New Wave Outpost Forum

If New Wave music were to have been denied the influence of Gay artists, what great music/bands would we have missed out on???

I was never under the impression that gay artists had a major impact on New Wave music. But yes, I'm sure we would have missed a few. Also, in general fans of new wave/alernative music tend to be more open minded and don't really care if an artist is gay/strait as long as they create great songs. Two of my favorite bands Kitchens of Distinction and Gene feature gay lead singers.

I wasn't really under the impression that New Wave had much of a gay influence either. I suppose if you count Boy George, Bronski Beat and all the other trans types like Dead or Alive & Marilyn...maybe, but it never seemed to be much of a movement to me.

I hated Bronski Beat - all that high pitched whining & self-pity - ugh, didn't speak to me at all.

I think more than a few people may have gravitated towards the genre because it represented something very different. I'm going to assume though that punk held equal appeal to the gay crowd too. It certainly said some things that people were waiting to hear.

About the only artists (punk or new wave) I can think of that had any profound influence would be Joan Jett, Pete Shelley & Buzzcocks.

Often times people think of disco as the movement of gay culture. It's very true considering so many of the producers, artists, writers and fans were, and so much of that music was written specifically for that crowd.
I wonder if there are parallels for New Wave - people behind the scenes who were gay that influenced the genre?

Check out these previous threads on the topic:

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.as ... hTerms=gay

http://www.nwoutpost.com/forum/topic.as ... hTerms=gay

It's true that fans of New Wave music cared more about the quality of music than the appearance or sexual preference of those who sang it. Although, I also feel that the "look" and styles that came along with New Wave music were appealing.
You'd definitely have to be opened minded when the music that you love was being sung by people who had what I refer to as a "really cool androgynous style". Consider Bowie in his Ziggy days, or Adam and The Ants (Kings of the wild Frontier garb). I'm not sure about the areas that you lived in, but it was totally acceptable to wear your hair with bleached tips, eye liner, and old ladies broaches.
People in the gay community would definitely gravitate toward the works of Boy George, Bronski Beat, Erasure, Freddie Mercury, and Morrissey.
I was a heterosexual teenager in High School who was always getting harassed by the "Metal" guys for being a "fag". Now as an adult (still hetero lol) I've seen may performers such as Nick Rhoades, Martin Gore, and Morrissey...and I have to say that I still love their work, but really notice how gay (sometimes flamboyant) these men are. I'm not bothered by it, it's just an observation.
How ironic that the "Metal" guys never knew that Iron Maiden had a gay front man!!!

Back then there wasn't that much emphasise on whether a person was gay or not. It was not such a big issue. I think today there is a growing obsession among people wanting to know who is and who isn't gay. I don't know what is to blame for such a fascination but I do have a hunch?

[quote][i]Originally posted by Lostin_Ateys[/i]
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How ironic that the "Metal" guys never knew that Iron Maiden had a gay front man!!!

[/quote]

I believe you are thinking of Rob Halford from Judas Priest.

"Words like conviction can turn into a sentence"

Thanks! I obviously need to do my "Metal Research".

[quote][i]Originally posted by Lostin_Ateys[/i]
<br>Thanks! I obviously need to do my "Metal Research".
[/quote]
No you don't.[:D]

Bronski Beat - never gave a flying fig about Jimmy Sommerville & the boys being gay nor did I listen to what they were singing about. I thought it was fun to dance to & that was the extent of it. I wasn't looking for some role model. Shit, what a choice I would've had![xx(][V]

Bronski beat, Erasure, Pet shop boys and Morrissey. We are so lucky to have them!

Mercedes

Are there gays in the music business?!!