Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
All The News That's Fit To Strip
Model and former Baywatch babe Carmen Electra bared all for Crazy Horse in Las Vegas last weekend. This is Electra's first stint as a Vegas showgirl, but perhaps not the last. She said:"I have so much respect for the beauty and history of Crazy Horse. I am honored to be able to do this. So much of it is based on classical ballet. I hope I can come back to Vegas. For this show, I want to come early to rehearsal and stay late and perform longer. I love doing this and I love live audiences. I really want to perform in Vegas more permanently.”
In other news...
This year the Old Pasadena Film Festival in California is presenting a free screening of Gypsy.
Australian singer Paul Caspis is getting in touch with his saucier side by joining the cast of Moira Finucane's The Burlesque Hour.
The Boston Babydolls premiere a new show tonight. The Wrathskellar, set in the dark underworld of 19th century London, presents a bit of a departure from the usual glitz and glam world of burlesque.
BlackBook chats with Scrappy.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Candy Gram: Immodesty Blaize
In our ongoing Q&A series --"The Candy Gram"-- we ask the same quirky questions of burlesque's various performers. If you want to be added to the mix, drop Tanya Cheex a line at t.cheex AT gmail DOT com. Today, say hello to Miss Exotic World 2007 and the author of Tease, Miss Immodesty Blaize.How long have you been interested in burlesque/performing?
From about the age of 5
How many pairs of pasties do you own?
I’ve never counted. I tend to wear the same few pairs as I have them custom made by my jeweler, but I do seem to have accumulated plenty of novelty, wholly impractical ones.
What are your three favorite songs to perform to?
I get bored easily. It changes. Let’s say Blues In the Night, Stairway to the Stars, and Chivas Regal. I’m determined to work out a way to do classic to ZZ Top some day though.
What three items could you not live without as a performer?
Hot rollers, rhinestones, heels. Oh that’s so unoriginal. But the basics are best!
Who had the biggest influence on your career?
No one has influenced my career. But I have personally been inspired by many things. Everyone knows my main performance muse is Liberace. And then Ava Gardner, Grace Jones, Jayne Mansfield, Divine, Irving Berlin, Claude Cahun, Evelyn Waugh, Russ Meyer, Beardsley, Roy Orbison, French chateaus, Russian orthodox churches, Chinoiserie….so many things.
Who is your favorite burly queen?
You want me to choose? Just one? No way. Obviously our 2009 reigning queen Kalani Kokonuts. Lilly Christine. (The heat!) Zorita. (She’s the reason I have a streak in my hair) Lili St Cyr. Liz Renay. Satan's Angel. April March. Dirty Martini. This is a mean question, choosing only one indeed.
What is your favorite item of clothing?
A simple black Dolce Gabana dress. I can wear it in any country, any time of day, any occasion, TV show, press interview, fashion party, funeral, wedding; it packs down to the size of a pair of Wolford stockings, doesn’t need ironing.
What’s the last movie you saw?
Mommie Dearest. Actually it reminded me of someone I know.
What’s on your must-see-TV list?
I don’t watch much TV. Flight of The Concords, The Wire, Mad Men, I’ll make the effort to watch those. I did a chat show with David Simon (The Wire) recently, I was a little lost for words.
What book is on your nightstand?
Me Cheeta, the autobiography.
If you could go anywhere for vacation, where would you go?
Capri maybe. I can wear diamonds in the sun and sip a mean dry martini, and us Europeans don’t freak out about topless sunbathing. I can’t have tan lines, now can I?
If you could have any superpower, which one would you want? Why?
Time travel. Apart from being able to source the best wardrobe ever, learn the dance of the seven veils first hand, and dine with Robert Mitchum, I wouldn’t mind taking out a few evil dictators with an AK47.
Satisfy your appetite for more Candy Grams: Nasty Canasta, Vivienne Vermuth, Scarlett James, Tura Santana, Tatah DuJour, Susie Caboose, Gigi La Femme, Kitten on the Keys, Virginia D'Vine, Tamara the Trapeze Lady, Champagne Sparkles, Selia Carmichael, Pyra Sutra, Roxi Dlite, Scarlet O'Gasm, Bombshell Betty, Foxy Moxy, Bambi Galore, Mis Rosie Bitts, Sahara Dunes, Mimi Rockafellar, Baby Le Strange, Rose Darling, Satan's Angel, Ophelia Flame, Panache La Plume, Ginger Valentine, Madame Rosebud, Little Brooklyn, Victoria Veneance, Sauci Calla Horra, Penny Starr Jr., Gemma Parker, Darla DeVine, Sparkly Devil, Vivienne VaVoom, Lux LaCroix, Charlotte La Belle Araignee, Bunny Love, Amber Topaz, Amelie Soleil, Red Hot Annie, HoneyLu, Kimberlee Rose, Vicky Butterfly, Dominique Immora, Yasmine Vine, Cherry Bomb, Millie Dollar, Joanie Gyoza, Bonbon Vivant, Lola Martinet, Frankie Boudoir, Vixen Violette, Ravenna Black, Veronica Lashe, Amber Ray, Beatrix von Bourbon, Angie Pontani, Tanya Cheex, Bloody Belle, Clams Casino, Trixie Little, Michelle L'Amour, Margaret Cho, Miss Dirty Martini, Princess Farhana, Miss Delirium Tremens, Paris Green, Jo Boobs, Jack Midnight, Heidi Von Haught, Diamond Minx, The Titillation Twins, Scratch, Creamy Stevens and Gina Louise.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Revealing Images: The Bad, Bad Men
In Revealing Images, photographer Don Spiro dishes up sweet photographic treats and the stories behind them. Today, Don aims his lens at 2008's Miss Exotic World The Bad, Bad Men.
In 2004 the Velvet Hammer added yet another photographer to its alumni list, the amazing Austin Young. He shot a photo session at my place on Sunset Boulevard, the Studio With No Name, and the producers asked me to shoot behind the scenes of Austin working. One of his shots from that night became the cover of the photo book, “The Velvet Hammer Burlesque,” which also contains quite a bit of my own work.
Besides shooting Austin working I also shot the performers who were in the back of the room getting ready to go before the camera. There were a few industrial clip lights set up as work lights so I started using them to illuminate my photos.
The house band, the former “Millionaire and His Maharajahs of Melody,” had tired of their turnbans and decided on a vintage criminal look, thereby becoming “The Millionaire and his Bad, Bad Men.” The band included bandleader Millionaire, whose prior band was the influential Combustible Edison. On drums was Joe Berardi of the Eastside Sinfonettia, Non Credo, and Double Naught Spy Car, who has played with nearly every avante garde musician in Los Angeles and writes soundtracks for film and tv. (At a Velvet Hammer show at the Mayan Theatre he collaborated with Tura Satana: he on snare under a single spotlight while she worked the cymbal with a tassel from her pastie.)
The keyboard player was Kristian Hoffman, formerly of the New York 70’s punk band the Mumps, who had been the writer and arranger for Klaus Nomi and was working with Ann Magnuson and Abby Travis. These three were incredibly influential artists in the subculture music scene and to have them together in the same room, in the same band, was inspiring. I had shot them before and it was always fun.
I took the brightest light and clamped it at a distance from them, off far to the right of camera and just below eye level. The distance would ensure that when the three of them posed the light would illuminate them evenly. I adjusted their pose so that they weren’t throwing shadows on each other and added a second, smaller light further below to bring light to the dark side of their faces and give them a moody, somewhat conspiring tone. If you look into Millionaire’s eyes, you can see the reflection of both lights.
Somehow these three needed little direction: they each found their light and knew exactly what pose to do, as if each could read the others’ thoughts and body language without looking. It made for one of my favorite behind-the-scenes photos.
~Don Spiro
In 2004 the Velvet Hammer added yet another photographer to its alumni list, the amazing Austin Young. He shot a photo session at my place on Sunset Boulevard, the Studio With No Name, and the producers asked me to shoot behind the scenes of Austin working. One of his shots from that night became the cover of the photo book, “The Velvet Hammer Burlesque,” which also contains quite a bit of my own work.
Besides shooting Austin working I also shot the performers who were in the back of the room getting ready to go before the camera. There were a few industrial clip lights set up as work lights so I started using them to illuminate my photos.
The house band, the former “Millionaire and His Maharajahs of Melody,” had tired of their turnbans and decided on a vintage criminal look, thereby becoming “The Millionaire and his Bad, Bad Men.” The band included bandleader Millionaire, whose prior band was the influential Combustible Edison. On drums was Joe Berardi of the Eastside Sinfonettia, Non Credo, and Double Naught Spy Car, who has played with nearly every avante garde musician in Los Angeles and writes soundtracks for film and tv. (At a Velvet Hammer show at the Mayan Theatre he collaborated with Tura Satana: he on snare under a single spotlight while she worked the cymbal with a tassel from her pastie.)
The keyboard player was Kristian Hoffman, formerly of the New York 70’s punk band the Mumps, who had been the writer and arranger for Klaus Nomi and was working with Ann Magnuson and Abby Travis. These three were incredibly influential artists in the subculture music scene and to have them together in the same room, in the same band, was inspiring. I had shot them before and it was always fun.
I took the brightest light and clamped it at a distance from them, off far to the right of camera and just below eye level. The distance would ensure that when the three of them posed the light would illuminate them evenly. I adjusted their pose so that they weren’t throwing shadows on each other and added a second, smaller light further below to bring light to the dark side of their faces and give them a moody, somewhat conspiring tone. If you look into Millionaire’s eyes, you can see the reflection of both lights.
Somehow these three needed little direction: they each found their light and knew exactly what pose to do, as if each could read the others’ thoughts and body language without looking. It made for one of my favorite behind-the-scenes photos.
~Don Spiro
Monday, July 6, 2009
All The News That's Fit To Strip
The Crescent City welcomes a new burlesque festival. In September, producer Rick Delaup will celebrate all things burlesque with striptease showcases, workshops, vendors and more. The New Orleans Burlesque Festival takes place on September 11-13 at the Harrah's Casino in New Orleans. Rick says this is the only festival dedicated to classic burlesque:"The nightly showcases recall the New Orleans of the Forties and Fifties, when New Orleans was known as "The Most Interesting City in America." Bourbon Street was its epicenter, and it became world famous for its concentration of nightclub shows, and the New Orleans Burlesque Festival brings back all of the excitement and glamour of the period."
The line up includes performers from around the country including Michelle L'amour, Jo "Boobs" Weldon and Catherine D'lish.
In other news...
Burlesque troupes aren't just for the east and west coasts anymore. Troupes and soloists are springing up everywhere and Greensboro, N. C. is no exception.
Small-town Pennsylvania fails at their attempt to shut down aerobic striptease classes
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