VIDEO BY ANDY BOREHAM

Wellington’s Under the Rainbow art exhibition will close Saturday with dessert and the finale auction hosted by Lady Trenyce.

The week-long exhibition of queer art, donated to raise much-needed funds for Wellington’s largest annual queer event, Out in the Square, will culminate with Saturday’s auction event.

“This year we’re excited to have Lady Trenyce hosting the auction event with her brand of camp and colour,” says organiser Andy Boreham. “We’ll also have complimentary dessert and bubbly, so there’s really no excuse not to come down!”

The event, beginning at 8pm, will also feature a performance featuring the creation of a piece of art by former Miss Drag Wellington, Ellie Kat, and an “interesting” performance by PacPac “that you just have to see to believe”.

Forty pieces of art feature in the auction, most of which have no reserve price, and they will all be sold this Saturday. “We really need people to come down and open up their wallets to not only support the queer art scene in New Zealand, but an iconic queer Wellington event that has been running nearly thirty years”.

The closing event of Under the Rainbow, Dessert with Trenyce, starts at 8pm this Saturday at Thistle Gallery (293 Cuba Street). Everyone is welcome.

Walking into an interview with who has been deemed the “electronic princess of pop” seemed like a daunting task at first, but as I am greeted with the cutest smile I have ever seen, I knew that this was going to be a fun half hour. Dressed in a fluffy green jacket, Hello Kitty necklace and silver glittery shoes, I am promptly greeted, hugged and fangirling.

By ZAKK D’LARTÉ

Zowie, born Zoe Fleury and previously known as Bionic Pixie, is a star. Let’s just get that out of the way. She is probably one of the hardest working women in her field, and is definitely one to watch throughout 2012 with the release of her debut album ‘Love Demolition’. Promising a fresh, futuristic and “rhythmically-tastic” sound that will modify the beat of the modern world and with the release date set for tomorrow, it becomes obvious that she is struggling to contain her excitement every time I mention the album’s name.

This interview allowed me to see a behind-the-scenes look at who Zowie really is, where she came from, and why she is here. And so the interview began, with the first question that I ask being the most important to me, as already a devoted fan.

ZAKK: What can devoted Z-Bots (what her fans call themselves) expect from Love Demolition?
ZOWIE: It’s a combination of dirty and pretty. Futuristic yet very old-school. Love and demolition. It has an industrial, hip hop, punk side, but still a dark electro-pop sound.

Queen of the oxymoron! Who in the music industry (past or present) inspires you?
Hmmm… My parents have incredible musical taste, so I grew up really lucky. Nine Inch Nails is a band that I’ve always grown up listening to. Grace Jones! So many artists. Also, the Japanese culture has inspired me a lot. Trent Reznor! Oh! Bowie! Michael! Aaaah!

How about fashion-wise? Who or what inspires you in that department?
Serena Fagence and I work pretty closely as we push and inspire each other a lot! And as we both started our projects at the same time it was just like ‘you create outfits for your label and I’ll wear them for my new project!’ (laughs). She is amazing! I like to look at clothes and ask myself: ‘Is this so wrong, that it’s right?’ Futuristic things inspire me, like metallics and stuff. I love that look. And I like oversized stuff on smaller people. Designers like Gareth Pugh inspire me. Anime! So cute! Ziggy Stardust. Love.

What are five things that you couldn’t live without?
Drums! My parents. Fluffy cats. Musiiiiiiiiiic! Um, um, um! I feel bad for choosing the final option. Can we come back to this question? (laughs)

What is your motto or the advice that you like to live life by?
There is an amazing quote by Oscar Wylde: ‘Be yourself – because everyone else is taken!’ I love it.

How do you perform now in comparison to when you were Bionic Pixie and why the change?
I guess to do with the character, Zowie is more aggressive and crazy. I just love how artists like Michael and Grace and Bowie were constantly reinventing and changing themselves and I realised that I wanted to do that too! I wanted to get bigger and better and I wanted the outfits to be ever-changing and everything. Ever since Bionic Pixie started I knew that she would evolve, and she is still a major part of Zowie, she’s just been blown up to another level!

If I were to turn on your iPod right now, what artists would I see on your recently played list?
Ooooh who have I been listening to recently! Santigold probably. Oooh the Talking Heads. Miike Snow!

Nice! Anything embarrassing?
Hmm… not really. Well I probably say that, as I like all the music that I have on there haha! I’ve probably got some Five in there somewhere!

Cute! Where do you draw inspiration from when you write music?
I find that a lot of designers inspire me as I’m writing as I think about the whole thing, like about the video and what outfits would suit that song etc… Generally when I’m writing a track though, it starts from something real and personal that has happened to me and then tends to evolve in a different direction. I’ll somehow make it end up having double meanings and have you wondering if I’m being dirty or nasty, or nice or what. I always try to make sure that people can relate to it. But yeah, it always starts from something real.

Do you still get nervous when performing?
I think that the day I don’t get nervous and get that energy and adrenaline pumping, is the day that I’ll quit.

When you aren’t performing, what are you doing?
Rehearsing! Rehearsing, rehearsing, rehearsing! All the time. It’s so much work, but I love it. But hmm, when I’m not doing anything musically? Umm, I sometimes stumble upon a good box set series! Breaking Bad! So good.

So good! Finally, what is something that the world doesn’t know about Zowie?
(laughs) Oooh this is something I haven’t been asked before! Hmm, something the world doesn’t know about me… I like to build furniture! Well, not boring furniture, it has to be like, avant garde. I remember when I was young and my parents would buy some sort of shelf or something that you had to set up and build and I’d be like “out of my way!” I also like figuring out how to use new musical toys! I just conquered the Tenori-on!

Told you she’s a star! Check out her video for her new single ‘My Calculator’ below and make sure to buy ‘Love Demolition’ when it hits the world tomorrow!

SILENT: Queer Officer Genevieve Fowler

The VUWSA President, Bridie Hood, has apologised on behalf of Victoria University Queer Officer Genevieve Fowler for her part in the recent complaint laid against a Wellington bar.

“I understand that Genevieve’s involvement with the complaint against Public has caused concern with some students and in the wider community,” Hood says. “[A]s it now turns out, the students that came to Genevieve for support were not being completely forthcoming about the night’s events.”

Hood admits that Fowler “rushed headstrong into the media fray” without properly investigating both sides of the story, “and came out the worse for it; she should have taken a more considered and careful approach in order to properly ascertain the full picture.”

The President says she has had a formal meeting with Fowler and expressed her concerns, as well as laid out some guidelines to ensure this sort of incident never happens again. “I am confident that Genevieve has taken this on board.”

Fowler has still not spoken publicly about the incident.

Hood says she has faith in her Executive members and believes Fowler has “put a huge amount of effort so far this year” as Queer Officer. “I know she has a lot of great initiatives lined up for the rest of the year.”

US President Barack Obama has ‘come out’ in support of full marriage rights for same sex couples.

Obama made the comments on Good Morning America, effectively reversing his policy just six months before the next election. The President said he personally believes same sex couples should have the right to marry after the years he has spent meeting and talking with them.

“I’ve been going through an evolution on this issue. I’ve always been adamant that gay and lesbian Americans should be treated fairly and equally,” he said. “At a certain point, I just concluded that for me, personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think that same sex couples should be able to get married.”

Obama previously supported civil unions for same sex couples because he felt that gave them the same rights, and didn’t step on the ‘traditional’ aspects of marriage. This week that position became difficult due to the pro-gay marriage stance of members of his own staff, including Vice President Joe Biden.

Support for same sex marriage by a US President is a hugely symbolic move that is hoped will spur other governments around the world into continued support of same sex rights.

Rumour has it that a number of gay men in Wellington are letting their bodies become slightly more natural in preparation for the upcoming Urge:Black men’s party later this month.

The organisers of the event are Urge Bar from Auckland, notorious for its bear culture of body hair, bellies, and moustaches. This has sent a few gay men that we know of in Wellington into a flutter: they’ve given themselves a few weeks to let their body hair run rife!

Tickets to the event, which will be held at Emperor’s Bathhouse, are selling well and the organisers are expecting a huge crowd.

We’ll be there, but we’re not sure if we’ll be sporting moustaches just yet!

PHOTOS BY ANDY BOREHAM

Twenty two queer artists have donated works to Under the Rainbow, an art exhibition raising funds for Wellington’s Out in the Square.

Organisers of Under the Rainbow 2, which officially opens at Wellington’s Thistle Gallery on Monday, say they are extremely grateful for the support from the queer art community and are excited about finding all of the pieces new homes.

“The response from artists this time around has been amazing,” says organiser Andy Boreham. “We’ve got everything from sketches to glass sculptures to photograph prints to collage to paintings, and they will all be auctioned off to raise funds for Out in the Square.”

Under the Rainbow 2 launches officially on Monday at 6pm, with entertainment and drinks, plus a chance to check out the pieces before the auction on Saturday 12 May. “Everyone is welcome, no invite necessary!”

The exhibition will run until Saturday 12 May, and will close with the official auction from 8pm. “Everyone is welcome and there will be entertainment and drink and nibbles, plus a chance to take home some queer art.”

Come along to the official opening on Monday 7 May from 6pm at Thistle Gallery, 293 Cuba Street. The exhibition will be open all week, closing with the official auction on Saturday 12 May from 8pm. Everyone is welcome!

Alby Waititi, the gay man who features on TV3′s new show The GC which premiered last night, was seemingly pretty open about his sexuality, despite being built up by programme makers for a ‘coming out’ later in the season.

In the show, Alby mentions modelling for the NZAF in safe sex campaigns back in New Zealand, and is dragged into the room of two of the lead female characters at a party to check out their outfits for a photo shoot, suggesting the others already know he’s gay and that the decision to ‘hide’ his sexuality may have been decided later. These factors don’t bode with a character that’s been specifically told to hide his sexuality for now.

Alby couldn’t comment to Aaron and Andy.com about the show’s future content, but last night said he hadn’t seen the episode yet — “…but I’m hoping they mention my scene with NZAF” — and was in the gym responding to feedback from New Zealand after the premiere.

Wellington drag personality Amanduh la Whore is staging a cabaret dinner experience next week at Felix following an audition process which led to the creation of a new drag troupe.

The resulting group, Amanduh et son Filles, features Magenta and Sister Nova, led by Amanduh la Whore. The trio will splash onto the scene on May 10 and 11 with a three-course meal and show at Felix Cafe.

“This is something that the Wellington community have been calling for, till now that call has not been answered,” Amanduh says. “Drawing on the talents of the amazing city of Wellington, armed with a message of ‘united we stand’, I have created a dynamic show case fusion.”

“It’s sophisticated dining with a wink!”

Tickets are strictly limited and can be ordered by contacting Felix Cafe via email (felixcafe@gmail.com), or phoning them on (04) 499 5523.