Windy City Media Group Frontpage News

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

home search facebook twitter join
Gay News Sponsor Windy City Times 2023-12-13
DOWNLOAD ISSUE
Donate

Sponsor
Sponsor
Sponsor

  WINDY CITY TIMES

'Flame' on!: Erasure's Andy Bell on new CD, Joan Rivers
by Lawrence Ferber
2014-09-24

This article shared 8534 times since Wed Sep 24, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email


Erasure's Andy Bell isn't one for trends.

On the afternoon of Apple's crazily anticipated iPhone 6 announcement in early September, with the Internet and social media abuzz with details and consumer frenzy to buy one ( and some anti-Apple snark ), he simply couldn't care less. "People are just mad," he muses. "It's like the ice bucket challenge, it's ridiculous."

Dance music, however, is never out of style with the 50-year-old frontsman. His recent single with Dave Aude, "Aftermath," hit number one on Billboard's dance charts while Erasure's new album, The Violet Flame ( Mute ), percolates with contagious ditties driven by the pulsing electronic melodies of longtime bandmate Vince Clarke. The pair is currently supporting the album with an international tour.

One standout is the opening track, "Dead of Night," an instantly catchy, clubby track that owes a debt to EDM pioneer Giorgio Moroder. "I was channeling Donna Summer for a while," Bell elaborated, "because I love Giorgio Moroder and love his early work. When Vince and I were talking about writing the album, I said I want to write with a synth instead of piano and guitar, because once I hear those guitar chords it puts me into a folk frame of mind. You start sounding all folky. So having the synth as backdrop gave it a more dance impetus. I don't think you can do that too many times because it would wear out, but when I'm working with other people I love doing that, especially with DJs."

While Erasure's previous outing, 2013 holiday album Snow Globe, was a comparatively somber affair that served as a goodbye prayer for Bell's late partner/manager, Paul Hickey ( whom died in 2012 ), Violet Flame "is the flipside, almost like having a new page and fresh start," he shared. Happily partnered today with Miami-based Stephen Moss, where the album was written and recorded, Bell admitted that, "I feel fulfilled. I feel so lucky and fortunate and we're really balanced. I don't find myself chasing my tail. I think that has to do with growing up as well, but when you've found your ideal partner you don't need to do that anymore. Which isn't to say you're not going to write an unrequited love song, because that's just the way singers are I think."

In fact, there's plenty of drama—relationship and otherwise—going on in The Violet Flame's songs. "Smoke and Mirrors," Bell said, entails "a true showbiz story which is about how wicked you can be to the person that's helping you the most," while "Reason" represents "a promise to be faithful."

Bell credited producer Richard X with helping him craft the lyrics for these songs, while modernizing and freshening up Clarke's signature electronic sound. "Richard's very disciplined, and it was good to work in a less haphazard way than usual," Bell said. He helped with the words as well because my brain was fried. I had done the Dave Aude record, and also the 2014 iPop record with the two guys from Shelter, and I did all the vocals for Torsten. I was almost wringing my brain for words!"

The Torsten Bell refers to is a one-man musical, Torsten The Bareback Saint ( www.saint-torsten.com ), which ran at Edinburgh Fringe Festival last month. Portraying the titular character, a Century-old, possibly immortal polysexual, Bell sings his way through 22 songs ( the album's available on iTunes ) about lovers, dalliances, disappointments and queerness.

"It was quite heavy," he said. "One guy came from the theater in Manchester and said he hated it, so I'm not sure if it was too close to his own thing. Some of the songs don't reflect very well on the gay scene! One song is called 'This Gay Thing Isn't Working.' So I think it was probably a bit too close to the knuckles. But most of the people who saw it enjoyed it. It was very emotional and tearful to perform—it wasn't bells and whistles like Erasure."

Bell said he hopes to eventually bring the show stateside to San Francisco and NYC for engagements, and that a Torsten part two and three are in the works. "One of my ambitions was to be like a living soap opera, and I think Torsten is that," he added.

Yet what about the "bareback" part of the title, which is as provocative—and polarizing—a term as there is in modern-day gay culture?

Bell, who is HIV-positive and regularly supports, and appears at events for, AIDS-related organizations like the UK's Terrence Higgins Trust ( he praises the late Joan Rivers for an occasion when he was slotted to appear at a London gay club, but when he got sick, she filled in and donated her fee to AIDS research ), explains, "I don't think its about barebacking as such, but it's about your own sexuality belonging to you and there should be no rules. As long as you're not hurting anybody or putting them in danger, unless it's a mutual consented situation. Sexuality should be infinite. Even saying 'gay' and 'straight' becomes a pigeonhole."

The Violet Flame ( Mute ) was released Sept. 23. See www.erasureinfo.com for more details and a tour schedule.


This article shared 8534 times since Wed Sep 24, 2014
facebook twitter pin it google +1 reddit email

Out and Aging
Presented By

  ARTICLES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Gay News

'Rumors' performers create alternative drag playground 2024-03-24
- At first glance, Dorian's Through The Record Shop (1939 W. North Ave.) looks like a brightly-lit shop with a handful of records on the wall, but there's a secret world behind those unassuming shelves. Visitors are ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer musicians, Marvel situation, Elliot Page, Nicole Kidman 2024-03-21
- Queer musician Joy Oladokun released the single "I Wished on the Moon," from Jack Antonoff's official soundtrack for the new Apple TV+ series The New Look, per a press release. The soundtrack, ...


Gay News

THEATER Chicago's City Lit has anxiety on tap with 'Two Hours in a Bar' 2024-03-21
- Two Hours in a Bar Waiting for Tina Meyer by Kristine Thatcher with material by Larry Shue Text Me by Kingsley Day (Book, Music and Lyrics). At: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.. Tickets: ...


Gay News

Lollapalooza announces lineup; SZA, Skrillex among headliners 2024-03-19
- Lollapalooza has released its line-up for the event that's taking place Aug. 1-4 at Grant Park. Headliners include SZA, Blink-182, Skrillex, The Killers, Hozier, Melanie Martinez and Stray Kids, among others. Some of the other acts ...


Gay News

Jamie Barton brings nuances of identity to her Lyric Opera 'Aida' performance 2024-03-18
- Chicago's Lyric Opera is currently featuring a production of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida starring Michelle Bradley as Aida, Jamie Barton as Amneris and Russell Thomas as Radamès. The opera runs through April 7, 2024, with Francesca Zambello ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Lady Gaga, 'P-Valley,' Wendy Williams, Luke Evans, 'Queer Eye,' 'Transition' 2024-03-15
- Lady Gaga came to the defense of Dylan Mulvaney after a post with the trans influencer/activist for International Women's Day received hateful responses, People Magazine noted. On Instagram, Gaga stated, "It's appalling to me that a ...


Gay News

House-music festival on Aug. 30-Sept. 1; icons, Idris Elba to be part of it 2024-03-13
- The ARC Music Festival—an event celebrating house music—will take place Aug. 30-Sept. 1 at Chicago's Union Park, per WGN-TV. This will mark the fourth year that the festival will celebrate the genre at Union Park—less than ...


Gay News

COBRAH slithers into Chicago and brings Feminine Energy 2024-03-08
- COBRAH snaked her way into Thalia Hall, 1807 S. Allport St., for two nights March 7 and 8 for her Succubus Tour. This Swedish-born talent has a way with naughty words and ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Jinkx Monsoon, Xavier Dolan, 'Frida,' Lena Waithe, out singer 2024-03-08
- Two-time RuPaul's Drag Race winner Jinkx Monsoon is headed back to the New York stage, joining off-Broadway's Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey beginning April 2, according to Playbill. The casting makes Monsoon the first drag ...


Gay News

Queer Eye's Jai Rodriguez is set to slay at The Big Gay Cabaret 2024-03-05
- Out and proud performer Jai Rodriguez is set to play at The Big Gay Cabaret this March for three days. Presented by RuPaul Drag Racer Ginger Minj, this monthly series highlights the wide world of cabaret ...


Gay News

THEATER 'R & J' puts a female, queer spin on Shakespeare 2024-03-05
- Romeo and Juliet is the theatrical gift that keeps on giving. It's been reworked for the masses numerous times, whether in direct adaptations or musicals such as West Side Story. Shakespeare's plotline points have even inspired ...


Gay News

THEATER When growth is paramount: Jim Corti helps fuel Aurora theater expansion 2024-03-01
- Out actor/director/choreographer Jim Corti made his Broadway debut in 1974, in the ensemble of Leonard Bernstein's musical Candide. Director Harold Prince's acclaimed Tony Award-winning revival is often cited as a ...


Gay News

SHOWBIZ Queer actors, icons duet, Hunter Schafer, Oscars, Elizabeth Taylor 2024-03-01
- Queer actor Kal Penn is set to star in Trust Me, I'm a Doctor—a film that chronicles the final days of actress/model Anna Nicole Smith, whose overdose death in 2007 at age 39 sparked a tabloid ...


Gay News

'Always Olivia' celebrates Olivia Newton-John at Raue Center 2024-02-26
- From a press release: Always Olivia, a tribute to one of the most celebrated and beloved pop culture icons of all time, the late Olivia Newton-John comes to Raue Center in Crystal Lake on Saturday, May ...


Gay News

Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams's violin stylings help COH mark Black History Month 2024-02-23
- As part of its celebration of Black History Month, Center on Halsted, 3656 N. Halsted St., presented a solo jazz performance by violinist Samuel Savoir-Faire Williams on Feb. 21. The two-hour long performance presented a showcase ...


 


Copyright © 2024 Windy City Media Group. All rights reserved.
Reprint by permission only. PDFs for back issues are downloadable from
our online archives.

Return postage must accompany all manuscripts, drawings, and
photographs submitted if they are to be returned, and no
responsibility may be assumed for unsolicited materials.

All rights to letters, art and photos sent to Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago
Gay and Lesbian News and Feature Publication) will be treated
as unconditionally assigned for publication purposes and as such,
subject to editing and comment. The opinions expressed by the
columnists, cartoonists, letter writers, and commentators are
their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of Nightspots
(Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay,
Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature Publication).

The appearance of a name, image or photo of a person or group in
Nightspots (Chicago GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times
(a Chicago Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender News and Feature
Publication) does not indicate the sexual orientation of such
individuals or groups. While we encourage readers to support the
advertisers who make this newspaper possible, Nightspots (Chicago
GLBT Nightlife News) and Windy City Times (a Chicago Gay, Lesbian
News and Feature Publication) cannot accept responsibility for
any advertising claims or promotions.

 
 

TRENDINGBREAKINGPHOTOS







Sponsor


 



Donate


About WCMG      Contact Us      Online Front  Page      Windy City  Times      Nightspots
Identity      BLACKlines      En La Vida      Archives      Advanced Search     
Windy City Queercast      Queercast Archives     
Press  Releases      Join WCMG  Email List      Email Blast      Blogs     
Upcoming Events      Todays Events      Ongoing Events      Bar Guide      Community Groups      In Memoriam     
Privacy Policy     

Windy City Media Group publishes Windy City Times,
The Bi-Weekly Voice of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans Community.
5315 N. Clark St. #192, Chicago, IL 60640-2113 • PH (773) 871-7610 • FAX (773) 871-7609.