THEGAYUK

Author: Chris Jones

  • MUSIC REVIEW | PJ Taylor – Twisted Love Song

    PJ is a singer/song writer from London. He admits himself that he is not an instrumentalist, but loves to create music and this comes across in his tracks to date.

    He began by recording covers of classic tracks, but has now moved into writing his own music. His self released album You Ain’t Seen The Best Of Me was released a while ago and he’s secured access to iTunes, Amazon and others for his new track and the entire album.

    Wills Room, a podcast, showcases some of PJ’s work and is available via iTunes

    His new single Twisted Love Song is reminiscent of the best of electronic pop, with his use of vocoder giving a gentle nod to the likes of Cher.

    He knows how to get your foot tapping, and he has a gift for lyrics. This is pop at its best, its not deep and meaningful, it’s not bed-sit sad, its not soul searching. It’s pure, unadulterated dance. PJ marries different influences into coherent tracks, sounding like he’s having fun along the way.

    He has several videos on Youtube that showcase his style and give you an idea of his style:
    http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6Z3LbiY8cx6vHFQb5vNqDw?feature=watch

    He has a MySpace page:
    https://myspace.com/pjtaylor1

    And here is PJ’s Facebook page:
    https://www.facebook.com/events/773707892654709/

    Keep an eye on this guy – he makes good music, enjoys himself which is evident and produces infectious music. Suport him if you can.

  • FILM REVIEW | Teenage

    “This is a story that ends with a beginning…”

    Great phrase and one that captures the content of this documentary perfectly. The film, by Matt Wolf and based on the book, ‘Teenage: The Creation of Youth Culture 1897-1945’ by Jon Savage, charts the rise of the teenager as we know it.

    It shows its earliest form, as it emerges as a distinct period of human evolution. Initially we had childhood and adulthood, sometimes a grey area in the middle that the industrial revolution may have put paid to as child labour became the norm.

    When this was stamped out, or legislated out, what did we have? We were left with a chink of development in a child’s life, the passage into adulthood, the piece where weird things happen to your hormones and lets not even discuss the downstairs rumblings!

    This film doesn’t really explore the sexual side of development, it doesn’t need to because that is so wrapped up in everything else we do or did as teenagers. The way we looked, the way we dressed, what we did, what we listened to, who we attracted, what friends we chose – all part and parcel of being that thing, that developmental period with no real name.

    And thats the point of this film, right from the industrial revolution, world wars, depressions, racial integration, right up to the point when the New York Times printed its Teen-age Bill Of rights in 1945 and an entire culture was born and christened.

    With the end of WW2, almost as if the dropping of the bombs had brought this subculture to prominence, the teenager was born – and born worldwide. With GI’s spread across the globe, Hollywood churning out the movies in glorious technicolour, and big band swing and jazz the hottest thing around, the US was the main influence not just for adults, but also for those too old to be children and too young to be adults.

    This film charts the rise of the teenager using amazing footage, touching narrative – especially when discussing what effect war had on all sides or charting racial inequality.

    The film could come across as a little too “worthy” but manages to avoid this by engaging you, helping you remember what it was like to be that age, the awkwardness of it all, the emotional turmoil, but showing you that we all go through it, we all share that experience, and that history can teach us something.

    History shows us the struggle others went through so that we can whine about not having the latest phone, or whatever the teenagers today moan about… but I bet you, the teenagers featured in this film whined and moaned too! It’s part of being “that” age.

    All in all, this film is a fascinating glimpse into an age before the “Me” generation, when youth clubs were dry, before injecting Cif into your eyeballs before a night out was cool – or whatever else hip cat teenagers are doing these days. It shows a more naive time, when teenagers were first pushing against those boundaries and sensing some freedom – and it’s a blinking good watch for it!

    Available to buy / view on: Amazon

  • BOOK REVIEW: Framed On Titan, By Stevie Gonzalez

    Ok, I openly admit it. I’m a sci-fi fan and also partial to the odd bit of erotic fiction so combining the two into one story is my ideal read!

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  • MUSIC REVIEW | Seven, by Lisa Stansfield

    And about bloody time too! Finally, after 10 long years, she’s back – but by god, it was worth the wait. Seven, Lisa’s seventh album, gives us 10 tracks that make you cry, make you dance and make you glad you have ears!

    The latest two releases form the album, “Carry On” and “Can’t Dance” give you an overview of what to expect…..that soulful voice, that range, the soaring strings, the….well, you get the picture.

    During my recent interview with the lovely Lisa, I stated that she had a sound, an instantly recognisable sound and the moment you heard that first intake of breath, you knew it was her and on this album, she doesn’t disappoint.

    She has a discernible style, and it ageless – like all true style. She’s the Chanel suit of music, the Little Black Dress of soul.

    Seven is full of soul and R&B, the stuff that Lisa is known for, the stuff she does best.

    “Can’t Dance” showcases Lisa’s amazing vocal range and has a wonderful ’70’s disco feel, very Chic.

    “Why” has a sexy, soulful and pared down introduction, with a big band finish! Feels very Westside Story – full of playful lyrics, flutes and strong vocals both upfront and backing.

    “So Be It’ and “The Crown” feel very old school Lisa, slinky and soaring.

    “Stupid Heart” would make Patsy Cline proud – its the kind of lyric that makes you listen, forces you to take in every word, and feel every emotion.

    “The Rain” and “Picket Fence” are beautiful songs, expertly crafted, sung by a commanding voice.

    “Love Can” and “Conversation” remind us that this woman sang some of the best slow numbers of our youth – and that she has the ability to bring you to tears!

    “Carry On” is a toe tapper and no mistake! I defy you not to dance round the coffee table to this one!

    Lisa has done what she always does, mixed it right: the right amount of upbeat versus slow down, the right amount of big band versus pared back.

    This album is a rare thing – each track feels truly handcrafted, each word carefully chosen and each note pitch perfect all with no filler, no fluff.

    Lisa is back and we’re all the richer for it.

    Lisa Stansfield appears in our Feb edition of TheGayUK, out first week of Feb 2014

  • BOOK REVIEW | The Heart & The Hand by Dean Harkness

    I know, I know, I can be flippant, I can be irreverent, and I can be rude – but for this review, I’m parking all those trait and reviewing some of the most beautiful poetry I’ve ever read.

    This book is simple, no blurb, no foreplay, no preamble, its straight into the work with some of the simplest and most intelligent words I’ve read

    Take the poem, “Five Little Words”, which does exactly what it says, it plays with the placement of the five little words: This is a love poem……it changes the meaning, plays with its audience, forces you to ask questions, who is its audience?

    “Cemetery” in nine lines sums up loss and death, how we who are left to visit graves feel, how the place makes us feel, what it means to loose someone or something and place them in the ground.

    Dean choose words carefully, as if they were rationed, it feels very Haiku, very Japanese but with very western subjects.

    Take “People Strutting” – it evokes Saturday Night Fever, Tony strutting in his too tight jeans, winkle picker shoes and unbuttoned shirt, off to pull some stranger at the disco….all this in only five lines.
    “Film of You” made me cry… a story of love ended, images gone, a story of film not files, sending things via snail mail to get physical images back……….it speaks to me and my generation of how we felt, how love felt back in the day.

    Dean is something of a renaissance man, a true artist not just with words, but as an illustrator, with images too. if you can, follow him on twitter. I do like that there are no images here, the words paint a picture clear enough, no images needed in this book. Dean does a clever thing and lets his words speak volumes

    And to turn things on their heads, to lighten the moods, we shift on to “Brits in Summer” which reads like an episode of Benidorm on ITV. It sums up us Brits at our basic levels, lobster red, label whores, everything display….

    “Media Sex” reads like an indictment of our age, how everything is lived in the glare of publicity, nothing is sacred anymore, nothing is kept private, we all clammer for publicity, adoration, and are willing to sell the most private details for a column inch in the next days paper or someone else’s blog…….

    “Homeless Man kicked to Death” could read as a headline in any local paper, but instead makes you think about how easily we accept these things. How we are immune to what it must be like to be on the streets, what these people face each and every night. The threats, the drunks, the risks…..

    Dean is a poet that makes you think, and not always about the good stuff, not always about lost love or feelings, but also about the underbelly of society, the people and things you pass by every day, the news stories you may not want to see. And always with an eye on the word count, never using two where one will do, wary of overly decorative narrative….
    Take my advice, read this book, you wont be disappointed. The price belies the content – less than £1 for pages of enlightenment.

    BUY FROM AMAZON

  • TECH REVIEW | iPhone 5s

    So, I managed to get my sweaty little apple-fan fingers on an iPhone 5S for a test drive.

    Its about blinkin’ time too – like a lot of people, my time is nearly here for an upgrade of my handset, the new ones are out and I couldn’t wait. My trusty 4S is on its last legs, scratched and battle scared from a life of Facebook, Twitter and blog updates….it needs and deserves a rest.

    However, and this is a first for me, I was a little let down. I skipped the 5, thinking that as I was tied to contract, I’d wait and see what was available when my contract finally ended.

    I think, having read reviews, headlines, seen the ads, lapped up the keynote speeches, I was expecting something radical but didn’t get what I wanted.

    In terms of design, it isn’t a major departure of whats gone before – which isn’t a bad thing, but it seems that the minor changes in design are changes for changes sake? The split into 5S and 5C doesn’t make much sense for me. The garish colours of the 5C don’t appeal, and the 5S seems a smidge ’80’s. I have to admit to being a little unsure of the size – its feels like it going down the route of others in trying to increase screen size at the sake of portability? It isn’t an iPad, mini or otherwise, so please Apple, don’t make the 6 any bigger. This is a phone, and I for one hope it stays a phone size!

    The 5S I got to try out was the white screen one, perfect for my stilettos on a Saturday night. Its nice enough but, and heres my big issue, the major update from Apple was the iOS, with its overhaul, new fresh looks, new icons, new features – and all these are available on my old handset. I have these, I can play with them – and don’t need to fork out for a handset that offers nothing else. I really don’t care about fingerprint technology – I’ve seen the Man From Uncle (as your dad) and don’t really care that much! If my phone is stolen or lost, I can track, wipe and lock it from my iPad or MarBook (told you I was an apple geek).

    If I’m honest, there simply isn’t anything radical enough here to make me want to upgrade at a cost. Give me a free handset and I’ll upgrade tomorrow – who wouldn’t, but with phone companies increasingly charging you for handsets and an arm and a leg for data, is it worth it?

    I wonder when we’ll get to the point where there isn’t anything new they can do with phones? We hear stories about intelligent glass phones, simple screens without cases as the tech is inside the screen. We have Google glasses, so why not glasses that act as a phone as well? We have watches that link to phones…so why not a simple watch that does it alone? Who knows where we’ll end up – maybe by then I’ll be a true grumpy old man and have given up trying to keep up and want a phone that does something radical, like make phone calls?

    The Positive
    ▪ It’s sleek
    ▪ It’s shiny
    ▪ It’s Apple

    The Negatives
    ▪ Nothing new
    ▪ Silly new charging pins!
    ▪ too big for my phone case

    Price: iPhone 5s, (white) available from £79 on Vodafone Red 4G-ready price plans for £47 per month
    Or Sim Free available from AMAZON from £508

    Maybe I’m just too used to Apple breaking rules, creating ground breaking designs, products that change your life – and lately they haven’t done this. Now, they may be consolidating their business, building on what’s gone before and ensuring that Mr Jobs legacy continues with a strong business base, solid products, and worldwide appeal. However, this former garage start-up seems to be more about big business and tying you into its products than innovation and interest. They make more and more upgrades, and make more and more of their older items obsolete in the process and this worries me.

    £500 for a handset that may be out of date in a year for two – not just in terms of style, but in terms of support for the iOS……makes you think

    Our Rating: ★★★

    Specifications:
    iPhone 5S
    Colours: gold, silver and space grey
    Size: 16, 32 or 64 GB
    Dimensions:
    Height: 123.8 mm (4.87 inches)
    Width: 58.6 mm (2.31 inches)
    Depth: 7.6 mm (0.30 inches)
    Weight: 112 grams (3.95 ounces)

    Fingerprint identity sensor built into the Home button
    Retina Display
    8-mega pixel camera
    True tone flash
    Siri (watch the trailer for “Her”!)
    and many, many more but Apple list them better than me…..

  • TECH REVIEW | Kobo Arc 10HD

    When offered the chance to give the Kobo Arc 10HD a trail run, I couldn’t wait to compare it and its functionality against the recent review of the Kobo Aura eReader I recently did. This unit is vastly different to the Aura, not better as it would be like comparing chalk and cheese.

    The Arc is an eReader, but goes further and is a serious iPad competitor. It allows you the usual e-reader experience, offering a vast library of books and magazines but also moves into games, movies and net access to make this a more rounded experience and a more popular option.

    The design is sleek, and doesn’t really stray from the usual black and glass. It isn’t radical, but to be honest, I think most manufacturers are leaving that end of the market to Apple and are concentrating more on price-points. This unit being no different, coming in at under £300, and offering a similar experience to the iPad.

    The operating system is smooth, with the capacitive touchscreen running as quickly as anything Apple produces. It is as intuitive as other models, with icons and buttons being simple, clean and clear. It comes with a selection of pre-loaded apps which includes Facebook, Twitter, Skype and OfficeSuite, making this one workhorse of a tablet. It supports all major file types, allowing you to work across formats – when out and about you can now access your Office files from emails, alter and share.

    My only issue with it is that it isn’t Apple – that’s how highly I rate this item. I am an Apple fan, and it would take something major to make me buy another brand, but this comes close! Similar to the fact that the Aura made me a fan of eReaders, this tablet could prise me away from Apple. It has everything you need in a tablet, it is a portable computer, offers thousands of books at your finger tips, prefect web browsing, easy set-up and access to over 1million apps from Google.

    The item has a clear 10” HD display, 16GB storage and weighs a little over 600grams. It has the usual sockets, micro USB and micro HDMI out, allowing you to link this little beauty with other pieces of kit. It also has a front facing 1.3 megapixel HD camera, allowing you to snap and share your memories.

    The Positive

    ▪ Ease of use and set-up
    ▪ HD display, clean and clear
    ▪ An office on the go

    The Negative
    ▪ The brand – needs time to establish itself more

    Price: The Kobo Arc 10HD comes in at £299.99 RRP, and is readily available from:
    http://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/kobo-arc-10hd-black-16-gb-tablet/product/36787517

    For me, this tablet is worth its cost. Some may hold out for a cheaper model, however – you do get what you pay for. This item doesn’t feel cheap, you can see where the money has been spent. It runs smoothly, its simple to use and add to, the apps that come with it are enough to get you going with plenty more available to suit your needs. If you are looking for something as a alternative to Apple, then loo no further.

    Our Rating: ★★★★

    Specifications:

    • 10” HD LCD display
    • 2560 x 1600 screen resolution
    • NVIDIA Tegra 4 T4OS, 1.8 GHz quad core processor
    • 2 GB DDR3L RAM
    • 253 x 172 x 9.9 mm dimensions
    • 627g weight
    • 16 GB storage
    • Micro USB, Micro HDMI out and 3.5 mm headphone jack ports
    • Front facing 1.3 MP (720p) HD camera
    • Dual stereo speakers, microphone for audio
    • dual band wifi and bluetooth connectivity
    • battery life of up to 9.5 hours of continuous reading
    • Andriod 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system
    • Google Play access
    • File support for ePub, JPG, PNG, GIF, mp4, flac and many more

  • FILM REVIEW | House Of Boys

    ★★★★ | House Of Boys

    The blurb and the cover on this DVD doesn’t do it justice. It gives the impression of some sleazy b-movie, lots of gyrating hips, few (if any) articles of clothing and even less of a plot line. This isn’t true!

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  • COMMENT | Tom Daley – An Opinion

    So, is it safe to come out yet? Safe to log on and view my Twitter or Facebook profiles? Have the haters gone yet?

    Browsing my Facebook timeline earlier yesterday, I came across Tom’s initial posting and clicked to watch the video – hey, I’m only human! And here’s what I thought…

    I was bowled over, in awe, and somewhat ashamed. Here was a 19 year old, making a statement about whom he loves, and as part of the process, about his sexuality. It raised quite a few questions in my mind, not least being when was the last time a straight sportsman or celebrity did the same? When was the last time someone straight had to garner their courage and discuss their love for someone of the opposite sex with their parents, friends, siblings, wider family – let alone the world’s media. And also, if we or they had to, would it be done in such an amazingly simple way?

    One comment Tom made in the video was about discussing this with friends and family and there being the suggestion about doing it in a magazine or on a TV programme, but instead he opted for a simple home-made video, something that looks like he’s just making a video message for his legions of fans, gay and straight, bi or trans, young and old. It felt like a chat, not a major, cue fanfare, blazing media circus of an announcement.

    I love that he’s found love. I love that he’s ambiguous about his sexuality, I love that he chose his words carefully but most of all I love that he did choose his words and make some kind of statement. He stood up, he’s taken a verbal or twitter beating because of it, but he made a stand.

    He’s now up there with other role models for young teens who get bullied into staying firmly inside the closet for whatever reason, he may give some of them courage to make that announcement and deal with the results.

    Now we come to the hate. I hate that people need to have an opinion on someone else’s sex life – funny really since I am writing this, after sharing his video several times yesterday on my own timeline. I hate haters. Why do people feel compelled to do this? Why make a comment? It seems like we all want a voice now, and Facebook and Twitter gives us a chance to be heard – but I despair at the level of hatred he’s faced for simply being honest. It’s almost damned if you do, damned if you don’t? If he’d stayed closeted and lived a secret life, an unwritten and unacknowledged open secret, then would the LGBT community hate him as much?

    I find it odd that just as Stonewall is launching a campaign to get us all to examine the words we use, especial in using gay as a derogatory term, along comes the word fag – and boy did it get overused yesterday in the abusive messages Tom received. We’ve seen some high profile cases recently where online abuse has been showcased and highlighted and even prosecuted but this seems to have been forgotten! I like that some online articles have shown up these individuals, named and shamed them in articles, showing these haters for what they are. I also love that Mr. Daley did not take the bait!

    Also, I was disgusted with some of our own “community” and their posts – especially the ones stating that anyone supporting Tom over a “certain age” were pedophiles? Really? I’m nearly 50, and aside from the fact that Tom is cute, has a great body and looks good in trunks, I have admiration for him and his statement – why does this mean that other gay men can label me with that title?

    So, yes, there were more important stories yesterday – wars still rage, food banks are still being set up to help UK citizens eat, nature still takes its toll with storms and famine but yesterday, a 19 year old felt compelled to make a statement. He is famous, he’s a celebrity, and he beat the gutter press to their exclusives.

    At the end of the day, he’s an Olympian, he’s young enough to go to the next few Olympics for us, he’s a celebrity and building a career for when his sporting career ends, and he’s found love. Lets simply celebrate that last bit and let him get on and enjoy it, can’t we?

  • BOOK REVIEW | Grand Slam

    Ok, being a Brit, I have to admit that the rules of baseball are an anathema to me – I have no idea who does what to whom or where, only a scant knowledge that its a little like rounders…. with a bigger bat and tighter trousers.

    Being given a gay romance novel to review that revolves around the game of baseball may seem strange, and it being written by a woman even stranger. This is her debut male/male romance novel and the initial idea came about over a family lunch involving her oldest son. An off the cuff remark by his girlfriend that ‘if he were ever to have a “gay” experience, then it would be with his best friend,’ led to the author picking this up and using it in her book.

    The story revolves around the budding romance of Spencer Hightower and Brock Kinkaid – great all American names, conjuring up images of muscle, sweat and Gap… and this book does a great job of supplying you with imagery.

    I’m not going to spoil the story for you, suffice to say, Spencer is the minor league baseball player with ambition and Brock the audience, after his nephew wins tickets to go see Spencer in action… on the pitch. They meet, fall heavily in love and then the story does something I really love, it shows them dating… not jumping straight into bed, a back seat or handy dark alley… no – actual dating. For me, this is what I love… normal life.

    Too many gay themed books are “one handed reads”, going straight for the crotch from word one, but Grand Slam, although it has no shortage of very well written and highly charged sex scenes, also shows that we, as gay men, actually eat food at times too, we do laundry, we shop as well as all the other stuff we’re fabulous at!

    Of course, being fiction, the normality doesn’t always last and their romance is soon under pressure from outside influences, bigotry and another man, but I’ll leave you to read it and get the juicy details. It is worth the purchase.

    The book is available as both paperback and download and I love that. Too many books of this genre are simple downloads which can almost cheapen the experience. Having said that, I am a convert to the whole e-reader experience, both via tablet and dedicated e-reader.

    Grand Slam is available to purchase here

  • BOOK REVIEW | Confessions Of A Gay Rugby Player – Books 1 and 2, By Patrick Darcy

    What is it recently with me and ball playing books? First, there was Grand Slam by J.T. Cheyanne and now along comes Confessions of a Gay Rugby Player by the talented Patrick Darcy.

    Patrick takes the world of rugby, gay rugby at that, and makes it real. So real, you can smell the sweat on those players, even if you have no idea why they scrum or whatever it is they do….

    The first title isn’t overly long, at just 44 pages in total and is a fully fledged, paid up member of the gay erotica club. This book has no pretensions to be literary or a full novel….it does what it says on the tin, its erotic, its truthful and honest, and above all else, its sexy as hell!

    The storyline is simple, it follows our hero, Conor Murphy as he takes part in a gay rugby tournament in New York. Rubbing up against teams from all over the world gives him plenty of chances to get up to mischief and he doesn’t disappoint, including a quickie with a cowboy!

    In the introduction, Charlie Harding sets the scene when he asks whats hotter than a manly, burly, masculine rugby player? And believe me, if this is your thing, this title wont disappoint you.

    The sex scenes are written with one thing in mind, so hold your e-reader securely… in the one hand…

    Book 2 follows a similar vein, if you will. Connor and his close team mate Sean take Copenhagen, one man at a time. Once again, there are realistic rugby scenes in here that sit convincingly alongside Connor and Sean’s conquests. This isn’t surprising as the writer identifies himself as gay, Irish and a rugby player himself. Also, similarities with Connor continue in that Patricks day job allows him to travel and experience “local colour” which surely must provide fodder for the books.

    I admire both titles for their honesty – Patrick has an innate talent for producing work that entertains the head whilst also appealing to somewhere further south.

    If rugby is your game, or rugby players are your type, treat yourself and download these now…there is a 3rd available but I’ll leave that up to you to discover.

     

    Buy from Amazon