This week is Dublin Gay Pride Week. As I'm currently in the throes of thesis, I won't be bopping along to any of the festivities but, thankfully, the lovely folk from Google are sponsoring Pride this year and have set up a YouTube account, where a team of 'Gayglers' are going to post highlights from the week as well as various other tidbits.
They've already uploaded the shortlisted entries for the Pride Short Film Competition. Pick of the bunch and the deserving winner of the competition is this here video. Entitled 'Fantabulous', the clip features the insanely talented Arron Aaron Rogers executing some pretty outrageous dance moves.
The full collection of shortlisted entries can be viewed here.
Shaun was recognised in the categories of 'Best New Writing' and 'Intercultural Dialogue' for the script he wrote and first directed when he was just nineteen. The cast performed a snippet of the show on the night and this went down a treat with the audience gathered at The Button Factory for the glitzy ceremony.
A number of other productions performed scenes from their shows on the night. Some of the performances were better than others but I saw enough theatrical talent on display to convince me to make a concerted effort to catch more of the festival next year.
As if writing and directing critically acclaimed plays weren't enough, Shaun will soon be seen flaunting his acting talents in Irish film 'Situation's Vacant'. Check out the trailer and details over on Paula's blog.
I stumbled across the music of Jay Brannan a few months ago because Last.Fm recommended him as a 'similar artist' to Dangerous Muse.
Brannan's material is decent singer-songwriter stuff. His voice is nice and, even if the lyrics are a little twee sometimes, the songs are well put together.
There's no two ways about it though: the most interesting thing about Jay Brannan's music is the fact that he is a man singing love-songs about other men. I suspect this is why Last.FM deemed him to be 'similar' to Dangerous Muse because the artists' homosexuality is the only obvious connection. Their musical output couldn't be more different.
I guess Jay should be applauded for not trying to 'neutralise' his lyrics like Will Young or Wallis Bird tend to. I can't help feel that, in doing this, he limits his appeal to a predominantly gay audience though. The popularity of 'I Kissed A Girl' an 'If You Seek Amy' suggest that there might be a reasonably wide audience for an attractive, overtly gay female musician but I suspect this probably wouldn't extend to men.
Brannan is coming to play the Crawdaddy in May and I'm toying with the idea of going. Tickets are only €12/€15 and, based on the clips on his youtube channel, I reckon he'd turn in a decent live set.
