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  • COLUMN | Insecure Me

    My insecurities are boundless. They seem to straddle all the domains: physical, social and intellectual. I’m even insecure about other people’s emotional sturdiness.

    I went to the theatre yesterday and sat next to a very well groomed actress. We got talking (how else would I know she was an actress?) and it turned out that she sees more theatre than me. Her breadth of knowledge was extensive and her ability to critique was impressive. Naturally, I felt a little inferior. She was stylish and had poise and I felt like a crumpled sweaty heap in a theatre which sorely lacked air conditioning. As I sweated and reddened she gracefully flicked a stylish fan across her unblemished face.

    Sitting at a cafe in Hyde Park later, I noticed a well groomed gay couple sitting at the table next to us. They spoke in clipped tones, dripped money from every pore and made me feel slightly shabby in my chain store clothes and with my flat Midlands vowels. As I got latte foam all over my cheeks they daintily sipped their tea.

    Walking by us was a very handsome man with his girlfriend. Naturally, I had to appraise him. It’s the duty of the gay man. He had broad muscular shoulders, a chiselled jaw and striking eyes. He also had a better head of hair than my thinning mane, model good looks and a dominant way of striding forward. Of course, I felt inferior and my insecurities rose to the fore again as I contemplated my weedy upper arms and face which could only model as a ‘before’ in an advert for cosmetic surgery.

    Thinking back later, I felt a rush of satisfaction as I wracked my brains to look for these perfect specimens’ feet of clay. The actress sat in the wrong seat in the theatre, initially and displayed a clumsy gaucheness, apologetically fumbling her way back to the correct seat. Of course she’s an expert in theatre too. It doesn’t make her next in line for a Nobel Prize. It’s just that theatre is her business. Ask her questions on my chosen career subject and she’s have surely floundered. The well groomed gay couple were perfectly poised in the cafe but as we left the park we saw them walking purposefully, several feet apart. They’d clearly had a row and their body language positively screamed pent up rage and resentment. Speaking like a BBC announcer and wearing good clothes does not equate happiness. As for the dishy bloke: he passed us again and the rear view was less than appetising. He had childbearing hips and a set of buttocks that would have fed a family of four for a week.

    I wonder why I feel the need to compete, to mentally compare myself and score points. Maybe it’s evolutionary, maybe just societal. Whatever the case, if we meet then you can sure I’ll be looking for your flaws. You know what though; I’ll like you so much for having them.

  • INTERVIEW | Zoe Lyons The Pop up Comic

    Funny woman Zoe Lyons is about to embark on her show Pop Up Comic at Edinburgh Fringe and we sit down to talk about what makes her tick and why she thinks Sir Gerald Howarth is a fool and why she loves Wanda Sykes.

    So what can an audience expect for your Fringe Show?

    One hundred exotic dancers and a massive fireworks finale where I reveal the meaning of life through the art of expressive dance. Will that is what I was planning and then I looked at my budget and and have scaled it back to one stand up with roughly 59 minutes of material. There will be tales of misadventure in the land of television and how I ended up being jealous of a dog in a wheel chair. If I win the lottery between now and August I might bring back the fireworks idea. I am in a small room so it would be spectacular.

    Do you enjoy doing Fringe

    Enjoy…..mmmm? Bits of it I love, I really enjoy doing my show every day, that is my “happy place”. It is great to catch up with people and see people’s shows and discover new comics. I will always go and search out something a bit different, something I wouldn’t ordinarily go to. I always think the Fringe would be much better if it was two weeks long, I have never really enjoyed the last week, I get home sick and miss my dog….. Oh and the wife.

    What’s the one thing people are surprised to learn about you?

    I am a bit socially awkward. I think it is because I have spent so long in my own company over the last few years I have become a bit hermit like. I give very poor small talk, genuinely I bore myself at parties, the life and soul of a party does not in any way emanate from me.

    What’s the route of all comedy?

    There is a high brow and low brow answer to this question and both are equally true in my eyes. Comedy comes in some ways from truth, tragedy and perspective and sometimes it comes from farting accidentally when you cough.

    Progressive or Agressive?

    Well idiots like Howarth who stand blindly in the way of progress make me feel aggressive so I guess I am both.

    What do you think Sir Gerald Howarth meant by that)

    I am guessing that in his eyes homosexuals who are standing up for equality are dangerously aggressive! He would prefer it if we shut up and went away. He seems concerned that by allowing same sex marriage the flood gates will be opened for these (imagined) aggressive gays to make even more demands on the government. He has described the legalisation of gay marriage “as a stepping stone to something further”. One can only guess as to what he has imagined our ” aggressive demands” would be? The right to marry my gay teddy bear? Everyone has to be gay for a day? The man is a fool.

    As a lesbian what’s the one question that people ask, that annoys

    ” So, which one of you is the man?” I think it is obvious lack of physiological awareness that really annoys me about this particular enquiry.

    Any LGBT Heroes, Icons and Idols ?

    I love Wanda Sykes, brilliant comedian, out, proud and very very funny.

    What you like to see happen to the LGBT community in 5, 10, 15 years time?

    Within 5 years the first same sex marriages will have taken place and in 10 years time people will wonder what all the fuss was about and in 15 years time I want all those who opposed same sex marriage on the grounds that it would undermine marriage, end society and cause global warming to apologies.

  • Russian thugs allegedly post fake personal ads to torture teens

    Neo Nazi groups in Russia are allegedly creating fake personal ads to tempt gay teens on dates;only to bully, attack and torture the unsuspecting victims.

    Gay Community News is reporting that Russian Neo-Nazi groups are posting fake personal profiles on the popular Russian VK.com website, which is a social network, in order to lure unsuspecting gay teens for dates, except when they arrive they are beaten and tortured, often in public places.

    The Spectrum Human Rights Alliance (SHRA), an Eastern European LGBT advocacy organisation reports that over 500 groups have been created on the VK.com website, with the aim to organise anti-gay vigilante style groups in cities across Russia.

    The reports states:

    “These self-proclaimed “crime fighters” perform their actions under the broad day light, often outside and clearly visible to general public that indifferently passes by or even commend them. Video recordings of bullying and tortures are freely distributed on the Internet in order to out LGBT teens to their respective schools, parents and friends. Many victims were driven to suicides, the rest are deeply traumatized.”

    The SHRA also notes that the Russian police have taken no action against these vigilantes – even though it’s against Russia’s criminal code.

    The report also states that:

    Social network VK.com intermittently shuts down selected groups and profiles only to allow them to be re-open on the next day.

    The found of VK.com Pavel Durov has not released a statement about the creation of these groups.

    This report comes just weeks after President Putin signed a law, which prevents the ‘promotion’ of a homosexual lifestyle to anyone under the age of 18.

  • NORTH WALES PRIDE: Pride Weekend Back To The Past

    The stars are ready, the weather might be okay, but one thing is for sure, North Wales Pride looks set to be the biggest and best yet.

    This year’s theme is Decades, so you’re invited to step back in time from the 1920s to the 90s. The headliners include X Factor’s Kitty Brucknell and Aled Haydn Jones from Radio 1.

    The events starts today and continues through Saturday and weekender tickets cost just £15, which you can buy at the event.

    The entertainment starts today at 12:30pm – full list of acts below:

    Saturday’s Entertainment

    Comedy duo Roxy Fart and Crystal Bawls will co-host the show and will kick off the event in style in the main room at 12.30. If you want a giggle then we can assure you that these pair will have you doubled up in laughter.

    Bringing RIO to BANGOR is the amazing Batala- a Samba percussion band (click for link)…In true carnival style they promise to lift the roof off Hendre and start us off on a high.

    Meinir Gwilym (click for link) Daytime headline act – Meinir is from Anglesey and has established herself as one of the best selling Welsh language artists ever. Her first release Smôcs, Coffi a Fodca Rhad (Cigarrettes, Coffee and Cheap Vodka) in 2002 met with phenomenal response with her unique voice and punchy lyrics, Celtic/acoustic/folk-rock/pop

    Lowri Mair- brilliantly talented acoustic Welsh artist

    Awen Haf – Local power house vocalist

    Jamie Connolly (click for link) – recently performed at Birmingham Pride 2013 & brought down the house with his Bon Jovi meets Robbie Williams act. Currently number ONE Rock Artist on Reverbnation!!

    – The L Project released an LGBT anti-bullying charity song entitled “It Does Get Better” in 2012 (charted in 4 countries) recorded by 17 of the UK’s most talented lesbian artists. All proceeds and royalties from the song go directly to two chosen charities Stonewall and Diversity Role Models, both work tirelessly to prevent LGBT bullying.

    Sunday’s Entertainment:

    Craig Cavanagh (click link)- singer songwriter from Liverpool. He connects both acoustic soul and power pop into one with a unique vocal style which brings powerful timber and cloudy tones to the ears of the listener.

    We are proud to announce that the controversial X Factor finalist Star Kitty Brucknell is one of the headliners of Saturday night!

    Our main headline act Aled Haydn Jones from Radio 1′s Surgery will be banging out his DJ set from 10pm and putting Bangor back on the map.

    If this isn’t enough for you… we are also excited to announce that Wakestock, Creamfields and resident Embassy DJ Ed Mackie will be taking you through to the early hours.

    CAMPING:

    At North Wales Pride you can also come along and pitch a tent and camp for the weekend! For more info visit the official website: http://www.northwalespride.com

    GETTING THERE

    Please find below information on how to get to Hendre Hall for this year’s North Wales PRIDE!

    CAR- Parking is limited at the venue and we encourage car sharing where possible.

    Arriving at Hendre Hall: (postcode for sat nav/route map – LL57 3YP)

    From the east and England:

    Join the A55 for north Wales and follow sings for Conwy and then Bangor. Hendre Hall is 4miles outside Bangor. Turn off at junction 12 signed for Tal-y-Bont and bear right after this turning. At the top of the road turn left and you have arrived at Hendre Hall.

    From the west, south and Bangor.

    Follow A487 (south Gwynedd and Caernarfon) or A55 from Anglesey towards Bangor. Follow signs and continue on A55 for Conwy. Turn right off A55 at junction 12 for Tal-y-Bont. Take first right after junction, head over the bridge and Hendre Hall is on your left.

    TRAIN– The nearest train station is Bangor (Gwynedd). Arriva Trains Wales and Virgin Trains have regular services to Bangor. Typical journey time from Chester is approx. 1 hour. Hackney taxis are aplenty at Bangor train station.

    TAXI FROM BANGOR-

    Local Bangor taxi numbers:

    A5 taxis – 01248 360 360

    Chubbs Cabs – 01248 35 35 35

    Classic Cabs – 01248 370 717

    Glyn’s Taxis- 01248 351 554

    BUS- Arriva buses have regular services that directly pass Hendre Hall. You will need the X5, 5 or 5S services from Caernarfon and /or Bangor for Llandudno. It’s best to take the X5, 5 or 5S service from Llandudno for Bangor. Please visit ‘Traveline Cymru’ website for public transport information.

  • Two men robbed in ‘homophobic attack’ in Reading

    Two men in Reading have been beaten and robbed after a homophobic attack in local park by a gang of youths.

    The two men, who have not been named, were in Cintra Park in Whitley at 12:04am after spending the evening at a barbeque when they were set upon by a large gang of youths, who shouted abuse, kicked and punched them before robbing one of the men.

    PC Nick Hook of Reading Local CID, is calling for help from anyone who may have seen the attackers, who are described as youths aged 15-20, some of them are described as being stripped to the waist.

    One was a white male of slim build approximately five ft with short dark hair and wearing no top. Another was a white boy of slim build, aged about 15, and about five ft with short dark hair, wearing long trousers and no top. A third boy was white, of slim build aged about 16 with dark hair, wearing dark tracksuit trousers and a top.

    He said: “We are investigating the incident as a homophobic hate crime which has left the victims understandably shaken.

    “This incident is being treated extremely seriously. We will not tolerate hate crimes in our community and will be making every effort to track down and bring to justice those responsible.”

    Call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

  • UK Government updates advice for LGBT travellers to Russia

    The UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has updated its advice for gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans travellers to Russia after new anti-gay laws take effect in Russia.

    After TheGayUK contacted the FCO on Friday last week, the Government has updated its advice for LGBT travellers to Russia.

    A Spokesperson for the FOC said:

    “We have updated our travel advice for Russia to reflect the new law and to give British travellers the information they need to make their own informed decisions about travelling to Russia. The travel advice can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia.”

    The advice on the FOC website includes a warning from the FCO against travelling to Chechnya, Ingushetia and Dagestan and the districts of Budyonnovsky, Levokumsky, Neftekumsky, Stepnovsky and Kursky in Stavropol Krai.

    The news comes as 4 Dutch tourists were detained in Russia after being suspected of promoting homosexuality after the Russian government signed a law banning the promotion of “non-traditional sexual relationships”

  • THEATRE REVIEW | A Man Of No Importance

    Sedos is the City of London’s premier amateur company, and, to end their three week season at the Bridewell Theatre, they have ambitiously chosen to do the musical “A Man of No Importance”.

    Based on the 1994 film of the same name, with Albert Finney in the leading role, the musical has a book By Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the same team responsible for the Tony Award winning “Ragtime”. McNally is of course a successful playwright himself, responsible for such successes as “Love! Valor! Compassion!”, “The Lisbon Traviata”, “Masterclass” and “Corpus Cristi”, and most, though not all, of his work is gay themed or of gay interest. “A Man of No Importance” is no exception, and centres on the character of Alfie Byrne, a softly gentle Irishman, passionate about the work of Oscar Wilde, who lives with his sister in 1964 Dublin. A closeted homosexual, harbouring a secret love for his colleague, Robbie, Alfie throws himself into staging an amateur production of Wilde’s “Salome” at the local church hall, but comes into conflict with the church leadership when they discover the nature of the play. During the course of the show, he struggles with his sexuality and with temptation, faces disapproval from those he considers his friends, and finally enjoys reconciliation, when they accept him for who he is. McNally’s script is, as you would expect, masterful.

    It is a tale with possibly a little too much Oirish charm and whimsy for my taste, but its very gentle lyricism does eventually draw you in. Not especially memorable musically, there is one stand out ballad, (Princess), beautifully sung in this production by Sarah Shepherd, who plays Adele, the new girl who is given the part of Salome. Another high point is the lovely, humorous, but gently moving song, The Cuddles Mary Gave, given a touching performance by Paul Francis as Baldy. However the show is very much an ensemble piece, and it seems invidious to single out single performances, when there really isn’t a weak link in the cast.

    Matt Gould’s direction was clear and efficient, though I thought the choreography of Sarah Evans a little confused, whilst acknowledging the difficulties inherent in moving a large number of people around in a small space. Musical director Inga Davis-Rutter skilfully managed her, presumably, paired down band of players. She also must have spent hours rehearsing the choral numbers, which were cleanly and brilliantly sung.

    All in all, however, the show stands or falls on the performance of the main character, the Man of No Importance, Alfie Byrne. It is not an easy part to play. Playing a quiet, unassuming character never is, and for the first half hour or so I did wonder if James Franey was overdoing the Irish whimsy. By the time he sang his big number,The Man in the Mirror, he was fully engaged in his role and we with him. This was opening night, and his performance can only get stronger as the week goes on.

    The Man of No Importance runs until the end of the week at the Bridewell Theatre just off Fleet Street and, though maybe not of the calibre of a professionally staged production in London’s West End, it is at least the next best thing. Congratulations to all involved.

  • Russia boycott petition goes live

    A petition to boycott the Russian Winter Olympics has been created on the official UK Government’s website.

    A petition has gone live calling for the boycott of Russia’s Winter Olympics in 2014.

    The petition reads:

    Boycott 2014 Winter Olympics

    Responsible department: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

    With the increasingly homophobic stance being taken by the Russian government and parliament, including calls to arrest LGBT tourists. I call upon the UK Government to strongly advise the British Olympic Association to boycott the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

    The petition has already garnered over 3,500 signatures.

    To sign the petition click here

  • LGBT groups forced to suspend AIDS education in Cameroon

    LGBT rights groups in Cameroon are being forced to suspend Aids education programmes because fears of educator’s safety.

    AllAfrica.com is reporting that Aids education programmes have been halted by LGBT organisations in Cameroon “until their international partners help them to improve security so activists won’t be killed while trying to curb the spread of HIV among LGBT people there.”

    Writing on 76Crimes.com Colin Stewart stated the announcement had come a week after the body of slain journalist and activist Eric Lembembe was discovered by police in Cameroon.

    “We need protection,” said Dominique Menoga, president of Lembembe’s anti-AIDS group, the Cameroonian Foundation for AIDS (Camfaids) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.

    In a statement to donors, LGBT organisations said that the climate of homophobia has ‘intensified and now has reached a critical point.’

    The decision was announced by a coalition of anti-aids and pro-gay-rights groups, on the 22nd July to USAID, Care Cameroon; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; and the Cameroon National Association for Family Welfare (CAMNAFAW), which provide funding for HIV education programs for LGBT people in Cameroon.

    The Statement can be read below:

    In this memorandum, the associations supporting the LGBTI community of Cameroon announce the creation of a coalition that speaks for them with a unified voice.

    The purpose of this coalition is to communicate as one with development partners, regional authorities and international organizations about strategic issues facing Cameroonian organizations.

    In the fight for the rights of sexual minorities in Cameroon, the long-decried climate of homophobia has intensified and now has reached a critical point.

    The pursuit of our various missions (prevention of STIs / HIV, medical care, advocacy for rights, support of people imprisoned for their sexual orientation and / or gender identity) requires a minimum level of security, institutional support and financial support.

    At present, the high level of insecurity in Cameroon has unfortunately led to the murder of Eric Lembembe Ohena of CAMFAIDS. We also note that serious threats have been made against the locations and members of our organizations, to the point where continuing our current work unchanged would be dangerous.

    For this reason, we are asking you for additional financial and institutional support to ensure:

    A plan for securing our organizations, officers and members (the costs of around-the-clock guards for our center, insurance, and purchase of surveillance equipment).
    Creation of an emergency fund to defend our organizations and activists.
    Establishment of a common activity center in Yaoundé where maximum security can be provided.
    Because of the dangers of the current situation, in cities of Yaoundé and Douala we are forced to suspend immediately the projects we have with USAID through Care Cameroon and with the Global Fund through CAMNAFAW. Minimal services will continue to be provided to our clients.

    We reject a partnership that reduces our associations to simply a labor force that must work in precarious, dangerous conditions.

    Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people living in Cameroon face legal challenges, both male and female same-sex sexuality activity is illegal. People found guilty can be imprisoned for 5 years and fined 20,000 to 200,000 francs (£26.26 – £262.58)

    The national average yearly income per person in Cameroon is just £758.71

    It is estimated that in 2011 there were 550,000 peole living with HIV and 34,000 deaths due to AIDS.

  • How gay is X Men?

    X-men the gay metaphor.

    This month sees the release of “The Wolverine”. Marking the 6th time that Hugh Jackman has portrayed the character on screen. His portrayal of the physically unbreakable muscle bear obviously has attracted a huge gay fan base, but this is not uncommon for the characters from Marvel’s Mighty Mutants.

    The X-men series actually debuted back in 1963, unlike other heroes at the time who were human and gained their powers through radiation, the X-Men were a different species that carried the “X” gene that granted their powers. They were born that way baby.

    The series initially focused on five straight white American teenagers who attended the “Xavier School For Gifted Youngsters”. The team would operate in costume to conceal their real identities, in day to day life they would take lengths to conceal their unique abilities for fear of being outed as mutants. Most of their parents were even unaware of the true purpose of the Xavier School, thinking it was just a finishing school. It was a series about diversity and tolerances as long as you were willing to look and act like a “regular” person.

    All of this changed in 1975 with Giant Size x-men #1. The team became an international collection of Mutants. Wolverine, a yellow-cla Canadian secret agent was introduced to the team, alongside a Nightcrawler, a German who had the appearance of a devil, a Russian Strongman, a Native American and Storm, the first black female super hero in main stream comics. The X-Men now truly represented diversity. The team was at odds with itself as much as the rest of the world.

    As the Series continued, Nightcrawler refused to mask himself in public and appear human. He was proud of whom and what he was and was no longer prepared to hide anymore. In the classic “Days Of Future Past” the X-Men tried to prevent a dystopian future from coming to pass. Evil robots had taken over the world and enslaved humanity. The surviving members of the team lived in a concentration camp. They were forced to wear uniforms that had the letter “M” emblazoned on them, drawing parallels with the pink triangle from Nazi Germany.

    Religion was also used to illustrate the point, many Christian hate groups appeared of the classic run of the series, denouncing mutants as the devil’s children and abominations. In “God Loves, Man Kills” the X-Men are targeted by such a group who use the team founder Professor X against them. With the super powered threat defeated, the team march into a hate rally to confront the real enemy, Prejudice.

    As the years went on other writers used the metaphor in different ways. In the 90s the legacy virus was introduced. It was a virus that only affected mutants to begin with. At the time it was comparable to HIV/ AIDS. However as the story continued, one of the X-Men allies who had been working on a cure became the first human to be diagnosed. Northstar, a mutant who had debuted in X-Men, also became Marvel’s first open Gay Superhero. He joined the team for a brief stint and later became a fixture.

    More recently, the X-Men relocated their base of operations to San Francisco and refused to be closeted or hid away anymore. In stark contrast they courted the media by working directly with the mayor’s office and their own PR firm. Northstar also wed his partner Kyle in 2012, a move that led to online Christian groups calling for a boycott from Toys R US selling X-Men comics.

    The comics industry has changed so much in many ways since the X-Men’s debut 60 years ago. Many other series across the different publishers have portrayed LGBT characters and storylines, but the X-Men will always be important to me. As a teenager I could relate strongly to the characters and the prejudice they face. Rather than become bitter or resentful they used their abilities to fight for a better world and defend those that hate and fear them. It’s a powerful draw to many LGBT teenagers, to see a group of people who stand together, support each other and dream of acceptance. Of course it doesn’t help that Hugh Jackman is buff and easy on the eye but that won’t be the only reason I’ll be watching “The Wolverine”

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • INTERVIEW | Diana Vickers

    Diana Vickers is instantly identifiable by her unique singing voice and style, from her early days back on X-Factor when she sang the hell out of that last “Yoooouuu” on the Mariah Carey cover to her amazingly catchy first single “Once.” She’s been hailed as a fashionista with her own clothing line and the Theatregoer’s Newcomer of the year… and then she vanished.

    Now she’s back, having spent most of her hiatus writing and recording songs for her new forthcoming album her current single Cinderella was out Yesterday and has been stuck in my head for weeks! I managed to grab a few minutes of her time on the phone, despite some technical errors at the start, to get to low down on her new music.

    TGUK: So your new single is called Cinderella, tell me about it.

    Diana Vickers: Cinderella, I think it was, well it was the first song I wrote for the album I’ve had for nearly three years now. I wrote it with Miranda Cooper who’s part of this big writing group called Xenomania. She’s written all the Girls Aloud songs and I worked with her to write the album and this producer called Donkey Boy wrote the song and I guess it’s just a really feel good pop song. And I guess it’s just a modern take on Cinderella and this time would lose her shoes for Prince Charming.

    TGUK: I have been listening to the song on repeat since I first heard it.

    DV: Amazing oh it love that

    TGUK :So I’m really excited about the album, did you write a lot of the songs on the album?

    DV: Yeah I wrote everything I’ve been so hands on this album, it’s like my baby. I’ve been so involved. Y’know me and Miranda together have totally directed the whole sound of it. This has been my whole project and I’m so so proud of how it’s gone. I’m so pleased with it and really confident with it yeah.

    TGUK: How long have you been working on the album?

    DV: It must have taken me really about two and half years, I think maybe a just over a year to write all the songs and then of course you need to find all the right producers and we kinda carried on writing until we had nothing else to write about me and Miranda. So it’s taken a while yeah.

    TGUK: How would you describe the sound of the album?

    DV: I think it’s a lot more compared to my first album, I really look back and I feel my first album should really have been more of a development album. I was still finding out who I was as an artist and really experimenting with my sound and I really feel like I’ve got there. I think that it’s a lot more sophisticated, and a lot more mature and a bit more sexier and cooler than the first album. Y’know a lot of inspirations I was listening to a lot of 80’s music y’know like Cyndi Lauper and Madonna and Blondie and I guess like a lot of Kylie inspired me and this other artist called Annie. And yeah the music really reflects all those inspirations.

    TGUK: Where are you going to be going to promote the release and what gigs will you be playing?

    VD: I did a radio tour last week and going round the radio stations and obviously doing all the TVs and what-not. Y’know I’m performing at G-A-Y over the end of the year which is gonna be amazing so I can’t wait to do that. I’m supporting Olly Murs at the moment so I’m supporting him at some summer shows. I’m playing Tea in the Park Festival and V festival and the I’ve just shot my second music video yesterday so that will be out very soon and hopefully doing a tour later on when the album comes out yeah.

    TGUK: So you’ve just filmed your second video, just to quickly talk about the first video. Where was that filmed?

    DV: It was filmed somewhere just outside of London. It was in this big beautiful manor house and it was just amazing. It was breathtaking. When I got there I was ‘like wow all this amazing house just for me’ and my video. It was really cool, it was a really good video to shoot. The guy in it was my friend and it we were having a laugh with it, running around this big manor house and I got to jump in a pool with a fancy dress on yeah it was loads of fun.
    TGUK: So I was gonna ask is the boy in it someone that you knew or someone that you hired?

    DV: It was someone that I knew, it was my good friend Jacub and he stepped to the plate so that was really sweet of him.

    TGUK: So you didn’t have to pay a stranger to snog you.

    DV: Ha, no no.

    TGUK: So I’m going talk briefly about X-Factor as it’s just started again, does that seem like a lifetime ago?

    DV: It about was five years ago; it does feel so long ago. Cuz this single’s out I have to get back into the swing of it and people are asking me about it and it just feels so long ago and people are always like how did you feel this. And I was so young and as time goes by I’m really starting find it really hard to speak about my emotions because I honestly can’t remember how I was feeling back then.

    TGUK: Now my first thought of Diana Vickers is your first single ‘Once’ which was written by Cathy Dennis and Eg White, have you had a chance to work with them since?

    DV: So well I actually had a couple of written session with Eg White and y’know, he’s so great but it just didn’t gel. I’ve worked with a few people on this album and I worked with a lot of lot of people at first and was writing with many different people but what I was just coming back to Miranda Cooper. And what we had was a really great writing connection and I was just like this is what works for me and just went with that.

    TGUK: Now there was a fabulous ruffle dress in your video and some amazing shoes that you claimed you would get rid of for this guy (it’s in the lyrics, it was a joke…) are things like your clothing line for Very.co.uk something that will have to take a backseat while you’re doing the new album?

    DV: Maybe, I’d love to go back and do something like that again. To be honest when I kinda took myself away and took some time I wanted to get out of the limelight a little and I took myself away I didn’t wanna be doing anything I just wanted to concentrate on my music and just kind of being young and having a bit of fun and getting out that but. But if that offer kind of came up again then I would definitely consider it.

    TGUK: So the single is out now and you’ll be releasing the album….?

    DV: The album’s gonna be in September, I think may the 15th but I’m not sure but definitely in September.

    TGUK: Will you have another single before then?

    DV: Yeah I’m gonna have single I’ve just shot my music video yesterday (at the time of the interview) for that so that’s gonna be coming out very soon.

    Diana Vickers’ Single Cinderella out now through So Recordings.

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