As was the case last year, the highlight of the festivities will be The Pride Parade on Saturday 22 September and the party following the parade, which will feature an array of DJs and live entertainment. Part of the profits generated by Nelson Mandela Bay Pride 2012 will be donated to Tru Colors, an organisation that offers schools programmes dealing with awareness around sexual orientation and gender issues. Further profits will contribute to NMB Pride 2013.

There will be several other events leading up to the main event, the most eagerly anticipated of which is probably the Queen of NMB Pride Pageant on 15th September. Fringe events happening in the week prior to Pride parade day include an art exhibition showcasing local & national talent, as well as various pre-Pride parties at local pubs and clubs.

A Cabaret Dinner on Thursday 20 September kicks off the celebrations, followed by a Pride Club Night on Friday 21 September. The Pride Parade on Saturday 22 September starts in Stanley Street, Richmond Hill at noon and ends at St. George’s Park Cricket Stadium where a post-parade festival will keep things lively. The theme of the party will be based on a Fairground and all that goes with it, including Merry-Go-Rounds, Coconut Shys, and sideshows. There will be a variety of stalls selling all kinds of goodies, including Pride memorabilia, while food stalls and a beer tent should provide enough fuel to keep Pride revellers partying into the early hours.

The official Pride After-Party will be held at Coco de Mer on the Seafront, which will become “Pride Central” for the night, and will feature some of the country’s top DJs behind the decks. The festivities continue at Coco de Mer on Sunday, as Monday is a public holiday, although they will be more chilled.

For more information please visit www.nmbpride.org or find Nelson Mandela Bay Pride of Facebook.

With Budget’s great deals, a weekend away fits your budget!

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JOBURG PRIDE

I

f it’s October then it must be time for Joburg Pride, Africa’s first and largest Pride celebration. This year’s theme is “Protect Our Rights” hopes to emphasise that there must be constant vigilance to protect gay rights from attack from conservative elements in society who would be happy to remove them. This year’s message is out, loud and proud: South Africa’s gay and lesbian community should stand united to protect and support the Constitution and its protection of fundamental human rights for all citizens, regardless of sexual orientation.

Joburg Pride will as always offer a frisky mix of fun, flair and finesse, whilst sending out a very important message to the gay community and society at large.

The main event will be taking place on Saturday 6 October 2012 at Zoo Lake Sports club, which will be the starting point of the annual Pride Parade to Rosebank and back, as well as the venue for a fabulous line-up of live entertainment. Last year an estimated 22 000 people supported Pride. As well as the main celebrations, there will also be the Pride Side Dish, a mini festival which serves as an appetiser for the main course on Saturday 6 October.

As always there will be lots of great food, retail therapy at the market and great time to be had by all. Gates open at 9.00am and close at 5.30pm. Entry is free but Joburg Pride reserves the right to close the gates if it gets too crowded. Clubhouse tickets can be booked on the website www.joburgpride.org where you can also find updated information on all the events. Also follow Joburg Pride on Facebook and Twitter.

PRIDE SIDE DISH 2012 Art - Joburg Tracks – a photographic exhibition that looks at the city and its history through the lens of its gay and lesbian inhabitants. Featuring photographers David Goldblatt, Zanele Muholi, Sabelo Mlangeni among others. Museum Africa, 121 Bree Street, Newtown. Open Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am to 5pm. Free Entry Film - Thursday, 4 October • 7.30pm – You Can’t Curry Love A short crowd-pleasing, east-meets-west, boy-meets-boy romantic comedy ... with a Bollywood twist!

• 8.15pm – eCupid: Love on the Download. Romantic Comedy about a guy who downloads ‘eCupid’, a mysterious app that guarantees to find true love.

From the moment it downloads, his life will never be the same again. Johnny Clegg Room, Hotel Lamunu, 90 De Korte Street, Braamfontein. R30 On stage - That’s So Gay (28 August to 13 October) – Gay Theatre Festival presented by the University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture department. See Page 38 for more detail.

Bitches Be Crazy (3 and 4 October) – Drag Rock Show featuring Rhys Woods as Mary Scary and Champagne Le Roux. Café Culture, Pineslopes Shopping Centre, Fourways. Call (011) 467-6367 to book.

PRIDE AFTER-PARTIES - 6 OCTOBER Babylon Bar – Oxford Centre, 198 Oxford Road, Illovo, Johannesburg.

Babylon Nightclub - South Lake Centre, South Road, Centurion, Pretoria Fireman’s Ball - Pride After-Party in northern Johannesburg; visit www.firemansball.co.za for details .Please note: none of the above-listed parties are official, or endorsed, Joburg Pride parties.

LIVE ON STAGE Here are some highlights on the Main Stage at Zoo Lake: Swedish pop idol OLA SVENSSON has topped the Swedish charts with seven gold and platinum-selling singles. His brand new single, I’m In Love, the first to be taken from his upcoming fourth studio album went to Number 1 on Swedish iTunes within hours of being released. He makes his South African debut at Joburg Pride.

CRAZY WHITE BOY Crazy White Boy are currently riding a wave of success following the release of their album Zoma, featuring the hits What you Do 2o Me and Love You Better.

OUT Magazine’s music columnist thinks that their Ghetto Tech sound is the best thing since sliced white bread: “Imagine Moby comes to South Africa and made a CD. An unbelievable mix of English and vernacular tracks boosted by flawless production. The cross over album we can be proud of”!

ERICA ELLE Resident Partyhouse and Groove Bar DJ and 5FM Friday Night Meltdown Show presenter, Erica Elle will be behind the decks with her distinctive up-tempo House vibe.. She has just released a new DJ Mix compilation CD EveryBeat, With Love Erica Elle.

Drive with pride, turn heads with Budget’s cool cars!

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Chad le Clos SA’s Golden Boy

Peter Waterfield - GB - Diving

OLYMPIC EYE CANDY

Ryan Bailey USA - Athletics

A smorgasbord of rowers Jake Dalton - USA Gymnastics

Bjorn Barrefors - Sweden - Decathlon

Sam Mikuluk - USA - Gymnastics

Robert Harting - Germany - Discus

Mag 16

Kurt Kuschela & Peter Kretschmer Germany - Kayak

Cameron v.d. Burgh SA - Swimming

Contact Malcolm on 021 424 9691 or at bookings@starfairtravel.co.za.

GAY TRAVEL SPECIALS

F

ancy flying from Cape Town to Jo’burg for the Grand Opening of Beefcakes Jozi or for Joburg Pride weekend? Star Fairy Travel, Official Travel Agent for Beefcakes, has 2 great packages on offer

Beefcakes Jozi Grand Opening Package R2900.00 nett per person Friday 28 to 20 September 2012. Includes Return flights Cape Town/Jo’burg; 2 nights Bed & Breakfast at Villa Vittoria Guesthouse, Sandton. One meal per person at Beefcakes and free transfer to Beefcakes, Illovo for Grand Opening Party.

Ts & Cs apply

Joburg Pride Package – ZAR 3650.00 nett per person Friday 5 to Sunday 7 October 2012. Includes Return flights Cape Town/Jo’burg; 2 nights Bed & Breakfast at Villa Vittoria Guesthouse, Sandton. One meal per person at Beefcakes.

Ts & Cs apply Villa Vittoria Guesthouse Sandton offers comfort and privacy in close proximity to Sandton CBD, with great restaurants and shopping, and a short drive away from the brand new Beefcakes and Babylon Bar in Illovo.

To book contact Malcolm on 021 424 9691 or at bookings@starfairtravel.co.za. Speak to him about customised tours for your every fairy need!

Mag 17

GOING GAGA S

FOR THE LADY GAGA JOKES Q: How do you impress Lady Gaga?

A: Just Dance Q: Why is Lady Gaga in a bad mood?

A: Because she had Bad Romance!

Q: Why did cow cross the road? A: Because he didn’t want Lady Gaga to wear his meat!

Q: How do you make Lady Gaga cry?

A: Poke her face!

o what can we say about Lady Gaga nee Stefani Germanotta, five time Grammy Award Winner, Forbes Magazine’s Most Powerful Woman in the World 2011, fashion icon, gay rights advocate and inspiration to thousands of drag queens that has not already been said? Her meteoric rise to the new Queen of Pop in the five years since her debut album The Fame has been remarkable, and due to an explosive combination of flair, controversy and some brilliant pop music. Love her or hate her, you cannot ignore her. She is often compared to Madonna, both being Italian- American divas. But while Madge may be a musical muse, it is Grace Jones in all her glorious weirdness that must be Gaga’s Godmother of Style.

that that the Lady will be bringing her Born This Way Ball to South Africa. In this tour, Gaga performs her latest album Born This Way, which has sold 6 million copies since its release in May last year, as well as music from both The Fame and The Fame Monster. This spectacular stage show has been a major hit wherever it has been performed so far. The Mother Monster explains that “the Born This Way Ball is an ElectroMetal Pop-Opera; the tale of the Beginning, the genesis of the Kingdom of Fame, about how we were birthed and how we will die celebrating.”

But it is more than her off-beat eccentricity that makes Gaga a darling of the gay community.

She has been an outspoken activist for gay rights worldwide and she attributes much of her early success as a mainstream artist to her gay fans of whom she says: “the turning point for me was the gay community.” In June 2008 she performed at San Francisco Pride, the first of many Pride appearances all over the world. On 11 October 2009, she made an appearance at the National Equality March Rally on the National Mall in Washington DC and described it ber at the as the single most important event of her career. Gaga g on 3oth Novem in rm fo er p e b l attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards Lady Gaga wil accompanied by four gay and lesbian members Soccer City Complex at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, of the United States Armed Forces who had been Cape Town Stadium. unable to openly serve under the U.S. military’s and on 3rd December at “Don’t’ ask, Don’t Tell” policy. In June 2011, Gaga Tickets are still available at computicket.com. The Born appeared at Europride in Rome where she criticised Th is Way Ball opens with a perfo rmance by British rock the intolerant state of gay rights in many European countries and called gays the “revolutionaries of band The Darkness, and by special guest, long time Gaga love”. Her hit single Born This Way has become a Starlight. major gay anthem and call to arms llaborator and DJ, Lady

co

And now her myriads of gay fans are going gaga over the news Mag 18

CHRONICLES OF A DISPLACED DRAG QUEEN Gabriella Marquez

S

o it’s been a while since this girl let her hair down and this dry and dusty town, otherwise known as “Mangaung” had nothing to offer this past winter.

My “sisters” and I thought we might plan a little getaway - from work, the many boyfriends and the screams of incompetent government officials (I should tread carefully as one of these Queens fall directly in this category.) The ravishing Logan Longoria and Anushka Parker a.k.a The After Darker confirmed that they would be joining me from Cape Town for our little excursion to KZN. This was the first real break this Queen got since moving to Central S.A and I so wanted to see some Sea, Sand and Sun. Let’s not forget all the hotness that goes with it the surfer dudes!

For those next few days Umhlanga would be our new home and even that very first night the girls were keen to go out and say hi. So, off we went to Durban’s best known gay establishment, The Lounge. It’s a great place and we were introduced to the manager Mr Thomie Holthouzen and the owner Mr Andre Potgieter (such a handsome man!) It is large enough for all queens and kings, with many nooks and crannies (every girl needs those, right? It houses the ever popular Red Bar, which we found out was for men only, so a plan simply had to be made.

It seems the local men were all too keen to make our stay at the

Logan Longoria

East Coast as warm and as hospitable as they possibly could.

That surely makes any girl smile. Alas this girl was looking for something a bit less infantile, if you know what I’m saying. It was not long before I found myself dancing on the counter with my top off, in my brassier! Oh, how ever could I? Ms Longoria and Parker watched in amazement as I worked it and before I knew it, Logan was on the dance floor with a Mr Naidoo while Ms Parker was trying to deal with the amount of drinks these guys were buying us. All in all it was a fagulous first night out. I was wishing that our five days would never end!

It was not so long ago that Durban was being hailed as the Gayest City in S.A. I must say, however liberal and open Durban might be, it still does not have that sense of community which is upheld in Cape Town, stratified or not. But Durban was a moerse breath of fresh air for me. It was here that I could, for the first time since leaving the Haven (otherwise known as Cape Town), feel comfortable in drag. The feeling I get in Bloemfontein is that people would openly persecute you if you don’t believe what they do, if you don’t follow tradition as they do. Be that as it may, this is where I have chosen to make my life for the next three to four years and instead of complaining, I honestly hope to be a part of the solution.

Till next time guys and girls! x x x

Mag 19

MADONNA vs LADY GAGA: WHO IS THE QUEEN OF QUEENS?

By John French

“Is she coming, or isn’t she …?” This may sound like a confusing night at The Hot House, but earlier this year almost every queen from Green Point to Gordon’s Bay was pondering this gay existential dilemma. Both Madonna and Lady Gaga were touted to perform in South Africa during 2012, and in gay culture, this was BIGGER than securing a Friday night date!

But of these two Pop divas, who really is Queen of the queens? Madonna has reigned supreme for a period half as long as old Queen Lizzie herself. But unlike a traditional monarch who has to die before her title gets handed over, Pop and Pink culture are fickle, and anyone can claim the supreme Pop title. Enter Lady Gaga, emerging from her egg, wearing a half the meat counter, a copied conical bra, and a fascinator made out of straw. This relatively new little Pop Princess is desperately trying to rule every little moffie monster on the planet!

Let’s put these two blonde bombshells under our Pink microscope, take a look at their allegiance and popularity in the gay world, and see who really rules our Pink Kingdom.

M

adonna is quite undisputedly the Queen of Pop for the last thirty years. Only recently, in the form of Lady Gaga has Madge had a contender for her throne. Another much younger and supremely talented blonde ambition has hatched from an egg and risen to superstardom. Lady Gaga has taken the world by storm, belted out a string of gay-magnet smash hits and she has strategically pushed creative boundaries further than they have ever been stretched before. But not only does Gaga openly support the LGBT community, like Queen Madge before her, she openly claims to be a part of it!

Madonna recently used the 2012 Super Bowl to strongly remind everyone that the Pop crown is hers, and that no little pop princess, no matter how ambitious, creative, or downright deranged, is going to snatch her coveted title. Gaga has quite naturally been up for the challenge and she decided this year that it was a perfectly acceptable business move to lose money on her tour – so expensive are her exorbitant technical tastes!

Let’s trace the career history of both contending Pop queens and take a deeper look at why they both have become so popular with the gay community. Way back, last century, the teenage Madonna was first introduced to the gay community by her gay ballet teacher, Christopher Flynn whom the young Madge often accompanied to Detroit’s local gay bars and discos. Much later in her career, during her Sticky and Sweet Tour in Romania in 2009, Madge finally spoke up against the discrimination of gays. A year later, in June 2010, Madonna released a far more powerful statement criticizing the jailing of two gay men in Malawi after they celebrated their union with a ceremony. Her pro-gay statement announced: “As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, Mag 20

colour, religion, or sexual orientation. This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved. I call upon the progressive men and women of Malawi— and around the world—to challenge this decision in the name of human dignity and equal rights for all.”

In November 2010, Madonna made a special appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show to speak up against the bullying of gay teens and related recent teenage suicides. In her interview with Ellen, Madonna explicitly mentioned how she became close to the gay community when she was a teenager. She recalled that she knew that she was different in high school and found acceptance and sympathy among her gay friends, especially her gay dance instructor. She also stated how she “wouldn’t be here” if it wasn’t for her gay fans. More recently, in June 2011 Madonna encouraged her fans to support same-sex marriage in New York,

posting the following message on her website: “New Yorkers your voices must be heard. Tell your state Congressmen to support same sex marriage bill. All you need is love.” The Marriage Equality Act was passed one week later, legalising same-sex marriage in New York.

In the comparatively short time she has been on the pop music scene, Lady Gaga has made a seriously impressive monstrous bid for Queen of Pop and Queen of Queens. Since releasing her first album in 2008, Gaga has aligned herself to the gay community and has been a powerful advocate for LGBT rights. In the cover sleeve of her debut album the rising star wrote, “I will always fight for the gay community…” This pro-gay statement was a very bold move on her part as many burgeoning celebrities have deliberately avoided being linked to the gay community to protect and enhance their careers. But aspiring Queen Gaga has made her gay allegiance very clear from the outset and has performed at several LGBT events, such as the NewNowNext Awards and San Francisco Pride in the early months following the release of her first album.

Gaga promoted her debut album with live performances in many smaller venues, including several gay and lesbian dance clubs.

The genuine affection for her gay fans was obvious. What really bolstered her gay support was that Gaga later revealed that she was bisexual in an interview for Rolling Stone! Gaga was now not only a supporter of the gay world, but she was in all likelihood part of the LGBT community as well! Naturally, some sceptics have labelled her coming out as a publicity stunt, but the radically alternative Pop Princess has only intensified her support for her gay fans in the years that have followed. Madame Monster has taken every available opportunity to voice her support for gays and lesbians in interviews, during acceptance speeches, and several televised performances.

In 2010, Lady Gayga took up a mega-meaty stand against the US military’s Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) gay policy. Dressed in the now famous frock made of meat, Lessy-Gaga attended the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards accompanied by four gay members of the US Military who had each been prohibited from serving due to the controversial DADT policy. Gaga defended gay rights stating “If we don’t stand up for what we believe in and if we don’t fight for our rights, pretty soon we’re going to have as much rights as the meat on our own bones.” A monster statement indeed!

detract from Aunty Madge who has been Queen of Queens for the last 30 years, Lady Gaga may ultimately steal or inherit the title from deep inside the Pink circle.

What Madonna so successfully did for female sexuality and self-expression in the 1980s, Lady Gaga has done for the LGBT community in the 2010s. Madonna is fast becoming Queen Mother at her present age of 54. Queen Madge is undisputedly a legend, a true gay icon and the best-selling female musician in history with 12 number one albums! While her meat may fast be losing its freshness, she has deservedly won incredible loyalty and adulation over the last 30 years. Madge is very much aware of the Gaga-challenge. She recently sharpened her claws during a rehearsal in Israel when she sang a few verses of her 1989 hit “Express Yourself”, and slyly crossed over into Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” and chanted “… she’s not me! She’s not me!”

It is important to recognise the fact that mainstream media in America had not accepted the gay lifestyle and culture 25 years ago when Madonna was busy building her music career.

Madonna brought to the mainstream media what was considered at the time sub-culture, inferior, and outcast. She bravely and openly embraced gay culture in her work way back then. Madge was definitely partly responsible for the transition of the gay community from sub-culture into a wider mainstream culture.

25 years ago, Madonna was already sending a strong message of equality for all in her music. She sang of feminism, humanism and Latino immigrants - everything we celebrate now quite openly with Gaga’s “Born This Way”.

A popularity poll I conducted on Facebook about the Queen of Queens debate drew a strong reaction in favour of Madonna as the undisputed Queen of the queens. People seemed actually quite horrified that I had even suggested that Lady Gaga may even be a contender for the Pop throne. Our gay community has worshipped Madonna for the last 30 years and in the Facebook poll they acknowledged her unparalleled industry success.

Perhaps what they didn’t acknowledge is that popularity is a transient and fickle thing. On the world stage today, not only do we have Madonna, we now have Madonna and child. And this child is a mega-monster, quite ready one day to inherit Queen Madge’s throne.

Gaga continued her strong stance against the controversial and discriminatory law by releasing 3 videos on YouTube shortly after the awards show. In the videos she urged others to approach their senators and urge them to overturn DADT. She then took the fight even further by speaking at the “4the14K” Rally in Portland, Maine where she urged members of the US Senate to repeal the DADT policy.

Since then, Gaga has continued to promote the LGBT community.

Her smash hit, “Born This Way” has become the gay anthem of the 21st century and is the first hit song in the US to actually use the word “transgendered” in its lyrics. Gaga also put her money where her mouth is by donating the proceeds from the smash hit single to anti-bullying charities.

Objectively, Lady Gaga has completely reinvented the criteria for being a gay icon. Not only has she fully embraced and supported gay culture, she also claims to be part of the culture as well. Gaga definitely has set a new Pink standard. And while this shouldn’t Mag 21

I MAKE A FABULOUS DRAG QUEEN

Interview by Gary Hopkins

It’s a miserable winter’s day in Cape Town.

ChianoSky, the darling of the local music scene, is sipping a cocktail and regaling me with stories of last year’s Joburg Pride.

Dressed as a self-confessed “slut”, she was mistaken for a drag queen. “I had the boots and wig and waaaaay too much make-up on she says. Then she leans in as if she is about to tell me a family secret, “but I don’t really have boobs.” Then she throws back her head and laughs, “so everyone is feeling me up and telling me I make a convincing woman!” A lesser woman probably would’ve been insulted but not ChianoSky whose confidence belies her 19 years. Besides which this girl knows how to have fun.

What’s the most insane thing you’ve done?

Oh god! I’ve run naked on a Cape Town beach before … it was very brief but kind of exciting.

Do you have a tattoo?

I’m thinking of getting one. A lot of people are saying I shouldn’t. I want it in a very personal place. Not that private just somewhere where it would mean something to me.

Do you have any crazy fans?

I got a message asking if I was into voyeurism. I had to look it up and I was like “No!” So I blocked him.

At the end of 2011 she released her first single Sick, Sick oozing the most old school provocativeness since Marilyn sang Happy Birthday to the President. It was an instant hit.

There is no such thing as overnight success but things happened very quickly for you It’s a cliché but I was really in the right place at the right time.

I was waitressing and Paul Almeida (legendary SA DJ and producer) came in for take-ways and my manager knew he was in the music industry and schmoozed him. On a whim he gave me his card and I showed him some stuff I was working on. He sent it to EMI and next thing they were calling saying “We want her.” I wasn’t in the most happening place; it was just an Asian place across from a Spur.

Did you consider entering Idols?

I wanted to first try to do it myself before going that route. How far would I have gone on it? It’s hard to say. I think I am pretty good at what I do. I don’t think these opportunities would have been handed to me if I wasn’t.

Mag 22

So you’re making the music you want to make?

Definitely! Though I didn’t say I was making music for a certain group or sat down and said we have to make a certain sound, it just happened so naturally.

When did you discover that voice?

I think my voice has changed as I have grown older. Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye and Etta James kind of rubbed off on me. I’ve picked up on the jazz and blues tricks they do with their voices. In the beginning I don’t think EMI was aware of what I could do. One day Andre Scheepers and I were working and I took him this lyric about lipstick (first single Sick, Sick). When EMI heard it they were like “this is what you should be doing.” I’m so glad; it gave me so much freedom. So on tracks like Sugarman and Believe I really get to be soulful, naughty and cheeky.

To look at ChainoSky you wouldn’t believe such a tiny frame could produce such a rich and intoxicating voice.

There’s lyric in that song, “all my love on the walls”, explain...

Hmmm my gay friends had a lot of fun with that too. I think you know what’s that line is about. Love can get… er… freaky!

Where were you when you first heard yourself on the radio?

At home with my mom and I got an SMS from EMI to say “your songs coming on.” My mom called everyone including her nail lady! Then we started screaming and crying. We were like school girls jumping up and down. Afterwards my mom was like “I need a drink” and I’m like “You need a drink?”

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What has surprised you most about your success?

When you start being able to afford all the cool things everything gets handed to you. And there are so many radio stations I never even knew about. People in the strangest places listen to you.

You co-wrote most of the CD, how was that for you?

It was good because it enabled me to learn stuff. Sometimes their ideas were better than mine and I had to be open to that.

IT MUST BE TERRIBLE WHEN YOU CAN’T BE YOURSELF Does your music have a message?

It is so important musically to be honest without sugarcoating. Adele speaks the way she speaks, she does what she does. She hasn’t hidden anything and everyone can resonate with that. That’s why I love writing because sometimes I can’t really say something out loud but in my songs I can. I am just so supportive of people being themselves and that’s really my message. I think it must be so hard living a lie when you can’t be yourself.

One of the tracks on Hungry is Act Like A Man. How do you want the men in your life to act?

It was one of the songs I didn’t write. It reminded me of when being a man meant going to war and coming home to look after your wife and family. Now we just want a man to call us and then he’s considered a man! I want a man that’s supportive and adventurous. In the song it says “please remember cowboys don’t cry” and I think of lot of men carry themselves one way but they can’t live up to what they’re showing.

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Do you go to gay bars?

All the time! I have so many gay friends that people think I have lots of boyfriends. My best friend Cornell and I go to Babylon and Pride. I dress like a complete slut - I’m already planning my outfit for this year.

If you could change your name what would it be?

I don’t think I would want to change it but when I want to go out and have fun I always say I’m Bonnie. I tell everyone I’m an estate agent and Cornell will say he’s my gynae and that’s how we met. We make up this whole story and I’m Bonnie and he’s Clyde.

What’s the longest you’ve be single?

I’ve always been single! Ok um a year now. I had a relationship, the first real love, and I was with him for over a year … he cheated on me. If you cheat on me it’s over. And I haven’t found someone I want to say, is mine.

You sing, you model and you been in a couple of commercials. Is acting the next step?

I did some drama; I was always the loud irritating girl in plays.

I would eventually like to get involved in movies, plays or cabaret as one of the girls. It’s not even about being the main character it’s about being part of another project.

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Continued on page 24 Mag 23

I’M TERRIFIED OF BOATS After her looks the most striking thing about ChianoSky is how down to earth and unspoilt she is. She may have her head screwed on and talented as all hell but there is something about her that reminds you of somebody’s kid sister. You want to put your arm around her to make sure she isn’t chewed up and spat out by the music business.

Name 3 things do you want to achieve before you die?

I would really like to win a Grammy for myself and for South Africa. I want to go there and spice things up and do my thing. I’d really love to have my own radio station, without ads and things. There’s a lot of music people are listening to that isn’t commercial enough to make it onto radio, so a station for the public to decide what they listen to. Generally I want to be part of something I am passionate about and really connect with people so I can look back and be proud and happy.

What’s your biggest fear?

I really scared of forgetting the life that I’ve lived. It would be horrible to forget all I have done and achieved. I also have a big fear of boats. I’ve watched so much CSI I think there’s a dead body underneath me when I am on a boat.

Finally, what’s your guilty pleasure?

Marvin Gaye’s Got to Give It Up and Sexual Revolution

by Macy Gray. I’m a big 80’s girl. I listen to a lot of Boy George and Adam and the Ants.

AMSTERDAM PRIDE Mr GSA Lance Weyer recently visited Amsterdam and muses about gay life in the city and Canal Pride.

I

’m going to make a rather debatable and bold statement, but here goes: every gay man needs to visit Amsterdam at least once! The Netherlands was, of course, the first country to legalize gay marriage, back in 2001. Dutch society is overwhelmingly in support of LGBT rights, to the extent that several sections of the Amsterdam Museum‘s main exhibit, “Amsterdam DNA,” proudly proclaim the city’s progressive stance on gay equality.

Museum App, a citywide collection of free self-guided walking tours for smart phones, has just added a Pink Perspectives tour of gay Amsterdam to its line-up. I spent an afternoon taking the “tour” at my own pace with one of the Apps creators, Gert Helma the Professor of Gay and Lesbian Studies at Amsterdam University, and it’s certainly one of the best ways to discover some of the city’s hidden gems.

On Thursday before pride, LGBT groups held a Tears of Pride march through a mostly-immigrant neighbourhood in the West of the city known as De Baarsjes before draping a huge pride flag over the Westerkerk, the ancient church with bells that once comforted Anne Frank while she was in hiding from the Nazis.

As we get up to leave, she reaches for the bill. “Please let me pay for this,” she says. I smile and relent.

“And when I come back to Cape Town, I’ll call you and you can take me to a drag show. And you better remember who I am!” Something tells me there’s very little chance we’ll be forgetting her any time soon.

Mag 24

The city’s oldest gay bar, Cafe ‘t Mandje, opened in 1927, making it one of the oldest in the world. After sitting empty for many years, it was painstakingly restored and reopened in 2008 by the niece of the original owner, Bet van Beeren. Far older, though not always a gay bar, is the city’s main leather haunt, The Eagle

Amsterdam, the frame of which was recently found to be the city’s oldest known structure, built in about 1485... If those walls could talk! There are many bars catering for a variety of tastes so there really is something for everyone.

As for the parade itself, the city uses the annual event to promote international LGBT rights. The National and Local Governments are great supporters and even go as far as having floats (boats) in the parade. I was invited to experience the parade from the Minister of Culture’s boat. It’s needless to say that I had a lot of fun with nearly 100 politicians and an open bar!

The theme of the city’s official float was “Discrimination: Amsterdam is done with it.” To explain the joyful half-million-strong crowd as diverse in an understatement - men in black leather shorts and little else, others in pink and silver body paint and drag queens in flamboyant dresses makes the parade of 80 boats through the city’s canals a very memorable spectacle.

Saturday night after the Canal Parade is a huge party night. I decided to attend the Rapido XL circuit party which was quite the feast for the eyes and certainly rivalled similar events at other big prides like New York.

So what are you waiting for?

Book your tickets for the next Amsterdam Canal Pride scheduled for 3 August 2013. You won’t be disappointed.

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BLOODY GIVE

T

he Out in Africa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is in its 19th year, but it is unclear what the 20th year will be like given that one of its major funders is withdrawing from South Africa. Unless sufficient funding is secured from other sources the Festival may have to be scaled down or take new directions. Many may ask why we still need to have a specifically gay film festival when there are gay movies at the cinema, on television and in video stores. The problem remains that most of the best queer cinema still does not make it to these outlets.

And then there is the pleasure of sitting in cinema with 200 other like-minded people. OIA is asking those who enjoy the Festival and who would like to attend such gatherings in future to “own” the Festival.

A minimum of a million rand year is needed to continue with the current scope of activities. It shouldn’t be, all that hard to raise. How about making a small donation? If 4166 people donate R20 a month (R240 a year) will fund the entire Festival next year. One of the new directions that OIA will be taking is selling queer films on DVDs – always a nice gift for someone.

Meanwhile, the final part of this year’s Festival runs in Johannesburg (Nu Metro Hyde Park) and Cape Town (Nu Metro V & A Waterfront) from 19 to 28 October.

To make a donation, visit the website www.oia.co.za and click on the Bloody Give button. Also for more info on films showing.

Mag 25

SUPER HOT T’s A

rchitect Riaan Viviers is obviously interested in design…and that extends to what we wear. So after shopping around he did not see too much out there that was very exciting, certainly not anything daring or playful, allowing us to step out of the box and redefine what people think of us. He wondered whether you could take a T-shirt and make it clever, sexy, and daring or maybe even wear what’s on your mind? This inspired him to pick up the pen and start creating Studio HUNG. “Men are tough, naughty and always ready to play. We wanted to create a quality product, one which reflects these characteristics“he says.” Combine this with one of our most loved pieces of clothing, the T-shirt and the game is on! For me it’s about getting the creativity out there for all men to enjoy. That is what drives me.”

Riaan is passionate about Cape Town and he has sourced the best local manufactures and printers, which allows him to control the quality of and service he provides to his customers at all times.

He says: “We mix our own ink pallets and develop our own designs. Studio HUNG t-shirts is a 100% proud product of Cape Town, South Africa, made for the rest of the world. We are constantly interacting with the public, testing designs and ideas. We not driven by trend but believe in our own identity which is informed by you, the public! All our customers have an active role to play in our designs. Our Facebook and Twitter page is your platform to share your thoughts, pictures and ideas.”

Studio HUNG’s designs and ranges are constantly expanding and evolving, giving customers more choice and t-shirts to suit every mood, naughty or not. Riaan admits that one of his proudest moments was when an internationally renowned photographer gave him the thumbs up and allowed him to use one of his photos for a Studio HUNG design. Some of the designs currently available are Marine Force and Port Boy 69 (everyone loves a sailor), Rock Hard and Trailer Trash. (Good guys go to heaven but bad boys go everywhere!)

On- line shopping is the way of making sure that Studio HUNG T-shirts are always available and that everyone is always informed of new products. Nobody needs to miss the party! As for the meaning of the label: Studio HUNG®…………??? You figure it out J Real men don’t wear pink, they wear Studio HUNG………grab it!

Mag 26

Photography: Alpha Boy Models: Leal Kleingeld, Guilleaume Fouche, Jacob Crafford- Burger

Mag Mag 27 27

SCENE OUT COBERN STREET FAIR Johan

Gerrie & Lance

Riaan & Willy Aunty Rose & Bonn

Hot models in M4S Fashion Show

Teasdale

Backroom Boys - Hannes & Byron

nco Justin & Fra

ie Divine

DJ Tony

ShenFM Jaco

Mag 28

Lola Lou

BEEFCAKES

eroche p & Violet F Princess Po f prime bee Kevin & Alan with some

Sean

BUBBLES BAR

Knight amantha

S

Vida Fantabisher

Gareth & L

iam

Miss Maralyn

NAVIGAYTION RELAUNCH @ CREW Ian & Captain Ariee

Bash & K

evin

CREW BAR

Mag 29

LION CORNER - CT

Preston, Hardus & Casper

illiam ach & W

Ru

PAGEANT WINNERS

Fever 2012 Connesia, Miss ia ic Al ss ce in Jayde Johnson L - R: 1st Pr k, 2nd Princess he ac ov N ja Laylah Ra

Anothe

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Rania Jordan w ith Miss Gay CT 2012 Dayan a Lima

CAFE MANHATTAN 18th BIRTHDAY 3 Tons of Fun with some hot boys

3 Tons of Fun

Mag 30

MISS GAY WC - ONE NIGHT ONLY

Riri Rosen

berg & Ma

ry

Connie Chung & Andre

The Skinny Bitches

Dayana Lim

a, Denise D

Tiara Skye

ickenson an

Kat Gilhardi & Logan McGregor

Gregory Edwards & Mark Donogue

d Manilla V on Teez

CAUGHT OUT

Logan McGregor and Jaco h

ay bas th birthd

60 Myrna’s h la u a e B at

Beaulah babes!

Basil a

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ley, Eva enzil, Wes b Fever - D

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Mag 31

MANHUNT INVADES SA

Mag 32

THE HUNT IS ON!

T

here are a lot of ways to meet guys: at a bar, on the beach, in the gym. But one of the most popular in this day and age is in the safety and comfort of your home. Online dating has taken the world by storm and Manhunt is one of the world’s most popular places for men to meet online. There are over 6 million profiles on Manhunt so there is definitely a lid for your pot out there! You can look at a hot guys’ profile, swap pictures and chat…all for free! And cruising is not confined to your desktop. Manhunt mobile allows you to check out the tens of thousands of guys are online at any one time on your phone by downloading the iPhone or Android app. You know all those guys you see tapping on their cell phones in the bars? They are probably just about to meet Mr Right Now on Manhunt!

Manhunt has made waves on the South African scene since officially launching here in February. Thousands of South African men have joined up. Manhunt have made a huge impact with their team of hunky guys in gay bars, clubs and events in Cape Town, Gauteng and Durban. Whether it is Cape Town Pride, The Pink Lourie Mardi Gras in Knysna or the Coburn St Fair; whether it’s Amateur Strip Night at Crew Bar, Mr Club Fever or the Babylon Road show to Durban, Manhunt has been a part of it. Check out some of the events that Manhunt has been involved in on these pages...

Mag 33

CHALLENGING YOUR ASSUMPTIONS

by Glenn de Swardt

W

e all make countless assumptions every day.

We assume that in the morning the kettle and toaster will do their jobs, that the car will start or that our train will arrive at the station. We make assumptions about our partners, our family members, our colleagues and our friends, and about strangers. Our assumptions about our environment and the people around us are often based on nothing more than irrational notions, concepts, beliefs and attitudes which are very rarely based on fact. For centuries people believed the earth was flat. Some still do. A homoprejudiced individual assuming that gay men are necessarily bad people believes it to be true. What we assume, believe or simply take for granted is not necessarily The Truth.

partner is very newly infected and is therefore unlikely to know that he’s positive. If he doesn’t know he’s positive he’ll obviously tell you he’s negative and you may be tempted to toss the condom.

When someone is newly infected his viral load (the concentration of the virus in his blood and in his cum) rapidly increases very substantially before it settles down again after a few weeks. This occurs because his body hasn’t produced the necessary antibodies to control the virus yet, which is also the reason that he’ll likely test HIV negative at this point: the HIV test itself detects the presence of antibodies, not the virus. In contrast, someone who knows he’s HIV positive and is on treatment is likely to become virally suppressed (the concentration of the virus in his blood and cum will be lower), provided he takes his medication correctly. Even then the concentration of the virus is measured in his blood, not in his cum – which could be significantly higher. And since I’m seemingly on a tangent about body fluids, remember that ass juice (anal secretions resulting from stimulation of the rectal lining during sex) also contains a significant concentration of the virus, a good reason for tops not to bareback.

Many of us who think we’re HIV negative are more likely to bareback with a sexual partner we assume to be HIV negative.

Gay men also make assumptions about each other. We assume that the popular party boy doesn’t ever feel lonely, that the quiet couple must be so content, that the muscled hunk is uber- confident and that the guy who sometimes wears leather must be into kink. We assume that the plainlooking guy in the corner will be oh-soboring with absolutely nothing of interest to say and that the older guy is simply a dirty old man who’s out to perve the twinks.

We assume that the muscled guy is a top and that the shy queen over there has to be a submissive bottom. We often make outrageously superficial assumptions about each other based on our race, age, bodies, our clothes, who we associate with and even where we live. And then we relate to each other accordingly, establishing our cosy little networks of who’s in and who’s out, who’s hot and not, who’s likely to be our next top.

An important area in which we make similar assumptions relates directly to our sexual health. We somehow assume that some guys are either HIV positive or negative, invariably based on their appearance. The formula goes something like this: appearance + age = HIV status. We magically assume that if a man looks healthy and beefy he is more likely to be negative. We also assume that younger guys are less likely to be positive because (we assume) they’ve not had sex with as many guys as an older man may have had and therefor have a reduced risk of infection. And then we relate to each other accordingly. Let’s face it: many of us who think we’re HIV negative are more likely to bareback with a sexual partner we assume to be HIV negative.

We magically assume that a potential sex partner actually knows whether he’s positive or negative, and that he’d tell us if he is positive. Fact: most HIV infections occur when one Mag 34

All of which raises that niggling little subject of undergoing regular HIV screenings if you’re negative. How sure are you – right this second as you read this – of your own HIV status? Or do you simply assume that you’re negative? Perhaps you assume that you’ve never played with a guy who’s positive, or that you’ve never been exposed to the virus, or that you’re in a monogamous relationship, or that you’re simply too cute or too healthy or too busy or too whatever to be bothered with this.

I suggest you check those assumptions before you next assume the position. A good place to start is to know your own HIV status before you continue making assumptions about others’.

Glenn is the programme manager of Health4Men, a project of the Anova Health Institute that provides free sexual health care to gay and bi men through a network of clinics in Woodstock, Khayelitsha, Belville, Yeoville and three clinics located in Soweto. Services include HIV and STI screenings plus free treatment (including free ARV treatment), counselling, support groups, prevention programmes and dissemination of free condoms and compatible lubricant.

Visit www.health4men.co.za for more details or call the Green Point office on 021 421 6127.

HAVE IT HARD

SEPTEMBER diary Friday 7th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 14th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Sunday 16th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 21st Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Monday 24th Heritage Day – cum reclaim what’s yours · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund OCTOBER diary Friday 5th Fuck with Pride Warm up for the big day · Saturday 6th Pride After Party – Africa’s biggest annual gathering of hot naked men · Friday 12th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Monday 15th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 19th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 26th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund NOVEMBER diary Friday 2nd Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 9th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Wednesday 14th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 16th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 23rd Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Friday 30th World Aids Day Pre-party – cum practise safe sex

THE VERI SWEET LETTERS FROM DURBAN It’s Raining Man-meat #5

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hen you lift the veil off Durban’s face you’ll not lament you love this place. South African snow has fallen in all the nine: though, in the chilly winter frost, we’ve had Manhunt on our coast.

A very wicked Babylon Heaven at Sasha’s, down the industrial end of Umgeni Road - felt like JJo’burg in June as the well-heeled crowd funnelled in. My eyes feasted on stellar décor, of glass and steel and colour coordination; even an excellently-placed treegarden installation! We were definitely in the bejeweled jungle of model boys and tall Leathers, QueerBelles and coupled Heathers – the five bars and dance-floor interspersed the population, allowing the smokers an outdoor white-couched haven. It was electric to be amongst such human ambience; a grand smattering of local and foreign gay-iety, but enhanced.

And one will not forget the part played by Manhunt no, no. ‘Evolution Entertainment’ performers Ivor and Johann aren’t just Johannesburg delights to look at. Between the two, they dance, choreograph, act, gym and model; MANHUNT clearly branded on their delicious hello-below.

Pouring Sours down our throats, a striptease to make you choke; you should have an eye out for them hey, as they’ll be dotting SA. If that wasn’t enough, extra attention is a MUST! Two Babylon nights have passed; one turn at the Lounge… be sure to be here when the Manhunt crew comes around.

Rolling down to Rhumbelow… it was ALL THAT JAZZ and more!

I was running late on a work-Friday but I had theatre tickets to honour; doing the quickstep to Umbilo, down the quieter Cunningham Avenue…

“CONVENT GIRLS” stars Tanya Koenderman and Lisa Bobbert had me in award-nominated stitches from the sit-down, with their catholic school comedy and cabaret soiree. Candle-lit lanterns twinkled madly as we slapped our palms on the tables, reminiscing Tina with Tanya and Lisa as Pink. I couldn’t have Mag 36

picked a better eve, hearing reworked classics and re-scribed modern; an utter music spree in two hysterical acts. It’s a joy returning to this tucked-away theatre; it reminds me of where Hugh took Julia in that “Notting Hill” picture… Seek latest information online: “The Minnie and Johnson Show” and ‘Family Players’ were on circuit; for DRAG Shows, Rhumbelow’s the place for it. They’re hosting big names and award-nominees it’s classy, sometimes raunchy; it’s professional tomfoolery…

What’s Also Behind The Curtain?

Back on the topic of bodies with a little added makeup: The Lounge saw the crowning of Mister Gay Boy Durban 2012.

Slender posers, some in glitter – there was this EXCEPTIONAL belly-dancer. A subtle Arabian Nights theme with contestants of every fancy, a little naked bum too; hope you didn’t miss that sneaky! The Pageant had an entertainment special, in the middle, was Anthony Stonier. He’s a must-have stage-favourite, raised the show beyond expectations. The Crowd-favourite made it to Third, behind the pocket-rocket winner; a tattooed sensation named Aaron, has some Frenchman deep within her *wink*.

Overall, quite the looker and possibly a Mr Gay SA winner (?)...

KZN culture is up on the notch, and we all wish you a speedy winter run-off...

Peace and Blessed days – don’t you need a holiday?

Say goodbye to the snow – We’re by the beach as you know.

Signed: Veri Dre Sweet eyes and ears baby!

THE LOUNGE

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urban’s # 1 venue for the Gay and lesbian community has been around for 13 years. Open 6 days of the week the Lounge offers a different experience every night. From Men Only nights on Tuesdays through to packed clubbing nights over weekend the venue’s 2 dance floors and five bars The Lounge is known for its hospitality and making everyone feel at home. Recently revamped the stylish interior and state of the art sound and lighting equipment makes the venue not only one of the best gay venues in South Africa but also one of the best clubs around.

KINX BDSM LOUNGE & STORE AT SEXPO 2012

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f you looking for something naughty, exciting or something to tantalize your deepest darkest fantasies, our fetish gear and equipment is exactly what you need.

From homo-erotic harnesses, sultry shoes, luxurious leather chaps, jockstraps, floggers, cockrings to marvelous male chastity belts, we have it all. And for that special item that you just can’t find, kinx.co.za will acquire it or custom make it just for you. All these items and more will be available at the 2012 Sexpo in Johannesburg.

BDSM, if you didn’t already know, stands for bondage, domination, sadism and masochism where dark fantasies can be explored. For some people BDSM is a way of life and for others it is a way to spice up their sex life. Whatever the reason or whatever level of experience you may have, all will be revealed at the Kinx BDSM lounge and store at Sexpo 2012.

We don’t just sell items we support a lifestyle. So come and join us on the 27 to the 30th September 2012, where you can explore and learn more about the toys, tricks and lifestyle.

Custom Designs Dildos, toys, Lubes and Cock rings Dungeon Equipment For Sale or Hire Leather, Latex and PVC Clothing

Visit us Online Or visit our store Shop 1D &th Street Melville (011) 482 4778 086 613 6536

www.kinx.co.za Mag 37

OR NOT SO GAY? The University of Johannesburg Arts & Culture is a world-class performing and visual arts facility offering a wide range of vocational and hands-on practical training programmes in various aspects of the performing arts on all four UJ campuses. The UJ Arts Centre is located on the Kingsway Campus and comprises an art gallery, a 436-seater state of the art theatre, dance studios and choir rooms. Other facilities include the intimate Experimental Theatre on the Kingsway Campus and the 150-seater Con Cowan Theatre and dance studios on the Bunting Road Campus. In addition to producing student drama, dance and his Spring, UJ Arts & Culture presents musical theatre, these venues also serve as receiving houses for professional South THATSOGAY, a fabulous four play theatre festival that is actually not so gay …“2011 saw African and international productions, concerts, exhibitions and events.

UJ Arts & Culture present the pioneering From left: Tanielle Powell (George), Jade Bowers Reading Gay Festival, a series of five staged readings of contemporary South African gay plays,” explains festival (Director), WJ Pretorius (Simon), Thabiso Lebitsa (Narrator) director Alby Michaels. “THATSOGAY is the evolution that project into a fully-fledged gay theatre festival.”

Michaels explains that despite the giant leaps South Africa has taken in securing gay rights as human rights, given the recent epidemic of gay hate crimes lately, it is clear these freedoms cannot be taken for granted. It is these freedoms this festival will celebrate.

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The plays on offer include Snowman and Little Poof!

Big Bang which will have completed their run by the time this issue is published. Jade Bowers directs The Boy Who Fell from the Roof by Juliet Jenkin. Written fresh and unconventional wit, this play has comedy, charm and pathos as it explores most of the things worth falling for in life. Simon and his best friend, Georgina, are Grade 12 learners (in their final year at school) and we go with them on their journey as they fall into the cold bath waters of homosexuality, race, love, death and growing up in contemporary Cape Town. Playwright Juliet Jenkin deftly enters the world of the teenage psyche. Simon’s life-shifting encounter with a post-graduate mathematics student, Leonard, with whom he falls in love, places pressures on his friendship with Georgina.

Alby Michaels directs Dalliances by Pieter Jacobs.

Janet is looking for love. Leo and Janet are friends.

Ken is involved with Andy. When Ken meets Leo in a supermarket, the lives of these four characters intersect with extraordinary results. At its core, the play is a dark exploration of fluid sexuality, indiscriminate promiscuity, raw lust and misguided love. Dalliances won five awards and nominations at the fifth International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival.

an issue. A few years ago, naively it seemed to me we had made this a South African reality. I fully realise we still have far to go. Festivals like these will get there,” he adds.

THATSOGAY, presented by UJ Arts & Culture Exit, and OUT Africa Magazine is a theatrical treat not to be missed. The festival runs until 13 October 2012 in the UJ Con Cowan Theatre. Book at Computicket.

Ashraf Johaardien, Head of UJ Arts & Culture, and also an actor and playwright in his own right says: “From drama to cabaret, from local plays to international work, the line-up is not only broadbased but also not exclusively gay. Being gay is more incidental than central to these plays. However they imagine a world where sexuality is a continuum Dalliances playwright Pieter Jacobs & director Alby Michaels and where being gay has stopped being Mag 38

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Mag 39

BROS B4 HOS A few months ago we introduced Drag King St Dude after having seen him rap at a local drag bar in Cape Town. At the time he said he hoped that his persona would encourage others to explore gender fluidity and create a strong Drag King presence in Cape Town. Since then St Dude has teamed up with fellow Drag Kings Umlilo John, Freddie, Frankie Hard-On, Cory Lingus and Cole Steel Johnson to form Cape Town’s first Drag King Troupe Bros B4 Hos. In their performances, they use irony, satire and parody to subvert cultural hegemony and conventions to empower themselves…and of course, to entertain! We wanted to find out more: OUT: Where did the idea of starting a Drag King Troupe come from?

Saint Dude: There is a blog called The Butch Life (thebutchlife. wordpress.com/) and they posted a blog asking where Cape Town’s drag kings were. I decided to become a drag king and after a while it seemed like there was a great interest in “kinging” in Cape Town so I decided to form the troupe.

OUT: The Western Cape is awash with Drag Queens, or rather female impersonating pageant queens. Where are the Drag Kings?

BB4H: In Bros B4 Hos! OUT: Is this a new phenomenon in Cape Town or is it a matter of having a safe space to be a Drag King?

BB4H: There have always been people interested in “kinging” but it was a matter of us creating a safe space for ourselves.

We started out at Bubbles Bar open mic night and soon gained popularity and drag kings became more accessible to the Cape Town queer community.

OUT: Why has it taken so long for Drag Kings to come out of the closet?

BB4H: Female masculinity isn’t something that is as celebrated or as prevalent as men performing female identities i.e. drag queens. Also, Cape Town has a very strong drag queen culture and while this is AMAZING, it was quite difficult to enter such an established cultural institution.

We are however very grateful to the drag queens who have welcomed us into the community and allowed us to share a stage with them.

OUT: How did each of you develop your persona? Some of your names are very witty with sexual innuendo in true drag fashion.

Saint Dude: Rapper Saint Dude is based on Lil Wayne, and exists to parody and satirise male cultural hegemony in hip hop music. I am a big fan of this genre but I feel that it is dominated by men who express masculinity through sexism and misogyny. By making a spectacle of this behaviour, I hope to draw attention to the problematic nature of hip hop masculinity. I also hope to show people through the rhymes I write myself, that there is no inherent link between masculinity and misogyny.

Frankie: My drag king name, Frankie Hard-on (usually shortened to Frankie H) is a play-on of my real name, Francie Hartline. However, I have begun to just use Frankie H, as I actually don’t feel entirely comfortable with the sexual innuendo in my name, perhaps because I relate to my persona on a more personal level than many do, given my gender status (pre-transition trans guy) Cole: It just came to me. From the first time I dressed in Mag 40

L-R: Cole Steel Johnson, Frankie H, Umlilo John, Saint Dude, Cory Lingus & Freddie drag, Cole appeared. I wanted my name to be something playful and memorable. My drag mother told me to think of a tongue in cheek name. I’m a huge fan of drag and wanted my name to reflect my drag fierceness.

Umlilo: My persona is sort of like me, he differs from me in the way he carries himself and he is much more masculine than me and I think he can be a big of a show off because he know he is good looking. The way I developed my name is that everyone called me Umlilo since high school because it means fire in Xhosa and John is the male version of my name.

Freddie: Freddie came into existence for a Cross Dress Party this year. The idea came as I was listening to Queen wondering how to dress up and be different than just a tie and shirt. I Googled some images, and from there Freddie just became more and more REAL. Every performance and dress up in drag develops Freddie a little more to what he dreams of becoming...

Cory: My name is a pun for the practice of performing oral sex on a female, cunninglingus. Cory coming from Cory Taylor lead singer of Stone Sour.

OUT: Should the major drag pageants have a Drag King section and would anyone enter?

BB4H: YES AND YES. We would enter in a heartbeat! And, yes, drag performance is not exclusively for drag queens, so why should drag pageants have only queens contending?

OUT: Do you ever go out in Drag apart from when you are performing?

Saint Dude: Not really, unless I leave a show and have to stop off somewhere on my way home. Or if I am trying to infiltrate a “boys only” bar!

Frankie: Yep, except for the facial hair. Waiting to grow my own!

Cole: Not really, unless it’s a party.

Umlilo: I haven’t done it yet and I don’t think I will anytime soon. I think for now being in drag is just for performing purposes.

Freddie: Not usually. I guess I’d go if people invite Freddie as such, but otherwise stick to performances and drag events.

Cory: No I’m very happy being a woman and I love my femininity as much as I embrace my masculinity. Cory is strictly stage persona and I like keeping it separate from my personal life.

OUT: Who is your inspiration or role model?

Saint Dude: While my persona is based on Lil Wayne, my performance role models are conscious artists such as Common, Lauryn Hill, Tracy Chapman and Kathleen Hannah.

Cole: The Artist formerly known as Prince. He’s talented, he’s

Saint Dude: My “St Dude” caps. And my vests. Ladies lurv the tats Frankie: My home-made binder. Can’t go a day without it.

Umlilo: my sneakers!

Cole: My Doc Martin’s Freddie: My performance jacket Cory: My performance jacket OUT: Is drag a political act?

BB4H: Absolutely. Anytime you’re contesting existing relations of power based on gender/sex, you’re making a political statement. Our statement stems from the idea that the hegemonic power system behind masculinity must be turned on its head in order to expose the contextuality of its force on social relations. So there!

larger than life and queer as folk. I model my look on his look as well as Bruno Mars.

Frankie: Initially St. Dude was when the troupe was just starting. I was in awe of her work and wanted so badly to be a part of it. Now I can honestly say that all my bros are my inspiration, as cheesy as that sounds…!

Umlilo: I don’t really have a role model because I believe you shouldn’t aspire to be like someone else but yourself, but if I have to pick someone I’d probably pick Ellen. We share the same name, lol! Freddie: The inspiration for Freddie is of course the REAL Freddie Mercury. What an amazing entertainer! Passionate and an overwhelming energy!

Cory Lingus: I have mostly female icons but there are 2 male icons that stand out are Johnny Depp and Burt McCracken(The Used) OUT: Who’s the hottest lesbian on the planet and why?

Saint Dude: Kelly Eve Koopman- Google her.

Cole: Katherine Moennig. She’s just so incredibly gorgeous. She’s androgynous, feisty, talented and did I mention gorgeous?

Frankie: Is Marina from L-Word’s first season a lesbian in real life?

If not, well… I’d shag her anyway.

Umlilo: ok I wouldn’t say hottest but I do adore Ellen and her fashion sense, she is always on point.

Freddie: Angelina, am I right St Dude? Oh wait...

Cory: Joan Jett although a lot of people speculate about her sexuality. I like me some determined hardcore no BS rocker chicks.

OUT: If you could have dinner with any of the L Word babes, who would it be and why?

Saint Dude: Bette Porter and Carmen at the same time! Carmen, because she is sexy. Bette because she is incredibly intelligent, aggressive and could do with a lil’ Catherine Saint Jude.

Cole: Shane - You may have noticed, I have a celeb crush. I probably wouldn’t need to order food; she’s delicious enough to quell my appetite.

Frankie: Marina, of course. Yum. Umlilo: I would have to say Jenny pre haircut, because she was extremely hot when she was discovering herself and hooking up with Marina in season one.

Freddie: Dinner? Riiiight... Bette... yes. Well the list is long; I’ll just take them all.

Cory: Bette (Jennifer Beals), intelligent and artistic very attractive traits in a strong and sophisticated female.

OUT: What item in your closet can you not do without?

OUT: What has been the reaction from the general public, the gay community as a whole and the lesbian community specifically?

BB4H: The reaction has been positive and supportive. We have a large heterosexual following. Outside of the gay community, people have been mostly curious, perhaps critical at times.

However, overall, it’s been a fun experience explaining our work to people because generally they’ve been really receptive. In the gay community as a whole it has generally very positive. The drag queens in Cape Town have been supportive and have expressed interest in collaborating. Bubbles Bar has given us a lot of performance opportunities.

Saint Dude: The lesbian community has been quite supportive.

There have however been some women who have accused us of being misogynistic. I feel they are caught up in the aesthetic of the performance rather than what we are trying to represent. I can’t speak for the rest of the troupe but I use established conventions in popular music and invert them by parodying them.

Frankie: I was expecting more criticism regarding our seemingly ‘misogynistic’ takes on male impersonation, I do expect it though.

However, since starting drag I’ve been getting a lot of flirtation, so really I think it trumps any nay-sayers’ efforts any day.

Umlilo: Lesbians have been very supportive always coming to watch the kings I mean come on we are some good eye candy!

Cole : It’s a mixed bag. Some people view female drag as something that promotes gender bias and degradation of womanhood. It’s performance art. It’s tongue in cheek. These same people have no problem with drag queens but drag kings get them riled up. I find this approach to drag terribly closed minded.

Freddie: The support and love from the ladies has been overwhelming.

Cory: The ladies are very supportive, and come hell or high water they’re always there. The Lesbian community have been very accepting of the kings.

OUT: Some of you sing live and some of you lip-synch. Is it because you all have different talents?

BB4H: Yes we have different talents. Some of us sing live (Cory and Cole) while some rap live (Frankie and Umlilo) while Saint Dude writes his own lyrics and performs live.

Freddie lip synchs but occasionally sings live. We attempt to perform live as much as possible.

OUT: Appearances at Bubbles Bar so far has been of individuals from the Troupe, or duets.

BB4H: Yes, we recently had a troupe show at Obs Cafe where we collaborated with Black Orchid Burlesque. We will be doing more troupe shows at different venues.

OUT: Where else can we see you perform?

BB4H: We perform at Bubbles bar on a Thursday night every second week. Follow us on our facebook group to find out more about our performances. https://www.facebook.com/ brosb4hosCT Mag 41

CABARET STILL FABULOUS AT 40 Evan Tsouroulis

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he 1972 film Cabaret gave Liza Minnelli, daughter of gay-icon actress Judy Garland, and gay film director Vincente Minnelli, her look and made a star of her. Liza won a well deserved Oscar for her performance and became a fashion icon with the film’s glamorous and slightly seedy 30s revival look. It also scored a pair of signature numbers in the title tune and Maybe This Time, which was especially written for the film version. Hollywood had been trying to film this story of love, heartbreak and divine decadence during the rise of the Nazis since it debuted of Broadway in 1966. The play was based on Christopher Isherwood’s semiautobiographical Goodbye to Berlin, part of his Berlin Stories where the character of Sally Bowles first appears. But it took director-choreographer Bob Fosse’s vision to translate it to screen. His work earned him one of the film’s eight Oscars, (though The Godfather won Best Picture) in a year when he also picked up an Emmy for Liza with a Z and a Tony for Pippin. Joel Grey, who played the film’s Master of Ceremony, was the only actor ever to win an Oscar for a performance consisting entirely of song and dance. Later stage revivals copied Fosse’s seedy portrait of nightclub life, but none have captured the electricity of his staging or Minnelli’s star-making performance.

Gay English writer Christopher Isherwood travelled to Berlin 1929 to visit his friend and fellow queer the poet W. H Auden.

He was supposed to spend six weeks in the capital of the Weimer Republic but ended up staying years, meeting the fascinating characters who were to later populate his novels, as well as the love of the early part of his life. He was drawn to the sexual freedom which would soon come to an end with the ascent of the Nazis. Isherwood later wrote in Christopher and his Kind, (a great film version of his biography was shown at the Out in Africa Film Festival in March) that it was the boys and the fact that they were cheap and willing, that kept him in Berlin, away from his claustrophobic bourgeois life in England.

In Berlin he fully indulged his taste for pretty youths.

In 1931 Isherwood met Jean Ross, who was the inspiration for his fictional character, Sally Bowles. In reality she was English, not American as she was in the play and film Cabaret, and considerably less talented as a singer. His experiences in the decadent Berlin of the 30s became the basis of his Berlin Stories which in turn provided the inspiration for the play I am a Camera in 1951, which was filmed in 1955. The play was turned into the Broadway musical Cabaret in 1966. Choosing Bob Fosse to direct the film version was a risk. Fosse’s use of the depraved and vulgar cabaret as a mirror image of German Mag 42

society sliding toward the Nazis, and this intertwining of entertainment with social history marked a new step forward for the movie musical. The characters did not just burst into song at the drop of a hat. The songs were all in context. Virtually all the film’s musical numbers are staged within the confines of the Kit Kat Club, and each song comments on the plot and on Germany’s “progression” from hedonism to fascism. Liza Minnelli recently revealed that Fosse was allowed to get away with making the film he wanted because he shot it in Germany far from the prying eyes of studio executives, and would ignore their demands to tone down the film.

Even so, the film was considerably de-gayed as compared to Isherwood’s original stories, though still very risqué for 1972. Nevertheless, the film struck a chord with gay audiences who took the scenario and Minnelli into their hearts.

Perhaps it was the slightly taboo nature of some of the themes of the film that gay audiences related to. When I was about fourteen years old, I found a copy of the Berlin Stories in my school library. I wasn’t supposed to have seen it, let alone check it out, as it was usually kept locked up in the restricted section that only Seniors had access to. This was after all, in the early Seventies. (How could have foreseen the World Wide Web then?) But I had Library duties and I think the school librarian recognised a kindred spirit, so I was allowed to sneak the book out. It was a revelation as well as a turn on. I had never read about gays before let alone descriptions of gay sex. My fag hag at the time was Sally Bowles before either of us understood what a fag hag was. The authorities were so terrified of the love that dare not mention its name that they tried to make sure that nobody else did either. But thank goodness for liberal librarians and my innate gay intuition which helped me find this forbidden fruit. When I eventually saw Cabaret some time later, I was blown away. Everything fell into place. It was thrilling. Joel Grey’s androgyny was so apt in time when we were in awe of David Bowie. And as was the case with a generation of gay men, my love affair with Liza Minnelli was born.

Cabaret is still considered one of the greatest and most innovative musical films ever made. The 40th Anniversary screening of the newly restored film launched the third Annual TCM Classic Film Fest in April. Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey and Michael York took pride of place on the Red Carpet in front of Graumann’s Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. Cabaret and its star Liza Minnelli remain undisputed Gay Icons.

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DJ ARIEE’S TOP 10 SPRING DANCE TRACKS

J Ariee has played in all South Africa’s major gay clubs and parties, including Therapy, 55, Legends, Sliver, Destinations, MCQP and Pride in both Jo’burg and Cape Town. His musical style fuses funky – electro – kinky progressive beats that ooze with energy, fuelled by sexy vocals which ignite the dance floor with a twisted sleazy electric gusto. He was voted Best DJ for the Western Cape on the annual poll on Queerlife.co.za. He says that “House music is penicillin for my soul”.

Catch Ariee every Friday and Saturday at Navigaytion in Cape Town’s Crew Bar. 1. Kiss - I Was Made For Loving You (Dj Denis Rublev remix) A remarkable fusion of styles old and new bringing in a semblance of 1980s pop with the sort of block chords that characterised early rave music.

2. Luca Bisori - The Race (Original Mix) Remix of Yello’s outstanding 80s track which joins the musical dots on the dancefloor and invites the breakers, boogie kids, nodders and disco dolls alike to STRUT!!!

3. Marc Romboy - The Advent (Nic Fanciulli Remix) Snappy House grooves and ravey attitude with just a hint of rudeness 4. Pleasurekraft feat. Green Velvet - Skeleton Key (Original Mix) Addictive, mischievous and at times downright bizarre with a touch of weird grooviness 5. Tocadisco - The Groove (Original Club Mix) Delite-ful pumping groove laced with smatterings of slap bass and those infamous guitar licks 6. Koen Groeneveld - Airbuzz (Koen Afterburner Remix) 7. Federico Scavo – I Do(Original Club Mix) A jump house banger !

8. DJ PP – Queen of Disco (Original Mix) A frenzy of Disco!

9. Phunk Investigation –Critical.

Hands in the air action, adrenalin pumping beats!

10. Funky Truckerz - Gimme Some (Reza Remix) Verbal satisfaction over a murderously marvelous rhythm and beat.

Contact Ariee at: ari@crewbar.co.za Readers can download his mixes at: www.navigaytion.co.za/dj.html Ariee’s facebook page is http://www.facebook.com/djariee Tel no is 0711592501

OUT ON DVD Dear Mr.Gacy is a terrifying psychological thriller that poignantly shows what happens when the obsession of an 18-year-old college student is realised and the quest of his passion turns into a nightmare he will never escape from. It is based on the real life story of Jason Moss and focuses on his correspondence with John Wayne Gacy, who is on death row after murdering 33 boys.

Rock of Ages is a refreshing new musical that ‘rocks’!

From the fun opening sequence in the Greyhound bus (where an ordinary trip is turned into an interesting musical ensemble) to its explosive finale (a combination of all live rock concerts at stadiums and at the Queen’s Palace thrown together in a blender of unashamed indulgence)this film has everything you can ask for in entertainment and much more. Tom Cruise dares to parade around topless and tattooed in a bejewelled Gstring. Watching Russell Brand and Alec Baldwin performing a love duet is most definitely not something you will ever forget.

Rock of Ages takes the musical genre to the extreme. It will blow you away, totally!

The Dark Knight Rises. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, this film is a weapon of mass distraction, shines a beacon of light on hope, and through reel entertainment make sense of a real world spinning out of control. The result is entertainment that is unequalled, filled with astuteness, awe and spectacle beyond belief. Christian Bale is superb in the dual role of Bruce Wayne and Batman; he perfectly captures the essence of a tormented soul whose journey to redemption began in Batman Begins.

White Irish Drinkers. John Gray who is the writer and creator of the TV series ‘Ghost Whisperer’, financed, wrote, produced and directed this impressive movie. Two brothers living with their abusive father and their well-meaning but ineffective mother are caught up in a life of petty crime. Older brother Danny concocts a daring scheme to steal enough money for the two to escape, timed around the chaos of an upcoming Rolling Stones concert. The sensitive younger brother, Brian has to remain loyal to the brother with whom he shares a powerful love-hate bond, or use his hidden talent as an artist for his own ticket out of their dead-end existence The Skin I Live In. Obsession can indisputably annihilate the soul. Retribution can cultivate an unfathomable evil malevolence. In Pedro Almodovar’s masterful suspense thriller, the fusion of these malignant emotions is deadly. Ever since his wife was burned in a car crash, plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Ledgard (Antonio Banderas) is interested in creating a new skin with which he could have saved her. After twelve years, he manages to cultivate in his own laboratory, a skin that is sensitive to caresses, but a real shield against all the aggressions, both external and internal, to which our largest organ is submitted.

For more DVD news, visit www.writingstudio.co.za Mag 43

OUT TO LUNCH with Gary Hopkins

LIKE A VIRGIN

OUT has been trying out new eateries in Cape Town and Durban. Here’s how they fared …

Burrata - The Old Biscuit Mill, 021 447 6505 Trend followers dashing off to Test Kitchen may miss what the trend setters are claiming as the new hot spot in the same precinct. Apart from the exquisite décor and awesome attention to detail (try not to fall in love with the salt and pepper mills) the two things to note about Buratta are the unique pizza dough; and that head Chef Annemarie Steenkamp is ex Le Quartier Francais. The dough is fermented for a couple of days before it is fired in a 480°C oven that cooks your pizza in just 90 seconds.

The result is a crispy, feather weight base that literally crumbles in your mouth. The pizzas are utterly divine. As is the antipasti for two which conclusively proves the power of using only the finest ingredients. The lamb and the pork belly are just as exceptional. The cherry on the top is co-owner/sommelier Neil Grant whose pedigree is as extensive as his wine knowledge.

Watch this warm and sophisticated eatery shine in top 10 lists this year.

The Dogs Bollocks - 6 Roodehek Street, Gardens You just know you are just going to love a place named after canine testicles. It’s more like a garage than a restaurant with a few garden tables and chairs scattered around. The doors open at 5pm and close after the 50th hamburger is sold. Nigel, the Chef and owner told me that last week there was a queue to get in and they hit the half century in just 7 minutes.

You walk in, add your name to the blackboard and the number of burgers you want to order (they are the only thing on the menu). When your name is called you place your order. There are a dozen or so varieties to choose from and the all cost R55. I picked the cheese and jalapeño burger.

They are cooked to order and are wrapped in sheet of wax paper. And by sheet I mean bed sheet size as these are the biggest balls you’ve ever seen! You can take your order home or to one of the nearby tables where you can order wine. It is totally unpretentious, the burgers are utterly delicious and in case you were wondering the jalapeños had a bite far worse than their bark.

I love my Laundry - 59 Buitengracht Street, Heritage Square You have to love Cape Town for our quirky little places that pop up overnight and have the town asking “Now why didn’t I think of that?.” Yes it really is a laundry but it also an incredibly stylish art gallery, on line wine shop and Dim Sum restaurant.

Surprisingly, it’s little more than postage stamp sized. The Dim Sum is made fresh daily so the menu changes regularly. At the time of going to print they are offering 8 pieces plus a glass of wine or coffee for R40. The shop closes at 7pm.

Mag 44

La Storia - 124 Jan Hofmeyer Road, Westville, Durban, 031 266 8793.

Chef Marco Nico is pretty well known and I have enjoyed eating at his previous establishment. This was quite a different experience. On making a booking we were warned not to be as much as 5 minutes late or risk losing our table.

Pity the restaurant wasn’t on an equally tight schedule. We milled around the entrance before being shown to our table Gary Hopkins by a passing waitress where we were left unattended for 20 minutes. Fortunately we had brought along a bottle of wine so we had something to drink in the meantime.

The menu is a veritable treasure trove of Italian delights. When the waitress finally arrived and we had coaxed the special menu out of her we ordered a variety of main courses and the delicious sounding pulled pork, Dijon mustard and roasted apple pizza to share as a starter. As our waitress attended to our further wine and water needs at a snail’s pace she assured us the food would be “worth the wait”. She lied. A full 90 minutes after we arrived, our starters and mains appeared simultaneously. After a side cat fight between the manageress and waitress it was agreed we wouldn’t be charged for our starter. At best the pizza was doughy and bland, whilst the mains were a mixed bag. The chorizo, olive and chilli risotto was sumptuous and salty and the sole a meltin-your mouth masterpiece. The pork belly was deeply confused.

One piece on my plate was silky soft, the second overcooked, dry and chewy. To add insult to injury the roasted vegetables included 2 small raw onions which threatened to overpower everything else and the whole dish screamed out for something sweet to balance it.

An incorrect bill and faulty credit card machine only added to our disappointment. The restaurant shows great potential and on a good night I am sure we would have appreciated the exposed brick and bygone Durban artwork but on this occasion Marco and his team completely missed the mark.

L’Apero - Grand Daddy Hotel, 38 Long Street 021 424 7247 The true test of any restaurant is how they handle group bookings. OUT and a few of our friends in other publications were invited to the media launch of L’Apero. After a few rooftop cocktails we went into the open plan restaurant. The décor is warm and simple in a New York sort of way. Once seated at one long table we were served a 5 course meal starting with a generous portion of butternut soup. Judging by the food the other tables were receiving the restaurant caters for healthy appetites. The courses that followed were all delivered to the table en masse and all superbly prepared – not easy cooking prawns perfectly for 20 queens. The piece-de-resistance was the final offering of the night - an utterly decedent and irresistible chocolate brownie. (Other guests, if you’re wondering what became of your second piece … I ate it). I sneaked a look at the full menu and am pleased to report that the food prices are really, really reasonable. Two personal bug bears: 1) I am allergic to menus with photocopied pages in plastic sleeves 2) the wine list is on the high side. All in all a great addition to our Pink dining options.

GORE VIDAL - A Literary TITAN

P

ride of place in my bookcase amongst the novels of William Burroughs, Alan Hollinghurst, Truman Capote and Edmund White, are those of Gore Vidal, the American writer who died on 31July2012 at the age of 86. But Vidal stands out from all these queer writers, as he was more than a novelist: he was also a brilliant essayist and astute chronicler of the society he lived in. Born into the American elite, he was well placed to comment on and condemn the hetero-normative, patriarchal establishment he was part of…and to get away with what other writers would not have dared to. He was a writer who reads, with an iconoclastic temperament, and he wanted to be political as well as literary. He was interested in the relationship between Art, Sex, Gender, Money and Power.

The New York Times described him in his obituary as being in his old age “an Augustan figure who believed himself to be the last of a breed, and he was probably right. Few American writers have been more versatile or gotten more mileage from their talent.” The Guardian said “Vidal’s critics disparaged his tendency to formulate an aphorism rather than to argue, finding in his work an underlying note of contempt for those who did not agree with him. His fans, on the other hand, delighted in his unflagging wit and elegant style, BBC journalist Alastair Leithead said: “Gore Vidal saw himself as the last of the breed of literary figures who became celebrities in their own right.

Never a stranger to chat shows, his wry and witty opinions were sought after as much as his writing.”

His third novel The City and the Pillar, published in 1948, was a landmark in American literature as it was the first to unambiguously deal with homosexuality, although he always rejected the terms of “homosexual” and “heterosexual” as inherently false, claiming that the vast majority of individuals had the potential to be pansexual. It was the first time that a writer took for granted that men have sex with other men.

He published novels, plays, countless essays and magazine articles. His subject matter was eclectic, and his novels ranged from the biographical to Science Fiction, such as Myra Breckinridge, about a transsexual, famously made into a film starring Raquel Welch. His novels such as Julian, Messiah and Road to Golgotha challenged the Judeo-Christian mythology which informs much of Western Culture. His well- researched historical novels such as Burr, 1876 and Lincoln give an unprecedented insight into the political hierarchy of the United States in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Quotes to remember “I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television.”

“It is not enough to succeed. Others must fail.”

“A narcissist is someone better looking than you are.”

“Democracy is supposed to give you the feeling of choice like, Painkiller X and Painkiller Y. But they’re both just aspirin.”

“Envy is the central fact of American life.”

“Every time a friend succeeds, I die a little.”

“The United States was founded by the brightest people in the country — and we haven’t seen them since.”

“Andy Warhol is the only genius I’ve ever known with an IQ of 60” “A good deed never goes unpunished.”

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.”

“The more money an American accumulates, the less interesting he becomes.”

“The four most beautiful words in our common language: I told you so.”

“Sex is. There is nothing more to be done about it. Sex builds no roads, writes no novels and sex certainly gives no meaning to anything in life but itself.”

“There is no such thing as a homosexual or a heterosexual person. There are only homo- or heterosexual acts. Most people are a mixture of impulses if not practices.”

His screenwriting credits included the epic historical drama Ben-Hur (1959), into which he claimed he had written a “gay subplot. “of which lead actor Charlton Heston was oblivious.

Ben-Hur won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He was never one to mince his words. His hatred of Truman Capote was spectacular. When Capote died, Vidal quipped that his death was “a good career move.”

WORD PERFECT WHISPER NOT – 15 Africans speak out on life and love beyond HIV Openly Positive Trust. R200.00 This collection of stories from 15 Africans with diverse origins and different backgrounds is a good case in point that HIV has no boundaries and affects people from all walks of life. The writers of these stories are gay, straight, male, female, young, and old, from all classes and races. One of the writers is an 84 year old man who tested positive at the age of 68 when donating blood. But most contracted the virus through unprotected sex. The formula of this volume is that each contributor describes who they are and why they are telling their story. Most of the stories are told in an honest, matter of fact way, often describing prejudice, stigmatisation and rejection. But ultimately each story is about hope and the will to survive. They are all poignant and moving positive affirmations of life.

This is the third volume in the story-telling series published by the Openly Positive Trust. Launched in 2007, the Trust is a nonprofit organisation helping to build a supportive, stigma-free environment for people living with HIV and AIDS to live positively and disclose. For more information on the Trust please visit www.openlypositive.com Mag 45

OUT ON FILM Bel Ami (September 14) is the story of

Robert Pattinson - Bel Ami

Georges Duroy, who travels through Paris in the 1890s, from cockroach ridden garrets to opulent salons, using his wits and powers of seduction to rise from poverty to wealth.

It features some great performances from Kristin Scott Thomas, Uma Thurman, Christina Ricci and Robert Pattinson, and is a must for discerning viewers.

A sharp, modern take on the Pygmalion myth, Ruby Sparks (September 21) is the story of a novelist’s vision who comes to life. With a light touch and a dash of magical realism, the first screenplay from actress and playwright Zoe Kazan takes an unpredictable route into fantasy, identity and the ways we invent love – and how love can re-invent us.

In The Words (November 23) Bradley Cooper plays Rory, a writer whose first book takes the literary world and the public imagination by storm. Friends breathlessly recommend it, critics rave about it; it’s everywhere, Rory becomes an instant literary star. Charismatic, talented, intelligent, the young author seems to have the world at his fingertips—and it’s all because of his words. But whose words are they? And whose story is this, after all?

Jeremy Renner - the Bourne Legacy Daniel Craig (007) in Skyfall

Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time tells the story of a

15-year-old boy who wants to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington the dog. On November 16 Stephen Beresford’s

streets of Mega City One, the lone oasis of quasi-civilization on Cursed Earth. Judge Dredd (Karl Urban) is the most feared of elite Street Judges, with the power to enforce the law, sentence offenders and execute them on the spot. The endlessly inventive mind of writer Alex Garland and the frenetic vision of director Peter Travis bring this futuristic neo-noir film to life.

Mag 46

Daniel Craig is back as James Bond 007 in Skyfall (November 30), the 23rd adventure in the longest-running film franchise of all time. Directed by Sam Mendes, Bond’s loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

Cinema Nouveau offers 3 great plays filmed live at the National Theatre in London. On October 12 Simon Stephens’ adaptation of The Curious

Dredd (September 28) is set in the wild

In David Koepp’s action packed Premium Rush (October 5), Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays one of New York’s most agile and aggressive bicycle messengers who gets more than even he is used to

when his last envelope of the day – a routine “premium rush” run – turns into a life or death chase through the streets of Manhattan.

Argo (October 26) chronicles the lifeor-death covert operation to rescue six Americans from behind the scenes of the Iran hostage crisis—the truth of which was unknown by the public for decades. It is directed by Ben Affleck who also plays a CIA “exfiltration” specialist who comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country with a plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.

Flowers of War (September 21) is the latest masterwork from director Zhang Yimou. Behind a walled church in Nanjing of 1937, the danger in the streets has thrown together a contrary group of refugees: a flock of shell-shocked school children, a dozen provocatively seductive courtesans, and a renegade American (an Oscar worthy performance by Christian Bale) posing as a priest to save his own skin. Trapped by marauding soldiers, they struggle not only to survive but also to understand and trust one another.

The narrative architect behind the Bourne film series, Tony Gilroy, takes the helm in The Bourne Legacy (September 21) and expands the Bourne universe created

by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films.

By Daniel Dercksen

The Last of the Haussmans

examines the fate of the revolutionary generation and offers a funny, touching and at times savage portrait of a family that’s losing its grip. On December 7 Simon Russell Beale takes the title role in Timon of Athens, Shakespeare’s strange fable of conspicuous consumption, debt and ruin, written in collaboration with Thomas Middleton.

Joseph Gordon-Levit

For more information on these releases and other films now showing, visit www.writingstudio.co.za

MUSIC MOVES

by Gary Hopkins

CD of the season Elton John vs Pnau – Good Morning to the Night Five years ago on a trip to Australia Sir Elton picked up a Pnau CD at a local music store. He was so impressed by what he heard he signed them to his management company. As a sign of his trust in the duo he handed over the original recordings of his entire catalogue and gave them free reign to make it of them what they wanted. The result is Elton’s first UK number 1 CD in twenty years and a recording so remarkable he calls it “a whole new genre of music”.

The title track was chosen as the official song of the London Olympics 2012 Who are they are? Elton John is the most successful male solo artist in the world who has become deeply uncool of late. Pnau are an Ozzie electronic duo better well known for their side project Empire of the Sun. What’s their bag? Electronic dance music is too basic a description. It’s layered, complex yet instantly accessible.

Sounds like? Remarkably for songs that are essentially up to 40 years old, they sound as if they were recorded yesterday. On some tracks vintage Elton shines through on others you’d swear you were listening to David Bowie collaborating with Pink Floyd.

The CD: Every song started out on paper as Pnau collected lyrics from various songs to create new storylines. They took the same approach to the instrumentation with a piano riff from here and a bass line from there (Phoenix contains sample from 9 of his songs). They then began the painstaking process of assembling everything and adding overlays and filters, and their own magic to create 8 seamless new songs. This isn’t a remix album but rather a reimagining of his work that is truly extraordinary. Whilst artists like Madonna focus on reinventing their looks this project focuses on the very heart of the man and create a result so lovingly constructed it can only be described as pure genius. Elton had no part in the process, and in giving over complete artistic control to Pnau he has out reinvented the queen of reinvention. In 2012 Sir Elton is not only relevant; he is deeply cool again.

The track to download: Sad (the chorus of which was gleaned from a backing track of Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word).

ChianoSky – Hungry Who is she? Johannesburg based singer and part time model who is literally taking the local music scene by storm.

What’s her bag? Soul infused pop with touch of jazz Sounds like? She’s the girl of a hundred voices. Ever playful she sounds at turns like Gwen Stefani and Kate Bush at others like Billie Holliday. In truth she sounds like a very talented singer in perfect control of her instrument.

The CD: Recorded both in South Africa and the UK, ChianoSky co-wrote most of the tracks which allows her to put her own distinctive mark on each of them. Lyrically it is witty and refresh-

ingly free of clichés whilst the production is slick and polished.

Overall the quality control is set very high so despite being peppered by her brilliant singles, there really isn’t any filler material. A confident and highly seductive debut.

The track to download: Act Like a Man

Lloyd Cele – No Limits Who is he? Runner up to Idol Elvis Blue now making his bid as a “crossover” artist.

What’s his bag? It’s hard to say as he takes the shotgun approach in the hope that something sticks.

Sounds like? Like Chris Brown on the pop tracks, Luther Vandross on the soul numbers and completely out of his depth when he takes a stab at dub step.

The CD: Paired with bunch of some fairly big names in the industry it sounds as if he were handed a stack of backing tracks and invited to sink or swim. For most of the first half he sinks like the proverbial stone. He races through the songs albeit half a beat behind everyone else on the track and is completely overwhelmed by the production. Once he hits the vernacular tracks and the slower numbers he stops making music for the target market he is trying to reach and instead sings the material that won him votes in the first place. Cele is reportedly delighted by the way the CD turned out. It really hard to share his enthusiasm.

The track to download: Cinderella

Selim Kagee – Cry for Love Who is he? A local lad who has made a name for himself on the stage who realizes his dream by recording his first CD What’s his bag? Classical and classical styled music sung in both English and Italian Sounds like? It’s hard not to compare him to Bublé, Grobin and Patrizio Buanne but hey if you want to run with the big dogs you gotta learn to piss in the long grass.

The CD: Technically he is a brilliant singer and there isn’t a note out of place. But that’s the problem: it’s so perfect it comes off as clinical. It’s as if his singing coach or producer told him which notes to hit and does so without questioning them. Lacking the fire and the passion of the aforementioned artists the success or failure of the CD lies with the choice of material. One has to ask the question whether the world needs yet another version of Ave Maria (for the record it doesn’t) but the 3 pop covers are an inspired choice, most notably Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars. Possibly because he is so out of his usual comfort zone he lets his emotions take over and his voice builds magnificently with the orchestration. If he can mine more of this kind of material his rewards will be far richer.

The track to download: Chasing Cars (Trova Noi) Mag 47

ON STAGE At the theatre with Daniel Dercksen CAPE TOWN

DURBAN

The 8th Spring Drama Season at Artscape features Amy Jephta’s Other People’s Lives (Sept 13 to 29), an incisive, brutal and moving play dealing with love in a time of violence; the mad, wild, and coruscating Champ! (Oct 4 to 20) deals with three out-of-work actors are scraping the bottom of the barrel working as Giant Teddy Bears at a shopping mall over the Season; Anele Rusi’s iSystem (October 26 and 27) deals with the pressures under which the police operate and the brutality that sometimes ensues; Nicholas Spagnoletti’s Special Thanks To Guests From Afar (Nov 8 to 24) shows what happens when two old South African friends re-unite at a wedding in Germany and are befriended by an enigmatic and attractive stranger who challenges their relationship.

The annual Witness Hilton Arts Festival turns 20 this year and takes place at Hilton College from 21 - 23 September. 2012. Guest performers include British uber-cool adult ventriloquist / comedian / magician Paul Zerdi, and Cape Town comedian Marc Lottering. A highlight will be the South African premiere of David Ives’s sexy new Broadway play Venus in Fur, directed by multi award winning Steven Stead, g and features Janna Ramos-Violante and Neil Coppen.

At Kalk Bay Theatre: Bench (Sept 12 to Oct 7) is a gritty, comedy-drama about two small time crooks on the brink of their most daring job to date; Apartment 107 – Enerchi Emporium Dance Company (8 to 13 October) brings emotion, excitement, heartbreak and love expressed through the mesmerizing power of dance, showcasing Latin, ballroom, hip-hop jazz and contemporary dance; Gavin Bonner’s Rapid Fire Fairytales (Oct 18 to 20) combines his skills as a percussionist, storyteller, comedian and astounding improvisational poet; Another Friggin’ Tribute Show (Oct 24 to Nov 3) is a non- musical stand-up comedy about the bands, artists and musically related experiences that have shaped and influenced Pierre Mag 48

Minnie & Johnson Malherbe’s life from his earliest recollections; Martin Evans in FBPK (Nov 7 to 24) is stand-up comedian Martin Evans’ comical tale of one man’s road to recovery and self-discovery following a life-changing accident; and Minnie and Johnson (Nov 28 to Dec 8) features the darlings of the South African cabaret stage, Emile Minnie and Godfrey Johnson, who join hands to bring an evening of fun, humour and fabulous songs.

Two Edinburgh Festival Fringe homegrown hits return to the Baxter Theatre from October 17 to November 10! Hennie van Greunen’s Normality, features Pedro Kruger in a poignant story of a disabled man who falls in love; Rachelle Greeff’s mustsee The Sewing Machine stars Sandra Prinsloo as Magdaleen, an ageing matriarch who takes you on a journey you will never forget.

Michael Jackson HIStory ll Show (Oct 10 to 29) at the Artscape Opera stars the one and only Kenny Wizz, the world’s best Michael Jackson impersonator. This brand new musical biography of Michael Jackson’s life that has taken New Zealand by storm will wow South African audiences.

Together with a live band of talented musicians and dancers, authentic costumes

and high production values, it brings fans what they want but can never again see: a Michael Jackson concert.

JOZI There is an exciting lineup at Sandton’s Theatre on the Square. Cape Comedy Collective comic Tracy Klass’ Klass Struggle (Oct 2 to 14) is a side-splitting balancing act while Renos Nico Spanoudes’ Own (Oct 16 to Nov 3) stars Emanuel Castis and Brenda Radloff, who explore the healing potential of love and forgiveness and questions the ownership of property rights.

At the Joburg Theatre the Essence of Ireland (Sept 18 to Oct 7) combines breathtaking dance routines with the very best of Irish music. Janice Honeyman kicks off the panto season early with Jack and the Beanstalk (Oct 31 to Dec 30). South Africa’s most loved panto star Tobie Cronjé returns as the evil Henry Hideosa, the Giant’s assistant, and Desmond Dube dons the usual over-the-top gowns as Dame Dora Dimpledumpling.

Louise Saint-Claire is the fairy Fenella Fynbos. Cheer the hero, boo the villain, and revel in the stunning costumes and magical scenery for which Joburg Theatre pantomimes are so renowned.

NATIONWIDE Daniele Pascal - A French Affair is the latest production featuring the veteran French songstress. All the songs have been hits in their time and are presented in vibrant Latin arrangements. Pascal is joined by musical director Pieter Van Helslandt on piano, vocals and accordion. This dynamic duo promises an evening filled with romance, passion and most of all, love. Dates are Whale Festival, Hermanus (Sept 29); Boomhuisie Teater Restaurant, Krugersdorp (Nov 23), Nuvo Cuisine in Faerie Glen Pretoria (Nov 24); Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria (Nov 25); at Josephine’s Tea Room in Pretoria (Nov 28); Mon Ami Restaurant in Vanderbijlpark (Nov 30) and at Ruby’s, Parys (Dec 1) Daniele Pascal

For more information on these shows visit www.writingstudio.co.za

never

judge a

cock

by its feathers you can’t tell if that strutting rooster has a sexually transmitted infection or HIV reducing your number of sexual partners and consistent use of condoms with water-based lube remain your best defence against HIV and STIs

HEALTH4MEN provides free confidential HIV and STI screenings plus free treatment

www.health4men.co.za www.h4m.mobi Simon Nkoli Centre for Men’s Health 1st Floor, New Nurses Home, Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital (Soweto) Tel: 011 989 9756 / 9865

Ivan Toms Centre for Men’s Health Woodstock Tel: 021 447 2844

Siseko Men’s Clinic Site C, Taxi Rank Khayelitsha Tel: 021 3870309

Health4Men at Zola Clinic Zola Community Health Centre Bendile Road (Soweto) Tel: 011 931 2364

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Health4Men at Yeoville Clinic Corner of Kenmere and Hopkins (Johannesburg) Tel: 072 654 0816

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