SPOKEN WORD CHLOE POEMS
Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, Sat 19 Nov, 10pm
Last year, Chloe Poems was invited over to the US to present her work in front of a group of Harvard literature students, and now finds herself discussed in two papers in the Ivy League institution’s library. Not bad for a Scouse drag act, you’d think. But then most other Scouse drag acts don’t call themselves socialist poets too.
Jerry Potter’s transvestite creation first emerged over a decade ago, when she played comedy clubs and dealt mainly in crude jokes. ‘I got really pissed off with that; I hated it. But the character was popular, so I thought I could do something more experimental,’ says Potter. ‘I think drag has gone banal. Cross-dressing, in ancient cultural terms, was a powerful thing to do. The idea was to create a cross-dressing persona that said something, and that was passionate, rather than just ripping the piss out of women and telling racist jokes. Rather than being Bernard Manning in hipsters it’s like being Clare Short in gingham.’
While Chloe Poems has developed into a more political character, her audiences have become straighter, and Potter thinks it’s because the gay community has become apolitical. ‘I do question the gay community, but I think we should be able to take criticism, especially from a gay person. If my sexuality is being presented as someone whose most important achievement is critiquing a straight man’s clothing, then we’ve failed. And of course, the straight media love it, because we just look like
effeminate clowns.’
Potter is caustic when it comes to gay rights, however. ‘I always thought we were fighting against the mainstream. The idea that we’re aping monogamous marriage is ridiculous — most gay men I know aren’t monogamous, and they don’t embrace it at all. I like the idea of partnership rights, but I don’t care if your partner’s a camel.’ (Robin Lee)
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to gayfllist.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Robin Lee.
Thursday 1 7
Glasgow
I Belinda O’Hooley a David Paisley Tron Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. 8pm. £8. Accomplished pianist Belinda ()‘Hooley joins guitarist David Paisley for this Queer Acoustic performance. I’urt ofG/usguy.’
60 THE LIST 17 Nov—1 Dec 2005
I Cock Tales Q! Gallery. 87- 89 Salttnarket. 552 7578. View the original artwork and trace the development of your favourite strips as the first issues of this comic. which seeks both to infortn and amuse young gay and bisexual men. go on display. Part of (ilusguyf
I Craig Robertson: Aching The Brunswick Hotel. 106- 108 Brunswick Street. 5520001. 8am---midnight. An exhibition of photography frotn the GSA graduate. using self-portraiture to explore and contort his own cotporeality. I’url ofG‘luxguy.’
I Glasgay! 2005 Various venues. 552 7575. Times vary. Europe's largest gay multi-arts festival with over 200 events at 14 venues across Glasgow. plus four months of visual arts at the Q! Gallery. Scotland‘s first gallery dedicated to queer art and artists.
I The History Boys Theatre Royal. 282 Hope Street. 332 9000. 2.30pm & 7.30pm. £7-£25. The National Theatre brings this multi-award winning Alan Bennett play of staff rootn rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence to Glasgow. Part of (ilusgttvf
I Lesbians in Peer Support Glasgow Women‘s Library. 109 Trongate. 552 8345. 7—9pm. Weekly social group for lesbian and bi women aged 14—25.
I Puppetry of the Pops Trot) Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. 10pm. £8 (£6). Three musical tributes to Morrissey. Kate Bush and David Bowie from Nathan livans. I’ur! ofGlusguy.’
I Salon Adrienne The Arches. 253 Argyle Street. 0870 240 7528. Noon—7pm. £10; booking essential. Performance artist Adrian Howells takes on the persona of trainee hairdresser Adrienne in this confessional theatre piece. Only one visitor per hour. Part of (ilusguy/
I Sapphos to Baby Dykes Glasgow Women's Library. 109 Trongate. 552 8345. Exhibition taking a visual look at the lesbian and bisexual women who are reshaping our lives.
I Shirley’s Temple Tron Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. fantastical exhibition by Menelas. showing trapeze artists. lire eaters. stilt walkers and other creatures of the night. I’ur! (if'U/us‘guy.’
Friday 18
Glasgow
I Club Fab! A Queer Cabaret Tron Theatre. ()3 'l‘rongate. 552 4267. 10pm. £8 (£6). Join Mistress Rachel Jury for more camped-up madness. including musical comedian Nicky Mitchell. controversial wordstnith Derek McLuckie and the infamous Harry & Lou Pickles Iixperience. Part of (i/usgayf
I Cock Tales Q! Gallery. 87—89 Salttnarket. 552 7578. See Thu 17.
I Craig Robertson: Aching The Brunswick Hotel. 106 108 Brunswick Street. 552 0001. 8am—midnight. See Thu 17.
I Glasgay! 2005 Various venues. 552 7575. Times vary. See Thu 17.
I The History Boys Theatre Royal. 282 Hope Street. 332 9000. 7.30pm. £7-—£25. See Thu 17.
I Lypsinka! The Boxed Set Trot) Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. 8pm. £14 (£10). Glorious self-publicist Lypsinka performs her ‘live' show detailing her glamorous life on the stage. I ’(II'I ()_f(}[(1.s‘gu.\‘.'
I Madonna Album Launch Party 1(‘()N. 24 (‘andleriggs. 5520243.
8pm midnight. £3 donation. A fundraiser for HIV/AIDS charity Phace Scotland. with free cocktails. a drag show. raffle prizes and Madonna's greatest hits. frotn ‘Holiday‘ to ‘Hung Up.
I Salon Adrienne The Arches. 253 Argyle Street. 0870 240 7528. Noon—7pm. £10; booking essential. See Thu 17.
I Sapphos to Baby Dykes Glasgow Women‘s Library. 109'1‘rongate. 552 8345. See Thu 17.
I Shirley’s Temple Tron Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. See Thu 17.
Edinburgh
I Belinda O’Hooley and Al Stewart Sala ('afe Bar. ()0 Broughton Street. 478 7069. 8.30pm. Two fine singer-songwriters perform songs from their critically-acclaimed new albums.
I Blaze iigo. 14 Picardy Place. 478 7434. l lpm 3am. £5. DJ James Longworth ignites the gay weekend with a chart and funky house soundtrack.
Saturday 1 9
Glasgow
I Chloe Poems Tron Theatre. ()3
Trongate. 552 4267. 10pm. £8 (£6). Entertainment of a literary kind from gay socialist transvestite poet (‘hloe Poems.
I’ur! ofG/usguy.’ : I Cock Tales 0! Gallery. 87—89 Saltmarket. 552 7578. See Thu 17.
I Craig Robertson: Aching The Brunswick Hotel. 106—108 Brunswick Street. 552 0001. 8am—midnight. See Thu 17.
I Glasgay! 2005 Various Venues. 552 7575. Times vary. See Thu 17.
I The History Boys Theatre Royal. 282 Hope Street. 332 9000. 2.30pm 8; 7.30pm. £7—£25. See Thu 17.
I Lypsinka! The Boxed Set Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. 8pm. £14 (£10). See Fri 18.
I Pam Ann: Flying High The Garage. 490 Sauchiehall Street. 332 1 120. 8pm. £12 (£10). The waspish flight attendant returns with tnore rampant satire on the world of airlines. Par! ofGlasguy.’
I Salon Adrienne The Arches. 253 Argyle Street. 0870 240 7528. Noon-7pm. £10; booking essential. See Thu 17.
I Sapphos to Baby Dykes Glasgow Women's Library. 109 Trongate. 552 8345. See Thu 17.
I Shirley’s Temple Tron Theatre. 63
Trongate. 552 4267. See Thu 17.
Edinburgh
I Joy The Venue. 17—21 ('alton Road. 557 3073. 1 lpm—3am. £8 before midnight; £10 after. L'pfront. dirty house grooves frotn Alan & Maggie Joy and Brett King to work you up into a lather on the tnain floor. Plus Trendy Wendy and Sally F's cheeky mix of soul. funk and chart in the downstairs suite.
Glasgow
I Cock Tales Q! Gallery. 87—89 Saltmarket. 552 7578. See Thu 17.
I Craig Robertson: Aching The Brunswick Hotel. 106—108 Brunswick Street. 552 0001. 8am-midnight. See Thu 17.
I Glasgay! 2005 Various Venues. 552 7575. Titties vary. See Thu 17.
I Lypsinka! The Boxed Set Trot) Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. 8pm. £14 (£10). See Fri 18.
I Salon Adrienne (‘omerford Hairdressing. 24 Gibson Street. 0870 240 7528. Noon—7pm. £10; booking essential. See Thu 17.
I Shirley’s Temple Tron Theatre. ()3 Trongate. 552 4267. See Thu 17.
Edinburgh
I BootyLUSHous Medina. 45—47 Lothian Street. 225 6313. 10pm—3am. £2 before midnight; £3 after. More of a Sunday social than a full-on glatn affair with DJ Dale Lush. Sitntnone Black and occasional guest supastas tnixing up R&B. hip hop. soul and funk.
I Something 2 Remember LGBT
Centre for Healthy Living. 9 Howe Street.
523 l 100. 3—5ptn. livent marking the 7th International 'l‘ransgender Day of Remembrance. organised by the LGBT Centre for Healthy Living. Metropolitan (‘ommunity ('hurch. Transmen Scotland and LGBT Youth Scotland.
I Taste The Liquid Room. 9c Victoria Street. 225 2564. llpm- 3am. £5 before
1 1.30pm; £8 after (£6 members). Fisher 8; Price supply a progressive tnix of house and garage in the tnain room at this infatnous Sunday nighter. Martin Valentine wows the mixed/gay crowd with funky l'S house gems through the back.
Glasgow I Cock Tales Q! Gallery. 87 89
Saltmarket. 552 7578. See Thu 17.
I Craig Robertson: Aching The Brunswick Hotel. 106-108 Brunswick Street. 552 0001. 8am— midnight. See Thu 17.