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Global News
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Global News
Looking back on the early days of LGBTQ2 rock
Music can be a very powerful thing when it comes to changing the world. Rock has been used to spread political and social messages. It has been used to enlighten, to educate, to motivate, and to protest. These are the stories of musicians who weren't afraid of admitting to their sexuality when society wasn't ready to hear it. Pride Month is the perfect time to recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by various LGBTQ2 musicians during the era when you just didn't talk about who you loved. I'll start by posing this question, although you know the answer, but I'll ask it anyway. What do the following people have in common? Tchaikovsky, Handel, Schubert, George Gershwin, Beatles manager Brian Epstein, Freddie Mercury, B-52's singer Fred Schneider, Morrissey, punk legend Bob Mould, and Michael Stipe of R.E.M.? Here are a few more: Pioneering pre-rock guitarist sister Rosetta Tharp, Janis Joplin, Joan Jett, Mellisa Etheridge, Tegan and Sara, and St. Vincent. Story continues below advertisement All of the above — and many, many more — identify as gay, non-binary, bisexual, or someone LGBTQ2. Who was the first rocker to come out of the closet? A good pick would be Little Richard, although he battled with his sexuality throughout his life. His image was always campy and fabulous and the original uncensored lyrics to his hit 'Tutti Frutti' leave little doubt. But in 1957, right in the middle of an Australian tour, he had a crisis of faith after claiming to have dreamt of his own damnation, much of which had to do with being gay. He quit the music business and never again reached the rights he achieved in the 1950s. The next major coming-out was David Bowie. He's been sporadically attracting attention since 1964 when he appeared on British TV as the spokesperson for a made-up organization known as The International League for the Preservation of Animal Filament. He was just 17 at the time. Story continues below advertisement But Bowie had just started. In January 1970, he became one of the first pop stars to be interviewed by Jeremy, a gay magazine. The article had nothing to do with his sexuality, but the very fact that he appeared in a gay magazine was very radical. Just three years earlier, you could still be sent to prison for being a homosexual. Ten months later, the cover of his The Man Who Sold the World album featured Bowie lounging in a long flowing blue dress designed by a man known as Mr. Fish. This was the most feminized male image of a rock star the world had ever seen. Many record stores (especially in the U.S.) refused to display or even stock the record, necessitating the release of a version with alternate artwork. Even so, the record sold less than 1,500 copies in America between November 1970 and June 1971. Such was the state of the world then. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The real shock came in the Jan. 22, 1972, issue of Melody Maker, one of the U.K.'s big weekly music magazines when Bowie stated, 'I'm gay and always have been.' It was largely a publicity stunt to set up the debut of his Ziggy Stardust character. But for certain people, the effect of those words was incalculable. Ziggy's androgynous bisexuality, makeup, and glitter (along with what was described as a lewd performance on Top of the Pops) offered hope to closeted people around the planet. Story continues below advertisement Yet Bowie (via Ziggy) wasn't the world's first openly gay rock star. We might look to Lou Reed, whose parents sent him for electro-shock therapy as a teenager as a way to exorcise what they feared were 'homosexual tendencies.' In 1972, after leaving The Velvet Underground, he adopted a very glam image, wearing S&M and fetish gear, hair bleached almost white, and black painted fingernails. His songs often explored the kinky side of life, including 'Walk on the Wild Side,' a top 40 hit that told the story of some of the more colourful real-life characters in Andy Warhol's world: Candy Darling, Holly Woodlawn, Joe Dallesandro, and Joe 'Sugar Plum Fairy' Campbell. Even though Lou married a woman in 1973, many just supposed he was gay. Was he? Certainly bisexual at the very least, but he never was public about it. Story continues below advertisement The first rock singer to be unambiguous about being gay was Jobriath. Born Bruce Campbell, he was a former member of a forgotten California band called Pigeon. From there, he got into musical theatre, performing in productions of Hair. He was also a part-time drug addict and occasional rent boy. In the early 1970s, he acquired a manager named Jerry Brandt who almost immediately struck a half-million-dollar deal with Elektra Records. His debut album was recorded with help from Peter Frampton and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin. To launch the record, Elektra paid for a $200,000 billboard of a nearly-nude Jobriath in the middle of Times Square. Full-page ads appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Vogue, and even Penthouse. Another $200,000 was spent on a stage production that was supposed to open at the Paris Opera House, which included a 40-foot model of the Empire State Building that was supposed to symbolize…well, you know. And in interviews, Jobriath referred to himself as 'a true fairy.' Story continues below advertisement But it all came crashing down. The Paris shows never happened, and after two poorly-selling albums, Jobriath disappeared. He bounced between New York and Los Angeles, not doing much of anything because of a punishing iron-clad managerial contract. By the early '80s, his bathhouse habits caught up to him and he contracted HIV/AIDs. He died on Aug. 3, 1987, one week after his 10-year contract with Jerry Brandt expired. Years later, thanks mostly to a contingent of fans who discovered him after his death — Morrissey is one of his great admirers and promoters — the world came to know about Jobriath's contribution to LGBTQ2 history. We need to acknowledge a few others. A British folk-rock band called Everyone Involved sang a few pro-gay songs as early as 1972. There's a 1973 song by Chris Robinson entitled 'Looking for a Boy Tonight.' A German band, Flying Lesbians, appeared briefly in 1975. Steve Grossman was an openly gay folk-blues singer in the '70s. And in 1978, The Gay/Lesbian Freedom Band, which billed itself as the first openly gay musical organization in the world, was founded in San Francisco. One of the great things about '70s punk rock was the concept that music belonged to everyone and that anyone should be able to make music, regardless of age, economic background, musical ability, gender, or sexual orientation. Punk allowed gay performers such as Pete Shelley of The Buzzcocks, Elton Motello, Jayne (formerly Wayne) County, and Ricky Wilson of The B-52's (who tragically may be the first rock performer to die of AIDS). Story continues below advertisement There were others, too. While no one in the New York Dolls was gay (at least we don't think so), they were the first band to really push androgyny as part of their image with makeup, big hair, and of course, plenty of spandex (history records that they seem to have been the first group to perform in spandex.) Big Boys were a Texas punk band into skateboarding long before it was mainstream. Frontman Randy 'Biscuit' Turner was loudly and proudly out. New Wave took the campy elements of disco and featured hundreds of techno-pop acts with effeminate men and androgynous performers. By the early '80s, many bravely played up their sexuality. Think Boy George of Culture Club, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, and Canada's Carole Pope in Rough Trade, a name taken from gay subculture. She was up front about being a lesbian. 'Yeah, I've got different ideas about sex. You wanna make something of it?' Pretty bold stuff for dull, boring, conservative Canada. Story continues below advertisement As the '80s faded into the '90s, projections and demonstrations of non-heterosexuality became mainstream. There's still homophobia and prejudice, but most music fans today could care less about whether a performer is gay, straight, queer, or trans. And we wouldn't have arrived here if it were not for those brave early pioneers. Happy Pride, everyone.
North Wales Live
14-06-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
I tried an angelic café in North Wales city centre and found a little taste of heaven
Heaven Coffee Shop on Lord Street has become very popular with visitors to Wrexham, since Adam and Malgorzata took over the cafe in 2018. Adam and Malgorzata moved to the UK in 2004 and started their new life together in Wrexham. Malgorzata used to work at the former Lord Street Café and enjoyed it so much, that they made the decision to take over and open the café doors as 'Heaven Coffee Shop'. The café is near the arc sculpture landmark on Lord Street. The statue portrays a miner and a steelworker on brick plinths, feet astride two steel arcs. They are at full stretch, each trying to bend the arc to meet at the top. The statue represents the toil and collectiveness of manual work. With the closures of the mines, these self-sufficient communities had to find a new role in the world. Wrexham has seen a lot of cafes and pubs open up via the leisure industry in the last few years and there are a lot of food and drink options in the area. In 2021, the café was doing so well that they took over the lease of the shop next door to give 'Heaven' more space. Yes, you will always need a bit more space in heaven. This heavenly coffee shop was really busy when we popped in through its pearly gates for a bite to eat. The owners were chatting and hugging a few returning locals, giving the place, a close community feel. Adam and Malgorzata have created a small friendly vibe so that people feel comfortable. They have even added a children's corner, which has been a popular hit with parents. This homely feeling spills out into Lord Street, with outdoor seating areas amid colourful potted plants. The plant theme continues inside the café, with greenery on light fittings with hanging plants draped all over the walls. We chose a spot near the window, the perfect place to people-watch whilst perusing the menu. The coffee shop seems to offer light snacks such as jacket potatoes, sandwiches and sweet and savoury crepes. The dessert menu looked fabulous with sweet waffles and American style pancakes with ingredients such as Nutella, Tutti Frutti and Haribo. No wonder families with children like this place so much. There are a lot of affordable 'meal deals' such as two burgers for £19,99 and all- day breakfasts starting from a small breakfast for £5.50, a large for £7.50 or a big monster fry up, which included three sausages and all the works for £11.50. There were plenty of veggie or vegan options available as well. Of course, the coffee shop has a vast array of drink options such as white-hot chocolate, the usual coffee options along with milkshakes and bubble tea. There was even good old 'Wrexham Lager' on draft behind the counter, if you fancied something a little bit stronger. We decided to take the two paninis for £12 offer as it seemed really good value. I went with one of my favourite simple fillings of brie and cranberry, whilst my wife went for a chicken, cheese, pesto and red onion version. The seared grill marks on the outside of Italian bread, opened up to reveal a gorgeous messy melted cheese. The gooey brie was topped with a tart cranberry sauce, with the toasted bread giving off a satisfying crunch. The Panini was well presented on bakery decorated greaseproof paper with cucumber, tomato and lettuce leaf on the side. My wife enjoyed the contrast of the strong red onion alongside the tang of the pesto and succulent chicken. Her hot-pressed sandwich was accompanied by a small side salad, which had a dark balsamic glaze squeezed artistically over the top. I ordered a super nutritious banana and strawberry smoothie for my drink option, which was thick, fresh and really refreshing. I sipped it slowly through a straw, as we watched the world, slowly drift by outside. My wife washed her tasty chicken panini down with a simple americano with hot milk. When I went over to pay the bill at the counter, I saw some heavenly and devilish looking cakes, such as red velvet, caramel cheesecake and some absolutely huge boulder scones packed with fruit and raisins. We somehow managed not to fall into temptation, but I was thinking about those lovely looking cakes all the way, on my journey home. It's no wonder that the angelic cafe is so busy, with high ratings from the loyal customer congregation, who keep returning for a little taste of heaven on Lord Street. The Facts Price - Panini offer £12, americano £2.50 and smoothie £3.99. The total price of the meal was £18.49 Atmosphere - Community family friendly vibe Car Parking- The island green car park is probably the nearest Service - Order at the counter but try not to look at the cakes
Telegraph
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Ed Sheeran's Azizam is banal, featherweight musical Esperanto – and it will be huge
Well, Ed Sheeran's stint as a serious singer-songwriter didn't last very long. The title of the acoustic guitar-wielding superstar's comeback single, Azizam, is apparently Persian for 'my dear' or 'my beloved' but in global pop terms is effectively just some disembodied vowels and consonants to hook a basic, repetitive, relentlessly jolly four chord structure around, in the joyously vacuous tradition of Little Richard's Tutti Frutti or Lady Gaga's 'Rah rah ah-ah-ah! / Ro mah ro-mah-mah' from Bad Romance. The world's most popular one-man band released two albums in 2023 dealing with anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, health worries, parenthood, grief, loss and the balm of simple, enduring domestic love. Apparently marking the end of Sheeran's self-branded 'mathematics' phase (a series of albums titled with the symbols +, x, ÷, and =), his May 2023 album Subtract (stylised as -) seemed to suggest a toning down of his imperial pop ambitions to focus on songcraft in a more idealistic form. Its atmospheric and almost subdued August follow-up, Autumn Variations, felt like a palate cleanser, made quickly and put out on his own Gingerbread Man indie label. It may have been the poorest-performing album of Sheeran's career but it was still one of the biggest-selling albums of the year. Clearly, if he chose to follow this more rarefied artistic path, he wasn't going to starve. Yet just over a year on, it is apparently back to chart business as usual. Having renewed his major label deal with Warner Records, Azizam is the first single of the next phase of Sheeran's carefully planned and branded career, with a new album, titled Play, coming in Autumn. And he really isn't leaving his commercial priorities in doubt. Azizam is a slice of pure pop froth that couldn't be any more generic and upbeat if it was written by an AI programme from the prompt 'universal dance pop earworm with happy global vibes.' Alright, maybe a bit more work went into that than that. Honestly, I'm not denigrating Sheeran's skills as a hitmaker. If everyone could write surefire worldwide billion-streaming smash hits maybe they would. But for all its infectiously up-tempo rhythm, sweetly phrased singing, sleek bouncy bass and a cute interplay between zesty acoustic guitars and a high, twisty, electronically treated, vaguely eastern earworm hook, it is so vapid, lightweight and enthusiastically banal my brain just bounces off it. 'Azizam / Meet me on the floor tonight,' the multi-tracked Sheeran sings in his most smoothly fluid pop soul mode, like a mass troupe of Irish folk singers impersonating Michael Jackson. 'Show me how to move like the water / In between the dark tonight / Be minе, be mine, Azizam!' I get images in my mind of Sheeran on the dance floor at an Arabic-themed wedding in a marquee decorated to look like a Bedouin city but probably located in a field in Suffolk, all his mates spinning round chanting 'Aaaah-shazam' as if to the Persian tongue born. The song rises and falls in terms of dynamics without actually changing much from start to finish, four chords circling incessantly around the same hook, clocking in at a streaming-friendly two minutes and 42 seconds. In the first verse (musically almost indistinguishable from the chorus) he concocts a vaguely airborne cosmic metaphor: 'I -aye – wanna be born into space / I wanna be tangled and wrapped in your cloud'. But then he completes it with 'Aye – I wanna be close to your face,' presumably because face rhymes with space. Has anyone ever said that to the object of their desire, ever in the history of mankind? 'I wanna be close to your face, darling.' 'That's lovely, Ed, cos, you know, wherever I go, my face goes with me. Now pop the kettle on will you? I'll keep my face nice and warm for you.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ed Sheeran (@teddysphotos) At least four producers and songwriters appear to have worked on this featherweight confection, which is astonishing when you consider how little there is to it. They include Savan Kotecha (who has worked with Arianna Grande, The Weeknd and One Direction) and Sheeran's regular writing partner Johnny McDaid from Snow Patrol. But the main inspiration has been a Swedish producer of Iranian descent, Ilya Salmanzadeh (Ariana Grande, Charlie XCX, Sam Smith), who Sheeran credits with suggesting 'making music inspired by his Persian heritage and culture.' That would explain the twisty hook (possibly emulating a three-stringed setar), which sounds about as authentically ethnic as something heard in the background of a bazaar scene in an Indiana Jones movie. Sheeran has gone on to rave about how it 'opened a door to a completely new and exciting world. I loved how a lot of rhythms, scales, melodies and instruments were different but similar to the Irish trad music I had grown up with.' Apparently, this brought home how much 'music connects us all and really is a universal language.' Well, yeah. But is that any excuse to boil it down to such a banal pop essence and deliver it in the mode of musical Esperanto? Azizam is a pop dance song, lighter than candy floss and twice as sticky. Honestly, I think Sheeran is capable of better, but I doubt his record company concur. It will be number one on every Spotify playlist by tomorrow, inescapable all Spring and summer, and the next time you ask me, I'll probably declare it a bubblegum classic. Azizam!
The Independent
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Rare John Byrne painting of The Beatles sells for more than £27,000
A rare painting of The Beatles by the late John Byrne has sold for £27,700 at auction, more than double its original estimate. In the painting, created in 1969, Byrne represented each Beatle seated beside a 'spirit animal' while Yoko Ono is seen in a crystal ball held by John Lennon. The artwork, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000, sold for £27,700 (including buyer's premium) when it went under the hammer at Lyon & Turnbull on Wednesday. It was one of ten early Byrne works bought from the artist by his local parish priest, Father Tom Jamieson in Renfrew, Renfrewshire, in the early 1970s which were sold by the auction house in its Contemporary Art sale. Paisley-born Byrne, creator of TV show Tutti Frutti and the play The Slab Boys, died on November 30, 2023 aged 83. Charlotte Riordan, Lyon & Turnbull's head of contemporary & post-war art, said: 'There was fantastic interest in the sale and we're absolutely delighted with the result. 'All 10 John Byrne works in the collection of the artist's parish priest, Father Tom Jamieson, sold, with the small and exceptionally rare painting entitled The Beatles proving the biggest hit. 'At £27,700, this was more than double the original estimate. Not only does this reflect the rising popularity of Byrne's work, particularly his famous subject matter, it's also very topical given yesterday's announcement of four new Beatles biopics directed by Sam Mendes. 'There was international interest in the Jamieson Collection which totalled £90,000.' The Beatles painting was a precursor to a larger version, created for Byrne's 1969 December show at London's Portal Gallery. The gallery's clients included Julie Christie, Michael Caine, David Niven, David Bailey, The Beatles – particularly Ringo Starr who is thought to own 'Patrick' paintings – and Brian Epstein. Ms Riordan said that The Beatles painting was bought by the art director and graphic designer Alan Aldridge, who went on to use it as the frontispiece to The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics, published in 1969. It was later used as the cover of The Beatles Ballads LP 12 years later. With rumour suggesting that the original large-scale work was lost by EMI records, she described the work sold at Lyon & Turnbull as a 'rare surviving early version.' She added: 'There is only one other known example, in a private collection in America.' All works in the collection of Father Tom Jamieson were produced during Byrne's 'Patrick' era, during which the Glasgow School of Art graduate signed the majority of his work with his father's first name and pretended to be a 'primitive' self-taught artist to attract the interest of the London art world. Byrne became friends with Father Jamieson when the artist and his family lived on Paisley Road, Renfrew, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, bonding over a shared love of music and culture. The priest bought work from Byrne, who worked from his studio garage in the back garden. The sale also featured a piece commissioned by Scottish folk musician Donovan in 1971 for the cover of HMS Donovan, an album of children's songs which sold for £6,300. Other works in the sale include the large painting Homage a Hockney – 1970, which sold for £18,900 with all prices including buyer's premium. It was created to coincide with David Hockney's major retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in 1969-1970. Byrne's daughter Celie Byrne, also an artist, spoke of Father Jamieson and George Harrison visiting their house while she and her brother were small. In an interview filmed for Lyon & Turnbull's social media platforms, she said: 'I remember Father Jamieson from when I was tiny. He would come round to the house quite regularly. 'They would sit and talk about work, and he went out to the garage looking at my dad's artwork and what he was working on. 'I just remember him being really lovely and I always remember his stripy scarf.' She added: 'We were wee obviously but apparently George Harrison came to the house twice in Renfrew for dinner.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rare John Byrne painting of The Beatles sells for more than £27,000
A rare painting of The Beatles by the late John Byrne has sold for £27,700 at auction, almost double its original estimate. In the painting, created in 1969, Byrne represented each Beatle seated beside a 'spirit animal' while Yoko Ono is seen in a crystal ball held by John Lennon. The artwork, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000, sold for £27,700 (including buyer's premium) when it went under the hammer at Lyon & Turnbull on Wednesday. It was one of ten early Byrne works bought from the artist by his local parish priest, Father Tom Jamieson in Renfrew, Renfrewshire, in the early 1970s which were sold by the auction house in its Contemporary Art sale. Paisley-born Byrne, creator of TV show Tutti Frutti and the play The Slab Boys, died on November 30, 2023 aged 83. Charlotte Riordan, Lyon & Turnbull's head of contemporary & post-war art, said: 'This is an amazing collection of John Byrne's work. Father Jamieson clearly had a keen eye for artistic talent, seeing great promise in a man who would go on to make his own distinctive and indelible mark on Scottish, and indeed British, cultural life. 'The Beatles painting was a precursor to a larger version, created for his 1969 December show at London's Portal Gallery. 'This was a reference and reaction to the fact that Portal attracted a star-studded clientele, with some of the biggest names in British showbusiness at the time becoming frequent visitors. Clients included; Julie Christie, Michael Caine, David Niven, David Bailey, The Beatles – particularly Ringo Starr who is thought to own 'Patrick' paintings – and Brian Epstein. 'The painting was purchased by the art director and graphic designer Alan Aldridge, who went on to use it as the frontispiece to The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics, published in 1969. It was later used as the cover of The Beatles Ballads LP 12 years later. 'Rumours suggest the original large-scale work was lost by EMI records, and so this work being offered for sale by Lyon & Turnbull is a rare surviving early version. 'There is only one other known example, in a private collection in America.' All works in the collection of Father Tom Jamieson were produced during Byrne's 'Patrick' era, during which the Glasgow School of Art graduate signed the majority of his work with his father's first name and pretended to be a 'primitive' self-taught artist to attract the interest of the London art world. Byrne became friends with Father Jamieson when the artist and his family lived on Paisley Road, Renfrew, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, bonding over a shared love of music and culture. The priest bought work from Byrne, who worked from his studio garage in the back garden. The sale also featured a piece commissioned by Scottish folk musician Donovan in 1971 for the cover of HMS Donovan, an album of children's songs which sold for £6,300. Other works in the sale include the large painting Homage a Hockney – 1970, which sold for £18,900 with all prices including buyer's premium. It was created to coincide with David Hockney's major retrospective exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, in 1969-1970. Byrne's daughter Celie Byrne, also an artist, spoke of Father Jamieson and George Harrison visiting their house while she and her brother were small. In an interview filmed for Lyon & Turnbull's social media platforms, she said: 'I remember Father Jamieson from when I was tiny. He would come round to the house quite regularly. 'They would sit and talk about work, and he went out to the garage looking at my dad's artwork and what he was working on. 'I just remember him being really lovely and I always remember his stripy scarf.' She added: 'We were wee obviously but apparently George Harrison came to the house twice in Renfrew for dinner.'
