Phreeque Stalking and Disco

Taylor Mac stalked me on Saturday! There I was, minding my own business at Duckie when a hand suddenly landed on my head and started stroking the back of my hair. I turned around to find Taylor, grinning down from the DJ booth, yelling, “I’m stalking you tonight!” Isn’t it nice when little things like that can make your day?

There have been many highlights to the weekend. I started off with Friday at Le Phreeque, the fourth week of the club and definitely the best to date. Dusty Limits was on fine form and sang a new song about hating people and hoping their kids die of cancer. He also amazed me with a beautiful interpretation of a Portishead track. You know that ridiculous drony one where she goes on about “give me a reason to be a woman”? I’ve always hated it and thought the lyric was awful, but when a beautiful man wearing make-up sings it, it gives it a completely new slant. It also showed off Dusty’s range with a beautiful falsetto in the middle (inspired by Taylor?) that made me get nice little squirmy feelings inside.

One of the other acts was Gawakagogo doing Norma Guntz and her Celebrity Tumor. I can’t really do it justice by describing it, but if you can picture a fat American woman with a piggy face, who suddenly lifts her t-shirt to have a tumor fly out “Alien” style that has the face of Tom Jones and starts singing WHAT’S NEW PUSSYCAT, you might understand why I was crying with laughter.

So then it was Saturday and time for House of Homosexual Culture’s disco tribute night at Duckie. VauxhallVille’s own, Timberlina was hosting, but was given a run for her money by Rupert Smith in the drag stakes. All ratted up like a teenage jezebel, Rupert pouted, cavorted and flirted with the crowd while his comrade, Brian, gave a lecture on the cultural significance of disco. Then we had to vote for our favourite diva out of Donna Summer, Amanda Lear and Sylvester. Thanks to my very enthusiastic cheering, Sylvester was awarded the crown.

There were yet more treats in store in the shape of the legendary Al Pillay, ex-Comic Strip star and camp icon. I first saw Al when he was Lana in the eighties. I’d gone to visit a pen pal in Leeds (remember pen pals?!) and he was appearing at some club nearby. No one else was paying a blind bit of notice but I stood gazing in awe and later he sashayed over to thank me. You might think I would have stalked him, but I was far too shy in those days.

On Saturday he trolled up in the blinging-est dressing gown, lilac satin with diamante and sequins, a present from his old friend Leigh Bowery. He opened with Suspicious Minds then led into Pistol in my Pocket. I was smiling away at front centre and he shook my hand from the stage, a much firmer grip than I’d imagined.

It’s a long time since I’ve treated you to photos, so here goes…

I’ll be back with more Taylor news soon.