Dannii Minogue-Manchester Pride Festival Sunday August 30th 2015
Today is a day like no other that I've done before,I've been to hundreds of gigs and countless festivals but this is different because I've never been to a LGBT event (that's Lesbian Gay, Bisexual Transgender to you) this festival is a big deal to their community and this year is the 25th Anniversary of Pride Manchester !!!
The biggest street party in Manchester's Gay Village it lasts for 4 Days,I'm here as they have a cracking little headliner to close Sunday nights entertainment she related to another little firecracker who I know well yes you guessed it.. sister of Kylie, Mistress of the X Factor, High Priestess of Fashion it is of course ..
Miss Dannii Minogue !!!
For those who don't know anything about Miss Minogue's music career , here's the lowdown...
'Dannii' started her career when she was a child she joined 'Young Talent Time' and sang and danced her way to superstardom before sister 'Kylie' was a popstar , she then went on to 'The New Generation' a dance program like YTT for teenagers as she was 17,she also had her own fashion line for girls in Australia, she embarked her solo singing career in 1990 whilst also starring in 'Home & Away' where she met future husband 'Julian Mcmahon' following the success here in the U.K. of her debut album 'Love & Kisses' he was the son of an ex Australian female prime minister.
Instead of chirpy pop 'Dannii' was influenced by a US Dance vibe a totally different direction to sister Kylie, Dannii wanted a 'Chicago House Sound' like her idol 'Janet Jackson', although style wise she was always compared to 'Kylie' she chameleonised herself and placed herself in Gay Clubs of Australia and U.K. to play her material particularly after the release of 2nd album 'Get Into You' and single 'This Is It' .
Her impending divorce seen 'Dannii' change her image yet again and she now had breast enhancement surgery, and dyed her Black hair Blonde she looked more like Barbie, she was on TV shows presenting in the UK 'Big breakfast' 'Scoop' she went back to her dance root for 'Girl' '1997' and now she was every straight guy's fantasy posing in FHM , Maxim, Sky and other mags glamour based.
With Top 10 hit 'All I Wanna Do' she did a tour 'Unleashed 1998' this time in small public venues across the UK, It was then our paths crossed, not a lot of people know this but here we go.. I worked for 'Virgin Megastore' in a Cheshire store it was when her Tour came round to our area that I suggested to my boss "Why don't we get 'Dannii' in for a instore signing it'd be a buzz" she also had her glamour calendar out so it was a good PR stunt it had been arranged on October 8th and on the day it was packed the rafters with straight blokes queuing out the door clutching the risqué calendar, for me it was an opportunity to appreciate her for her music and talent as a dance artist and I took along a few things, I booked it as my day off and was no1 in the queue we were in the local paper (No I will not post a picture here anyway it was only small).
I remember I said to her randomly " I like your eyeshadow" she seemed really flattered ,and signed my stuff including a Huge 'Unleashed' poster, we had pics with the instore team after the crowds had gone and she asked me if I had a ticket for her show tonight , I said I hadn't I thought it sold out ,she arranged for a ticket for me and some of the staff and we went she was fantastic she performed hits from 'Girl' and some covers 'Heart of Glass', 'Rhythm Of The Night' the staging and the Wardrobe was fantastic too she had a range of leather look outfits I wanted lol. I certainly liked that image in the same way I looked up to 'Madonna' and 'Kylie' whom the press claimed she didn't get on with it was their fav story.
So in 2001 she continued down the club scene staying loyal, and I often written to her and she would reply and send signed postcards to me she even shouted me and my mum tickets for 'Notre Dame De Paris' at London's Dominion Theatre when a mothers day gift (for my mum) turned sour as 'Dannii' was replaced by an understudy we walked out and didn't watch it came home, so I written to her and she was apologetic and promised she'd be at the next few shows we went, and we loved it, her voice was better than I heard in a long time, by the time 'Neon Nights' came out she was dating a F1 racing driver and becoming a bigger star on Music Tv she was a Mardi Gras Queen in Australia and there our contacted ended, she was now a Gay icon like Big Sister Kylie.
So all that said you know who your reading about now..
Fast Forward 14 years .......Now Sunday Entertainment at Pride began at 3pm with a gym class warm up from 'Pure Gym' and then a young male singer from 'Cardiff' 'Jonathon Haul' in black leather looking very metrosexual and well preened (No use getting too excited there ...) next act 'Dan Loops' played and acoustic guitar and was liked to 'Ed Sheeran' in vocals then it was the Shane Ritchie Jnr Band (first thing I notice is gosh how much does he look like his dad) .
Manchester band 'Rival Joy' came on when uh uh trouble starting already.. there I was with my friends when this girl marches up pissed up to her eyeballs in pigtails and rainbow ribbons she pushes herself onto the barrier which was generally full of relaxed people now irrate , I leaned over to her and said 'Sorry you can't stay there my mates just gone to the loo we're minding his place' she turned her head she utters some garbled comment half reminding me of the 'Excorcist' and her teeth were so chipped and unsightly that I'm constantly playing back the 'Windowlicker' video through my head you know the bit where 'Aphex Twin' dressed as girl Grins well that's what it was like.. Horrifying !!!
He came back and a scuffle broke out next to me she wouldn't budge and my other friend and I didn't know what to do ,but eventually after 'Rival Joy' she left can of lager in hand waffling something I never understood missed them because of all that.. but I think they were ok ,I'd heard a song on the radio .
Next up was 'Stooshe' seen them before at 'Bingley Festival 2012' but this time they played some covers 'Waterfall's and 'Black Magic' 'Uptown Funk' , ended with 'Black Heart' ,then it was 'Blackpools 'Little Boots' up next she came on stage and took to her keyboards dressed in an 'Atomic Kitten' t-shirt and Silver White hotpants she sang 'Stuck on Repeat', 'New Kid In Town' 'Remedy' from her 'Hands' album from 2009 which I liked, she also played some new material next up was 'Atomic Kitten' well 2 of them...at the start 'Kerry' was looking stressed at the sound engineer as their earpieces weren't working they spent much singing time chatting and messing about and Kerry flirted with 'Liz Mclarnon' when they did sing they played 'Right Now', Eternal Flame', and 'Whole Again' bloody hell come on 'Dannii' is it time yet ...
Oddly after 3 of the 'Corrie' cast took to the stage to introduce her Sean,Fizz, and Bev (Kirks wife) Anthony Cotton sat in front of me on the barriers ledge,luckily in no way obscuring my view but to the left I notice 'Gandolf' from 'Harry Potter'!!! I nudge my mate and tell her look who's in front of you she taps him on the shoulder and he manages 'Yes Hellooo'
She's on stage now ...'Dannii' beginning the end of show show !!! Her female dancers in coloured latex look hoop skirts and her male dancers in sweat pants looking gym fit and 'Dannii' herself appears in Hot Pink glitter catsuit 'Success' booms out and she smiles arms up in the air shes dancing about the stage , hair in brown ponytail extension the song then goes into 'Love Fight' and then next is her new song 'Summer Of Love' and medley for which she changes outfit into a Gold Gaultier inspired style basque and Black Tinsel shoulder garment to play 'Baby Love/Love & Kisses/This Is It /Put The Needle On it/ All I Wanna Do/ Who Do you Love Now she's then presented with a Huge bouquet of Flowers from the 'Pride' Organisers which she hands out to the crowd (well nearly ...she gets someone to hand out to us as she cant get down off the stage in those heels)
Just as we were up and excited she say's Thank you Goodnight and walks off the stage ...Gobsmacked I look at my mate and say loudly "Is That Is That IT!!, Where's the 'Encore' has she gone !!??" yes I thought 'This Is It' and Sunday's entertainment was over if she come's back in the Music industry she needs to play longer, the headliner should play at least an hour not just under 30 minutes ...We need more 'Dannii' much more ,good to have her back she has a lot of catching up to do, I was Lucky to get a flower from the bouquet and with that feeling like I'd just been in an 15 hr reality tv program, and feeling absolutely steamrollered from the whole thing! I left to get the late bus home til the next blog where normal service resumes in Winter, enjoy the rest of the Summer Of Love !!!
LMi xo
