Bunny approaching!

July is coming to a close, which means Lady Bunny is fast approaching! Check her out on July 29 at Celebrities, but before you do, here's our exclusive interview from this month's issue of V-Rag.

THE LADY BUNNY
Interview by Michael Venus
Photo by Sergio Kardenas

If you’re talking about quintessential Drag Queens, this “Lady” is at the top of the list when it comes to movers and shakers and leaving a LEGENDARY lasting impression. I remember the first time I ever saw Lady Bunny live was at Stone Wall 25 Celebration in Central Park in New York City many moons ago. I was fascinated by her high-pitched southern belle voice and her sick, sick sixties style and sensibility, with numbers that always seemed to shock and offend. The “Lady” always manages to keep her manners in the gutter with her nutty humor, crass-trash talk and campy performances that celebrate pop culture with her twisted parodies. Bunny continues to appear on stages all over the globe, sharing her sassy sentiment and has been at the forefront of the Drag Movement that started out of New York in the late eighties and early nineties. This coincided with her outdoor drag festival Wigstock, an event that continues to this day (although currently on hiatus). I met The Lady Bunny ten years ago in NYC and later that year performed at Wigstock, which was surreal and fabulous. Over the years, Bunny has visited and performed in Vancouver for us, hosting Wiggle, Pride events and appearing on The House of Venus Show. She remains a hilariously quick-witted Queen who has become a cultural icon, and who isn’t afraid to be herself and speak her mind when it comes to social and political issues.

When I caught up with Lady Bunny, asking simply how she was, her reply was as colourful as her skirt; “The recession has really hurt my hooking business – or could that be my advanced age? So I’m touring more. But that’s not a real complaint in a recession. I just hate that nervous feeling when the wolf’s at my door. I want that wolf to come inside and fuck me...again. But I would never dream of having sex with an animal that was underage. Unless they were already dead. I do maintain certain standards”.

Right there she set the tone for the interview – classy and great wholesome family fun. The Lady Bunster has a duet with Drag Sister RuPaul that they co-wrote called “Throw Ya Hands Up”, which appears on Ru’s new album. “We were reminded of what drew us together as roommates in Atlanta in 1982 – our sick sense of humor. She is a nut! Since [the collaboration] we’ve been in contact more than we have in 15 years! Mainly throwing things at each other,” recalls The Lady Bunny. The pair have known each other for twenty-five years and re-bonded while filming Another Gay Sequel where she says, “It was super-fun with a wonderful cast. But it’s tough learning those lines – and I didn’t even have that many! It’s one thing to go over them with the script in front of you, but recalling them while the wind on the beach is whipping your false eyelashes so fiercely that you feel like you’re about to take flight à la Sally Field as The Flying Nun. But that TV show’s so old that I’m dating myself. Too bad no one else wants to date me! That’s why I bring date-rape drugs to all of my shows and dose myself in front of the audience while reminding them that I’m about to receive a huge cash payment.” Now that’s hard to follow! So what’s next?

Currently, Bun-Bun has a cameo on Tori Spelling’s new show on the Oxygen Channel, travels, performs and DJ’s all over the planet as well as her two weekly club residencies – Splash on Sundays and the all new Rockit! in NYC where she spins her delicious disco treats. Bunny says she loves Manhatten in the summer. “A lot of people think it’s gross because of the humidity and the dirty streets so they escape to Fire Island or the Hamptons, but the kind of guys I like can’t always afford to take vacations! There’s nothing quite like the ripe perfume of an unwashed homeless man’s hemorrhoids. But I don’t have to tell you that.” Class all the way, Bunny.

V-Rag Is Here!

The July issue of V-Rag hits the streets today, and it's packed with great stuff! Features include Wiggle 15, Nina Flowers, Lady Bunny, Circlesquare, July Pride Preview, as well as great regulars like Joan-E's Rag, Cotton Around Town, Fashion Rules, H.I.M. Speak, and our Music and Film Reviews! Come down to Pulse tonight for the Official Launch Party to pick up your own copy. Until then, check out these exclusive interviews to the V-Rag Blog...

Nina Flowers Exclusive

We're starting this issue off with a bang! If a feature on the incomparable Nina Flowers wasn't enough, here's the full interview with V-Rag. This is just the first of many exclusives you'll be able to read (and watch) on the V-Rag Blog.

NINA FLOWERS
Interview by John Britton
Photo by Norman Dillon

It’s only been three months since you rocked ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ with
your unique persona and performance, and already you’ve travelled
extensively with your act. What has life been like for Nina since the
show wrapped?

Wow, very busy. I’ve been traveling every other week while still
fulfilling my performance and DJ gigs here locally. I’m also trying
to expand into other forms of entertainment, collaborating with a
couple of DJs (DJ Rhani and DJ William Umana) on coming up with some
new vocal mixes. Also, I’ve been focusing on a new show that I’m
producing, called “DRAMA DRAG” which takes place the last Friday of
every month at the hottest club in Denver, TRACKS - the same club
where I’m also a resident DJ (www.tracksdenver.com).

You are performing at Vancouver PRIDE’s biggest dance party, Rapture
Recovery. Will this be your first visit to Vancouver?

It’s my first visit to Vancouver and I look forward to seeing
your beautiful city and to perform in this great event. I’m very
excited to come to your city after all the great e-mails I’ve been
getting from all the fans I’m getting from that area. Unfortunately,
I won’t be able to stay too long because I’ll have to return to
Denver, but perhaps next time I’ll have an extended stay to see more
of your city.

As with the latest season of ‘American Idol’, it was quite a surprise
that the popular favourite didn’t take the title of ‘America’s Next
Drag Superstar’. However, NOT winning seems to be a better career
move for many reality TV stars. Would you agree that coming in as
first runner-up allows you more creative freedom than coming in first
place?

Yes, I believe there is probably more freedom. I’ve received
great exposure, and I’m working on my own and I don’t have the kind of
contracts that will limit me from expanding to new things.

Your online blog whilst on the show was incredibly frank and honest;
on the week that Jade was sent home, you questioned the ‘nature of the
show’ and ‘are they really looking for the best of the best?’ What
does being the ‘best of the best’ mean to you, both in terms of the
show and as an artist?

They picked a diverse group of girls with many different talents
and backgrounds, and the best of the best was as described by RuPaul
stated was having Charisma, Uniqueness, Nerve and Talent. There were
girls that may have not brought that on when compared to Jade, so when
they voted her off I was surprised by the decision.

Your latest promo shots are reminiscent of another great performance
artist, Leigh Bowery. Was this your inspiration for the look? And
who would you list as your other key style influences?

Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard of Leigh Bowery but
the inspiration for the photo shoot was a team work effort between my
fashion designer, Jessica Rowell and I. On my last photo shoot my
inspiration for this came from the movie, Party Monster. As far as
individuals, I get my inspiration from perfomers like Nina Hagen –
while she is not drag, I love her character and her drama when
performing. I also find inspiration from artists like Boy George, the
Annie Lennox, and Pete Burns. They inspired me and where entertainers
that added to my drag persona.

Your success has seen you working alongside some of North America’s
most renowned DJs. What has this experience been like, and who are
your most-admired DJs?

Wow!! I’m still looking to make more connections. It’s been
amazing and there’s are so many I admire... but my favorites are
Ralphi Rosario, and Abel (I love when these two bitches get together
and create Rosabel). I also love Manny Lehman, William Umana, and
some great Brazilian DJs like DJ Ranny, Altar, E-Thunder, Edson Pride,
DJ Lapetina, and many others.

One of the challenges on ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ centered on a ‘Paris is
Burning’-inspired ball. You seemed like such a natural in this
challenge. Did the New York ball/vogue scene have any particular
relevance to or influence on your life?

That was during my early days growing up – it was a great
influence. It thought me much about my history and culture. I
started out as a club kid and let that time evolve me to what I am
today. My interpretation of the art of drag comes from that era.

Drag is an integral and universally recognized facet of gay culture,
yet you have been described as more of a ‘performance artist’ than a
‘drag queen’. How do you feel about the terms ‘drag’ and ‘performance
artist’, and do you see yourself as more of one than the other?

Personally, for me I use them interchangeably. It’s through the
art of drag that I perform – I don’t think I’m exclusive or solely
meant to be one or the other. My love is in the art of entertaining
and that’s what I believe the fans want from me.

How is your unique interpretation of drag received within the drag community?

According to my fan mail, I believe it’s been well received. I’m
honored to have inspired others in the art of drag and to think
outside of the box, and explore their own identities as they interpret
the art of drag.

You are a talented DJ, an incredible make-up artist, a performer, a
fashion designer… what is next for Nina Flowers?

Yes, thank you. I know that since the show, the main focus has
been my work as Nina Flowers. Though, there are so many things that I
want to do aside from my drag persona. At the moment, while still
performing as Nina Flowers, I’m dedicating time to music and becoming
a recognized DJ and musical producer. I’m now working with two
incredible DJs individually - DJ Williams Umana, and DJ Ranny. Before
the summer is out I’m hopeful that we’ll have a couple
tribal/progressive house mixes out, so stay tune. For now, there is
a lot of traveling for this year, and hopefully an appearance on the
next season of RuPaul’s Drag Race - We’ll see.

For more info on Nina, check out this month's issue of V-Rag or go to www.ninaflowers.com
Nina will be performing at Rapture Recovery at the Commodore Ballroom on Aug. 2. Visit www.tfdpresents.com for more information.

Circlesquare Exclusive

The Circlesquare feature in this month's issue of V-Rag is just one of many great interviews that include Lady Bunny, Miss Cotton, and of course Nina Flowers. For those of you curious to know more about Jeremy Shaw, here's the full interview exclusive to the V-Rag Blog.

CIRCLESQUARE
Interview by Jeff Lawrence
Photo by Zoe Bridgeman

Can you talk about the tour you just did - where you went, how long, and where this fits in on your 'biggest tours ever' list?

We just finished a short US trip and then a 2 week tour supporting Junior Boys around Europe and the UK – it went from Turin to Zurich to Basel to Brussels to London to Dublin to Manchester to London again and then to Paris. It actually was probably the longest solid time we’d played on the road as such – 12 shows in 14 days… We left Junior Boys after Paris and went on to do Luxembourg with Telefon Tel Aviv and then Moscow on our own for the final night; which was easily the craziest, and best show we’ve ever played. We just got home last night from playing the Glastonbury festival which was also something else…

On tour, did you receive different reactions from different crowds?

Yes always – each city varies so much! One night people will be losing their shit and the next they’re staring at you like you’ve just insulted their Mom. The European crowds were generally quite patient and polite, whereas the UK ones tend to usually be a little more out-to-party I find – and I wouldn’t necessarily deem us a real party band at this point. That said, our European shows on this tour were generally week nights, and the UK were weekends so… I think there can be a huge difference in what people are wanting out of their Friday night as opposed to their Tuesday evening. But a Saturday night in Moscow is a whole other story…

Talk about what you put into this album in terms of studio hours, energy, etc.

Well there was a lot of everything really. I worked on this record for nearly 3 years technically, but because I often had art commitments and live shows, it was worked on in bursts – sometimes things would get stalled and not returned to for months – I had to keep putting it down and then going back and inevitably reworking things as I’d forgotten what I was doing with them in the first place. There were definitely a lot of studio hours logged and a lot of energy put into it though - probably more so than any of my previous records as I was working between 2 different studios and working close with other people which was a something I hadn’t done in years - and even though it seems like that should expedite things, it rarely seems to.

And how do you take all that work and transfer it to the stage without losing the idiosyncrasies of your music?

I think that my music inevitably loses some of it’s detail when transferred to a live setting- but in knowing that, we’ve worked really hard to create a live sound that is different, but hopefully captures the essence of those missing intricacies. It’s hard to translate finite details of electronic music and production in a live setting in general, so we’ve learned to not be quite as precious with the sound when playing live – and to embrace the sort of machine-in-malfunction sound that tends to happen when we play. As we were still playing shows while the album was being written and recorded, the live show and this new sort of looseness influenced the final recordings quite heavily – so I think this record lent itself to the stage a lot better and easier than the past ones.

It's been interesting to read reviewers' analyses of the album. Do you ever find Circlesquare's music being misunderstood?

It’s difficult as the sound of Circlesquare isn’t easily categorized – which in turn leads people to some pretty odd conclusions. This can also be frustrating at times as it seems more like laziness by critics, than misunderstanding. Just like “Oh this is moody and has monotone vocals – they must want to sound like Joy Division!” (not that I don’t love Joy Divison, but really, listen a little closer…). I don’t think that there’s a particular way to ‘understand’ Circlesquare and it’s inevitable that the hyphens will come out in full-force when describing the sound (ie. pop-noir-shoegaze-techno-folk) as it really is a hybrid form. That said, I do think it requires a certain amount of patience and definitely more than a quick listen off a laptop before people can really make up their minds about it. It’s music that should be able to exist on varying levels and that I think you get a lot more out of on repeated listens (as well as proper speakers). It is really wonderful though to come across a review or text that real nails it in a way I’ve never been able to put into words. I think critics/writers can often explain what an artist is doing much better than the artists themselves – I guess that’s technically their job…

As an artist, do you care about reviews?

Sure yeah, of course I do. But at the end of the day I’m not writing music for good reviews. They can be really offensive at times – especially when you feel like the critic didn’t take enough time, had preconceived notions, or didn’t do their homework (see above). But you’re exposed to so many opinions these days because of the internet that you really can’t worry about it - absolutely everyone seems to be a critic and a ton of them feel the need to let the rest of the world know their opinion, so you can only accept whatever they feel the need to say very lightly otherwise you’d go crazy worrying. I do read them, I can’t help it – but I’m actually starting to enjoy both the good and the bad… the Youtube video comments (and subsequent arguments) are my favorite!

For more info on Circlesquare, check out the latest issue of V-Rag or go to www.circlesquare.ca.

V-Rag Official Launch Party

Well, the time has finally come. You got a teaser last month of the newest gay arts & culture magazine from your friends at the House of Opulence. Tonight, be the first to see the official debut of V-Rag! Hosted by Miss Cotton, with performances by Conni Smudge and Robyn Graves, as well as some surprise performances, prizes, vogue-offs, DJ's Betti Forde, Jef Leppard & Coleo and OutTV filming live for their brand new series Don't Quit Your Gay Job! It's going to be a legendary party for a great first issue. Doors open at 9:30, with the fun going all night long.

Miss Cotton

It's a House of Venus Extravaganza for the first issue of V-Rag! Miss Cotton's Wiggle 15 is the cover feature this month, and she hosts the official Launch Party at Pulse Nightclub on July 3. Check out this fierce performance from April's Legends Ball.