Benjamin Smoke

I have been obsessed with the Benjamin Smoke documentary since seeing a clip of it at Justin Bond's fantastic show at Soho Theatre last month.

It focuses on a guy called Robert Dickerson, also know as Benjamin, who is a musician, performer and sometimes drag queen who lived in Cabbagetown, Atlanta.

He is kind of drug fucked but a totally engaging character. The film shows clips of him talking, performing and hanging out with his neighbours and friends.

He talks about his childhood - cross dressing at the age of 9, his involvement with music and his diagnosis with HIV.

My favourite story is about being taken to jail after his first ever live performance. He was out of his head and somehow managed to lose one of his shoes during the arrest. He was so obsessed by having one shoe on and one shoe off that he completely forgot he was wearing a tutu and make up!

Later he became friends with Patti Smith who wrote Death Singing - from her Peace and Noise album - as a tribute to him. The film closes, after his death, with her reciting a verse from the song.

"With a throat smooth as a lamb
Yet dry as a branch not snapping
He throws back his head
And he does not sing a thing mournful"

You can buy the DVD from www.play.com