LESBIAN AND GAY FILM
LLGFF TOUR Selina Robertson, the programmer of this year's LESBIAN AND GAY FILM FESTIVAL, explains the method in her madness.
As programmer of the 19th London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, I can genuinely tell you that 2005 was one for the lesbians, butches, drag artists, trannie boys, do-me dykes and rock chicks, and the LLGFF Tour reflects this welcome development. Queers will find an abundance of features, documentaries, shorts and animation that show increasing confidence and creativity in filmmaking techniques as well as tackling difficult subjects. That’s not to say that the boys come up short this year, but it is satisfying not to have to complain about the poor state of lesbian filmmaking.
For fans of Joan Jett and Susie Quatro, Gina Gershon’s frank portrait of a fortysomething leather clad singer in Prey for Rock & Roll is vintage rock chick drama and not to be missed on the big screen. Homo alternative lifestyles are equally mirrored in Sugar, based on Bruce La Bruce’s short stories - as you’d expect, this is cinema at the edge. Keeping with the theme of outsiders, Dani and Alice is a gem of a short that should be seen by all creatures great and small. It’s an 11 minute powerhouse of a drama about the final few hours of a broken relationship. First time filmmaker Roberta Marie Munroe is a talent to watch.
DEBS, Bear Cub and Wanted are all strong sellers in the comedy store cupboard. Angela Robinson (the director of Disney’s remake Herbie: Fully Loaded opening in August) burst onto the festival circuit last year with DEBS, a brilliantly written and directed teen lesbian spy spoof that knocks the pom-poms off Charlie’s Angels. An audience and programmers’ favourite, Spanish comedy drama Bear Cub sensitively explores issues around gay parenting, families, HIV and bear necessities. Wanted! is a smart, old-fashioned love story between two fortysomething women.
Transgender movies have a strong presence with the crowd pleasing Drag Kings on Tour. It’s dragfabulous. Jed Bell’s Drive Thru is a perceptive animated short about shopping in a sex change clinic MacDonalds-style.
There are also two films that will appeal to younger queers: Summer Storm, a warmhearted tale about summer loving, and DEBS. Take a date to both films and enjoy these lazy summer evenings.
I Film/rouse, Edinburgh from Thu 23 Jun and GF7, Glasgow from Tue 28 Jun.
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to glasgovalist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Gareth Davies.
9pm. Free. Regular qui/ night. novv vsith party games and bingo to kick off your weekend.
I Pink Devotion ('lub Devotion. l8 Jamaica Street. 8470820. I lpm 3am. £3 (Free passes available from the nearby
{ ylgg (an, W; .- LUBT centre). Another chance to enjoy the u “(ng » delights “(this gay night.
I Fresh The l’olo lounge. 84 Wilson Street. 553 l22l. llpm 3am. £5. Michelle
I Quiz Night 8: Killer Kitty Delmonica's_ 68 Virginia Street. 552 4803.
64 THE LIST 213 Jun-4' Jul 200:3
and Andy are in charge of the musical duties at this most notorious of venues in clubland.
I Utter Gutter Riverside Club. 33 Fox Street. 248 3l44. midnight- 3am. £6. Madame S and Hushpuppy host this bash for anti-mainstream clubbing queers. club kids and hetero hipsters.
I Burly The Arches. 30 Midland Street. 0870 240 7528. l Jul. l0pm—3am. £l() (£8). Time for Scotland's most popular men only gay night. This month's theme is Leather and Biker.
I Lush The Polo Lounge. 84 Wilson Street. 553 l22l. |0.30pm—3am. £5. Featuring Andy in the Trophy Room with hits from the 60s to the 80s.
I Chakra Soundhaus. 47 Hydepark Street. 22l 4659. 25 Jun. 1 l.30pm—5am. £l2 Ill. The Flintstones is the theme at this month’s Chakra. You may knovv all the vsords to the theme song. but do you ovvn your ovvn orange tigerskin toga‘.’
I Barb Jungr Tron Theatre. 63 Trongatc. 552 4267. 2 Jul. 8pm. £l3 (£6). Passion and emotion as Jungr puts her distinctive spin on an eclectic range of Elvis numbers.
I Karaoke at Delmonlca’s Delmonica's. 68 Virginia Street. 552 4803. 9pm. Free. Sing like nobody's listening. because. to be honest. they're probably not. With your hosts John and Scott.
I Cabaret The Tunnel. 84 Mitchell Street. 204 I000. llpm-3am. £4 (£3). The Tunnel‘s second gay club night fills that gap in your Sunday evening schedule that Songs (ff/)I'llfst’ simply can't reach.
I Pink Devotion ('Iub Devotion. 18 Jamaica Street. 847 0820. l lpm—3am. £3 (Free passes available from the nearby LUBT centre). See Thu.
I Passionality ('ube. 34 Queen Street. 226 8990. l l.30pm—3am. £2—£3. Pleasing chartistry from DJ Shavvn Roberts. resuscitating the vveekend like the trained medic he is.
I CC Blooms CC Blooms. 23—24 (ireenside Place. 556 9331. l0.30pm--3am. Free. Trip the light fantastic to iii-NRO dance action and pop hits at the First Lady of lidinburgh's clubvvorld.
I Heroes! Subvvay ('ovvgale. 69 ('ovvgate. 2256766. 23 Jun. I lpm-3am. £3. .\'evv alternative night of punk. glam. rock. electro and poptrash from the folk that brought you Disko Bloodbath.
I CC Blooms (‘(’ Blooms. 23 24 (ireemide Place. 5569331. l0.30pm 93am. Free. See Thu.
I Blaze ligo. l4 Picardy Place. 553 1371. l lpm 3am. £4 £5. DJ James Longvvorth ignites the gay vseekend with his box of musical lirelights. with a few chart and house briquettes throvvn in.
I CC Blooms (‘(‘ Blooms. 23-24 (ireenside Place. 556 933i. l0.30pm 3am. Free. See Thu.
I Pride Scotia lidinburgh ('ity Centre. 25 Jun. noon onvsards. Simply the biggest event in Pride Scotia's calendar. The march begins at liast Market Street at noon. (’heck out \vvv vv.pride-scotia.org for lull details of e\cnts.
I Ocean Pride ()cean 'l‘erminal. Leith. 555 8888. 25 Jun. 10.30pm 3am. £l5 (£l0 in advance). The huge Pride Scotia alter party with .-\Ian Joy bringing together DJs from nearly every gay club and bar in lovsn.
I Fever Ego. l4 Picardy Place. 553 I37]. 25 Jttn. llpm—3am. £l() (£5 to Taste members before I l.l5pm; £8 for members after). The folk at Taste run this monthly venture novv reaching its first birthday. Taste mainstays Fisher & Price and Martin Valentine handle the mainlloor. while the Visitor and Kaupuss take the Cocteau lounge. Pre-club party at the Street from 10pm.
I Velvet Commplex. 40 Commercial Street. Leith. 555 5622. 2 Jul. 10pm—2am. £6. Women's night for gay girlies and their specially invited boy friends. Hosted by Michelle.
I Joy The Venue. l7--2l Calton Road. 557 3073. 2 Jul. l lpm—3am. £8 before midnight: I0 after. L'p-front. dirty house grooves on the main floor from Alan & Maggie Joy and Brett King to work you tip into a lather on the main floor. Plus Trendy Wendy and Sally F downstairs. I Luvely The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. 2 Jul. llpm—3am. £l() (£8 members). A saucy soiree. featuring a music policy of full-on. driving house from residents Tommy K. Nevvton & Stone and Jared. Think Pink is the theme.
I cc Blooms Karaoke CC‘ Blooms. 23-24 Greenside Place. 556 933i. 6pm—3am. Free. The campest karaoke in tovvn. as if you needed an excuse. Regular club night from I lpm.
I BootyLUSHous Medina. 45—47 Lothian Street. 225 6313. l0pm~5am. £2 before midnight; 3 after. More of a Sunday Social than a full on glam affair with DJ Dale Lush and Simmone Black. I Taste The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. l lpm—3am. £5 before i l.30pm: £8 after (£6 members). Fisher & Price supply a progressive mix of house and garage in the main room. with Max Herbert (Stereo) joining them on 26 Jun. And of course 3 Jul is their llth birthday. joined by Mike Monday (Kinky Vinyl) and Harri (Sub Club). Please note early doors at l0pm and entry: £l() (£8 members) in advance: £l2 (£l() members) on the door for 3 Jul only.
I CC Blooms C(T Blooms. 23 24 (ireenside Place. 556 933 l. l0.30pm-~3am. Free. See Thu.
I Polysuper Mood. ()mni. Greenside Place. 550 1640. l0pm~3am. £4 (£2). A polyses‘ual, straight-friendly-friendly club vvith a cool. hassle-free mood vvhere ‘everything goes'. With DJ Pete liimssvorth. DJ .\'iniev and DJ Midj.
I CC Blooms ('C‘ Blooms. 23~24 (ireenside Place. 556 933 l.
l0.30pm 3am. Free. See Thu.
I Vibe ligo. l4 Picardy Place. 553 I37]. llpm—3am. £3. (iay night vvith James Longvvorth on the decks. plus the Dancing Stud Muffins. the Singing Hairy Bloke and the Miming .\'un.
Wednesdays
I CC Blooms ('C Blooms. 237-24 (ireenside Place. 556 933 l. l0.30bm-3am. Free. See Thu.
I Disko Bloodbath ligo. l4 Picardy Place. 553 I371. 6 Jul. llpm~3am. £3. Standing proud as lidinburgh‘s ‘lirst queer alternative night' mix of electro. indie. punk and rock. With a session from Barry at Planet ()ut beforehand.
{enfmflg M bill line;- I Will Young Stirling (‘astle lisplanade. 0| 786 274000. £30. Will Young ploughs his furrovv ever onvvards. (‘atch him for this one night gig at Stirling castle take your granny. cos you knmv site likes him. .ltist don't let her knovv he likes buys . . .