This entry is written by guestblogger Ladyfag.
When many men start creeping toward middle age, they buy themselves a red convertible: a possible last hurrah or an attempt to bring back the crazy hazy days of youth. Not Casey Spooner. Formerly the frontman for the highly successful Electroclash art extravaganza Fischerspooner, Casey has just come out with a solo album entitled “Adult Contemporary.”
He says, “It’s sort of the opposite now. I’m actually wearing clothes. I’m not prancing around stage in a jockstrap to Electroclash anymore.”
The man can change the music, but can the music really change the man? I wonder what his new show is all about and in the midst of our conversation he mentions that he and Jake Shears (of the Scissor Sisters) have been hitting the gym to see who can wear the tiniest Speedo for an upcoming video.
Casey Spooner and Jake Shears flex
The single (a duet), is called “Spanish Teenager.” The times they are a changing… Or are they? Let’s find out! Read the full Q&A after the jump.
Ladyfag: Hey Casey! you’re in the midst of tour. How’s it going?
Tour’s great! The show is very different. I recorded this record 2 years ago and it was sitting collecting dust in L.A. for two years. Jake Shears heard it and loved it and asked me to go on tour. I had a few days to decide what I’d do and barely two weeks to pull it all together, and I did it! I’m on tour and it’s been going great!
What’s it like touring without Fischerspooner?
Such a big change! FS is a huge crew, huge cast, huge family, huge drama. A lot of everything… a lot of problems! FS is challenging because it’s a delicate pop performance equation. So many different elements along with sound and image have to come together. This show is just me. So simple. Here I just have to slip on a suit, do a quick solo warm up drink some tea and whiskey and I’m good to go.
Is it so new that you feel you’re starting over?
It’s very new for me. I’m learning to interact with my audience in a new way. I’m enjoying doing everything in this shockingly modest way. No bullshit, it’s just me and the mic. This performance is about words and emotions.
Really? Give me a word and an emotion.
Fridge and lust. I guess it could be called the frigid lust show! Actually I’ve been fantasizing a lot about being a stand-up comic; and these songs are very story-based and it’s me alone up there relaying them. I’m getting closer to my stand up career!
Casey the Comic: It’s got a ring to it! Well, you’ve succeeded in starting over this time. Why not again? You’ve had much success in the past. Did it feel weird asking for help to finance the tour with Kickstarter?
I was terrified. I had 2 weeks to come with a lot of money that I didn’t have. My show is very simple but I have no label, no infrastructure and so I was short on the money and short on time to come up with it. At first I thought “Is this embarrassing?” But I discovered my fans were really excited to do it. They were so enthusiastic about being a part of it. It’s a nice shift for people to give money to something that they actually want. They wanted to see me on tour not give money to a big company or label.
I feel the same. I’ve had it with labels. You have to deal with their approval to get the money and even then you never see much of it. The Internet changed the game. The music biz is in complete disarray. It’s like they’re making VHS tapes but no ones buying them but they keep making them, not really knowing what to do.
Casey raised $11,945 from loyal fans on Kickstarter.com
The industry and it’s talent have changed in so many ways. Nowadays pop stars and their stylists are “performance artists.” You’re arguably one of the originators of that idea.
I think it’s awesome. My plan worked! It’s good that more people are being more extravagant and creative. There’s room for more. The big difference is it’s usually women. It’s rare that men are given license to be as expressive as women are.
Like “Faye Dunway”…
Yes that’s the title of one of the songs on my new album. It’s a collage of all things homosexual. Faye Dunaway makes an appearance, Terence Koh, Mykonos, Nightclubs, bathhouses, jilted love affairs, the Internet, masturbation. But it’s actually a heartwarming ballad of homo culture. I especially love performing the chorus. I sing in the bridge, “These are my children and this is my home, this a legacy and this is my bone.”
I don’t know if i will ever father kids biologically so when I perform, It’s like I’ve fathered all these kids in my audience. It’s about how you see your legacy and giving yourself to the next generation. I’m also singing about this generation of gays. I just couldn’t find anything to rhyme with Manhunt.
Download “Adult Contemporary” exclusively at caseyspooner.com.
FREE MP3 download: “Faye Dunaway” by Casey Spooner available here.
Writer bio: Ladyfag is a NYC nightlife celebrity, performer, writer, and muse to many. Although called a fashion icon by some, if you ask her, she’ll just smile, roll her eyes and skip back to the dancefloor… with a sparkle bathing suit, hairy armpits and six-inch stilettos! Follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Yearning is not only a good way to go crazy but also a pretty good place to hide out from hard truth.
Casey Spooner gives me mofo ladywood! God, he is SOOOOO hot.
I love it so much omg