The boys are back and there's going to be trouble...Midnight Red are gearing up for a busy Summer with the release of their new single and video, "Hell Yeah."
"Hell Yeah" was produced by Red One (Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj) and the video was directed by Declan Whitebloom (Taylor Swift, One Direction).
"Hell Yeah" single will make its premiere on Buzznet this Wednesday, May 23.
Here's a sneak of the song with the boys performing it live at Universal's City Walk:
"Hell Yeah" live at Universal City Walk - Summer just got a little more fun!
Berlin based performance artist, Clea Cutthroat is an "Entertain Me" favorite as you may recall when she responded to this writer's "10 Random Thoughts".
Well Clea has been moving faster than a speeding bullet since last we spoke, it's time to "Check In" with her.....
So, Darlin’ are your
knickers off?
Nope! They are right where they should be...I think
:)
See Darlin’ you are a
whore, isn’t “Showgirls” one of your favorite
movies?
Yes, and I would definitely be Cristal delivering that
line! No whores here honey, just bitches. I've even watched that movie in German
and it still translates. The language of glass marble sabotage is international
amongst us dancing divas.
We met this year at The
Satellite, in Silverlake, CA for the first time, after I’m not sure, how many
years at sea, I love it!
Can you believe
it? Finally, we crossed the oceans and rivers of planet Earth and cyberspace to
physically meet in person!
Was so amazing to finally meet you
(officially) but, I gotta admit I feel like we've been friends brushing each
other's hair and giving each other manicures for years now!
Mr. Shinafelt & Ms. Cutthroat
You were actually a native
from my actual hood, expand.
I guess that makes us "homies" then,
huh :)
Yes, I am an authentic, born, mall-raised, frozen
yogurt feed valley girl from Reseda, San Fernando Valley.
I guess those
early years of lining my lips with dark brown eyeliner, then filling them in
with nude shimmering lip gloss was really just a foreshadowing of my drag
queen-esque future to come.
“Bonaparte” is a great
performance art band.
Thank you! It
really is. I love being a part of Bonaparte. It is really and truly such a
unique opportunity to be able to perform with such amazing musicians and fellow
performance artists that inspire me to no end. Within Bonaparte, we are all
equal pieces to the puzzle, and I can honestly say I love every piece.
It's the most amazing opportunity to take my classical dance training
and mix it with my cabaret/burlesque/side show life. I'm constantly learning and
expanding from everyone involved, and that is what keeps you going as an
artist.
I am as happy as a clam. ("clam" hmm...no vagina pun
intended.)
How did “Ms. Cutthroat” become
involved?
I met Bonaparte in Paris. Paris, Texas that is. My
parents just moved there...I was visiting so we all got tickets to go see the
rodeo. While we were there, I see this little guy, looking like Napoleon in the
middle of it all. Seriously. I was so curious about him, and I finally met him
when we both went to the bar to order some beers and nachos. I know, it sounds
bizarre, but then we talked and found out I was planning on moving to
Berlin...he has just moved...and well, POOF!
And 4, or 5 (cant remember
now) years later we're touring the states and I finally got to meet
you!
See, horseshoes do bring good luck.
...We should go to a
rodeo together, don't ya think?
What’s
your favorite number you do with them, or do you not play
favorites? Well, I play a bunch of different "persona's". I have
Amie, Alice, Juanita, Sister Mary...to name a few...and if I start playing
favorites then it's gonna turn into a bitch fest, and I cant deal with all of
these personalities at the moment. Plus, Sister Mary is a drunk, and she is
always slapping Amie around.
If you were a Punk
Song, what punk song would you be? Without a doubt. "Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie", Black Flag. Henry
Rollins. Doesn't get much better. That album,
Damaged, was so influential to me when I was younger. It was like a
treasure chest of emotions that I didn't know that I could tap into. It changed
everything for me.
One of the best 5 shows I have ever seen, was going to
see Black Flag with Henry Rollins in NYC. I have never seen someone so
possessed, obsessed and dominant on stage as Henry. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie was always one of my
favorites, but when I saw that live...it blew my mind. I knew that it was that
energy, fire, rage and passion that I wanted to manifest in Clea.
Sitting here I'm a loaded gun
Waiting
to go off I've got nothing to do But shoot my mouth
off
Clea & Bonaparte
Obama recently supported
Gay Marriage, your thoughts?
"YES!" "THANK GOD!" "FINALLY!"
...and then I got annoyed because it is so ignorant, small minded, and
pathetic that there is a large group of self-righteous people that believe they
hold the moral and religious code of the universe, and can decided who can, and
can not get married.
Who gives a flying fuck?!!? I don't care if two guys
get married, or if Billy in Georgia needs to dress in a large furry animal
costume to get off at night. I wouldn't care if Sarah Palin loved a man or if
she hosted lesbian orgies dressed as a latex zebra in her spare time. It's all
bullshit and i am sorry that we are in a world where REAL problems get pushed
aside to discuss if a government can decide if I am allowed to choose who I fall
in love with.
Obama needs to gives this country a verbal slap for being
so stupid. Yes, stupid. We will tune into watch Kim Kardashian's 72 minute
wedding, and watch every time Elizabeth Taylor walked down the aisle...and what
is the problem with two people who are in love, but (gasp!) of the same gender
getting married? Why do we care who I, he, she decides to spend their life with?
To me, it sounds like a lot of bored people with closeted desires/fears and have
no better way to release them.
Everyone needs to get over themselves, and
start worrying about our country's education system, our environment that is
boiling, the state of the economy, and stop worrying about who any of us write
love letters too.
I'm more concerned about giving young girls a strong
female role model. I don't care if you want to be President of the United
States, CEO of whatever, a secretary, a Playboy Playmate, a housewife, nor do I
care who/who
http://www.facebook.com/cleacutthroat
m you share your bed with at night. What I do care about is that you
do it with dignity, pride, following your own moral code, and leaving a strong
example to the next generation.
Grrrrrrr...now I need a
maragarita.
You are one of the coolest
women I have ever met.
lol! I don't feel very cool at the moment
after writing that tirade above!
Ok, deep breath, and big sip of the
margarita (delicious!)
Thank you very much! But, if I think about it too
much I will start blushing as I type this:)
I appreciate that you think
I'm cool..cuz I think you're cool too! And having people I respect, respect me
back is pretty much all I can ask for in the end...and a Slurpee machine. I will
really know that I've made it when I have a Slurpee machine in my flat. It
ridiculous, but it's my thing.
Too bad we could not meet
in New Jersey for Cinco Di Mayo.
Maybe next year? I mean, how
amazing would that be to celebrate with a few margaritas in Atlantic City? Maybe
only going to Reno could top that!
What is happening with you in
the future?
This year is going to be quite busy touring with
Bonaparte. The third album will be coming out later this year...so we are
starting soon with summer festival season, and then a club tour in the
fall.
Otherwise, I am
burlesque-ing it up all over Europe, and my BIG goal for this year is to finish
my 1 woman show. My fantasy is to have it up in NYC Jan/Feb 2013...I know that
date may need to be adjusted due to touring, but it is my passion. I love
burlesque, it has been, and continues to be very good to me, but I really want
to push myself out of the "burlesque" box and into a box that is all my own.
I've been wanting to do this for years, but my last tour in NYC gave me a big
kick in the ass, so engines are roaring and I'm busy busy getting it ready to
go!
Love you Woman, you keep it
real.
I love you!!!!
...and thank YOU for giving me
such a great platform to keep it real...
As Cristal would say,
"It's amazing what paint and a surgeon can
do"...I always felt that way about wigs and a loud
mouth.
I first stumbled upon Donna Summer's music when I was a teenager and Disco was hot! Although it was never my favorite type of music Donna elevated Disco to a whole new level with her powerful vocals and spot on song interpretations.
I will always remember the first Donna Summer album I was given as a Birthday present, "Bad Girls" - That was a very Happy Birthday indeed.
Donna thank you for some great memories, you will always be Disco to me.
What’s the in color this Summer? Why Redd of course, as in Raquel Redd. Redd is a one of a kind performer with a hot new single and video for her latest club hit “Right On Track” featuring Debby Holiday and re-mixed by the ubiquitous Scott Anderson.
So when someone tells you to “Get Redd” this Summer, they are not wishing you sunburn or heatstroke - they are wishing you a rollicking good time! Without further adieu here she is, “Right On Track” to stardom, Raquel Redd!
RR: I just read your E-mail that said this is your land line and you are going to record this?
MS: Yes.
RR: I am driving to Atlanta right now, is the sound OK?
MS: It’ll work you sound fine. BTW I love that you went to The Berklee College of Music., it’s an amazing place that turns out really good talent.
RR: Yeah, I actually went there by accident (laughs) My High School chorus teacher said I should go there, and I ended up getting a vocal scholarship. I didn’t know what it was until I got there, and then I was like, oh this is kind of a big deal. (laughs)
MS: A lot of my friends who are great musicians went there, it is a big deal! Let’s get into you cross dressing, that seems to come from an artistic place, am I wrong?
RR: Oh no, most definitely it does. It’s a whole different shade of my personality as an artist and a person when I get into drag and come out as Raquel, it’s a lot of fun! I can get away with murder. (laughs)
MS: So, this is performance art for you I take it.
RR: Correct, there is a whole other side to this that is not normally common in the drag world.
MS: When I listened to “Right On Track” I found out a friend of mine, Debby Holiday backed you on it.
RR: Yeah, she was the black girl element that we needed. (laughs)
MS: (laughs) She’s such a game girl, always up for anything.
RR: I love her, she’s really, really cool.
MS: Since you “get away with murder” as Raquel, how did she evolve for you?
RR: It all really happened by accident, I was always going out to the clubs doing boy glam. When I moved to Los Angeles, CA about four years ago I was working at a MAC Cosmetics store. Once I went to work in drag for an event, and I sent a picture of it to a friend of mine, he said: “You need to be doing this”. I’m like, “yeah, yeah, whatever” (laughs) - after that I went out for Halloween in drag, and then other Drag Queens in West Hollywood, invited me to come do shows and stuff, and I think “Wait a minute, I can do this” which was a lot of fun! Then it just kind of snowballed….
MS: Awesome! Your good I actually thought you might be a Tran-sexual from the video footage I saw of you, I wasn’t sure.
RR: You’re not the only one who thought that. I have to tell people it’s all an illusion, no I’m not in transition or on hormones. (laughs) A lot of people want to know how I get my boobs to look real like they do. I tell them that information costs extra (laughs)
MS: Did you hear Lance Bass got taken to task for use of the word Tranny by the way?
RR: Really? People always ask me what they should call me, and Tranny is fine with me it’s just a word and I don’t have time to be offended. (laughs) It says more about the people who are offended by it than it does about anyone else.
MS: I agree with you. So how far do you want to go with your music career?
RR: Music is something I have always loved. I’m taking as it comes right now and having fun with it. The minute I stop having fun I’ll stop doing it. Wherever it takes me, I ‘m really fortunate to have been given the reception I have gotten so early into it. There are a lot of people in West Hollywood still beating the block and trying to get in shows. Here I am being contacted by clubs who are asking me to host shows, so I am very fortunate for that too. For Billboard DJ’s and people like that to take note of my music is pretty awesome, I am very grateful.
What series of events unites a few strangers to make music together? Is it a cosmic anomaly or destiny? Jandre Nadal, John Feliciano, Edgar Ramos and JuanMa Font gravitated towards each other because of a shared desire to create intoxicating and sublime music. “Message to Venus” has yielding blistering tracks with great depth, melding dreamlike sounds with unheard-of guitar strength, tight bass, high-energy drums and powerful melodic vocals since 2009.
With their well received EP “The Envelope” “Message to Venus” is hard at work on their first full length album titled: “Victims & Villains” - Here to give us the 411 is band member Jandre Nadal.
MS: So why the band name “Message to Venus”? There’s got to be a story behind that.
JN: When I was working on the “Message to Venus” project initially, it was going to be a side gig. I just wanted to do music I really enjoyed playing. I was looking to do something a little more 90’s style rock, ya know I was really into “Pearl Jam”, “Stone Temple Pilots” “Alice in Chains”…I grew up with bands like that, I listened a lot to the early albums of “Bush”. I wanted to play rock music that had an edge and was aggressive, but that my girlfriend at the time could appreciate it as well.
What I had in mind was something heavy, but very melodic. I didn’t want to go for the “I hate you, I’m gonna rip your head off” ya know “Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh” type of thing. (laughs) I love that music, I still listen to it, but it’s not what I want to do.
MS: Very cool.
JN: “Message to Venus” is actually a song, it was the first song I ever wrote. The song wasn’t working, but the lyrics I loved and I always liked the title. Contrary to popular belief “Message to Venus” does not refer to a woman, it describes the vibe of the music I wanted to make. Very spacey, a lot of guitar and vocals - I listened to a lot of “Pink Floyd” I wanted to mix a lot of that 60’s & 70’s rock with the modern, early Y2K music.
Hey all you Durbinators out there, you didn't think "Entertain Me" would go through the month of May without something about the man, James Durbin did you?
Last month you and I were there in full force supporting James at his Viper Room gig in Los Angeles, CA. This month James Continues to tour...Oh yeah! James across the globe!
He performed The Star Spangled Banner not too long ago at an Los Angeles Kings game, for those of you not in that loop, they are LA's professional hockey team. As we Durbinators know James performance of our National Anthem was on the level of Kelly Clarkson nailing it at The Superbowl. Lucky for us he's no Christina Aguliera when it comes to pride in the US.
James continues to tour as I type, track him down in a city near you - and a special thanks to the Durbinators, you all know who you are, who have supported this blog!
Look out for The Pope! Olivia Pope that is (yeah, I could have meant Pope John Paul, what ever Roman numeral he is, but…NOT!)
Olivia is in charge and she solves problems better than you, yep, nobody does it better in the hot new ABC show “Scandal”.
One of my most favorite actresses and total grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl crush Kerry Washington is The Pope of all media….Kerry Washington, Kerry Washington, Kerry Washington.
Don’t mess with this woman she has ties to The White House and is having an affair with the President of the United States played excellently by Tony Goldwyn. Ooooooooooops! Did I give too much away?! Damn! I deserve a spanking…Olivia care to administer?
Not sure what else I should give away to you virgins, but suffice it to say, Shonda Rhimes, the machine behind “Grey’s Anatomy” is behind this, and this show rocks!
Oh, Shonda, while I respect your talent, please do not let this show “jump the shark” after two seasons like you did “Grey’s” “Happy Day’s” ( the show that coined that phrase) waited a long time before that - Katherine Heigl was correct to leave when she did.
Also props to friend and past interview subject Guillermo Diaz as the mysterious “Huck”.
Hey Guillermo, let’s chat about your hot new role, call me.
Guillermo Diaz & Kerry Washington
Without saying too much in this writer’s opinion this is the best new show you may or may not be watching….
And let’s give credit where credit is due, thanks to friend, and former 60’s Teen Idol, Mike Clifford, who told me I have to watch this show, I am now addicted, Hey Mike….
