JAKE SHEARS

You, like almost everyone, will be able to bring to mind an album, or at least one song, that transports you to your late teenage years or early twenties. Whether they were traumatic or fun-filled, our emotional lives are linked inextricably with the lyrics and the sounds of our favourite bands.  For me, it’s the Scissor Sisters.

The eponymously named Scissor Sisters album invokes an emotional night in a sketchy club; all of our group too tired and too inebriated to go home, clinging to each other for support, hoping that this imperfect life-raft of friends, like that of the Medusa, will keep us safe until morning and the inevitable hangovers and embarrassment.

In my early twenties Scissor Sisters’ front man Jake Shears was exotic, and supremely unapologetic for his queerness. Freddie Mercury-esque, but with his sexuality writ large with every leg kick and near nude performance. His energy was so obvious in music videos, interviews, and on stage.  I saw the group perform in an arena some years ago, and loved their camp outrageous staging.  Typical of arena gigs, the chemistry that night with the audience was joyful but maybe not electric.  This past weekend though I saw the undeniable talent of Jake in full rock star mode up close, from the press pit of the Birmingham Pride main stage.  He certainly did not disappoint.

The incongruousness of having him introduced by erstwhile Gogglebox reality TV star Sandra was not lost of me, the diversity of the crowd is usually matched by the diversity of the acts and comperes at these types of weekend festivals, and I’m sure she had no idea who she was introducing to the audience (in fact she told us so).

I look forward to his new album, and we heard a bit of it on the day, but here’s a clip of him performing an old favourite.

EUROVISION DIVA – SuRie

We saw SuRie in Lisbon at the Grand Jury Final in the Altice Arena.  She was absolutely brilliant and it’s an injustice she didn’t do brilliantly!  She performed at Pride wonderfully and I think we’ll be hearing more from her soon (I also loved watching her watching Jake Shears!).

HOWARD JONES

This was Howard Jones’ first Pride performance and he was telling us that it had special significance to him as he has two gay sons.  The whole main stage audience were singing along with his great hits from the 80s like ‘Things Can Only Get Better’, and ‘What Is Love’.

ROZALLA

Another 80s pop sensation Rozalla again had all the audience singing along with her!

VERDICT

These were just four of the main stage acts over the Birmingham Pride 2018 weekend and they were just brilliant!  Can’t wait to see who’ll be there in 2019!