Out & About – 2 Reviews by a Chick
Jeffery
Warp factor nine, I left my house one Tuesday night in June to see what was what. I remember it like yesterday… wait! It was yesterday. Anyway, my first stop was Cafe des Artistes at Bagshot house in Maraval to storm a benefit screening of the movie Jeffery.
This was a gay flick in all senses of the word — a light comedy/lovestory about a gay man who, terrified by AIDS and the clinical degeneration of sex in the ’90’s, decides to become celibate, and instead falls for an HIV positive sex machine. Funniest parts of the film: the Mother Theresa appearances; the Sexual Compulsives Anonymous meetings; Sigourney Weaver’s cameo as Deborah, the Nation’s Hottest Post-Modern Evangelist; the square dancing cater waiters. Best line: Jeffery, in searching for a sex substitute, “I can’t believe it’s not sex!”
Under all the old talk, the movie has a serious moral. As the dead Darius puts it, “Hate AIDS, Jeffery, not life. Think of AIDS as a a guest that won’t leave… but remember it’s still our party!”
Jeffery was directed by Christopher Ashley, and stars Steven Weber, Michael T. Weiss, Bryan Batt and Patrick Stewart. Also starring Sigourney Weaver, Kathy Najimy and that guy from Birdcage who played Robin Williams’ lover.
By the way, the benefit was for the brand new Gay Enhancement Association of Trinidad & Tobago, in celebration of Gay Pride Week 1996.
Ruby Tuesday
Next stop, Scottie, a Ruby Tuesday at Just Friends in Bretton Hall. Star attraction was the one-year old band from Arima, Creed. Before we even talk about the band, let’s mention that Ruby Tuesdays are $15.00 and start at 9:30pm, although Creed didn’t play until well past 11:00pm. The rock/alternative fan might be glad to brave the wind and rain to go see a live band since that phenomenon is so rare.
OK, on to Creed. Young guys (twenty-something, I guess); the Khan brothers, Nigel and David on guitar, Andrew Cipriani and his afro on rhythym, and alternating drummers Peter Thomas and Rene Coryat. They did a set of about five songs, mainly on teenage angst. They tried for a hard sound on most of their pieces but under Thomas’ beats this didn’t really succeed. Thomas may have skills but he isn’t in tune with the band’s pace as the three front men are. Until Coryat stepped in, Creed seemed somewhat forgettable, but he put in the pinch of “uhh” that spiced it up. Coryat, drum slut extraordinaire, plays for anybody who asks him but he’s the uncontested dan gorgon of the trapset. In short, he real geh on. He raised the band’s energy by miles and they finished up on a good note (I think it was A sharp). Best songs in the set: Feedback (which starts with actual real live mike, guitar and drum feedback); Friction (the original and still refreshing hard core taste as made famous by Scorpions et al); Mr Gibson (featuring Nigel Khan’s unique secret stocks distortion sound wacum wacum ).
I’d look out for this band again, not because of Nigel Khan’s barefoot pedal-pushing, or David Khan’s good hair, or even Andrew Cipriani’s afro (impressive though it was), but because they had a solid, sweet sound. While that may not get them a record deal, it ain’t bad to listen to; at the end of the day, as my friend Rubi said, that’s what music is about.