RuPaul’s Drag Race Series 8 Begins!

The winning franchise continues as- staggeringly- we find ourselves at series 8 of the UK version. And oh my, for the love of Saint Dolly, is it kicking off already. These queens do not hold back. In an extremely ill-judged moment backstage, young queen Paris Baby threw what I think she thought was shady banterContinue reading “RuPaul’s Drag Race Series 8 Begins!”

The Generation X Problem

There has been a lot of discourse lately on us, the forgotten generation. We’re Generation X, late forties- mid fifties. We grew up with landlines, power cuts, Yuppies, Kylie in ‘Neighbours’, and the “me first” hedonism of Thatcherism and Reaganomics. We were only just becoming computer- literate and mobile phones were but a distant dreamContinue reading “The Generation X Problem”

G-L-O-R-I-A

Gloria Steinem has passed away at 92 and I have nothing but respect for what she achieved in her lifetime. From protesting for our reproductive rights, to working undercover as a Playboy Bunny to report on their unfair working conditions, she was pretty fearless. The tireless feminist activist and journalist made women’s struggles go mainstream.Continue reading “G-L-O-R-I-A”

Boom! An Explosive Farewell to River City

Angus and bestie Boab (Scott Fletcher and Stephen Purdon) Top: Frank Gallagher as Lenny Murdoch. Bawbags, burrrds, dysfunctional families and gangsters: few TV soaps cut to the heart of Glasgow humanity like ‘River City’. But alas, it is no more, and last night’s episode was the final, after twenty four crazy years. A few spoilersContinue reading “Boom! An Explosive Farewell to River City”

Tim Curry Was Hot

Said it before and I’ll say it again, the Rocky Horror film is overrated shit, but for Tim Curry, the naughty tomcat. RIP, TC.. Top Cat! The purr, the pout, the sass, the strut, the mangled RP pronunci… ation. No one could come close to his Dr Frank -N -Furter. Nobody would dare. Props tooContinue reading “Tim Curry Was Hot”

Lost In Music : Holy Motors – Hellishly Hot

The recent single from the Estonian indie band is a slinky little minx, with shimmering Cure-esque synth, Eliann Tulve’s typically yearning vocals and twangy guitar. It’s atmospheric and sleepy, but there’s a current of unease, like night sweats. “Hellishly Hot”, indeed. A new album, full of sadness and tarnished dreams, is forthcoming, for warmth throughoutContinue reading “Lost In Music : Holy Motors – Hellishly Hot”

Album Review: Arab Strap- Half-Told Tales

This new album, the ninth from the inimitable Falkirk duo, sees Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton on fire. It’s not often that a band gets a new lease of life later into their career, but then, they’ve always been one to buck trends. Few speak to the creeping malaise as accurately as The Strap. FromContinue reading “Album Review: Arab Strap- Half-Told Tales”

Farewell, Polka Dot Queen 🎨

Id been thinking a lot about the great Yayoi Kusama lately, about how indefatigable she was. Now she’s passed away at the age of 97 and I wished I’d written about her sooner. The Polka Dot Queen is dead. She represented modernity in art like few others, painting garish polka dots and pumpkins onto prettyContinue reading “Farewell, Polka Dot Queen 🎨”

Dolly Forever

Dolly has left us. What can we say that hasn’t already been said? Singer, songwriter, philanthropist, icon, champion of LGBTQI rights, Grammy Award winner, Hollywood Star of Fame winner, actor, theme park creator. 100 million records sold worldwide, endlessly quotable, forever recognised, and not bad for a lil gal who grew up- the fourth childContinue reading “Dolly Forever”

Five Cure Gems

I should really be at The Cure Summer Session show in Edinburgh today, but wondered if they’d live up to how I imagine them. I’ve been into the band since around 1984, so it’d be partially nostalgia. Saying that, the last album is wonderful too. £85 for two bands I’d like to see isn’t reallyContinue reading “Five Cure Gems”