The Middle Edge
Andrew Vail
Twenty years ago, a little movie was released that became an iconic touchstone in films starring women. Thelma and Louise almost single-handedly created a new type of movie—the female buddy pic. For the uninitiated, the movie told the story of two women who set out to have a relaxing weekend of cottage life and fishing and ended up on the run from the law after an attempted rape resulted in a murder.
Thelma and Louise stirred its share of controversy in its day—and still does—for its portrayal of the women, most of the men (unsympathetic assholes who use and abuse women) and its iconic ending where the two protagonists make the ultimate sacrifice to stay free and liberated. The movie and its ending stirred debate in many camps and righty or wrongly became a lightning rod for feminist film and the linchpin of a sort of cinematic feminist manifesto.
A cock in a frock on a rock.
Another iconic buddy pic, road trip film was released almost twenty tears ago that made moviegoers sit up and take notice: The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. This was a first-of-its-kind at the time. Two gay men and a transsexual traverse the badlands of Australia in a retrofitted bus on their way to a gig in the sun-baked centre of the continent. Along the way, they meet with a variety of people who react to the colourful trio in a variety of ways. They find abject homophobia and also acceptance and support in some surprising places.
Along the way, our three protagonists also discover much about themselves and their relationship to one another. While the inciting incidents in both films were quite different (an unseen character in Priscilla suffocated on fumes while bleaching his hair) the result was a wild ride. And while no one went off the cliff in Priscilla…there was a very moving and colourfully climactic scene on a cliff toward the end (“a cock in a frock on a rock”), there are ties that bind fans.
I’d love to see a great, witty, out-of-the-box gay buddy film.
These movies have more in common than not: both broke new ground in their respective genres; both broke new ground in gender roles; and both quite surprisingly DID NOT start a new trend in film. For all of the success of these films, they failed to ignite a new genre of buddy films. There really haven’t been any films like Thelma and Louise since the original and—To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar as a lone, weaker exception—there hasn’t been a great gay on-the-road buddy film.
As with women in film, gay characters seem to be expected to stay within certain confines when it comes to characterizations: sympathetic sidekick; tragic or abused; comic relief; or somehow disassociated from society. I’d love to see a great, witty, out-of-the-box gay buddy film that breaks barriers and upends the typical ways gay characters are (still!) portrayed in film.
It’s always fun to have a buddy or two to take along on your journey—whether you’re going over a cliff together or going over-the-top at a drag show—it just makes the experience so much more memorable. And, you have someone to recollect with years after…provided you don’t plunge into the abyss.
So, here’s to Thelma, Louise, Priscilla and “Les Girls” and the promise of big, gay buddy movies on hot summer days. Let’s hope we see your kind again soon. It’s time to hit the road…I’ll do the driving!
Tags: Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Andrew Vail, buddy films, feminist, gay characters, GGT, GGT2.0, Hey Buddy, Hit The Road, Julie Newmar, road movies, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, Thelma and Louise, To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything
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Reviewing my personal experiences and those I’ve witnessed of other individuals and groups on a whole through one-on-one contact or mass media exposure, I’m coming to a conclusion: queers are suffering an existential crisis. To wit:
We are always on the lookout for the next crisis of identity, expression, politics, sexuality, gender, and socio-sexual-gender-politics and how they do or do not conform to the written and unwritten rules of homosexual behaviour as deemed by those guarding the flame on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. That’s not only a mouthful, but also a hell of a responsibility!
Instead of fighting for our rights and freedoms, we are fighting each other.
Almost every year, without fail and usually timed around the culmination of the great queer ho-monic convergence known as Pride, we find ourselves thrust into a community-sundering crisis of epic proportions that tilts at our very identity and existence as queer (or however you choose to self-identify) people. Years ago it was typically threats and attacks from outside the community by those who wished to degrade, dehumanize and destroy us either through violence, active prejudice or legislation. For the most part we have beaten those swords into plowshares and come a cropper with human rights that—argue this if you will—are they envy of most queer people around the world. Yet, still we are not satisfied.
With hardly a lion at the door and most of the Trojan horses swapped for Trojan condoms, we have directed our existential angst inward. Yes, folks, instead of fighting for our rights and freedoms, we are fighting each other about how we label ourselves (oh, how I long for the days of Gucci versus Versace). We are now too gay, not gay enough, straight-identified, post-gay, post-mo, pre-fab, rebels, hausfraus, fatties, skinnies, piggies, vanilla, new-and-improved, fortified, fabulous, finished, or just questioning. I’m certainly scratching my head a lot, so I guess I fall in the questioning category (but I do vacillate depending on mood, company and situation).
This year we are all up in each other’s pooches about The New Gay. While this may sound like a branding exercise or a new product launch, it’s about how young queer people are identifying themselves and finding alternatives to their alternative lifestyle; Post-mo’s, as they are calling themselves. This has got a lot of Pre-mo’s in a tizzy and the queer cognoscenti firing off letters and emails and Tweets and Facebook posts at break-nail speed. The Qwerty is mightier than the sword. It has taken the issue from a local, Toronto level to a national discussion (props to the author!).
As usual, when someone comes out with a dissenting opinion, there is an almost choreographed firestorm of rebuttal and retribution. I like the rebuttal part as healthy dialogue and discourse is a good thing. I just think we can leave the snide comments and name-calling and assumption out. But I ask myself each time this happens: why are we all so upset? Why is someone’s perception or experience so jarring as to bring out the daggers? Why do we turn ourselves inside out, upside down and scream at the top of our lungs about our right to free speech and then attack someone in our community who uses their free speech to express an opinion that may not be popular? Who’s agenda are we adhering to and who’s free speech are we protecting?
Why are we afraid of the brave new world we’ve fought so hard to create for ourselves?
Certainly we are all allowed to share our opinions. Certainly we are not all expected to agree with these opinions. I have found myself in the crosshairs once or twice over things I have written and was rather shocked at the vitriol for stepping off point, not following script and not toeing the line. While being called names wasn’t fun, it opened dialogues and provided a forum for differing points of view.
We keep touting diversity in out community. We call for unity and celebration of ourselves as a whole community made up of individuals. Well, individuals have individual life experiences and POV and opinions. Are we going to attack every one who says something that challenges our preconceived notions or bumps us out of our comfort zone for a minute? Why the seeming existential crisis? Why are we afraid of the brave new world we’ve fought so hard to create for ourselves?
Tags: Andrew Vail, existential crisis, Existential Homosexualist, free speech, gay, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT, GGT2.0, Guide, post-gay, post-mo, Pride, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, the new gay, Toronto
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Tags: Andrew Vail, Atlanta Pride, Boston Pride, Chicago Pride, Dallas Pride, faith, false prophets, fear, GGT, GGT2.0, LA Pride, Letting go of Limbo, limbo, Limbo no more, NYC Pride, salvation, San Francisco Pride, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, Washington Pride
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Recently life threw me quite a curve ball. I was going about my business one run-of-the-mill weekend when I began to feel ill. Instead of getting better over the course of the weekend, I got much worse—resulting in being rushed to the hospital. DRAMA!
Turns out I was a lot sicker than anyone had anticipated and I had to have emergency surgery that day. I’ll spare the gory details and the subsequent stay in hospital. Suffice to say, I was given excellent care by the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital and am home now and able to write about it.
I was completely vulnerable. I had to surrender.
Post-illness, what has struck me about the whole situation is that for the first time since I was a child, I found myself completely helpless and at the mercy of others. This is a very difficult concept for me to wrap my head around as I am a very “in control, independent” kinda guy and pride myself in being able to handle most situations on my own (or at least assist in a meaningful way). Not this time. I was completely vulnerable. I had to surrender.
We live in a culture that reinforces the idea of owning your life, reinventing yourself, being in control, and being strong in the face of adversity, all great messages and all great pillars from which to anchor one’s life. However, what happens when you find yourself completely out of control? Surrendering yourself and putting your life in the hands of others is incredibly daunting. Actually, it’s scary as hell. You have to accept the present situation. You have to hand over your body to the care of others and you have to acknowledge that there is measured risk and that you have no recourse. It can literally be a do or die situation.
It was an odd blend of frustration and relief.
I was always terrified of this situation, picturing myself kicking and screaming, horrified that I was going to be… I’m not even sure what. The reality was quite different. I didn’t kick. I didn’t scream. I spoke calmly to my doctors and listened quietly as my surgeon explained the operation, the procedure and the potential risks. I looked at her, smiled and surrendered, knowing I had no choice in the matter and that I had to put my life in her hands. After the surgery, I lay in a bed unable to do anything for myself for a couple of days. It was an odd blend of frustration and relief.
Now, on the other side of this experience, I have a different perspective about the concept of control. I was forced to face one of my dragons and instead of falling apart I accepted the situation and gave my power away to those better able to take on the battle. The result: I feel less fear about surrendering my power and control (all a perceived construct, it turns out) and that life is filled with random occurrences that can throw us into a tailspin at any moment.
I’ve also learned not to take even the most miniscule things for granted: like sitting in a chair, walking across a room, being able to bathe and even sleeping on my side. I’m learning to accept my humanness and mortality and embrace that life is filled with unforeseen events. Sometimes the unforeseen is wonderful, and sometimes it’s scary. I’ve learned I can face the unforeseen and whatever it brings without crippling fear. I’m learning to surrender…just a little.
Tags: Andrew Vail, control, doctors, GGT, GGT2.0, hospital, ill, power, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, sick, surgeons, surgery, sweet surrender, Toronto East General Hospital, vulnerable
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Is 1 really the loneliest number? Andrew Vail explores the question in his blog post below and in a Skpe convo with GGT Publisher Shaun Proulx:
There is nothing more tragic than being alone. The single gal is an object more to be pitied than scorned—unless of course she’s hanging around your man too much, then the gloves come off. Surely, there is no greater cross to bear than being a one in a sea of twos, threes, fours and mores.
But wait! What’s that I hear off in the distance? Why, it’s the sound of hundreds, even thousands of single people…laughing! How can this be? How can these poor, sad, lonely souls ring out with peels of laughter when they should be home alone with their tearful faces buried in their pillows? Turns out, we’re starting to take the ‘sin’ out of being single and discovering a life lived alone does not necessarily lead to loneliness.
We’re starting to
take the ‘sin’ out of being single
I’ll admit I spent a good deal of my life pining for the right man to come along and rescue me from the spectre of spinsterhood. I’d play sad songs devoted to the lonesome and lovelorn and wander the barren streets in all my singleness waiting for that longing glance from across the room as my dream man and I locked eyes. We’d know this was it. We’d know we’d be together until the twelfth of never…and that’s a long, long, time.
Sappy love songs aside, I did find love. All over the place: in bars, in clubs, at work, online. And for all the love I found, I’m alone again, naturally. It turns out love wasn’t the answer to my unrequited dreams. It turns out love wasn’t the cure for my loneliness. It turns out the panacea for my aching heart was—GASP—me!
It’s a solo revolution,
a singular societal sensation
I have been having heart-to-heart talks with friends and other interested parties about the notion of being alone, and whether being alone makes us destined to be lonely. To my great surprise and delight, we singles are not the sad sacks we’re made out to be by the coupled (or otherwise conjoined), pop songs, pop psychologists, the media, RomComs and so on. There seems to be a new power to being a person who lives a life unfettered. It’s a solo revolution, a singular societal sensation.
Now, this isn’t to decry those who have found their mate and those who are still searching in earnest—heart, soul and loins ablaze for that special connection. This isn’t a bash against same-sex marriage. Everyone should have the right to create the relationship they desire. This is a stake in the ground for those of us destined to spend more time on our own than with a partner, without shame, without guilt and without feeling like the ugly duckling at the school dance.
More and more people I talk to about this all agree: better to be alone than to be with someone and be lonely. How can you possibly feel lonely when you are partnered? Trust me, it’s easier than you think. When things aren’t working out, when you aren’t communicating, when you realize your values are not converging and you are heading in separate directions (usually toward separation), it’s very easy to feel like you’re standing on an ice flow in the middle of the North Sea with no land in site. That’s lonely.
Being in an unhealthy relationship with someone is bad for your emotional, physical and spiritual health. It drags you down into depression and anxiety. Trying to navigate a bad relationship can put you in a situation where you begin to compromise your ethical core. Suddenly, you aren’t you anymore. You turn into do-or-die relationship survivalist who will do anything to save what is likely doomed to die. Better the entity dies than you. There’s no point in going down with the ship when there are lifeboats surrounding you.
Fill yourself with the excitement
and ebullience that once fueled you
Cling to your friends. Cry your eyes out. Write bad poetry and get it out of your system. Then, begin to embrace the solace, power and freedom of being a person unencumbered. Look at your world through clear eyes. Live your life according to your rules. Chase your aspirations and re-engage with your dreams. Fill yourself with the excitement and ebullience that once fueled you and set forth into the world with renewed energy and purpose.
You are you: Singular. Solo. Sensational. Pilot your ship. Set your course. Create your own destiny. If you happen to meet someone special along your journey and want to bring them with you…great! However, if you find yourself a lone ship on a vast ocean, fill your lungs with the fresh air, drink in the views and know that wherever you land, you’ll be just fine.
Tags: alone, Andrew Vail, anxiety, depression, ebullience, excitement, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT, GGT 2.0, Is 1 Really The Loneliest Number?, lonely, love songs, One is the loneliest number, psychologists, RomComs, same sex marriage, sensational, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, single, singular, solo, survivalist
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An aberration. An act to be reviled. A mortal sin punishable by death. Religious texts have not spoken well of homosexuality when they do speak of it, which—by the way—is infrequent. From Hinduism and Judaism to Islam, Buddhism and Christianity, every faith has a view of homosexuality. For the most part, the teachings and takeaways from these beliefs don’t bode well for gay men (most don’t mention Lesbians). The sacred really have it out for the profane.
Growing up gay comes with a lot of baggage: peer pressure, parental pressure and societal pressure—all on some level fueled and informed by religion. Whether someone adheres to religious doctrine in their own day-to-day living doesn’t seem to matter until the topic of homosexuality rears its head. Suddenly, everyone takes to the pulpit to share notions of homosexuality.
Invariably, the Leviticus card is played. It’s almost comic to hear someone who wouldn’t know scripture if it leapt up and bit them in the soul suddenly become an expert theologian when it comes to sacred text and homosexuality. However, most who start the verse in Leviticus that mentions homosexuality would be hard pressed to finish it in its entirety. But that’s what armchair preaching will get you.
Do queers create our own religion?
It’s no surprise that many gay people have disassociated themselves with religion altogether after years of being publicly decried and privately abused. The Pope makes no bones about taking potshots at gays when given the opportunity. Hey, we get it from the religious and secular worlds on a non-stop basis. Gays abandoning organized religion doesn’t surprise. However, gays embracing religion is a head-scratcher to many. Sort of like the Log Cabin Republicans. What’s up with that? Self-loathing? Denial? Conformity?
Why would a gay person want to belong to a religion that overtly rejects and reviles them, labels them a sinner or an evil force to be slain? What is it that gay believers get that supersedes the underlying contempt that comes from scripture, the pulpit and the flock? It seems out of step that a gay person would willingly participate in the Catholic Church, Temple or Mosque. Some gays who have not abandoned organized religion have turned to Buddhism and Hinduism to express their spirituality since these religions don’t single out and decry homosexuality in their text, per se. That’s not to say that followers and cultures built on these teachings haven’t adopted anti-gay attitudes. So, what came first, the homophobia or the homophobic?
Is homophobia nature or nurture?
For years, theologians, psychologists, sociologists and biologists have pondered and researched the question: is homosexuality nature or nurture? This has opened doors for more understanding and acceptance of queer people—it has also become fodder for those looking to fire a silver bullet at the “gay gene”. However, with many religious texts from different faiths having no mention of homosexuality, yet their followers decry homosexuality, I invert the question: Is homophobia nature or nurture?
One way that gay people—any people who don’t conform to organized religion for that matter—have managed to stay connected to the god force is by separating their spirituality from religion. The idea is: spirituality is innate; religion is a man-made manifestation of spirituality. Following that line of thought, do queers create our own religion? We created “Queer Nation” a few decades ago, why not a queer theology with its own doctrine and laws (think of the tax breaks!). Hey, if the Westboro Baptist Church can create its own violent doctrine in “God Hates Fags”, why can’t we counter that with a church that espouses “God Loves Gays”? Some say Toronto’s MCC has achieved a bit of that.
While we continue to grapple with our place in the world (depending on where we are in the world), we continue to wrestle with our spirituality and how to express it both internally and externally. Do gay people have a place in the churches, temples and mosques of the world? Can religion actually help stop homophobia? Are we destined to always run in opposition to one another? Time will tell. But one thing is sure, gay people are not without faith, belief or reverence. Some of us just pray in a different church and at a different altar.
Amen. Shalom. Namaste.
Andrew will be moderating a panel discussion about the relationship between queers and religion Tuesday, April 26 in the Village. All are welcome.
Bent Religion
7:00PM – 9:00PM
O’Grady’s Bar and Restaurant on Church
518 Church Street
Toronto, ON
Tags: abberation, Amen, bent, Buddhism, Catholic church, Christianity, death, evil, faith, gay, GayGuideToronto.com, GLBT, God Hates Fags, God Loves Gays, Guide, Hinduism, homophobia, homosexuality, Islam, Judaism, Leviticus, lgbt, Log Cabin Republican, MEN, mortal sin, Mosque, Namaste, nature nurture, O'Grady's, Ontario, organized religion, parental pressure, peer pressure, Pope, punishable, queer, Queer Nation, queers, religious, religious doctrine, reviled, Shalom, sin, societal pressure, Temple, texts, theologian, Toronto, Westboro Baptist Church
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As I continue to delve into gay sexual anthropology, I have become fascinated with the notion of NSA “relationships”. For those of you not in the know, NSA stands for No Strings Attached. This is based on the idea that one has a single—or number of—sex partners who can meet their erotic needs free of emotion or commitment.
I can see the merits of NSA relationships, although I loathe to call them relationships as they seem predicated on the quickie or hook up as opposed to anything more substantial. But that’s okay, everybody needs a sexual outlet every so often.
NSA relations seem to have taken over with the warmer sounding “friends with benefits”. There was something kind of sweet and cuddly about the friends with benefits arrangement as it implies, well, friends. A pair of buddies getting together for a little social interaction prior to a little sexual intercourse. It has the feeling of fun, but with a bit of an attachment—like I know your name, at least.
Now, with the proliferation of NSA hookups, there seems to be no need for a name—or even a face. Walk in, fuck, then fuck off. Again, that’s fine, everybody needs a sexual outlet every now and then and it doesn’t have to end in marriage. However, the NSA arrangement seems to becoming more and more commonplace than ever before; or maybe it’s just coming out of the proverbial closet.
We certainly are experts at playing
fuck ‘em and forget ‘em
There are ads on dating sites looking for NSA hookups, there are websites dedicated to NSA hookups and there are people who will just look you in the eye and tell you they just want to fuck. Hey, at least they’re being honest about it. What gets me are the ones who get all lovely-dovey, fill your ears with sweet talk and then after you’ve gotten hem off they act like they owe you money.
Certainly the NSA arrangement is not exclusive to gay men, but we are certainly experts of playing fuck ‘em and forget ‘em. To our credit, we are quite open and up front about what we are looking for sexually. However, I am slightly concerned that the NSA mentality may be oozing out of the bedroom (or bathhouse, or alleyway) and finding its way into other relationships:
NSA employment. I get the fun of having a career, making money and having a cool Linkedin profile, but if things get too demanding, I’m outta here.
NSA friendships. I get the fun and frivolity of having a shopping, social or bar buddy, but if things get too serious, I’m outta here.
NSA marriages. I get the fun of having a wedding, reception and honeymoon, but if things get too challenging, I’m outta here.
No Strings Attached arrangements can be a very attractive prospect in this day and age, but I am left to wonder: if we want everything to have no strings, what are the ties that bind us?
Tags: Andrew Vail, friends with benefits, fuck buddy, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT 2.0, linkedin, No Strings Attached, NSA, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, The Shaun Proulx Show
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Recently, I was talking to someone about the proliferation of personal ads by gay men on dating/hookup sites and on live chat sites. Now, this is not something I usually jaw about off the cuff, but I found what I was seeing fascinating—and a little peculiar. More and more gay men seem to be ‘bored & horny”.
Right off the bat I find this to be a dichotomous conundrum! I can understand the state of being bored. I can understand the state of being horny. But how the hell can you be bored and horny at the same time?
The person I was talking to about this happens to be an activist and educator in the field of human sexuality and quite outspoken about sex and sexuality. When I told her about this, her first reaction was to laugh at the seeming impossibility of the marriage between bored and horny (sounds like a twisted sitcom!). Her second reaction was concern about the state of sexuality—and simple existence. (more…)
Tags: Andrew Vail, bored, dating sites, gay men, gay sexual revolution, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT, GGT 2.0, hookup, horny, live chat, sex, sexuality, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, The Shaun Proulx Show
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“We’re making our way across Canada right now, because this is where we started!” So declared Heart lead vocalist Ann Wilson to an adoring, sold out crowd at Toronto’s Massey Hall. Heart has been on a 20-city tour across the land where it all began and they have been blowing people’s minds at every stop. The Toronto show was no different.
The band took the stage to the undulating beats of Cook With Fire, Nancy wearing a customized hockey jersey with the band’s name emblazoned across the front. When Ann walked out and took her place at centre stage, the crowd went ballistic. The band blasted through a series of hits from the 70s and 80s, including Heartless, What About Love and Straight On and a very beautifully reworked version of Dog and Butterfly, with Ann’s voice soaring and sinuously wrapping around the lyrics.
The apotheosis of the night may have been Ann’s spectacular delivery of their song, Alone
Nancy took the spotlight to sing two Heart hits, their first number one, These Dreams—beautifully done on mandolin with Ann gently strumming a black acoustic guitar behind her. She then brought out a dulcimer and performed their latest hit, Hey You, a sing-along acoustic romp with a “na-na-na-na-na” chorus, yet with deceptively melancholic lyrics. Ann took the mic for the title track from their latest album, Red Velvet Car, a song about undying love and support for a friend.
The apotheosis of the night may have been Ann’s spectacular delivery of another number one song, Alone. Stripped down from its 80s bombast and flash, the song was done with just Nancy’s acoustic guitar and Debbie Shair’s keyboards. Ann’s voice was front-and-centre as she deftly handled the changing keys until she came to the climax of the song with a passionate roar that showed she is still one of the finest, most powerful singers in music—and brought the entire audience to its feet for a thunderous ovation.
From then on it was unabashed rock: the new screed, WTF, followed by a trio of classics, Magic Man, Crazy on You and Barracuda. The band came back for two encores, Zeppelin’s What is and What Should Never Be and the Who’s Love Reign O’er Me, both showing the band’s dexterity and passion, and, of course, Ann Wilson’s remarkable pipes. After a few minutes of unbridled cheering, Heart took the stage for one last song, the title track from the album that got it all started back in 1976, Dreamboat Annie. It was a poignant and deliciously sweet end to the show.
Enjoy this clip from Toronto show (and check out Ann’s awesome boots):
Aside form going to a concert and enjoying the performance, I’ve always been in the habit of checking out who else is there. Since I like rock bands, I long ago got in the habit of having a look at who was in the crowd. I think part of it was self-preservation because I’m gay and was nervous I’d be “spotted” by possible bashers. But the other thing was to see if there were any other gay folks there. To my surprise, I started to notice more and more gay men and women at rock concerts—particularly at Heart concerts. Hey, I went to last week’s Toronto show with a few gay men, one straight woman, and we later met lots of lesbians.
“I think that a lot of gay people…appreciate the power in individuality that we represent, inside
of a restrictive culture.” – Nancy Wilson
Before Heart set off on their current Canadian tour, I asked Nancy why she thought Heart has such a large gay following. As best she can figure, it’s because “we always broke the mold, and never have conformed to the prescribed sexual agendas of typical expectations.” She went on to explain, “I think that a lot of gay people relate to us and appreciate the power in individuality that we represent, inside of a restrictive culture.”
Certainly, Ann and Nancy were outsiders in the male-dominated rock world when they got started and they wouldn’t play the game when it came to sexism and other favours that were expected from them by some people in the industry back in those days. Being a woman in rock was one thing. Being gay in rock was another. Though neither Ann nor Nancy is gay, they have lots of friends in the industry who are, including Rufus Wainwright and Elton John (both of whom sang with Ann on her recent solo album, Hope and Glory). As well, they support LGBT causes, performing at a variety of benefits.
I wondered if it has changed or gotten any easier for gays in the rock world or is it still relatively status quo. “I think it’s more appreciated than ever across the board worldwide,” Nancy opined. “But the boys club in America still drives us nuts, too.”
Over the past 35 years, Ann and Nancy Wilson have created incredible music inside Heart, as solo artists and in their “hobby band” the Lovemongers (a band that spawned the society of diehard fans called the Heartmongers). Through the years they have performed with power, passion—and dignity. They never compromised their art or their ethics. I think that’s one of the reasons fans have been so devoted and loyal to these women.
I asked Nancy that, when all is said and done, how would she like to be remembered in music history. She said, “I would like to be remembered like a romantic poet, and a one-of-a-kind-goddess.”
Hey Nancy…done and done!
Tags: Andrew Vail, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Ann Wilson, Barracuda, canada, Crazy on You, elton john, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT, GGT 2.0, Heart, Heartmongers, lgbt, Lovemongers, Magic Man, Massey Hall, Nancy Wilson, Red Velvet Car, Rufus Wainwright, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, The Middle Edge, Toronto, WTF
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Heart has been famous longer than some of their fans have been alive. That’s a pretty interesting fact to contemplate. In the finicky, fickle world of music, Heart has managed to survive and thrive. I kind of think of them as the energizer bunny of rock and roll—they just keep going and going and going.
Ann and Nancy Wilson—the creative and spiritual nucleus of Heart—have been navigating the band through rock’s stormy seas for over 35 years. They have seen dizzying highs and near career-ending lows, yet they have maintained their vision and managed to keep coming back almost as many times as Cher. Through the years, Heart has racked up 22 Top 40 hits, sold millions of albums and performed thousands of concerts for millions of fans around the world. Not bad for two army brats from the Pacific Northwest who taught themselves how to play guitar while listening to Beatles albums in their bedroom.
Heart has just embarked on their first full Canada-wide tour in over 30 years. The tour began in St. John’s, Newfoundland and will wind up in the city where it all began, Vancouver, BC, by the end of February. The tour is in support of their latest album, Red Velvet Car (which debuted in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Chart last autumn), their upcoming live DVD release and as a big hug to the country where Heart first found success. I had an opportunity to ask the band’s iconic guitarist Nancy Wilson a few questions about the band, their genesis, their appeal to gay fans and their legacy before she set off for Newfoundland. Here’s a bit of what she had to say.
“Our mom has influenced every day of our lives.” – Nancy Wilson
Red Velvet Car has been a commercial and critical success garnering acclaim from nearly every reviewer who has listened to it. Produced by Canada’s Ben Mink (he of kd lang fame), RVC harkens back to Heart’s early sound with lots of acoustic guitars, harmonies, roaring riffs and evocative lyrics. It’s interesting to note that the album seems to close a lyrical circle that began with their debut single, Magic Man. The hook of that song was a conversation between Ann and her mother: “Come on home girl, mama cried on the phone. Too soon to lose my baby yet, my girl should be at home.” On their latest single, WTF, there is a lyric taken from the Wilson’s late mother’s journal: “The hardest thing you’ll ever learn is what bridge to cross and what bridge to burn.” Clearly, their mother has played an important role in their lives and their music. According to Nancy, “Our mom has influenced every day of our lives on a cellular level, including everything we ever did artistically.”
The lyrical circle seems to have a ‘both sides now’ perspective on life, from the concern for the welfare and innocence of youth to the view from the other side of it all. Nancy credits their survival skills to their mother’s examples, “She was a strong, independent romantic with formidable claws. We picked up many cues from her for survival techniques as well as songs.” Where would we be without our mothers?
Check out the rockin’ acoustic riffs and Mama Wilson’s lyrical contribution on WTF:
While Heart has its roots in Canada (Ann followed her boyfriend to Vancouver when he was evading the Vietnam draft, a situation that spawned the lyrical core of songs including Magic Man and Crazy on You), the road to fame was not easily won. The band slugged it out in the bar circuit for years and was turned down by every label around while trying to get a recording deal. It was a radio station in Montreal that broke the band by featuring tracks from Dreamboat Annie and earning Heart an opening spot on Rod Stewart’s 1976 Canadian tour. The rest is history.
“The first few times we played in Toronto people just sat on their hands with their noses in the air.” – Nancy Wilson
Heart enraptured Montreal, but Toronto was another story altogether. As Nancy recalls, “Toronto was always the toughest nut to crack in Canada for us. The first few times we played in Toronto people just sat on their hands with their noses in the air. But then after Barracuda we had them.” It was that song’s convulsive guitar riff, searing vocals and ‘fuck you’ attitude that put Heart over the top. Toronto has loved Heart ever since!
Heart is as famous for its distinctive guitar chords as it is for Ann Wilson’s jaw-dropping voice. And while they have had a succession of players in the band, they’ve managed to keep their signature sound intact. The latest incarnation of Heart features—among others—new bassist Kristian Attard. I’ve seen this guy play and he’s one of the best bassists I’ve ever heard. His grooves are sheering, throbbing and in places Rick-James/George Clinton-funky. And he never stops whipping his hair! I asked Nancy how he came to be in Heart. “Our previous kick-ass bass player Ric Markmann brought Kristian in to the band as his replacement,” she explained, “It’s been nothing but perfect ever since.”
Listen to Kristian’s kick-ass bass on ‘Wheels’ from Red Velvet Car:
Check back next week as Nancy shares her thoughts on Heart’s large gay following, how she’d like to be remembered and my review of their Massey Hall show in Toronto on February 11th.
Tags: Andrew Vail, Ann & Nancy Wilson, Ann Wilson, Barracuda, Crazy on You, dreamboat Annie, GayGuideToronto.com, GGT, GGT 2.0, Heart, Kristian Attard, Magic Man, Nancy Wilson, Red Velvet Car, Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media, Shaun Proulx Show, Toronto, Wheels, WTF
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