GOGO FESTIVAL 2011 REVIEW (editied) http://www.diefreundin.com/2011/06/who-run-the-world-gogo-girls/
Die Freundin has unpacked, showered, slept and recovered from the shock of not having beer in a field for breakfast so it’s time to share the GoGo experience.
The weekend started off in a soggy field in Kent in the driving rain on Friday, 17th June. It was going to take more than the rain to dampen the excitement though and the atmosphere was full of friendship and frolics from the off with everyone pitching in to help set up the tents (pun totally and unapologetically intended). With home for the next three days organised people began to drift towards the Big Tent.
Initially an air of nervousness and uncertainty pervaded as people looked around the almost empty dance floor. The constant downpour, the ready supply of beer and the jumping tunes soon drove people into the Big Tent however and got the party started in earnest.
The Big Tent hosted Flirty Bertie on Saturday afternoon and we took a seat on the floor inside to watch the drag king extraordinaire transform GoGo girls into GoGo guys with the aid of some make-up, glue and snippets of hair. We are advised that superglue is not the adhesive to use…
INTERVIEW FOR GOGO FESTIVAL 2011 VIA FESTIVAL PREVIEWS http://www.festivalpreviews.com/blog/8910/10-questions-an-interview-with-lisa-lindsey/?tried=1
10 Questions: An Interview with “Flirty Bertie”Today we chat with the fascinating Lisa Lindsey, a popular male impersonator known as “Flirty Bertie“. Drag Kings are a traditional British art-form hailing from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries and grand British pantomime. Flirty Bertie brings a series of exclusive Drag King Workshops to the GOGO Festival in mid-June. So, before embracing the “ins and outs” of this most traditional of theatrical workshops, let’s chat with Flirty Bertie first…..
1. What inspired you into this most traditional of Art Forms?
I have always been interested in the old music halls/ variety shows and also the concept of dragging up. I started talking to a Manchester drag king last August and ended up going up to Manchester for a week. There I was introduced to everything to do with drag kings and my alto ego was born. Since then Bertie and myself have not looked back.
2. Tell us about your forthcoming show at the GO.GO Festival and your future performing plans for the year?
I will be holding a Drag King Workshop. It’s going to be very interactive, getting members of the audience to come up and have the chance to get dragged up. I will be showing how to use the many techniques to do stubble and facial hair. I will also be explaining how to bind using both the closed shirt and open shirt technique. Everyone will come away with the basic building blocks to become a drag king, how to dress, ‘pack’ etc etc.
I have other workshops booked for Gran Canaria Pride, Sparkles weekend in Manchester and I will also be appearing in a old style music hall show in August.
3. If you had a chance to work with anyone of your choosing, who would it be?
I would love to do a duet with Heather Peace of course!!!
My all time favourite artist is Kate Bush and I would love to get the chance to perform her song “Bertie” with her as after all it’s named after me! But I would love to work with anyone that accepts the concept of drag kings and indeed I have been lucky enough to meet a very famous American drag king and to do many photo shoots, which in themselves have led the photographers wanting to do more work around drag kings.
4. What kind of questions do you most like to be asked about your work and why?
I enjoy peoples fascination about drag kings. Everyone knows what drag queens are but drag kings are not that well known these days. For me the most important thing is passing on information and the joy of dragging. I have met a few women that have been fairly shy but once I get them dragged up they totally change and suddenly feel stronger. I am pleased to say that these ladies still drag up and attend the Manchester drag king get together once a month.
5. What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you on stage?
My trousers that I had for a particular act wouldn’t stay up, so I ended up using duct tape to hold them together (the trousers were velcroed as it was a strip act!).
6. Do the reviewers of Festival shows do a good job?
Yes they do, I always get a total sense of the festivals when I read a review or write up, even when I haven’t attended the festival.
7. If you were Chancellor for the Day, what one thing would you do to stimulate the Arts scene?
Encourage more free workshops so that anyone from any level can learn new skills, be it singing, fire eating or stilt walking.
8. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why [dead celebrities included]? And what tasty treat would you prepare?
I would invite Kate Bush as I have been a huge fan for more years than I can remember. She always strikes me as a very strong person who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She has also not let fame go to her head.
The second guest I would invite would be Joan of Arc as again she was a very strong character and did something that hardly any woman of her time did.
The last person I would invite would be Vesta Tilley as she was one of the original male impersonators and has been a great source of inspiration to me.
I would serve up a traditional Sunday roast, roast pork with crispy crackling, crispy roast potatoes, lovely fresh veg followed by home made crème brule.
9. What books do you like to read – what music do you like to listen to – what films do you like to view and what TV do you like to watch?
I love reading crime books/thrillers, by Val McDermid, Patricia Cornwell, Jefferey Deaver etc.
Music I have a very wide and varied taste from Kate Bush to more modern day artist like the Black Eyed Peas and Scissor Sisters.
I am more of a film person, my most favourite film being Donnie Darko. I love going to the cinema and have a whole pile of DVDs to watch, most of which are American series.
I hardly watch telly but when I do its cookery programs such as the Great British Menu and Master Chef. I can also be found watching Britain’s Got Talent at the moment!
10. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
I work in breast screening.
I was for a day Graham Norton’s bouncer/ body guard.
I was a veterinary nurse for over 10 years.
I am a fairly arty person, making my own cards and doing needle work.
I once applied to join the police and got half way through the process when I accepted another job.
Die Freundin has unpacked, showered, slept and recovered from the shock of not having beer in a field for breakfast so it’s time to share the GoGo experience.
The weekend started off in a soggy field in Kent in the driving rain on Friday, 17th June. It was going to take more than the rain to dampen the excitement though and the atmosphere was full of friendship and frolics from the off with everyone pitching in to help set up the tents (pun totally and unapologetically intended). With home for the next three days organised people began to drift towards the Big Tent.
Initially an air of nervousness and uncertainty pervaded as people looked around the almost empty dance floor. The constant downpour, the ready supply of beer and the jumping tunes soon drove people into the Big Tent however and got the party started in earnest.
The Big Tent hosted Flirty Bertie on Saturday afternoon and we took a seat on the floor inside to watch the drag king extraordinaire transform GoGo girls into GoGo guys with the aid of some make-up, glue and snippets of hair. We are advised that superglue is not the adhesive to use…
INTERVIEW FOR GOGO FESTIVAL 2011 VIA FESTIVAL PREVIEWS http://www.festivalpreviews.com/blog/8910/10-questions-an-interview-with-lisa-lindsey/?tried=1
10 Questions: An Interview with “Flirty Bertie”Today we chat with the fascinating Lisa Lindsey, a popular male impersonator known as “Flirty Bertie“. Drag Kings are a traditional British art-form hailing from the late 19th and early 20th Centuries and grand British pantomime. Flirty Bertie brings a series of exclusive Drag King Workshops to the GOGO Festival in mid-June. So, before embracing the “ins and outs” of this most traditional of theatrical workshops, let’s chat with Flirty Bertie first…..
1. What inspired you into this most traditional of Art Forms?
I have always been interested in the old music halls/ variety shows and also the concept of dragging up. I started talking to a Manchester drag king last August and ended up going up to Manchester for a week. There I was introduced to everything to do with drag kings and my alto ego was born. Since then Bertie and myself have not looked back.
2. Tell us about your forthcoming show at the GO.GO Festival and your future performing plans for the year?
I will be holding a Drag King Workshop. It’s going to be very interactive, getting members of the audience to come up and have the chance to get dragged up. I will be showing how to use the many techniques to do stubble and facial hair. I will also be explaining how to bind using both the closed shirt and open shirt technique. Everyone will come away with the basic building blocks to become a drag king, how to dress, ‘pack’ etc etc.
I have other workshops booked for Gran Canaria Pride, Sparkles weekend in Manchester and I will also be appearing in a old style music hall show in August.
3. If you had a chance to work with anyone of your choosing, who would it be?
I would love to do a duet with Heather Peace of course!!!
My all time favourite artist is Kate Bush and I would love to get the chance to perform her song “Bertie” with her as after all it’s named after me! But I would love to work with anyone that accepts the concept of drag kings and indeed I have been lucky enough to meet a very famous American drag king and to do many photo shoots, which in themselves have led the photographers wanting to do more work around drag kings.
4. What kind of questions do you most like to be asked about your work and why?
I enjoy peoples fascination about drag kings. Everyone knows what drag queens are but drag kings are not that well known these days. For me the most important thing is passing on information and the joy of dragging. I have met a few women that have been fairly shy but once I get them dragged up they totally change and suddenly feel stronger. I am pleased to say that these ladies still drag up and attend the Manchester drag king get together once a month.
5. What’s the funniest thing that’s happened to you on stage?
My trousers that I had for a particular act wouldn’t stay up, so I ended up using duct tape to hold them together (the trousers were velcroed as it was a strip act!).
6. Do the reviewers of Festival shows do a good job?
Yes they do, I always get a total sense of the festivals when I read a review or write up, even when I haven’t attended the festival.
7. If you were Chancellor for the Day, what one thing would you do to stimulate the Arts scene?
Encourage more free workshops so that anyone from any level can learn new skills, be it singing, fire eating or stilt walking.
8. Which three famous people would you invite to dinner and why [dead celebrities included]? And what tasty treat would you prepare?
I would invite Kate Bush as I have been a huge fan for more years than I can remember. She always strikes me as a very strong person who doesn’t care what anyone thinks of her. She has also not let fame go to her head.
The second guest I would invite would be Joan of Arc as again she was a very strong character and did something that hardly any woman of her time did.
The last person I would invite would be Vesta Tilley as she was one of the original male impersonators and has been a great source of inspiration to me.
I would serve up a traditional Sunday roast, roast pork with crispy crackling, crispy roast potatoes, lovely fresh veg followed by home made crème brule.
9. What books do you like to read – what music do you like to listen to – what films do you like to view and what TV do you like to watch?
I love reading crime books/thrillers, by Val McDermid, Patricia Cornwell, Jefferey Deaver etc.
Music I have a very wide and varied taste from Kate Bush to more modern day artist like the Black Eyed Peas and Scissor Sisters.
I am more of a film person, my most favourite film being Donnie Darko. I love going to the cinema and have a whole pile of DVDs to watch, most of which are American series.
I hardly watch telly but when I do its cookery programs such as the Great British Menu and Master Chef. I can also be found watching Britain’s Got Talent at the moment!
10. Tell us 5 interesting and unknown facts about yourself?
I work in breast screening.
I was for a day Graham Norton’s bouncer/ body guard.
I was a veterinary nurse for over 10 years.
I am a fairly arty person, making my own cards and doing needle work.
I once applied to join the police and got half way through the process when I accepted another job.