However, one of my favourite bands of all time would have to be Bronski Beat, an all gay synth pop trio who made their big break in 1984 with their hit debut single 'Smalltown Boy'.
(Photo below rules - Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil, See no Evil!)
If you've ever heard the song, or are an existing gigantic Bronski Beat fan, you would know what the song can do to you. When i'm driving in my car, listening to 'Smalltown Boy', my heart starts racing and i feel like i've got 10 times more control than i actually do.... the traffic lights change in time with the song, and the other cars on the road are doing some seriously impressive choreographed dancing - swerving in an out of lanes like we're all part of the same routine..... i'm sure you can picture it (and if you can't, then get an imagination).
See the original film clip for 'Smalltown Boy' below:
My point being, it's a fucking amazing and uplifting track. And it's all about a teenage boy being kicked out of home for being gay. These guys were setting an example for gay youth of the 80's, and everyone loved them - 'Smalltown Boy' reached No. 3 on the UK charts after it's released.
My Dad's actually seen Bronski Beat before, and he was the one who introduced me to them, and passed his controversially titled Bronski Beat album 'The Age of Consent' down to me. The title represents the inequality between heterosexuals and homosexuals - in the 80's in the UK, hetero couples could have sex at 16, however gay couples had to wait until they were both 21 or over. This was nearly 30 years ago, and still nothing has changed. In Australia, the age of consent for hetero couples is 16 and for gay couples it is 18. Anyway, i'm getting a little too socio-political.
After a short lived success, the bands lead singer, Jimmy Somerville, departed Bronski Beat in 85 and moved on to head The Communards - another hugely successful group from the 80's. He then moved on to a bit of a flop of a solo career.
Anyway, hail to Bronski Beat, wherever you are.
LOVE!X
No comments:
Post a Comment