We had the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with singer, and former X-Factor contestant Laura White whilst she was in the East Midlands Christmas Lights event at Derby’s Westfield Shopping centre. During the interview she reveals her thoughts on the dreaded Jedward twin act, and her feeling on leaving the competition. She also discusses her motivation behind starting her own record label and the meaning behind her recent song Should Have Known.

The full transcript of the interview will appear shortly.

The interview was taken 14th November 2009 at the Christmas Lights Switch On event Derby’s Westfield shopping centre

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THESE days, the word ‘burlesque’ conjures up images of feather boas, corsets, sequin encrusted bras and the raven-haired performer Miss Dita Von Teese. But long before Dita started gracing the covers of our glossy fashion magazines and dazzling audiences with her giant martini glass routine, burlesque was a form of entertainment virtually unknown to us all. Wednesday October 7th saw the arrival of Powder Room Burlesque; Leicester’s quarterly premier burlesque night held at Jongleurs comedy club in the city centre. Tassel twirling and pure titillation came to the city as the beautiful host, Miss Kyla (Michaela Patterson) and Gimp Monkey Nay-Nay put on a show to remember. WIARD FM went along to check out the lively atmosphere as the Powder Room Burlesque celebrated its 1st birthday in style with a uniform themed party, which was set to bring the house down…

Once seated at the bar near the stage with my cocktail in hand, I admired the stunning array of vintage inspired outfits and fancy dress costumes that people had brought and hand made especially for the night…they certainly dressed to impress for the ‘Best Dressed’ competition.
Prizes were available courtesy of Ann Summers for the winner and runners up.

The Headline Act

The headline act of the evening was the amazing close-up magician ‘Equador the Wizard’, who also thrilled the audience in the grand finale of the show as the first ever boylesque performer. After being blown away by his unbelievable magic tricks, I quizzed him about his career as a magician and life as a Boylesque performer.

“My real name is Equador Zaha. I am trained in ballet, drama, musical theatre, tap and jazz and I’m literally living my dream. I have also performed close-up magic for household names such as Rolf Harris, Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross. I’ve aimed my show for every adult to experience magic, comedy, dancing, strip show and boylesque together. My performance shows off pure masculine energy and is designed with laughter in mind”, he explained. Equador also won the ‘Best New UK Male of Burlesque 2009’ award at the London Burlesque Festival and won silver out of 25 contestants in the ‘Male Tournament of Tease’ competition.
Why not visit his website on www.equadorthewizard.com to organise a special hen or stag night to remember. Once seen, never forgotten!

The Performers

Show producer Miss Kyla took to the stage dressed in seductive uniform from Ann Summers as she announced each act to the crowd. Featured burlesque acts were Glorian Gray, Cherry Du Bois, India Starr, Deadly Nightshade, Scarlet Soutine and the ladies representing the Demon Belles from DMU, Scarlett Voodoo and Trixy Von Trash. The variety of styles allowed each dancer to showcase her own distinctive talents in a truly unforgettable way. They certainly knew how to twirl that tassel!

Midway through the show, Miss Kyla introduced the live band on stage, the Gadjos, who performed various hits setting a great mood across the room. During the break, I spoke to the event organiser herself, as I wanted to establish how The Powder Room Burlesque originated and the ideas behind it. “The inspiration came from my night at the Candy Box Burlesque in Birmingham, which was awesome. It’s the only all-live burlesque club outside London and is famous for its themed monthly gatherings. The atmosphere was electric and my experience that night really inspired me to form the burlesque group, and here we are tonight celebrating our 1st birthday with a fantastic group of dancers and performers,” she explains with a big smile on her face. There is also an opportunity for ladies to learn the art of burlesque dancing with the talented Scarlett Soutine. Visit the website and book a course today. www.powderroomburlesque.com.

It’s clear that while this may not be a day job for most of these performers, there’s a strong passion and attention to detail that shines through each performance. Powder Room Burlesque combines imaginative choreography with creative stage props and lively music to excite and thrill the crowd, leaving them anxiously waiting for more. From loud energetic routines performed to The Prodigy to Spanish flamenco style dancing, this production will have your hearts racing throughout.

The Highlights

Standouts included: Glorian Gray for her cheeky painting scene and unique outfits; India Starr, whose performance was magnificent with some great tassel twirling and dancing; and boylesque performer and magician Equador the Wizard, who certainly drew the most enthusiastic crowd response with his strip tease and magic tricks to various pieces of music.

For those people who would look down their nose at a stripping act as sexist, I’d say that the majority of the crowd I saw was about 60% female. These individuals are not strippers: they are old school-style striptease artists, who are also singers, clowns, comedians, cabaret performers and magicians.

This show was sassy, flirty, mischievous, seductive and glamorous, with stunning costumes which brought the stage to life. We had an excellent night at Jongleurs comedy club and want to thank all at Powder Room Burlesque and the staff for an amazing show, and wish you a very happy 1st birthday.
Article by Gemma Louise Brotherton
Photos by Neil Williams

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The occasion

The first Reiss store was opened in 1971 and specialised in European, quality tailoring in the City of London. The fashion house has continually advanced its vision of being a directional and design-led brand and by 2000, Reiss had its own in-house design team and studio, cementing its design credentials and expanding its unique offering into a complete range of women’s-wear, as well as menswear and accessories. The 1971 collection signifies the underlying evolution-come-revolution of the Reiss brand…

With the promise of a fresh, youthful range coming to Reiss, we were eager to see what the new collection included (and how much it would set us back to buy something!) The long awaited 1971 Reiss range was finally revealed at the Nottingham (Byard Lane) store on 15^th October, with an invite-only launch party which made us feel very VIP!

Great Atmosphere

Upon entering the store, the modern individual vibe was in full flow, with live performances from both bands; The Cedars and The Avengers, along with a number of DJ’s playing music to accompany the free champagne that the guests were sipping. With the edgy new range being named after the year that music and fashion started to collide, the music on the night certainly embodied the spirit of that particular year.

The store itself was buzzing with friendly and helpful staff, who were offering endless advice to eager customers, with the promise of 10% off on all purchases on the night & a free gift bag, who wouldn’t be excited?! Rosie Coverini, a 19 year old student at Nottingham Trent University, agreed. “There’s a good vibe here, the staff are really friendly, and it’s such a good promotion with 10% off. It has definitely has persuaded me want to buy something I’ve got my eye on!”

The collection itself is aimed at a slightly younger, more casual customer than normal for Reiss, with the man behind the brand, David Reiss, stating it was created because the brand “wanted to be cooler, edgier and provide a complete wardrobe.”  The range also includes its first significant denim range, which is a world apart from their norm of great tailoring.

The range

For the men there are three new denim jean fits, all treated to create a unique texture and feel (and they look a lot more individual than your standard high street jeans!). The casual theme is continued with shirts worn as jackets, printed tees, modern biker jackets and chunky knit scarves, which adorned the giant blown-up poster boards on display around the store. The bands playing on the night were also showcasing the key pieces of the new men’s range, including a very stylish navy military jacket which a number of girls were eyeing up for their boyfriends!

For the ladies the look is traditional with a twist, with tailored pieces being combined with chunky zips, studs, and special washes and finishes. The key colours of the range are evidently black, vintage blue and grey, with splashes of nudes and pinks to brighten up those winter months. Prices start at twenty-five pounds for a printed logo tee, but armed with 10% off and student loans in our banks, we couldn’t resist looking at some of the more costly, and detailed, pieces including an amazing black and gold zip dress (one for the Christmas list!).

Shopper’s response

Collectively, the new pieces looked amazing lined up in the 1971 Reiss section of the store and guests from the night agreed with us. Vidya, a 24 year old student at Nottingham Trent commented, “There are some lovely wearable pieces in the range, and a good choice of colours for winter”. Her friend, Sonia, 22, also studying at Trent, commented that “the display of the accessories is not like normal high street stores; because it’s different it makes you want to buy them!”, and I’m certain a lot of spent out guests would agree. With damaged bank balances and goody bags galore, we all stumbled home satisfied with a new found love for 1971 Reiss.

• Students receive 10% at the Nottingham store (Off Bridlesmith Gate) until mid November on production of a valid student card.
• Check online for pictures and info on the new 1971 Reiss collection at: www.reiss.co.uk

Article by: Joanna Lucy Thompson
Photography by: Jo Wright

http://www.reiss.co.uk/1971/

Here at WIARD FM we have been asking the same question that’s on everybody’s lips – should Nick Griffins, the BNP leader, be allowed to appear on the BBC’s Question Time? Is it right to allow a convicted racist the opportunity to insult viewers across the nation, and to spread his hateful doctrine?

The British National Party is an extreme right wing political party with radical racist and fascist views who stand for an ‘all white Britain’.

BBC’s defence

The BBC claims their reason to allow Nick Griffin the right to air his views and policies is justified by their recent electoral gain. Speaking through Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director General, the organisation says: “It remains the BBC’s obligation to scrutinise and hold to account all elected representatives”

The BNP focuses on ‘white supremacy.’ Policies of the BNP include: making all non white people second class citizens, the banning of mixed relationships, deporting immigrants and any black person who commits a crime, even if they were born in the UK, and giving jobs to white UK citizens first.

Unite Against Fascism, has condemned the BNP: “there is nothing democratic about the BNP. It is a fascist organisation dedicated to kicking every single black and Asian person out of this country. More airtime for the BNP will just lead to more racism in our society and more racist violence on the streets.”

BNP leaders shady past and views

Nick Griffins  was arrested in 1998 for inciting racial hatred because he denied the holocaust ever happened.

In a statement Griffin said: “I am well aware that the orthodox opinion is that 6 million Jews were gassed and cremated… I have reached the conclusion that the “extermination” tale is a mixture of Allied wartime propaganda, extremely profitable lie, and latter witch-hysteria.”

How racism has affected you

Many WIARD FM readers will be aware that racism is still an ongoing issue which rarely gains national attention, although the recent Panorama programme (aired on BBC 1) has help to highlight the extent of the problem.  Some of you may have experienced racism and some of you will know somebody who has experienced racism and of the effects it has had on them.

Jayde Phillips, 20, who is a student at Leicester’s De Montfort University, has experienced racism. She recalls: “The first time I experienced racism was in Leicester in my first year at university. Me and my flatmate (who is also black) were walking back home through the market when a man, roughly in his mid 50′s, passed us and drunkenly shouted, ‘We don’t need you people in this country.’ I was shocked because I had never experienced any sort of racism before. I can’t believe they are giving the BNP air time.”

Kara Hall 21, also a student at De Montfort University adds: “I really cannot believe that people still feel the need to judge a person based on their colour. If the BNP ever came into power the country would be a very aggressive, sad place.”

The BBC are still backing their decision for Nick Griffin to appear on question time despite many protests .  BY JADE MELLOR

What are your thoughts on the BBC’s decision to invite the BNP’s leader on to their Question Time live debate show? Are they right to allow the BNP an opportunity to defend their fascist views, and to allow viewers the chance to hear both sides of the race debate? Or is it a dangerous move to allow the BNP such a huge amount of much coverage , on a publicly-funded TV channel, and could it help them to spread their hateful message?

The long anticipated Talent 2009 event took place this weekend (13th of June) at the Adrian Boult Conservatoire, Birmingham. The event, which is organised by not for profit organisation Aspire4u, featured singing, dancing, poetry, rapping, fashion and more from young people from across the Midlands.

The Adrian Boult stage was transformed into a dynamic, eye catching, visual masterpiece courtesy of Audio Visual company MCL. London based Comedian Slim hosted the nights proceedings and was a laugh a minute. There were stalls from local organisations who sold their products and provided giveaways throughout the night which the audience flocked to throughout the evening.

The winners of Talent 2009 included dance trio Fusion from Nottingham who wowed the audience with their blend of a variety of different musical genres and dancing styles. They won a cameo in a Shalit Global music video. Shalit Global is the management company responsible for the likes of N Dubz and Jamelia.

Jayla Nyota Brothers was the winning lyricist and will now have automatic entry into the Urban Music Awards competition “Britain’s Next Urban Superstar” as well as 5 hours studio time with MPM records to record a demo CD.

The vocal section saw a tie between funky house artist Rochelle Robertson and jazz singer Danieal. They will both record a track with urban artist Donae’o as well as receive 5hours studio time to record a demo CD courtesy of 2nd City Productions.

The winning models were Emmanuel Ikoro and Melika Burrell who both will appear in Tru Life Magazine and Asian Woman magazine as well as receive a free photo shoot courtesy of Aspire4u. They also get free membership to Mahogany models.

Finally the winning designer was Anna Apostolou whose gothic inspired creations beat off the other two design entries to the top spot. Anna will receive a feature in Asian Woman Magazine and the opportunity to sell her garments on Me, Myself and I online boutique thanks to free membership for one year.

The show ended with an impromptu performance by urban artist Donae’o who invited the audience onto the stage to Party Hard. The audience jumped at the chance and swarmed the stage in seconds.

However, the night did not end there. Party goers flocked to Panama Bar to celebrate the event at the Talent 2009 official after party hosted by DJ Warren G. In all it was a fabulous night!

Talent will be back again next year and anyone interested in getting involved should email their details to info@aspire4u.co.uk asap.

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The end of the cold and dark winter finally came into sight at this colourful and explosive mix of dance, music and most importantly, fashion.

Although it was still icy outside, Leicester’s Y Theatre definitely welcomed the start of summer with fashion showings from brands such as Kolor Skeme, Nerd Central and Rainbow Fly Girls.

Unfortunately, the night got off to a very late start as host Kevin J was delayed. However, when he arrived he didn’t disappoint, discussing everything from student life to Rihanna, Barack Obama to knife crime, with a wicked sense of humour and lively style. He looked the part as well, sporting a black tracksuit with gold and glittery trimmings, clearly following the metallic trend that has been on all the catwalks this spring/summer.

After Kevin J’s introduction, Kolor Skeme started the fashion offerings with a bright and fresh mix of printed t-shirts. Fluorescent colours are big news this season, particularly seen at shows by Marni and designer of the moment Richard Nicoll. The girls dazzled in yellows and pinks, offset by hot-pants and super-sexy wet look leggings.

T-shirts emblazoned with ‘I’m the Funkin’ Man’ and ‘Find Me on Facebook’ are certain to be favourites.

Next up came Nerd Central, with a great selection of jackets, tops, trousers – everything you need for your summer wardrobe! There were several pieces for the smarter occasion, but with an individual twist, such as high waisted trousers and cardigans with big buttons.

Bright colours were again focused on, and there were some must-have accessories such as caps and sunglasses.

The audience then went wild as we listened to music from Tribal Skank. The evening had a great mix of fashion and other forms of entertainment such as dancing from Justene and Co and poetry from Kiké the precious poet. This meant that we weren’t overwhelmed by the huge array of amazing clothes on offer, with other well-know brands such as VAG and Phredi becoming highlights of the evening.

The Krispy Kreme donut stall was also very popular, providing a well-needed and delicious sugar boost!

Final stand-out showings have to be from Rainbow Fly Girls and Brotherhood clothing. Rainbow Fly Girls were definitely my favourite, with bright t-shirts for boys and sexy skirts and dresses for the girls. As well as referencing the trend for fluorescents, a leopard print skirt nicely summed up the tribal theme seen at Gucci and Miu Miu. Meanwhile, a short jumpsuit and striped dress meant the collection was bang-on for this season’s fashions. Brotherhood clothing turned the stage into a rainbow, starting summer early.

The audience had all dressed for the occasion, making the night become a party enjoyed by everyone who was there.

And as Kiké said, temptation truly is the sweetest sin…but this night was a fashionable temptation that will be bad news for the bank balance of everyone there!

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When WIARD FM heard that Donaeo was in the area we jumped at the opportunity to interview the talented UKG artist. As we hit the streets of the Nottingham and asked people what they thought about the singer behind “Devil in a blue dress”, and his other music, many people were unfamiliar with him. So. Who is Donaeo?

To many, London based singer/song writer Donaeo (real name *Steven Bredren) may not be well known, and may even appear to be new to the music scene. However his smooth vocals; with a raw edge of sexy huskiness, have been around for many years producing music for the underground scene. UK Garage fans may recognise Donaeo from an earlier hit “my philosophy (Bounce)”, but apart from a few production credits not much has been seen or heard from the one time MC. Donaeo has reinvented himself by dropping the MC, and laying his own R&B vocals over dance (funky house) music. Donaeo’s recent hits include club bangers such as “Devil in a blue dress” and “African Warrior”; songs for both men and women to enjoy. And “Could It Be” a more slow and seductive track guaranteed to have any lady weak at the knees.

If the Londoner’s R&B vocals had to be compared to anyone, in my opinion it would have to be the raspy tones of John Legend. However by laying R&B vocals over UKG, a lethal combination sure to get people dancing, Donaeo has once again tapped into the conscience of the UK music scene. Since Donaeo oozes so much talent, it remains a mystery as to why he has only released songs on vinyl, instead breaking into the charts with his infectious melodies.

The meaning behind the name Donaeo is “Gift from God”, so you would think with a chosen alter-ego as this, he would be arrogant and egotistic. However when I got the chance to meet Donaeo after his live performance at the Coco Lounge in Nottingham (hosted by Urban Promotions), he was quite the opposite. He was laid back and humble, yet had an air of mystery about him. It could be said that his name reflects his talent as he has this in abundance; producing, writing and singing his own material. If you have not heard of Donaeo already, you are missing out on good, all round UK talent.

On the night, this opportunistic WIARD FM journalist arranged an interview with the singer after his live performance at the I Luv Funky event in Nottingham’s Coco Lounge. When we spotted Donaeo he was on the dance floor by the DJ booth. Wearing a blue t-shirt and hoody under a black leather jacket with jeans, he was being approached by the club revellers, and humbly taking pictures with them. Donaeo was more than willing to give an interview and when asked, his exact words were “Why not?” As we walked down the street outside the club, our old school method of interviewing (via a mobile phone recorder!) did not faze Donaeo. The ice was broken by saying that I expected a lot more ladies in the club wearing a blue dress: “I guess no-one wanted to be the devil in Donaeo’s life” where my exact words. This made Donaeo chuckle, leading us on to the rest of the interview:

Interview

What’s the song “Devil in a Blue Dress about?

The song is about, basically meeting a girl in a club. You kinda know she’s trouble and your trying to stay away from her, the problem is you find her attractive and she finds you attractive and even more you try and get away from here, the more she comes at you type of thing. So that’s why she’s a devil in a blue dress.

Is the song drawn from a personal experience, an actual girl in a blue dress?

Yeh, a couple, I don’t know where the blue dress came from, the song just came, it wasn’t like an autobiographical song. But I have had cases, where a situation like that has occurred, you know.

Do you write your own material or…?

Nah. I produce, and write, sing all my stuff, myself.

Is Donaeo single or has a lady in his life? For all the single ladies out there…

Do you know what, when it comes to those things like that, I kinda keep myself to myself.. You know and don’t really kinda expose what’s going on in my private life. I just kinda keep it music.

How long have you been singing and who are your inspirations?

I’ve been singing since I’ve been six and my inspirations has come from as far as like Kool Moe Dee, to Dem Two, to  Kriss Kross (remember them?), to Jay-Z, D’Angelo, to Neptunes, it kinda goes that far.

What genre do you class yourself as? With your RnB vocals over dance and bassline beats?

Well at the moment I’m really heavily influenced by dance music. So I make Drum and Bass, or House, or Electro, or Garage, or Grime, Whatever kinda hits my fancy. I find that I’m very, very, into the Dance type of thing, but I would do Hip-Hop and RnB, and Bashment and other things, coz I love those music as well. But at this current moment in my life, I’ve been doing Dance music for about ten years.

What do you think of the UK music scene?

I think it’s excellent, especially now more than ever, like there’s so many different types of genres. Like if someone doesn’t like Garage, they don’t have to do Garage, they can blow and do Hip-Hop and RnB. Or if someone don’t like doing that, they can blow in doing House, or so many different things to choose from, you can, you don’t have to be forced to do something you don’t wanna do. You can choose where you wanna sit at and roll with it.

What artist do you think we should look out for in the future from the,U.K scene, or any favourites?

Well there’s a producer out there called BANTON, made a track called “Sirens”. Like him, he’s, one of my favourite producers. And Crazy Cousins they’re like really heavy. And then there’s this female artist called ABENOWA. She an excellent singer like and the tunes that she makes are just banging, Banging, BANGING!!

Has she released anything?

Nah, she’s like an underground soul singer, you know what I mean, but she’s gonna be coming through BIG, so watch out for that.

What’s in store for Donaeo in 2009?

Boy, I’m, gonna be releasing my Album, “Devil in a blue dress” next year. And gonna do a video for “African Warrior”. And then we’re just gonna try and move on and up. You know.

What’s the concept behind “African Warrior”?

Yeh, see in the song for “African Warrior”, its more like urm, watcha call it, an empowerment tune, innit. It’s like you gotta get up and do what you need. If you’re an African warrior, you can get up and move and you know follow your dreams and work hard and through whatever obstacles you can come through to follow your dreams.

Have you drawn on your personal experience when writing African Warrior?

Yeh, I don’t stop really, I always… I think in life, once you learn that, you know, there’s no such thing as failure, there’s only such things as success. And, as long as you can learn from your mistakes that you make, you’ll eventually succeed. So you always gotta, when you fall down, pick yourself up, brush yourself off and move forward, innit?

At the end of the interview I thought Donaeo was so impressive, so cool and level headed. Not only can the boy sing but he’s got manners of a gentleman. I’m truly a bigger fan after meeting him. So watch out for Donaeo in 2009 because he’s going to blow everyone away.

Kizzie Amor

Use the Donaeo tag to keep up-to-date with all Donaeo related articles, music, videos and photos.

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In Case you have been laying under a rock for the last week you should know that Manchester United – The Red Devils – have achieved an impressive double win of the UEFA Champions League and FA Premier League Cup. The pictures say it all…