The August 2005 issue of GayCalgary magazine featured our first interview with Bif Naked. 19 years later, and the singer still stand stall. Marriages, a divorce, a pandemic, beating cancer, moving from BC to Ontario, and many other ups and downs in that time, and released her first album in 15 years, Champion in June.
We reconnected with Bif recently from her home via zoom, when she saw the cover photo from 2005 she disagreed that she still looks the same.
"Not at all. Oh my gosh, not at all. I wish I still looked like that. Those were the days. Those were the days. I always same makeup, same hair dye. When we were all young people in Winnipeg back in the early nineties, I mean we learned how to do our makeup from all our friends who were baby drag queens, and I think there’s a lot to that. Coming up to the nineties and late eighties, our little community of kids and weirdos in our little community. We all loved Culture Club and Duran Duran and Sisters of Mercy, and we came up to the clubs and did our thing and spread our wings and our communities have always been intertwined and it’s been amazing to see everyone grow up and become adults and go through our trials and tribulations and see the world change and grow with us in so many different ways. It’s been incredible, especially as Prairie kids. It’s been very interesting Sociopolitically to grow up as prairie kids and to become adults in this world."
When she last performed in Calgary, Naked sported a "Protect Trans Kids" shirt. She has always been an outspoken member of and supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and reflected on both the progress and backwards momentum we’ve faced.
"Oh boy. Do we have enough time? There’s so much going on in the world in Alberta specifically. I don’t live in Alberta; I know that there are a lot of great people in your province that are doing great work. Obviously, the twins, Tegan and Sarah are doing an amazing, amazing job at bringing awareness to a lot of things going on in Alberta specifically. But globally, throughout the world, things sometimes seem to be going backwards and it’s disheartening and it’s painful. Our neighbors to the south, I don’t know what is going to happen…
The post VIDEO INTERVIEW – Bif Naked remains a champion: Canadian Rocker Releases First Album in 15 years appeared first on Gay LGBTQ Media and Press Network.
It’s hard to believe that Nickelback formed nearly 30 years ago and broke out 25 years ago with the album The State. Over that time the Hanna, Alberta 4some has performed dozens of times in Calgary, from bars to headlining the 2013 Flood-Aid concert at McMahon Stadium. Add in multiple Saddledome shows including just a year ago, and fans know what to expect when the band shows up. 17,000 fans showed up for the final night of Stampede for an explosive evening of hits, hits, and more hits.
Despite a brief career before her death on March 5th, 1963 in a plane crash, Patsy Cline’s influence is felt in music even today. Songs like Crazy and I Fall to Pieces are instantly recognizable. A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline has been performed around the world since Vancouver’s Dean Reagan debuted his creation in 1991. Stage West brings Cline’s story to the stage until September1st.
About three fourths of the way through Orville Peck’s July 12th headlining slot on the Coke Stage at the Stampede, he was telling the audience about how his duet with the iconic Willie Nelson on Cowboy’s Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other – a song about gay cowboys – came about. He casually mentioned that he is, in fact, a gay cowboy. Standing on a stage in front of thousands of people, gay, straight, and everything in between, it was one of those moments that fans of live music live for. While the Stampede has…