TheGayGuideNetwork

Pride Party Topsify Playlist — 2023!

GGN Editor — Thu, 01 Jun 2023 17:09:00 +0000

GGN is pumped to welcome back this year’s Pride Party Topsify Playlist!

Just click here and choose your favourite music streaming platform – and get ready to get your queer Pride 2023 party groove on!

Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue (“Padam Padam!”), Cher, Adam Lambert, Britney Spears, Jodie Harsh, Madonna, Bebe Rexha, David Guetta, Beyoncé, Robyn, Charli XCX, Fifty Fifty, Ava Max, Sylvester, and Lizzo and The Spice Girls are just some of the incredible artists bringing you classic and new tracks to help you celebrate Pride 2023!

Enjoy, dance, and have a safe and happy Pride!

-GGN

The post Pride Party Topsify Playlist — 2023! appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

POP CULTURE :: Freddie Mercury, Queen of Them All

GGN — Sun, 28 Oct 2018 20:44:24 +0000

GGN Flashback :: We celebrate the release of Bohemian Rhapsody, the story of Queen and Freddie Mercury, in Canadian theatres November 2nd, with this re-release of a tribute piece published by GGN last year.

Watch for an open-hearted performance from Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) – what he serves is is so buzz-worthy we bet he will garner an Oscar nod and possibly even win – for his Mercury. No one has ever met the challenge of playing the complicated musical genius formerly known as Farrokh Bulsara from Tanzania, East Africa before – imagine how daunting.

Malek’s intelligent performance hinges on Mercury’s humanity, as much as his flamboyance, which is impressive. A lesser actor might have propped their portrayal up with Mercury’s bigness, showing us a caricature instead of a man.

It’s worth seeing such a queer icon immortalized at last in a bio pic, even though the script is thin. We don’t see Mercury’s very busy sex life at all, and his acquiring of HIV/AIDS is downplayed, except as catalyst to drive the story to it’s inevitable conclusion. Then again, packing the life of a band like Queen and its lead singer into 90-odd minutes is impossible, no matter who tries.

Oh and warning: Mercury’s teeth in the film are so awful we had to look away sometimes to give our eyes a rest. Holy chompers. Mind you, the theatre was packed and we sat in the second row.

“More space in the mouth, more range,” as Mercury states early on in the film, to dental detractors. The superstar had a comeback for everything, we learn. We’re glad he’s come back, in spirit, in 20th Century Fox’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

Tickets: https://www.bohemianrhapsodytickets.com

Freddie Mercury was one of the most famous and flamboyant men in rock and roll history.

A man with one of the most powerful singing voices the world has ever heard; a man loved by heterosexual hooligans, glam boys, and everyday people. Freddie Mercury broke the rules. He took the rigid concepts of gender and not only bent them, but transcended them.

Gender Roles

Between the socially accepted extremes of sexuality and gender lies a vast spectrum of anything and everything else. These differences were initially observed by Dr. Alfred Kinsey in the U.S., who devised the Kinsey Scale in 1948 “in order to account for research findings that showed people did not fit into neat and exclusive heterosexual or homosexual categories.”

Kinsey, in his own way, opened the door of social acceptance to the LGBT community proving that human sexuality does not fit into any prescribed gender roles; that most of us fit into the spectrum that is indeed fluid from moment-to-moment. There is much freedom in being authentic and molding one’s own gender.

Glam

Freddie Mercury, Queen, Christmas Eve 1975, Hammersmith Odeon, by Steve Emberton

Gender-bending was part of the fun of the Glam Rock movement that took the UK by storm in the early 1970s, lead by the super sexy and super androgynous Marc Bolen of T. Rex. David Bowie, Gary Glitter, Alice Cooper, and Sweet among others, followed in shocking suit with boys in make-up and long hair, wearing outrageous glitzy costumes and platform boots. While Bolen was a huge Glam influence, the man who fronted Queen took Glam, performance, and popular music to new heights previously unseen.

Of Glam, Freddie Mercury said in 1973, “We’re confident people will take to us, because although the camp image has already been established by people like Bowie and Bolan, we are taking it to another level. The concept of Queen is to be regal and majestic. Glamour is part of us and we want to be dandy. We want to shock and be outrageous instantly.”

The newfound sexual freedom of the time had many people exploring what had been previously considered taboo. Freddie Mercury was no exception – he began his sexual expression with bi-sexual experimentation before fully embracing his homosexuality. “I’m as gay as a daffodil, my dear!” he once said.

The Mercury Image

Photo by Daily Express.com

Freddie was born Farrokh Bulsara, to Persian parents in Zanzibar, attended an English boarding school near Bombay, and settled in the UK in 1964. He was a part of a post-psychedelic 60s movement that spotlighted sexual and gender experimentation and changed rock music forever. Glam inspired the New Romantics of the early 80s and the androgynous metal hair bands of the mid-80s, all the way up to modern acts like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Adam Lambert.

Freddie sang with an amazingly powerful voice with an astonishing range, wrote classic generational anthems, and rocked and inspired millions of people. He predicted his legendary status and thought of himself as a “musical prostitute”. He was a star, he knew it, and he worked it: “I do deliver sex appeal. It’s part of modern rock. I sell sex appeal with my body movements on stage.”

His costumes, part of his onstage persona, were specially designed for him by Zandra Rhodes and later by Diana Moseley – from tight sequined or harlequin jumpsuits to macho leather jackets, and from dreamy floating caftans to regal ermine-trimmed capes, Freddie said, “I dress to kill, but tastefully.”

The Mercury Legacy

Freddie Mercury moved many of us for all sorts of reasons. GGN asked some staffers and friends what Freddie meant to them:

Freddie was a man comfortable in his own skin and that comfort continues to inspire other men to seek and hold their own confidence in their dress and their attitude. I love Madonna but he was the original “Express Yourself”. – Shaun Proulx, Shaun Proulx Media

I think my impression of him now is mostly fantasy. He is wilder, crazier and gayer in my mind’s eye than he could possibly have been in real life. There are some lyrics or bits of live performance that steal you away from the purity of my original listens to the records, but if I go back to my young mind where gay and straight didn’t exist, I can hear Queen the way I like to hear them: without subtext, back story or bias – lovely.” – Mark Wigmore, producer, JazzFM

Freddie Mercury was to my mind one of the gay world’s pioneers. He broke the hard ground of suspicion and intolerance and won acclaim and respect. I am saddened and frustrated by the fact he, and others like him, can’t see today what good he has done in winning us more acceptance. Ironically, I suppose, his loss has been our gain. – Barry

He was the showstopper, no question. He was easily one of the greatest performers ever. Performing was his gift–along with that superb voice! And truthfully, we all knew he was a gender-bender; that is one reason why I became more and more open to lifestyles like his. It made me realize connecting with both sides of our sexuality can produce great talent–the fruits of which will remain unforgettable. – Tim

– GGN

The post POP CULTURE :: Freddie Mercury, Queen of Them All appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

MUSIC :: Maggie Szabo – Don’t Give Up (On Love)

GGN Editor — Thu, 28 Jun 2018 15:53:34 +0000

CANADIAN VIDEO PREMIERE EXCLUSIVE :: Maggie Szabo is the accomplished LA-based Canadian singer-songwriter from in Dundas, Ontario, (13 million YouTube views; Ryan Seacrest debuted her single.)

She is also a rising star for LGBTQ advocacy using her music to conquer social injustice.

Even though Maggie identifies as straight, soon after moving to LA she became “hyper-aware” of LGBTQ issues. In particular she wanted to work with the trans community, especially trans kids. In an interview with GGN publisher Shaun Proulx (hear it below) she expressed her desire for social justice, saying:

“Before any big social movement can be made, I believe that allies need to come together and we all have to help.”

Don’t Give Up is the first single from Maggie’s upcoming EP, Worthy. The song is dedicated to transgender youth around the world who live in fear and suffer from rejection and exclusion, and features the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles (TCLA), with whom she recently performed at LA Pride.

In getting to know many of the people who are part of TCLA she listened to their stories. She learned of the incredible strength of character required for them to come out as trans, and to live their authentic identity. When Proulx asked about what inspires her, she said,

“I love music so much and it’s who I am. If I didn’t put everything I have into it, I wouldn’t be happy. Which is why working with the Trans Chorus really moved me, because we’re all on our own journey. I admire them because they’ve all gone through this huge adjustment in their lives, and when you’re so sure of who you are and what you want, you’re willing to make sacrifices.”

TISSUE ALERT! When I first watched this video I stopped everything. I had tears in my eyes and the hairs on my arms stood straight up. You can feel the passion and truth of the message in the words and the voice of Maggie and the Chorus. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Watch the exclusive Canadian premiere of Maggie’s latest video, “Don’t Give Up” performed with the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles:

Listen to the Shaun Proulx Show Featuring Maggie Szabo:

In her interview on The Shaun Proulx Show, Maggie tells us more about her experience recording “Don’t Give Up”, and the incredible level of enthusiasm she witnessed working with TCLA, even after a long day in the recording studio.

BJ ALERT! And it’s no big surprise to anyone who knows Shaun when he swings the conversation to blow-job territory and how to get a-head (see what I did there?) in the notorious music industry. Listen in now for all the shits and giggles!

Find more about Maggie Szabo, go to her website at AllAboutMaggie.com.

The post MUSIC :: Maggie Szabo – Don’t Give Up (On Love) appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

MUSIC :: Molly Johnson – Beloved Supporter of the LGBT Community

GGN Editor — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 17:49:31 +0000

GGN Publisher, Shaun Proulx met Canadian treasure and Order of Canada recipient Molly Johnson when he first launched Canada’s first LGBT digital magazine in 2002, the very site you are reading right now. Interviewing the former Infidels and Alta Moda front woman turned jazz chanteuse over lunch, Johnson gave him some timeless advice back then, as a creative: “Make it happen. A lot of artists don’t.”

Proulx reminds Johnson of that and how well it has served him in their interview below, celebrating what many are calling Johnson’s best work so far.

“Known as one of Canada’s greatest voices, award-winning jazz vocalist Molly Johnson is a mother, singer-songwriter, artist and philanthropist, who has just released her highly anticipated new album, “Meaning To Tell Ya”.

Molly, mother of two boys, one out as gay, is beloved by the LGBT community for not just her music, style and sass, but for establishing the Kumbaya Foundation and Festival in 1992, which was dedicated to raising awareness and funds for people living with HIV/AIDS.Unlike many fundraisers of its kind, Kumbaya gave all monies raised to the cause.

Hear Molly Johnson In Conversation With Shaun Proulx:

The Legend Claps Back With A Marvin Gaye Cover:

In a new beautifully styled and shot video, Johnson dusts off 1971 activist lyrics that remain relevant now, sadly. Watch Molly Johnson’s latest, Inner City Blues:

Find out more about Molly Johnson, her complete bio, and tour dates on her website, Molly Johnson.

All quotes from Molly Johnson's website.

The post MUSIC :: Molly Johnson – Beloved Supporter of the LGBT Community appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

POP CULTURE :: Your Pride Playlist

GGN — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 21:05:12 +0000

Never underestimate the power of a well-written or timely song. We’ve always been able to count on the artistic community to draw attention to important events or drum up support for pro-social movements, but the humble three-minute ditty remains one of most surprisingly excellent tools for real grassroots change, if only because of its viral earworm capabilities.

If a melody can crawl under your skin and stay there all day, can’t an idea do the same thing? Of course it can! Don’t believe me? Check out some of the venerable artists below who helped shape the LGBTQ rights movement — actually, make that the equal rights movement — throughout the last few decades. Summer is Pride time – so round out your library of activist-inspired, revolution-minded tunes!

Queen & David Bowie: “Under Pressure”

Artwork by Redbubble.com

The late Freddie Mercury and David Bowie both identified as bisexual — a fact that tends to startle the uninitiated, but likely comes as no surprise to folks who’ve listened closely to their lyrics.

Consider the 1981 song “Under Pressure,” in which the two deliver an exceptionally poppy and now-canonical message about thinking differently about love: “Because love’s such an old-fashioned word / And love dares you to care for / The people on the edge of the night / And love dares you to change our way of / Caring about ourselves.”

Melissa Etheridge: “Come to My Window”

Photo by CNN

This 1993 song won a well-deserved Grammy, but its real legacy is as one of Etheridge’s biggest hits after coming out publicly as a lesbian.

For anybody listening casually, the lyrics sound like another radio-ready song about missed chances at love, but in the context of a newly “out” musician singing candidly about a sort of love historically condemned by mainstream society, the song becomes something more, easily approaching anthem status.

Erasure: “A Little Respect”

Photo by Mute Records

Erasure’s 1988 hit “A Little Respect” was a direct response to the British government deciding to ban just about any type of written or televised materials “promoting” gay family relationships and homosexual behavior in general.

Thanks in part to attention brought by Erasure and their contemporaries, this unpopular edict, which sat on Britain’s law books as “Section 28” for 15 years, was finally repealed officially in 2003.

Sam Cooke: “A Change Is Gonna Come”

Photo by Show & Prove Cultural Database

“A Change Is Gonna Come” was released in 1963, shortly after Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind,” which inspired it, and at the height of racial strife in America. While the song is very obviously written from the perspective of a black man experiencing American-style racism and inequality, the lyrics are universal enough that they can still be applied to any of our in-progress slow marches toward equality for all human beings:

“I go to the movie and I go downtown / Somebody keep tellin’ me don’t hang around / It’s been a long, a long time coming / But I know a change gonna come, oh yes it will.”

Pansy Division: “I Really Wanted You”

Punk rock has always been unafraid to bluntly speak truth to power, but it wasn’t until Pansy Division broke onto the scene that the music world received something brand-new: an openly gay punk band. They were the very first group and possibly the last one since, to identify in such a way.

Their 1996 album “Wish I’d Taken Pictures” is a pretty clear indication that the group wished to live without pretense or apology. Songs like “I Really Wanted You” depict the nuanced continuum of human sexuality as the speaker thinks back to a lover he lost to an unlikely romantic rival.

Janet Jackson: “Free Xone”

“He was on an airplane / Sittin’ next to this guy / Said he wasn’t too shy / And he seemed real nice / Until he found out he was gay / That’s so not mellow.”

Janet Jackson’s 1996 song “Free Xone” is a catchy, free-wheeling glimpse into the no-rules world of love and sex practiced responsibly and without expectation or condemnation. The “scene” on the plane is the song allowing itself a moment of solemn contemplation about subtle bigotries before becoming a groovy, eminently memorable song about how much more pleasant the world could be if we loved each other the way we love ourselves.

Get Listening!

These are just six tunes to get you started — the truth is, there are lots of songs out there to choose from if you like your music fun but with a fiercely pro-social streak. For more, check out Pride Month playlists from the likes of Toronto’s Panic! At the Disco, plus Billboard’s roundup of another 50 LGBT anthems spanning the last few decades.

By Kate Harveston, political journalist and blogger

The post POP CULTURE :: Your Pride Playlist appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GEORGE MICHAEL :: Soul Free

GGN — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 00:20:02 +0000

POP CULTURE :: It was a quite Christmas Day in the evening and all my friends and family had left with their bellies full of turkey and cheer. I decided to go online and to my despair I read George Michael had died. Of course thinking this was another internet hoax I did my diligent research and to my dismay it was true. George Michael passed away at the age of 53 at his home in Goring, England. His publicist, Cindi Berger, said he had not been ill. Michael’s manager, Michael Lippman, says the cause of death was heart failure. His family issued a statement through Thames Valley Police saying he “passed away peacefully at home over the Christmas period.”

My heart sunk. My joyful mood turned sullen. And my eyes welled up with tears as I remembered the impact George Michael had on my life. I grew up listening to Wham! and then to him as a solo artist.

Remember the neon t-shirts Wham! made popular with the words “CHOOSE LIFE” written on the front of them? Well, they were designed by Katharine Hamnett (Inspired by a Buddhist exhibit, it was a comment against war, death and destruction). Wham! Wore these t-shirts in their 1984 video “Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go”. Funny how 34-years later that statement holds just as much truth then as it does now.

Michael’s voice was soothing and intoxicating. He captured me through his soft, whispery vocal stories which enticed me to listen, sing-a-long, and think about what the song was about.

What I appreciated about George was that he wasn’t afraid to express sex within his music and videos, whether it be same sex, straight sex, touching on religious taboos, and peering into domination. He did this right from the start of his career. He knew what he wanted express and went for it.

Remember “I Want Your Sex”? Well this video generated controversy over its sexual themes. In 2002, MTV2’s countdown of “MTV’s Most Controversial Videos Ever to Air on MTV” included this video sitting at #3. Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” was #1

George loved fashion and helped many models during the 90s propel their careers through his videos. “Too Funky” (1992) was a colourful video where Moulin Rouge met Vegas. The video was made to raise money for AIDS research. The Harley-Davidson bustier seen in this video has been featured in Beyoncé’s Sasha Fierce visuals.

As a solo artist, he developed into a more serious singer and songwriter, praised by critics for his tremendous vocal range. He earned numerous Grammy and American Music Awards, and recorded duets with such legends as: Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Elton John.

He sold 100 million records throughout his career worldwide. His debut solo album, “Faith” (1987), sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. He had five studio albums, three compilation and live albums, two extended plays, 44 singles, three promotional singles, five video albums, and 35 music videos.

Just before his passing George was a 2017 nominee for the “Songwriters Hall of Fame”. This accolade should he win will recognize his work and contribution as a composer and lyricists who created music around the world. He’s has been nominated as a performer/songwriter for his extensive catalogue of song writing credits including, “Careless Whisper’” “Father Figure” and “Wake Me Up Before you Go-Go”.

During the end of 2016 George was putting his finishing touches onto his documentary “Freedom”. He discovered some incredible, unseen archive footage and shot additional interviews for the project, the film was to air March 2017. This documentary was to coincide with the 1990 reissue of the “Listen Without Prejudice” album. The film will reportedly focus on the late artist’s career, rather than his personal life, and features interviews with Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Tony Bennett, James Corden, Ricky Gervais and more. It has been narrated by George himself.

When I was a teen I proudly wore my “CHOOSE LIFE” t-shirt and anything neon thanks to Wham! As I grew into a young adult so did Michael’s vocals and songs grow with me.

He was my pop musical father. He supported those with AIDS and mental illness such as depression. He will forever live in my musical memory and dancing heart as the singer who showed me through his songs it was OK for me to be free; to be the colourful person I am without having to make excuses for my fashion style, quirky personality, and the unique lifestyle I wanted to live and have since made for myself.

I love him.

I miss him.

George Michael’s #1 Hit of all Time: “Faith” (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lu3VTngm1F0

George Michael’s #2 Hit of all Time: “Carless Whisper” (1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izGwDsrQ1eQ

Wham’s (George Michael’s) #3 Hit of all Time: “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” (1984)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIgZ7gMze7A

George Michael’s #4 Hit of All Time: One More Try (1987)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG5N3GC-m20

– Be sure to LIKE Miss Raquel on Facebook. Follow Miss Raquel on Twitter (This is where the dirt is dished!)

The post GEORGE MICHAEL :: Soul Free appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

INTERVIEW :: Fritz Helder, Force Of Nature

GGN — Thu, 10 Mar 2016 18:23:55 +0000

FRITZ HELDER IS A FORCE OF NATURE AND SO ARE YOU :: In London, England recently, GGN publisher Shaun Proulx caught up with Canadian provocateur Fritz Helder, known from Azari & III, and of course, Fritz Helder & The Phantoms, the first act Nelly Furtado signed to her record label.

Helder shared the smart ideas within his astonishing new solo single, ‘Force Of Nature‘, and why he thinks many of us are slaves, while at the same time also forces of nature.

Shaun Proulx: You made the decision to get on a plane with no game plan, and come to London. Many would say, “Don’t do that – not without having something to go to.”

Fritz Helder: I think if I had a plan, I wouldn’t have left. I like not having a plan. I’m intrinsically lazy, being a Leo. I like to lay around. So not having a plan made me kind of light the fire under my ass, because here, especially if you live in London, if you don’t do something, you’re dead. I really needed that kind of 19-year-old energy, when the world’s your oyster, and you think everything is possible..

SP: When I left finance, I knew I had no plan except I wanted to be a creative person. So I think everybody would benefit from just getting on a plane and coming to London as you have, metaphorically speaking.

FH: You have to know inside that you are a fighter, because not everyone likes to fight. I like to fight. I like the hard way around things. My parents used to say that I never take the easy route around. I just like to learn that way, so I feel that knowing that about myself, and whatever did happen here, I would make something happen. I’m lucky that way that I know that about myself, but yeah, I think it’s important for everyone to shake it up.

SP: ‘Force of Nature’ is your solo single. You consider yourself one, obviously.

FH: I guess. I never did before though. I think the kind of cool thing about this single is that it’s just cool to be comfortable in my skin, enough to make that kind of claim. Although before, in the past, wearing the heels and the big outfits, I think a lot of that was a disguise, a lot of insecurity, so now I’ve been able to actually vocalize how I was visually expressing myself, and it’s a new thing for me, so yeah, maybe I am a force of nature.

SP: I’ve interviewed you a few times. You always had a wig on, shoes…something. Now you’re sitting here in jeans, and nice blazer, sneakers, and a chapeau. There’s more you coming out of the ‘nothing’ of that, for me. Vulnerability is endearing, yes?

FH: Yes. It’s endearing but it’s scary as hell, you know? When you’re used to covering up, stripping that all away is the scariest thing. But I knew I had to do it, in order to move forward as a creative person. I’ve done all that other stuff already. This is pre-Gaga. We were doing that years ago, so it’s just old and tired.

SP: When you’re an artist, and you are a visionary, which I think you are, and a force of nature, which I think you are: it is a lonely life – yes or no?

FH: Extremely, but don’t feel sad for me. I like being lonely, and I get my energy from myself, you know? I’m self-contained that way. I mean I fill up the battery, and then I express it to everybody, and retreat away again. I don’t know where it comes from, but it doesn’t come from external sources, really. It’s this fire inside of me that just needs to build it up again and push it out.

SP: Themes in ‘Force Of Nature’ seem anti-establishment and anti-money, yet I know you. So what are you doing?

FH: I love luxurious things. I love beauty. I think that what I don’t love is money. I think money as a concept is complete bullshit, but we all know that. I think we’re the only creatures in general, that have to pay to live on this planet. That bothers me, a lot. We have to pay to live here, but who are we paying? That bothers me a lot.

I’m trying to ask a question, like how come you can have these different systems that are set up to, I guess, to help us live, but we don’t get anything out of them? We can always create beautiful things without money. I don’t think that part of it should ever go away, but ‘Force of Nature’ is just realizing the we’re all on this earth, and I feel like we’ve gotten to this point where we think we’re bigger than, or above our natural state, which is troublesome to me as well.

SP: I saw something on social media that said, “The planet is X-trillions of dollars in debt…” and then it asked: “To who?”

FH: How can the planet be in debt? Who is it paying, and why is it in debt? It’s all make-believe.

SP: I’m living at the home of a long-time girlfriend while here. We worked together at a brokerage house in the 90’s. I left finance for a lot of the reasons you’re talking about. She’s still in finance and will say the following: “I’m in the game, but I know that it’s a game.”

FH: It is slavery. I can’t say anything more than that. It is slavery. But the thing is, there are more of us than there are of them. We don’t have to do anything, nothing is going to happen. An asteroid is not going to fall from space and kill us if we don’t. If we just stop doing it, it’s over. That’s the joke. If we just stopped, what are they going to do, kill us all? That’s the part that no one seems to realize. We ultimately are the most powerful, we’re the force of nature, but we’re in this prison, this imaginary cell. Look at what’s happening in Syria, we abide by imaginary borders; these lines on this earth that don’t exist. You can’t come over here because this is Canada, and this is the US.

SP: This is a very evolved point of view.

FH: It’s only because I’ve been in the music industry for so long! Talk about false situation. Having so many pies thrown in my face, after working so hard, and having a great time. I’ve had an amazing time, but always realizing that I’m working for somebody else all the time.

SP: Tell us about your worst pie.

FH: The worst pie when I was with Fritz and the Phantoms and we were doing our thing, we thought we were going to change the world, break out, and become this huge thing. We realized that we were just lining a lot of people’s pockets, and we were just a number in a long queue of people, a long queue of clients, and no matter what we did, unless they wanted us to succeed, we weren’t going to succeed, no matter how hard we tried, no matter what we did to prove that we were worthy of it, it wasn’t on the agenda for those people, and it wasn’t going to happen, and that was a huge thing to realize.

SP: The reason why I’m about a #ThoughtRevolution is I have come to understand is that the key to happiness is to re think all the ideas that you have that hold you back. The ideas you have held all your life and the idea you just had that made you feel awful thinking it. You, me, everyone, are HERE to find happiness on your terms. That is how to not feel like a slave or better how to not be a slave. To anything or anyone.

FH: The universe has been watching my back since the beginning, and that’s a lesson to realize. I’ve had such an amazing life, so to focus on all the bad things, and all the things that didn’t go well is the wrong thing to do. You look at the bigger picture of things that did go well. I’m incredibly successful in that regard, so I can’t complain. You forget that you have so much.

SP: We forget that we are forces of nature, all of us. I didn’t hear that in the song, and it makes me love the song even more. You say, I’m a force of nature, but what you’re saying is we all are.

FH: You sing it to yourself. You sing “I”. You don’t sing “You”. I hope when you sing it to yourself, it becomes your mantra for yourself, when you’re walking down the street for your job interview, or wherever it is. If I’m going to do this, I need to help people out.

SP: This is the intention.

FH: Yeah, for sure, because that’s the music that I listen to, and I feel like we’re at a pivotal time right now, where if you’re going to be an entertainer, or the entertainment industry, I feel like you have to choose a side; you can choose to be an enslaver or you can free people.

SP: That’s own why I own my work now, and have for six years, and why I am picky about working anywhere else. It’s about having control of your output, control of your message, control of what you say. What do you mean in the song when you sing, “my enemies have fallen before”?

FH: People who are out to kick over the crap bucket, out to keep blowing you down, they always fall. They always do – you don’t have to worry about it. You don’t actually have to make any plans to destroy anybody, or go back and be vengeful, they’ll just take care of themselves.

SP: There have been times I have made this joke: I wish I was a type of person who knew somebody with a baseball bat: “I wish I was the guy who knew truly nasty characters, because I’m so mad right now about so and so.” But what I always know is that the universe is going to sort them out, that they are already their own worst karma.

FH: For sure, and you don’t have to waste your time on it at all.

SP: I’m so proud of you and adore you. I love watching your success. I respect that you moved continents, and you inspire people, you inspire me.

FH: Don’t you stop. I adore you too.

– Shaun Proulx is the publisher of GGN. Join his #ThoughtRevolution on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and hear him every weekend on SiriusXMCanadaTalks 167 or online here.

This interview was condensed and edited. All images are copyright and used with permission.

The post INTERVIEW :: Fritz Helder, Force Of Nature appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

MUSIC :: Five Things I Learned At Madonna’s Rebel Heart

GGN — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 18:50:41 +0000

INSIDE THE BEAT OF MADONNA’S REBEL HEART – GGN EXCLUSIVE BY PHILIP TETRO :: Last night I saw my sixth Madonna concert: The Rebel Heart Tour played Toronto’s Air Canada Centre for the first of two sold out nights and I was blessed enough to have amazing seats. So amazing that I had no idea how close I was to the stage until I got to the venue. Needless to say, I was elated and I don’t think my soul has completely reentered my body again since. As I’m writing this in a Madonna-drenched state of euphoria, I recount the five biggest lessons I learned last night.

1) Who’s That Girl?

As a Madonna fan for as long as I can remember, there are certain songs that mean more to me than others and it’s almost as if Madonna knew last night exactly what I wanted to hear. “Who’s That Girl” is a song, a movie and a tour that Madonna has seemingly wanted to forget for almost thirty years. She brought the song back for this tour and it’s absolutely thrilling to know that even Madonna after all this time can appreciate some of her own classic work instead of constantly trying to move onto the next thing. But it’s not like I don’t already know who that girl is – bitch, she’s Madonna.

2) Touched For The Very First Time

I didn’t realize how much I loved the song “Like a Virgin” until last night. Maybe it’s because the last time I saw her perform it she slowed it down and for this tour, Madonna speeds it up and gets undressed and lets loose and has fun! She looks the best she ever has during this performance and maybe that’s what does it for me: the song finally touched me…for the very first time.

3) Non-Madonna Fans Get It

I always thought I was in a league of my own as Madonna fan – I always looked down upon people who were fans of anyone but Madonna because I felt they truly didn’t understand how amazing an artist she is. Last night I brought friends who “like” Madonna but had no idea just what they were in for. It was exciting for me to see how constantly shocked and awe-struck they were with every performance and how appreciative they were of the production value in Madonna’s show. I feel as though I was doing them a favour by letting them have this experience and I’m honoured to have been a conduit to their enlightenment.

4) She’s Ageless

From the moment Madonna’s face flashes on the screens at the beginning of the show, you see just how beautiful she is and how she doesn’t look a day over 40. She’s tight in all the right places and looks as smooth as a baby’s bottom. But there was a youthfulness about her energy last night as well that complemented her great skin – she seemed young. A true testament to how age isn’t what you are, it’s how you feel and Madonna was definitely feeling it last night. Her playfulness was magnetic and everyone was eating it up.

5) Madonna Hates A Tough Crowd

Madonna’s gone on record several times saying how much she loves playing to Toronto audiences, but last night she kept telling us how depressed we seemed and to “wake up!” I personally thought the crowd was great, but if The Queen tells you to wake up, you better get outta bed! There was a lot of audience interaction (she acknowledged my presence twice – probably because she was wondering why I didn’t stop crying throughout the entire show). Nobody was more depressed, though, than Nelly Furtado who Madonna brought on stage as the “Unapologetic Bitch” of the night. She was stiff and uncomfortable and seemed like she didn’t really want to be there whatsoever. Definitely not the kind of bitch Madonna was looking for.

The Rebel Heart Tour is by far the best show Madonna’s put on in years, probably since The Confessions Tour in 2006. It had amazing arrangements, the set-list was an amazing mash of old and new hits and Madonna was again just having the time of her life. She seems happy with herself and isn’t mad anymore…except at Nelly Furtado, I’m sure.

– Philip Tetro is the world’s foremost Madonnaologist.

The post MUSIC :: Five Things I Learned At Madonna’s Rebel Heart appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

MUSIC :: The Defected Closing Party Ibiza 2015

GGN — Wed, 16 Sep 2015 18:12:50 +0000

GGN MUSIC REVIEW :: The Defected Closing Party Ibiza 2015 All seasons and their parties must come to an end, and to commemorate this is Defected’s sumptuous release of The Closing Party Ibiza 2015 which dropped September 4th on iTunes.

If you have been to Ibiza then you know the closing parties are always a time of celebration. It’s when club owners, promoters, DJs and clubbers come together to make the most of the last few weeks of madness. Naturally, house music in Ibiza plays a huge part in this, and what better way to soundtrack this period than with The Closing Party Ibiza 2015.

This EP features the Defected sounds of summer 2015 and a few nods which are varied from soothing vocals, deep house, classic house references, to deep, hard, fists in the air throw downs; Defected once again shows their sound prowess – this is a keeper for the ages.

Included on this release are 42 summer Defected favourites: Technasia & Green Velvet – Suga, Copyright – Diva, Dj S.K.T – Dirty, Cristoph feat. Jem Cooke – Slowly Burning (Dub), Dantiez Saunderson & KPD feat. LaRae Starr – Place Called Home (Cristoph Remix), The Juan MacLean’s – A Simple Design, and Tim Deluxe – Tryin’ Find a Way (Club Mix). The nods include: Huxley – I Want You (Deetron Remix), Sonny Fodera feat. Kwame – Roll with Me, and Dyone – Only Love Can Set U-Free (Bicep Remix).

As we near the end of summer 2015 you can be sure I will be jamming it up with my pink headphones on dancing with my puppy Dalton to The Closing Party Ibiza 2015.

The post MUSIC :: The Defected Closing Party Ibiza 2015 appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

PRIDE 2015 :: Turn Up The Rdio

GGN — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 22:33:47 +0000

PLAYLIST :: Our friends at Rdio Canada are celebrating Pride season across Canada with 100 songs curated to make sure your 2015 is loud and proud. Happy Pride from GGN and Rdio Canada!

The post PRIDE 2015 :: Turn Up The Rdio appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

Gay Guide To The Good Life :: Full of Pride

GGN — Tue, 02 Jun 2015 19:27:10 +0000

Playlist:: GGN is Full of Pride! As our hometown, Toronto, gears up for Pride festivities at the end of June, we here at GGN are warming up with some hot beats by Maroon 5, Daft Punk, Adam Lambert plus many more. Happy Pride Toronto – and around the world! PS: Ever thought of celebrating Pride in different city for a change?

Hear more playlists.

The post Gay Guide To The Good Life :: Full of Pride appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GAY GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE :: Is It Summer Yet?

GGN — Tue, 12 May 2015 21:43:14 +0000

PLAYLIST :: As of this writing we’ve turned the heat back on; it snowed in Calgary this week. Clearly not summer yet, so let music be your sunshine – with super new Britney Spears, plus Ciara and Calvin Harris, here on your gay guide to the good life (where toques right before the Victoria Day long weekend are considered sexy).

Hear more playlists.

The post GAY GUIDE TO THE GOOD LIFE :: Is It Summer Yet? appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Spring Into Pop

GGN — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 11:59:47 +0000

The-Gay-Guide-Network-Your-Gay-Guide-To-The-Good-Life-Playlist

PLAYLIST:: Shed the scarf, toss the toque, banish the blankets, eyeball those espadrilles. Your gay guide to good life’s latest playlist springs into pop.

Hear more playlists.

The post GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Spring Into Pop appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: New Classics

GGN — Fri, 06 Mar 2015 17:45:29 +0000

PLAYLIST :: A classic is something that is never finished saying what it has to say. Your gay guide to good life’s lastest playlist features the artists and songs whose messages and beats will keep speaking forever. From Blondie to MJ, The Police to Madonna – these songs are eternal and sound as new today as they did the first time we heard them:

Hear more playlists.

The post GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: New Classics appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Love Is In The Air

GGN — Thu, 12 Feb 2015 22:47:57 +0000

PLAYLIST :: We don’t know if we’re being foolish; we don’t know if we’re being wise. But it’s something we must believe in: a great playlist celebrating the season of love. It’s in the air this time of year – and now your ears: enjoy this free 43-song playlist that includes tracks from Beyonce, Rhianna, Macy Gray, Sade and The Smiths – from your gay guide to good life.

Hear more playlists.

The post GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Love Is In The Air appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

JIMMY SOMERVILLE :: Homage To Disco

GGN — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 22:13:33 +0000

GRAB ONTO OPTIMISM :: Angel-voiced Scotsman Jimmy Somerville first rose to queer icon status in the 1980’s, singing Bronski Beat’s gay anthem “Small Town Boy”. The song’s upfront video, which showed a young gay man leaving smothering suburbia and mum and dad in bold pursuit of homoerotic misadventures in the big city, was especially on the leading edge of sexual politics and freedom, striking a deep cord with young gay people around the world.

As Somerville gets set to release Homage, his tribute to disco on March 10th (pre-order here), GGN publisher Shaun Proulx spoke to the star in London about his music new and old, the nature of risk, and how in the end, all we really want is for someone to pass us a tambourine.

Shaun Proulx: I feel so lucky to be able to talk to you, Jimmy. You have no idea what kind of influence you had on me. I was small town boy hungry for a taste of who I really was, and like so many others, I recognized myself in the song and video with such truth I would make sure my parents weren’t watching me watching you. You must hear things like that a lot though.

Jimmy Somerville: I have, and it’s really strange, because for quite a good part of my life I used to feel uncomfortable with it. It took a while to realize the song and the video were not about me really, it’s almost as though I was some kind of a vessel to carry something I really believed in. There’s a message in that song, there’s a message in the video, and it came out of honesty, it came out of indignation, and all that stuff about what I believed in, and what was really firing me up at such a young age. So it’s a very powerful, powerful song, I believe, and that’s why I think it’s such an enduring and lasting influence. I’m really proud to be part of it, and that’s part of my history too.

SP: Did you know you were being a trailblazer?

Jimmy Somerville: I knew that as soon as I gave up my anonymity it was going to be controversial, because when I gave up my anonymity, I was also seeing who I was, where I was coming from, what I believed in, what my passions were, and I was also coming from a political agenda as well, because that was the early 80’s, and that was the real explosion of sexual politics. I was turned into the gay singer, and it would have been nice to be the singer who happened to be gay. But I guess because I was younger, and I had that energy, and that fire in my gut, the only thing I could come back to was the truth, so that’s where I was coming from.

SP: Soon after your small town boy got to the big city, this small town boy got to one too. And once again, there you were. Just when I’m exploring my sexuality and going out to bars, and getting laid a lot, and falling in love a lot, dancing a lot – you are in the orbit with “You Make Me Feel So Mighty Real”, “Never Can say Goodbye”. And here we are all these years later, as you are bursting back into disco-mode again. What is it with disco?

Jimmy Somerville: I think the difference is, with this album, I really truly am bursting into disco. Homage is not like a pastiche of disco, we’ve done this out of love for disco. Disco gets a bad name, it’s under-rated, it gets dismissed, people are very flippant about disco. But the actual process of how it was made – and the process I understand because of me making this album – it is an amazing process because everyone who’s been involved in this project just got so excited, they were loving it, and they gave a lot to it, and I suddenly realized that must have been what it was like, back in the day, when disco was just starting in the early 70’s. There was this whole just having fun in the studio, having fun creating these tracks that you wanted to dance to, and that you wanted to escape to, and just get some relief from what was actually going outside your front door.

I didn’t understand that, and I really appreciate that now, and it’s such an organic process as well. All this was live, the back-end vocals, the strings, the horns, the rhythm section. Everything is as much a part of it as I am, because as soon as I stop singing, and you have this great horn arrangement, you don’t think about the singer, you actually think, wow! These horns are amazing! It’s that kind of thing. I had a great experience and fantastic process doing this album, so this really is kind of like me stepping into disco. Stepping in and stepping out.

SP: Freedom is the word that I think of when I think of disco. Definitely it’s how I feel when I hear disco. You mentioned strings and horns, but did someone pass you a tambourine?

Jimmy Somerville: Yeah, of course! Isn’t that from a Sandra Bernhard movie, and she’s on the dance floor, and she says, “Someone passed me a tambourine!” That was so great!

SP: This feels like it’s due almost, a celebration of disco.

Jimmy Somerville: It’s kind of strange for me personally. I’ve never wanted so much to grab onto optimism; I’ve never wanted so much to grab onto escapism as well. We really are living in times when we are so gripped by fear. I definitely believe that when we live in fearful times, we start to become insular, and that doesn’t help because we just watch people all time on their devices. It’s just heads down, not checking anyone out, and when you’re not checking anyone out, you’re not actually looking to see what am I getting from this person, what’s their energy, and what is this person about, how do they feel? For me, I’m becoming more aware of what’s on the news, and we’ve created this “war-zone”, which is just surrounding us, and I just think, “You know what? Somebody just pass me a tambourine!”

SP: I’m going to put out a t-shirt that says that. I want to ask you about the idea of risk. Certainly you’ve taken risks, as you’ve described, taking maybe a bit of a risk with your new album of disco. What do you say to people reading this, about the concept of risk, and what kind of influence has it played in your life, taking risk?

Jimmy Somerville: I guess there’s healthy risk, and unhealthy risk, so I know both sides of that, from being a gay man, and being a young gay man, especially being around in the 80’s and all that, and the risks I took career-wise, and politically, and personally. So I understand that, but for me, Homage is a healthy risk, and it’s good. When I started to do this project, I really believed in it, and I wanted to do it, so I didn’t think, “Oh, this is all about the certain style, which is happening at the moment”. That doesn’t really concern me, it’s about me kind of letting loose what’s inside, and I’m letting loose something actually quite positive, something quite nice, because I do have that capacity to let loose some other stuff as well. I’m side-stepping the monster, and letting something really good loose.

SP: I like it when you let something really good loose. I want to say thank you again, for the influence you had on me, that you don’t even have a clue about that, and I wish you great success with Homage.

Jimmy Somerville: Thank you very much, that’s very kind of you.

Limited time only! Side-step the monster and grab onto optimism. Order your limited-edition “Someone Pass Me A Tambourine” tee inspired by this interview – before they’re gone!

The post JIMMY SOMERVILLE :: Homage To Disco appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

MELISSA ETHERIDGE :: A Light Bigger Than Music

GGN — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 16:11:34 +0000

MUSIC :: Legendary superstar Melissa Etheridge‘s warm, heartfelt and personal new album, This is ME, is out now. GGN publisher Shaun Proulx spoke to the icon about her new music, the nature of risk, and how she points back to the cancer experience she had a decade ago as reason why she began seeing the world in a completely different light.

SP: How are you?

Melissa Etheridge: I’m doing good, so happy to be talking to you.

SP: As you get older do you find you’re willing to expose a little bit more of ME, as you would say?

Melissa Etheridge: I think as I’m getting older I’m realizing that indeed, this life is a journey. That you don’t ever get somewhere, and go, “Hey, I got here!”, and that’s it. It’s always unfolding and becoming, that I try to bring that into my music, I try to explain. Everyone’s here, absolutely to do what they do, but if my music inspires you in any way, let me share it with you.

SP: In the lyrics to A Little Bit of Me you’re saying: “we’re all one, and the world goes round and round” – that we’re all affecting each other, and I’ve got tell you, that’s a theme that I’m understanding now, at 46 more than ever. We are all connected, which kind of sounds like a telecommunications ad, I know. But we are. None of us are separate entities, none of us.

Melissa Etheridge: Yes, you can call it wisdom, or you can call it an awakening that is happening all over the world, and has been slowly happening for the last decades. There’s a sense of, “Wait a minute, there’s a little bit more going on here, that we’ve all got it. We’re all very diverse in how we’re handling this life, and we’re doing what our purpose is, and what our religion is, or our spirit, what we believe in. We’re all different, yet you can find this oneness, this commonality in everything. We’ve searched the whole world now, and there’s a commonness that kind of, if you really take it in, if you really think about it, there really is a oneness that I don’t ever have to be afraid or say, “that stranger might want to hurt me”. That’s also in myself too, it’s this very subtle line.

SP: I’m finding it’s harder for me to dislike people.

Melissa Etheridge: Yes! We have more empathy, don’t we?

SP: There are still people, don’t get me wrong, I pick my battles a little bit more. Empathy rises up faster in me. There’s a big scandal going on in Canada right now, over one of our beloved broadcasters who is accused of some terrible things, and I’m having a hard time not feeling bad for him, despite the things he’s been accused of doing. I’m having a hard time. I’m kind of worried for him, and I think that’s what you represent really beautifully in your music, and the output that you do. I told you this before off the air, you said something to me the last time we spoke, and I wrote it down. It’s being living in my office ever since, do you remember your own smart words Melissa Etheridge?

Melissa Etheridge: Oh boy!

SP: “The strongest, most powerful thing you can do in your country, in your town, on your street, in your family, is to love yourself. It’s to come to a place inside yourself, knowing that your creator made you perfect, you’re the way you’re supposed to be, and if you can hold on to that, and vibrate with that, you affect your family, your town, your country.” I get chills!

Melissa Etheridge: You’re so sweet! Sometimes, and this will start happening to you, your words will come back to you just when you need them.

SP: Really?

Melissa Etheridge: Write that down, because I really needed to hear that – for myself – today. Thank you!

SP: When you began your career in ’88, if you had any idea this would be part of the trajectory you’re on?

Melissa Etheridge: Oh no, I just wanted to be rich and famous. I thought that was a destination, but alas, it is not. It’s not even a desire.

SP: Tell us, in this fame-obsessed world, as one of the more famous women in the world, what your feelings about fame are.

Melissa Etheridge: Fame is a crazy thing. Fame is a very, very potent flame! It’s a fire that consumes you, and can just turn you into ashes if you don’t know what’s going on. It’s a energy that comes off of a whole lot of people, and it’s everyone thinking one thing at the same time, and you can feel it energetically. I have ridden different waves of fame, and have learned, “Ok, that’s a part of me, and it’s all good, and there’s certainly a lot of benefits that come from it, and there’s a lot of negative stuff that come from it, and it just is. So fame is a part of my life, and in this day and age, there’s nothing you can hide.

SP: What are your thoughts and beliefs about the idea of taking risks, especially in the career you’re in.

Melissa Etheridge: It has to do with how you interpret risk. Risk is an emotion, risk is a judgment on something. Last year I made a huge choice to change my management, I changed all my people, and I felt it could be risky. I also got off my record label. I made a big leap that could have been risky, yet I took a risk.

SP: Were there fears leaving your management, leaving your people, changing things up? Those are tangible things. They are people with feelings, so you say it in an easy way, but there must have been anxiety or fear.

Melissa Etheridge: I had to walk into my manager’s office, and he’s been my manager for 30 years.

SP: Ugh!

Melissa Etheridge: Believe me, for days, I needed to breathe, I had to meditate on it: I’m going to go in, I mean no harm, I’m coming from love about all of this, there’s no bad. I just walked in, and it came from love, and it was a beautiful experience, and he said thank you, and it was great.

SP: Have you always been someone who would meditate on it? Think about your intention? Walk in on management with love…were you always like that?

Melissa Etheridge: No, this started about ten years ago. I come from the mid-west. In Kansas I feel we’re in common with Canadians actually. There’s a politeness, you’re nice to people, you work hard, and you take care of your family and people around you. That’s just what we’ve grown up with, we’re raised with, so sometimes, if you take that too far, if you begin to take care of people’s feelings and you think you are going to make them feel a certain way, and you believe you have that power to do that, you can limit yourself – and I was doing that a lot. I was getting very far, yet limiting in my personal relationships, in my business relationships, myself on stage. It’s been such a journey, and ten years ago I was diagnosed with cancer, and I was just, Woah! Wait a minute! This is not the way the movie ends! What is this? I really took that as a wake-up call to find my power, find my strength, my life-force. That’s what keeps us moving through this life. I’m at age now, I see people passing away, and I understand it’s a force, it’s a life-force, and I intend to be around for a long time.

SP: Do you think the cancer was the sum of all the parts you saw before that, of not necessarily being your full self, not necessarily honouring yourself, not necessarily looking after yourself first? Do you think that those things dove-tail together?

Melissa Etheridge: I do, and I get in a lot of trouble sometimes when I talk about that, because people have a hard time hearing that maybe we have a responsibility in our health. We have a responsibility to ourselves, that what we think about ourselves, the emotions we feel inside, in the food we take in, absolutely dictates what our self is, that’s what my deep belief is. I come across some people who get very upset about that. There’s a certain comfort in thinking that disease just happens to you, and that you can get sick because of a gene, or something. I struggle with that.

SP: I was diagnosed HIV-positive in 2005, and for the last 10 years, almost, I’ve never been sick. I live a very productive, healthy life, and it’s in agreement with you, that I say this, it’s because of the way I think about it, the way I treat it, the way I treat myself, the gentle way in which I handle my life, and myself, the food I eat, the thoughts I think, the meditating I do, and none of it out of desperation or anything. I was always at peace with the diagnosis – I think that my first correct step, being at peace with it was one of the things that taught me to be responsible for this diagnosis that I had been given – so that all it ever was, was a diagnosis, and it wasn’t Shaun. I hear you. Before we stop, I just want to say this: I think that you carry a light that’s bigger than your music, and I’m feeling it right now, just talking to you for the second time. I think you’re just a wonderful person, and I want to say thank you.

Melissa Etheridge: Shaun, I think I’m going to call you, whenever I need a lifting up, because this is perfect! I was like, what is my life about, and you’re just how the universe can be! It can just give you what you need, right there. Life is happening for us, not to us. I love you, Shaun.

SP: I love you too.

The post MELISSA ETHERIDGE :: A Light Bigger Than Music appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

EMPOWERMENT :: One Thing To Know About Taking Risks

GGN — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 19:34:38 +0000

HOT ACTION :: I recently did something huge for my career and I want to share one thing I learned from that experience about taking risks.

When I first thought about writing about taking risks for GGN it seemed like a great idea.

Then I realized I would have to… take a risk.

As a typical Virgo I like to make sure that my insecurities, fears, and all related fun stuff are kept completely hidden from you, under a massive iron vault of privacy. Taking risks isn’t my nature. So much so, I even rip off the jackets of books I’m reading so people who see me reading won’t know something personal about me I don’t want them to know.

In other words, it comes to taking risks of any sort, I’m not exactly keen on them.

I hate them!

About a year ago I had no choice though – because I had to make a choice. At a crossroads in my career as a singer and songwriter I had to decide whether I should take a massive risk, or play it safe.

MORE QUEER EMPOWERMENT

I’m a songwriter, and was frontman of the band Loveshot. Over time, trial and error, I’ve come to learn that you can never expect, coerce or force someone into being as ambitious or focused as you are.

As I am.

If someone isn’t on the same page as you – on any subject – making them think or behave in a way that makes you happy is a losing battle.

In the case of Loveshot, I felt I was no longer on the same page as the rest of the band. It was time to call it quits entirely, or to keep going by myself (even if it means I fail).

My gut spoke fast. It was a decision that took about 3 seconds to figure out. The idea of just giving up entirely seemed so dreadful and so depressing that I knew I couldn’t do it. (What’s worse than failure is regret!)

My passion trumped my fear. I told the band my decision (which didn’t go over well).

But I’m so glad I took the risk – and am taking the risk. Flying solo I now only have myself to make my career a success or failure. I have no one else to blame, or to use as an excuse. The responsibility is completely mine. Now I will have no choice but to be more exposed and vulnerable.

And that to me is the biggest risk I’ve had to make. But you taking grow unless you force yourself out of your comfort zone.

Since taking risks like these, and allowing myself to be as vulnerable as I can be, I’ve felt myself opened up.

I’ve actually become a better song writer.

I’m more focused and even more ambitious than I was before (a semi-frightening prospect to those close to me!)

The one thing to know about risk, as I’ve learned, is that it truly is the reward.

And I like that better. Who knows, I may one day leave the book jackets on.

– Follow Christopher Aaron Slade on Twitter as his new path unfolds. Visit LoveShot here. Along with Melissa Etheridge and Jimmy Somerville, Christopher discuss risk (and shares more about his band’s reaction to taking a risk) on SiriusXM’s The Shaun Proulx Show. Listen after November 1oth, here.

Image: Roy Conteras

The post EMPOWERMENT :: One Thing To Know About Taking Risks appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Dance, Woman!

GGN — Wed, 05 Nov 2014 18:00:24 +0000

PLAYLIST :: This is what we figure: We figure if you just landed on this page, you needed to. You needed a pick me up, you needed an uplift, and somehow, some way, you landed here. Which is good because our latest 42-track play list featuring AronChupa, Calvin Harris, Dillon Francis, Kiesza, and Armin Van Buuren is designed to make you feel better than you did when you first got here. In other words: Dance, Woman!

Hear more playlists.

The post GAY GUIDE TO GOOD LIFE :: Dance, Woman! appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.

EMPOWERMENT :: 5 Things I Learned Pursuing My Dreams

GGN — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 18:34:23 +0000

I have learned a lot by pursuing my dreams.

While many people don’t pursue their dreams, all of us dream and have desires for our lives.

Dreams should be fun and freeing, yet somehow, sometimes, dreams get the best of us.

Dreams bring out different fears in everyone. From fear of failure or rejection, to fear of scrutiny or judgement, these fears then create unnecessary insecurities.

I know these feelings well. Since I was a child the only dream I’ve ever known was to be a singer and record an album. I’d lock myself away in my bedroom in my teens writing song after song and I’d pick up a guitar or sit at a piano, rocking out like I was at the Grammy’s.

My dream never faltered and over the last two years I was fortunate enough to record my first album, Live For It.

Here are five things I learned pursuing my dreams:

#1: Dreams Don’t Have Expiry Dates

The thing about getting older (I’m 26) is the realization that time is precious. A tipping point gets reached for all of us: that digit you were once excited to increase each birthday becomes a daily reminder that your dreams are still stewing in the slow cooker.

It’s never too late to follow your dreams. Whatever the reason may be that prevented you from following them before, if you have the desire, drive and determination, then time is just a number merely used to schedule your next big move.

Living in a world where it feels importance is solely placed on beauty and youth, can leave you feeling insecure and “not good enough”, too. However, talent and true passion are still a force to be reckoned with. When you believe in yourself whole-heartedly and give forth everything you have, that energy can become contagious and lead to amazing things.

#2: Keep Calm, Work Strong & Carry On:

I wasn’t necessarily afraid of the hard work involved in pursuing my dreams, I was however afraid of losing creative control. The thought of releasing a record I wasn’t madly in love with scared me to death – I mean, I’ve been dreaming of doing this since I was just a little boy singing into my mom’s empty mascara containers, so… this album really can’t suck.

Slowly, over the course of two and a half years Live for It came to life, but along the way I learnt the key to success was setting small goals.

Things were inevitably going to change along the way. It’s hard juggling work, recording a record, having a social life, networking, managing a failing relationship and then finding the time to write about it all. At times, I felt very overwhelmed and not so sure that this album would ever see the light of day. However, celebrating small successes along the way really does make the ride feel a lot less daunting. Each time I reach a new milestone, I try and take a moment to actually enjoy and appreciate the progress I’ve made and remind myself that hard work really does pay off.

#3: Feel the Love:

Following your dreams can sometimes feel like a lonely road, (especially when you’re a control freak like me), yet the amount of support that I have felt and continue to feel each day astonishes me. From my producer (shout out to Neo Tempus), to my friends and my family (especially my parents), I’ve been blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people who genuinely want good things for me. One of the biggest things I’ve learned over the last few years is not to be afraid to ask for help. The people in your life want to see you succeed and if they don’t, then you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd. Relationships are give and take, so I’ve also learned the importance of being there for all the special people in my life as well. Sometimes it’s hard and you can think of a million reasons why you would rather do anything else, but at the end of the day, what good is following your dreams if you can’t share them with the people you love!

#4: Tough Crowd, Eh?:

When did everyone suddenly become a critic? Nowadays it’s so easy to leave a nasty remark in the comment section of any blog, video post or social media page, so it can be super intimidating to throw yourself to the hungry pack of social strangers who are ready to attack at any given moment.

This cannot be avoided. Whether its complete strangers online or your own friends, family, colleagues or peers, people are going to pass judgement and hell – I’m no saint either (it’s human nature). What you can do though, is learn to block out the hate and live life for yourself. Do what makes you happy, not Facebook friend “Joe what’s his name,” that I`m pretty sure I met in 1st year, or wait, was it at that giant circuit party I went to 3 years ago? The point is, who knows and who cares. It`s easier said than done, but focus on what makes you happy. Allowing myself to be completely vulnerable through music and opening myself up to the fickle audiences of today is something I still struggle with on a regular basis. When I do feel scared, I try and remind myself: This is it, I only have one life to live and being fearful of failure or of being true to myself is no way to live it.

#5: Dream BIG:

What’s the point of dreaming if it can’t be fun?

At some of my lowest, self-loathing, “I can’t carry on because I’m oh, so dramatic” moments, I imagine myself hitting the stage with some of my favourite artists like Lady GaGa or Lana Del Rey or you know, just casually dancing alongside Britney on one of our “many co-headlining tours” while performing an award winning duet of “Work Bitch” that changes the future of the human race forever. (What?… A boy can dream!)

This sometimes seems to be the ticket I need to keep me propelling onwards. It’s like they say, “Life is the journey, not the destination.”

And even though it’s sometimes tempting to roll our eyes at a sentiment like that, it really is true.

Allow yourself to get carried away with your wildest fantasies, enjoy the ride – it’s what makes life fun. Even at your low points, these visions will be a reason to keep on pushing towards your dreams. Have fun, dream big and never let anybody tell you you can’t.

– Blair Storie‘s next dream comes true in November: his first video debuts. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook

– Image: Photography: Meghan Stone / Artwork: Casandra Walton

The post EMPOWERMENT :: 5 Things I Learned Pursuing My Dreams appeared first on TheGayGuideNetwork.com.