Bears United Magazine - Issue 4 -Summer 2016

UNITEDBEARSmagazineISSUE 4 • SUMMER 2016 • FREE

BEAR EVENTS • BEAR BARS • GAMES • FOOD • MUSIC • SEX + MORE!

BISUITO!PETER

US SPECIAL!

www.bearsunitedmagazine.co.uk

COMEDY WITH MUSCLE

PROJECT BEARPICTURESPECIAL!

DJ PONI!

PRIDESEASON!

UNITEDBEARSmagazine

EDITORIAL

HI GUYS! Welcome to a packed Summer issue of Bears United Magazine.

We’re thrilled this issue to talk to one of our favourite entertainers, Peter Bisuito. Peter recently performed in the UK, and we were lucky enough to see him. If you get a chance to see him, you won’t regret it. It’s certainly been an eventful few months since we last spoke. We can’t let this issue pass without acknowledging the horrific events in Orlando recently. Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone affected by this unthinkable tragedy. This magazine is all about celebrating community and diversity. We stand with our friends in Orlando and across the world. Love wins. Everytime. Please let us know what you’d like to see in future issues, and don’t forget, you can get a daily dose of BUM at our website. Just visit www.bearsunitedmagazine.co.uk

Grahame & Steve www.facebook.com/bearsunitedmagazine @BearsUTDMag bearsunitedmagazine

@outlook.com

INSIDE BEARS UNITED magazine • Summer 2016 • Issue 4

06 EVENTS INMANCHESTER

10 FURFEST 2016

14 BIRMINGHAM PRIDE

18 DJ PONI

20 THE BINGHAM CUP

22 IT’S SUMMER!

28 PROJECT BEAR:PICTURE SPECIAL

44 WE INTERVIEW PETER BISUITOP

49 FOOD!

51 VIDEO GAMES

53 TV & FILM

PETER BISUITO 44PAGE

CONTENTS

GET IN TOUCH

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06 BEARS UNITED magazine • Summer 2016

FOCUS ON MANCHESTER

MANBEARS SOCIALSFANCY A NIGHT OUT WITH SOME NEW MATES?

ManBears Socials aim to organise small, varied sociable events throughout the year to the bear community in Manchester.There’s a fun mix of both regular and one-off events to suit all pockets, from pub crawls, buffets, quizzes, museum visits, bowling nights, theatre shows, cinema trips, and more! This is a welcoming community, but for those looking to join it can be a daunting experience, so luckily ManBears also aim to make it much easier for those newly arrived in the city to attend a bear event and make friends in a low-key, sociable atmosphere. It’s a great way to meet new friends, and your guaranteed to have a good time.

UPCOMING EVENTSQUIZ NIGHT AT THE REM BAR: 20th July, 9th August, 13th September, 11th October.

CINEMA NIGHT: 20th July, 17th August, 21st September, 19th October.

PUB CRAWLS: 6th August, 1st October, 3rd December.

BUFFETS: 31st July, 21st August, 25th September, 30th October.

FIND OUT MOREIf you have any questions or have an idea for an event get in contact at [email protected], or check the Manbears Social Facebook Group at www.facebook.com/groups/manbearssocial

EVENTS


TAKING PLACE ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH at Sub101 in Manchester, The Big Scrum is the UK’s biggest sport-kit club night, and we LOVE it! If you love men in rugby and sports kit, all you can drink free shots (until they’re gone, so get there early!), and you’re looking for an attitude free, fun, cheeky and horny club night... then you’ll love The Big Scrum too! Below are the upcoming events, but don’t forget to LIKE their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/groups/bigscrum - it’s updated all the time with sexy pics from the night!

GET ALONG TO THE BIG SCRUM @ SUB101: 5th August, 2nd September,7th October, 4th November, 2nd December

DON’T FORGET!

BRAWN MANCHESTERBRAWN is held on the second Friday of the month. It’s the Eagle Bar Manchester and Manbears monthly social for Bears, Chubs, Cubs, Chasers and Friends. There is no door charge for this event and there will be free snacks available... whilst they last! Next few dates: 12th August, 9th September, 14th October, 11th November.www.facebook.com/brawnuk

WOOF! MANCHESTERWOOF! Is a new men only night in Manchester. Although there is no dress code, all fetishes are welcome! The music will be hi-NRG and club classics - DJ Liam Stratton will be hitting the decks from Midnight! Check the Woof! Facebook page for future dateswww.facebook.com/woofclubnight

BIG SCRUMTRY NOT TO FUMBLE THE BALL!

FANCY A RUCK?


FOCUS ON MANCHESTER

BOLLOXIt doesn’t always have to be Kylie and Karaoke. If you’re looking for an alternative, we have one word. Bollox.Bollox is a Manchester monthly riot of alternative music and entertainment for queers who are looking for something different to the usual security blanket of gay scene clubbing.

THERE’S ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE

EVENTS

Operating a no-rules music policy that is loosely based around wonky pop, punk rock, electroclash, smash hits and retro hits, expect dance floor bruises from the likes of Pulp, Kelis, Hercules & Love Affair, Fleetwood Mac, The Knife, Joy Division, Pointer Sisters, Robyn, Prince, and good Madonna. The crowd is mixed and friendly, so widen your horizons and have a good Bollocking.

VENUE: Keep up with upcoming dates and venues at the Bollox Facebook page: www.facebook.com/bolloxclub


IF YOU’RE A BEAR IN MANCHESTER ON A SUNDAY, there really only one place to be. Fun, frolics, and a flirtatious DJ bring you a good old-fashioned night out to end the weekend. Check out the official Facebook page and invite all your friends to the group, post song requests and vote in challenges for the regulars. Visit www.facebook.com/groups/beareoke

Every Sunday: Rem Bar Cabaret from 5pm, and then Beareoke from 7pm. Beareoke runs EVERY Sunday from 7pm - close. With Moodybear himself, Andrew Clarke

DON’T FORGET!

EAGLE BAR SUNDAY SERVICEEarlier in the day, every Sunday at Eagle Manchester why not pop along to one of the most fun events in The Village, Sunday Service? Doors open at 2pm, as Eagle bar present a post-hangoverextravaganza, and lots of great acts. Visit www.facebook.com/eaglebarmanchester

BEAREOKERELEASE YOUR INNER POP STAR!

THE LEGENDARY


FOCUS ON BIRMINGHAM

FURFEST!MidsBears will be hosting the second annual Furfest Event over the weekend of 15th July.FurFest brings the Bear Pride concept to the Midlands, showcasing the Birmingham Scene with a fun packed weekend Planned aimed at Bears, Cubs and their Admirers but open to men of all shapes and sizes.The weekend will kick off on the evening of Thursday 14th July

THERE’S ALWAYS AN ALTERNATIVE

EVENTS

with an opportunity to register early and enjoy some Cabaret with our furry friends at Eden Bar in Birmingham.

Friday Evening brings the delights of Dave the Bear’s burlesque show and DJ Andrew Clarke from Manchester who will be spinning the decks well into the early hours. There will also be a special raffle offering prizes generously donated by our Friends at CloneZone and the usual cash to help people fund their refreshments over the course of the weekend. Saturday is a day with a packed line up. We will be kicking off the festivities with an


opportunity to meet with other Bears for coffee and Breakfast at Starbucks on Colmore Row, before commencing our Canal Tour of the City on a fully licensed pleasure cruiser from Gas Street Canal Basin.

We will then be meeting for a Bear Banquet in our own private dining space at Ming Moon in on Hurst Street. Ming Moon will offer a full oriental menu on an all you can eat basis, featuring the best of Chinese Food with fresh Tepanyaki or more western style dishes for the less adventurous.

Saturday Night will provide a hotter, heavier club night with a FurFest BearBrum night being held especially for the event in the Eden Marquee. Tunes will be provided by DJ James Poni until the early hours of Sunday Morning and there will also be an opportunity to enter into a competition to be named Mr FurFest 2016.

Sunday will round off the weekend with a Carvery Sunday Lunch along with Comedy Cabaret, showcasing the best of the Midlands’ Comedy Talent.

Tickets are priced at various levels with a Platinum Ticket providing a fully inclusive weekend (Excluding Drinks, but including Food), through various tiers down to Bronze (Free for Midsbears Members) which provides access to the evening entertainment only.

FOR MORE INFORMATION please contact the MidsBears admin team via email to [email protected] or see the Facebook Group for more information.

FURFEST

SUMMER OF PRIDE


BIRMINGHAM

PRIDE

2016

RICHARD BEDDOW & STEVE REESON A GENERATION OF PRIDE...


Held every year over the Spring Bank Holiday, it begins with a

parade from the city centre to the Gay Village in Hurst Street.

Their theme was – A Generation Of Pride celebrating their 20th

Year.

Firstly we’d like to thank the Team of Birmingham Pride for

welcoming us and allowing us VIP access to be able to get a good

feel of the event. When we arrived on the Saturday afternoon, the

streets were already filled with thousands of people and there

was a great party atmosphere. All of the bars had their own little

dancing areas with lots of different types of music so there was

something for everyone.

Centre of attention was of course the Main Stage, conveniently

located in a huge marquee. The first act we saw was Liberty X, who

sang all their classic hits and looked like they were having a great

time together, even doing their signature routine with the canes

for ‘Just a Little’. They all looked really proud that Kevin Simm had

recently won ‘The Voice’ and allowed him a solo spot to sing his

winning single.

Next we saw Lawson, who provided a change in direction with a

selection of their pop/rock influenced songs such as ‘Juliet’. They

were followed by Fleur East who showed amazing energy and

looked fabulous in a sparkly gold and black leotard. Every song

Birmingham Pride is the UK’s biggest two-day gay festival, attracting more than 75,000 people and this year celebrated its 20th anniversary. I’d never actually been, so was really excited to finally be able to attend and see what was on offer...


was accompanied by a team of dancers and the crowd went wild

when she sang ‘Uptown Funk’ and ‘Sax’ Where the fun continues

at the festival site with music acts including Liberty X, Fleur East,

Tulisa, Lisa Stansfield and Katy B, a dance arena with DJs, a

funfair, cabaret and stalls.

On the Sunday we tried some alternative entertainment on the

Cabaret stage including the marvellously funny Topping And Butch,

who put their own risqué twist on well-known songs (including a

great version of ‘All That Jazz’ with a very willing volunteer grabbed

from the audience)

The atmosphere across the whole weekend was great and we were

made to feel very welcome. I also really enjoyed spending time at

Eden bar, who put on a fantastic weekend of entertainment so that

the party continued well into the night after the main events had

finished. These included the (still cute) Andrea Faustini, Danny

Beard and the highlight for me getting up close to Kevin Simm who

again performed his winning single along with lots of other songs.

We highly recommended Birmingham a place to go and especially

the Eden bar the atmosphere in there over the weekend was

amazing from the acts the party goers to the staff making sure

everyone was having an amazing time.

BIRMINGHAM

PRIDE2016

IN AARON’S WORDS“Even if you can’t go to the whole of the Birmingham Pride

weekend, it’s still well worth going! It’s a fantastic atmosphere

and really friendly. I could only go to the Friday night and

Saturday through the day, so I got to have an awesome night

in Eden; which if you’re on a budget you don’t need a wrist

band for, as it’s outside of the Pride area. And on the Saturday

I got to walk in the pride parade with MidsBears which was a

hell of a lot of fun!”

IN RICHARD’S WORDS“For me, the highlight of ther weekend though was the

headline act on Sunday night, Andy Bell. As a lifelong Erasure

fan it was great to be right at the front to hear Andy sing all

of their hits and some of his solo work too, accompanied by

two female robotic dancers. The crowd all sang along with

the encore ‘ A Little Respect’ and there were fireworks and

confetti on stage.”

IN STEVE’S WORDS“There were so many highlghts. One was seeing Kevin Simm

and meeting him at the Eden bar where he performed a

selection of classic songs including his winners song from The Voice 2016, another was to see Fleur East on the main stage.

She was amazing. And of course the amazing Andy Bell. There

was so much going on over the weekend, it was a shame I

wasn’t able to see every act. Birmingham Pride did a great

job. I also enjoyed the line up at the Eden bar. The atmosphere

was so cool, and everyone was just enjoying themselves, so

well done to all the team at Eden Ba. You showed how you can

bring a community together.”

HERE’S SOME OF THE BUM TEAM’S HIGHLIGHTS


FOCUS ON MANCHESTER

DJ PONI“It’s always great to see so many people coming out and dancing!”

Well ,it’s that time again for me to do a piece on ‘What’s happening in Poni’s World’

So on that note we had The Big Scrum this weekend just gone at Sub101 which as you know is my favourite club night. It’s always so great to see so many people coming out and dancing all night long (that is what makes my job worthwhile seeing others enjoy themselves). For those that don’t know The Big Scrum is a sports themed night for guys that like guys in kit and you’re encouraged to dress in kit with like-minded guys with great music (if I do say so myself) and such a great atmosphere. Everyone is friendly and welcoming which is awesome. Scrum is on the first Friday of every Month.

Now as we all know (in my opinion anyway) the biggest karaoke night in canal street is Beareoke on a Sunday with Moodybear (which I love to go to ,as it’s my only night off) but I’ve started to do karaoke at the Rem Showbar (above the Rembrandt) so if you’re about on a Friday and fancy a sing-song, come on up. It’s always a fun night and also its fun to just sit and watch. One Thing I have started doing that I think is awesome is the Manbears Social Quiz nights as the host (every other month with Moodybear) and it’s really a lot of fun there is 4/5 rounds with a cash prize and all the guys are chilled and relaxed and such a good laugh that everyone gets involved. It tends to be the second Tuesday of the month so if your about come on down but make sure you ‘Like’ the Manbears Social page as they update it on there when it will be.

Chester has been invaded by the famous Chester Races goers and its bee really fun at my residency The Old Queens Head normally I play Chart and dance music but because they come in from all over the country my Music skills increase to playing anything from the 70’s all the way up to today’s music so it was fun to really stretch my music collection and play all sorts.

BIG NEWS! I am so excited to announce that on Saturday the 16th of July I will be DJ’ing for the first time in Birmingham at Eden Bar for Bear Brum part of the Midsbears FurFest weekend and also my fellow DJ Moodybear is DJ’ing the Friday night there. It’s going to be a fantastic weekend. Well that’s it from me have a great month and when you see me make sure you give me a GRRRRR! DJ PONI

RUGBY


So for those of you that don’t know I play rugby with the Manchester Village Spartans (Rugby Union) and they are a great bunch of lads.

This year was The Bingham Cup which is the second largest rugby tournament in the world (held in different places). All gay rugby teams come from all over the world to play every two years for a chance to win The Bingham Cup (check out the last issue of Bears United Magazine which explains more about the Bingham cup.

The host city was Nashville Tennessee which has the most amazing music scene. We played against the likes of Amsterdam,

Chicago along with others and they were really hard teams to compete against. Alas we never won, but it’s great to see such a big community get together for a sport we all love. If anyone is thinking about heading out to Nashville I would highly reccommend it. It was awesome, and one of the best experiences of my life (as well as all the bars being very welcoming) I have made a lot of new connections and met some great guys out there as well and who knows maybe DJ Poni might be bringing big news promo’s for out there.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.binghamcup.comwww.facebook.com/binghamcuptwitter.com/binghamcup2016

OUR VERY OWN DJ PONI PLAYED AT THIS YEAR’S EVENT

THE BINGHAM CUP

COMMUNITY

SUMMER22 BEARS UNITED magazine • Summer 2016


For the gays of course, summer is also a time for standing

outdoors, drinking warm lager out of a plastic glass and enjoying

yet another live performance from Hazell Dean. Yes, that’s right;

Pride season is here again.

Pride is many things to many things. It’s a celebration of community,

a chance to meet friends old and new and a big old party. These

are all good things. Pride can also be noisy, expensive and, above

all else, exhausting.

This is the time of year when gay men of all ages exercise their

democratic right to party like they are still 23 year olds. And

it’s fun while it lasts. Of course, it’s only in the days that follow,

sore, sunburnt and with a hangover that won’t quite shift that the

universal truth truly hits home. Partying like a twentysomething

in your thirties, forties and beyond seems like a good idea at the

time. But whilst maturity may bring many things, an increased

recovery rate is not one of them.

The desire to make the most of the Pride experience is

understandable. Frankly though it is also hard work. The drinking,

dancing and ear splittingly loud music along with spending hours

on your feet in the open air means that booking to go and convalesce

in a health farm the week after seems like a particularly sensible

idea. It’s not all bad news thought. With the wisdom of age, we can

smile at the young ones knowingly safe in the knowledge that they

may not feel quite as hideous as us older blokes do the morning

after but their day will come. There will be a time when they are

also stumbling home the day after swearing that next year you will

definitely pace yourself better and save yourself the head that feels

like it was hit repeatedly by a large mallet. A sequinned mallet of

course. It is Pride after all.

Maybe Pride organisers should consider having a special area

exclusively for the more mature homo. A quiet place for a nice sit

down and a cup of tea. Throw in the use of a complimentary foot

spa and they will be queueing round the block to make that little

bit more of a typical British day out.

Anyway, Pride is hard work. It’s also the thing that so many of us

spend all year looking forward to. In the days that follow, when the

fatigue and the aches and pains from it have faded and our livers

have stopped screaming for mercy then we start the countdown to

the next one. When of course we will definitely be more sensible.

Definitely.

SUMMER. THE SEASON OF BLUE SKIES, FAMILY PICNICS IN THE PARK AND BARBECUES. OR, LIVING IN BRITAIN, A FEW MONTHS OF DODGING TORRENTIAL RAINSTORMS, HAY FEVER AND SITTING IN MOTORWAY TRAFFIC JAMS ON THE FEW VERY SUNNY DAYS WE DO GET. JULIAN EVANS GETS HOT.

28 BEARS UNITED magazine • Spring 2016

PROJECT BEAR: A PICTURE SPECIAL

WE ALL DO IT. WE ALL LABEL. EITHER OURSELVES, THOSE NEAR US OR AROUND OR EVEN THOSE WE SEE. DOWN THE PUB. PROJECT BEAR: WAS SET UP TO LOOK AT THOSE LABELS WITHIN THE LOCAL SCENE HERE IN MANCHESTER. IT SOON BECAME SOMETHING MORE. ANDREW CLARKE EXPLAINS.

29 BEARS UNITED magazine • Spring 2016

It became looking at the diversity within the bear scene, and truly how vast and wide that net is. What people saw themselves as and how we could show that on camera. No outside, or warehouse or graffiti to play off.

The raw image of a man. How he sees himself and through the

eye of the photography. The focus of one shot for all involved was

to label themselves. This is something they chose. From Bear, to

otter, to transbear, to pup. Some even took to using web handles,

as hell, one point that was how I knew EVERYONE!

We’re flashed with images of this is how a bear looks, this is how

a cub looks etc. I just wanted to get back to what the root of the

Bear community was and is for me. We don’t care what you look

like, come join in the fun. Be who you want to be, express yourself

how you want. And hopefully, through the images this comes

across.

I was lucky to have Kaz from Rope Wolf Photography on board

from the outset. It’s something we both wanted to do. Other

photographers soon got involved, all bring a different skill set to

the shoot. Some having never used studio lighting before. It was a

chance for guys too, who don’t always get in front of a camera to

show themselves off a bit.

Kaz brought his expertise of studio shooting, capturing moments

from fun to serious within a click.

We had Gary, of GEPIX, who had never used a studio shoot before

and used the experience as a learning experience and a chance to

socialise with guys.

Richard Glen, who again, never used a studio focused setting

again brought a moody broody look to his images.

Stephen Pictureman, a master of the outdoor and location shoot

and shot many a man – brought a focus on the person in the

shoot.

Chris Nickless, an amateur photographer who took the joy in

snapping and rose to the challenge of an intense day of shooting

and capturing so many images and views.

CJ not only took part as model but also taking pictures, and

reflecting his fun dynamic style of the person within it.

Jon had done studio shoots before, and knew exactly how to bring

out the best in his models.

The models, most had never done a shoot like this before. All

were just game for it, and that is reflected in the diversity of the

pics.

Working on the scene, you hear a lot of people moan and

complain about the labels, the place they are and its exclusivity.

Yes, I have witnessed this, but then I also reflect that this is

perception. Looking at the bigger picture. There are multiple

groups that enjoy the Bear Scene, from bar to club to social

groups and meet up. That scene is diverse, within itself. It’s a

place that many find safe and fun. What project bear shows is

that no matter what you look like, or how you feel, the bears are

here for you.

BEARS UNITED MAGAZINE is priveliged to devote the next few

pages to the amazing men that took part, both on front of an

behind the camera.











INTERVIEW

BISUITO!PETER

HE’S BIG, HE’S HAIRY.HE’S SEXY , AND HE MAKES US LAUGH.WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?MEET THEDELICIOUS...

Photo: Dennis Dean


IF YOU COULD BUILD THE PERFECT BEAR, YOU’D PROBABLY BUILD PETER BISUITO. THIS WONDERFULLY FUNNY COMEDIAN AND ENTERTAINER FROM FORT LAUDERDALE IS HUGELY POPULAR WITH DIVERSE AUDIENCES ACROSS THE WORLD. BUM HAD A CHAT WITH HIM...

Was show business something that you always wanted to be a part of?I was basically born with performance in my blood. I started performing when I was a teenager. I was heavilt involved in theatre. I did musical theatre for years. I used to be a dancer . I was much thinner then! I never really pursued it as a full-time career because I took the road my father wanted me to take - go to college, get a job. Back then I never really had a lot of self-esteem, or self-confidence in myself. It was only really four years ago I decided to pursue entertainment full time. I quit my job, I quit my business, I gave up my income and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since.

A lot of your material revolves around your own personal experiences. Where does the inspiration for your routines come from?I’m thinking of material all the time. It comes from personal experiences. Sometimes I embellish them, but sometimes my skits are 100% true from beginning to end. Thank god for the iPhone, because I’m constantly making voice memos and recording stuff that happens.

Which performers and comedians inspire you?I’m a huge fan of George Carlin. He’s my hero. I love Kathy Griffin, and Ellen DeGeneres. One of my favourite comediennes is Kathleen Madigan. It’s really weird because she is so famous, but nobody knows her! She travels all over and sells out huge, gigantic theatres. She’s been around since the 80’s and she has several albums out and wins award after award, but for some reason nobody has ever heard of her! YouTube her sometime.

So, the UK recently had the pleasure of your company. How did that come about?I’d been trying to get a little tour of the Europe going for a couple of years now, but nothing ever really happened. And then Manbears contacted me in February this year and mentioned The Great British Bear Bash and they wanted me to perform. So I put some feelers out in other cities to see if I could get a mini-tour off the ground. It snowballed from there and within a month I had five cities booked. I was kinda nervous that my comedy wouldn’t translate well but everyone loved it!

Does a UK audience differ in any way from a home audience?No, absolutely not. I didn’t see any difference at all. All the jokes went well, everybody laughed at the same jokes, it was great.

Any plans to return?I hope so yeah! Absolutely.

You play to so many different types of audiences. Do you have to tailor your act to suit?Yeah of course. As a matter of fact, I’m performing tomorrow night at a mall here in Fort Lauderdale. It’s a big fundraiser for the Pride Centre. So it’ll have to be a family show. I can’t swear, there will be kids walking around with their parents. I can’t be offensive. All of my material will have to be PG. And my PG stuff is not as funny as my R rated stuff!

What’s been the most significant point in your career so far?Good question! The highlight is that I’m 46 years old and I am finally doing something in my life that I’ve been wanting to do since I was a teenager. Finally after all these years. I kind of struggle with it every day because sometimes I feel I’ve wasted the last 25 years of my life. But everything happens for a reason, and maybe if I had started this 25 years ago, I wouldn’t be as successful as I am now. Who knows. I’m loving life right now, I really am. I’m travelling all over the world, I’m entertaining people I’m selling out theatres, I’m getting standing ovations, I get fan mail, I get recognised... I’m loving life, I really am.

What are your current career aspirations. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?I’m also an actor. I’ve been acting for 25 years as well, so I love to act and create other characters. So yeah, in ten years from now, I would love to be the star of a Broadway play, or the star of my own television sitcom. Instead of selling out theatres that seat 300 people, I would like to sell out theatres that hold 3000 people. I also love to direct. I’d love to do an array of things.

So, living in Fort Lauderdale, what do you like to do to relax?Well, my husband and I are going to the beach later on this afternoon. I’m really a home-body, I don’t really go out to the clubs all that much. I’m the type of person that likes to go to backyward barbecues, pool parties. I’m a huge movie buff. I love spending time with my dog.


There’s a fairly large bear community in Fort Lauderdale isn’t there?Oh honey there’s huge bear community here! Huge. I just had a very successful show here about a month ago. It was at one of the nicest theatres called the Broward Centre For The Performing Arts, and we sold out! A huge part of the audience was the bear community. I get a lot of support from the bears. The show was so successful, I’m planning another one in December.

What are you working on at the moment?I’m going to be at Bear Week in Provincetown, and I would like to get New York city show off the ground. I’ve not performed there yet. I’m trying to get an Austrailian tour going, and I’m also working on another show here in Fort Lauderdale for the holidays.

Finally, the quickfire round! What was the last song you bought?I don’t buy songs! I download ‘em for free!

What was the last film that made you cry?It’s been a while since I watched a chick-flick. A lot of films make me cry. Steel Magnolias, of course.

What was the last TV show you binged on?We have Netflix. My husband and I loved Breaking Bad and we loved True Blood, Nurse Jackie. We’ve been watching Six Feet Under.

What was the last book you read?I don’t read books sweetie. I hate to read.

A night in, or a night out?It depends what’s going on. If it’s a big event, a Pride celebration then I’ll go out. If it’s just a normal weekend where nothing is going on, I would rather just stay home and watch TV.

What’s your favourite place on Earth?Manchester! I’d actually say on the water. I love being on the water. I love boats, jet skis, cruise ships. I love being in the water.

Who was the last person you had dinner with?My husband.

What’s your favourite quote?I like the phrase “Don’t suck”.

Finally, what’s the one thing you can’t live without?I can’t live without humour and laughter.

Huge thanks to Peter for giving us his time for this interview. Keep an eye out for his upcoming performance - we guarantee you’ll have an awesome time in his company. Visit Peter’s website for upcoming dates: www.mybigfunnypeter.com

“I’m finally doingsomething with my lifeI’d alway wanted to!”

FOOD


Sustenance.PAN-FRIED SALMONWITH CREAMY CABBAGETHIS STARTED OUT AS A BIT OF A MESS AROUND in order to try and make Teesside’s finest Parmo accompaniment (Creamed Cabbage), a little more “up-market”. Have to say, glad I did start messing around with it as it goes brilliantly with fish and a myriad of other things.

Serves 4, so adjust quantities accordingly should you be scaling up or down..

KIT: One Large Non Stick pan (the bigger the better, for the sauce); One Large non stick frying pan. Usual kit - wooden spoon and a big fish slice/spatula

INGREDIENTS: • 4 x salmon fillets, skinned, pin bones removed. If you’re in Manchester, go and see those delightful boys in the Trafford Centre indoor market.• 1⁄2 large pale green cabbage - finely shredded• 40g butter or 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp olive oil for the fish• 1 shallot, finely chopped• 2 tsp sherry vinegar• 75 ml of dry white wine (don’t skimp, if you wouldn’t drink it, why would you cook with it?)• 90 ml double cream• Handful of finely chopped chives, flat leaf parsley and chervil Maldon Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

IAIN MARLEY is proper handy in the kitchen.

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the finely

chopped cabbage for around 30 seconds - 1 minute. No bite is what we’re

looking for. Soporific pleasure is the aim of the game.

• Drain, refresh under cold running water.

• Drain well again and leave to one side.

• Water is the enemy of cabbage. Despatch to a colander.

• Heat the butter or oil in the same pan (it’s all about cutting down on the

washing up) and gently fry the finely chopped shallot for 3 minutes or so.

• Add the blanched cabbage and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring

occasionally. Whack a lid on. Steam is good.

• Add the vinegar and heat, stir it around until scented evaporation, pour

in the wine and cook until it’s reduced by half. Stir in the cream, bring to

the boil, check for seasoning.

• Remove from the heat and keep warm whilst you cook the fish.

• Heat your large non-stick frying pan until it’s ridiculously hot, then add

a teaspoon of oil and swirl it around. It’s going to smoke; turn on your

extractor fan.

If you’re really, REALLY stupid, whirl it around your head - making sure to

contact A&E and the Fire Department before doing so. Or vote for Brexit.

Choice is yours. Absolve responsibility whilst undertaking everyday tasks.

• Reduce the heat then cook your salmon fillets for about 3 minutes on

each side. To be fair, 3 minutes on first side and 1 minute on the last

should suffice.

• Don’t overcook them, they’ll be bloody awful. Season with salt and

pepper. I’m sure you don’t need me to tell you how to cook Salmon to

your taste.

• Stir the chives, parsley and chervil in to the creamed cabbage mixture.

Stir well. Smell. Allow to rest with a lid on.

•Divide the cabbage mixture between your serving plates, plonk the

salmon on top.

•Remember how great it was being European?

This last month or so, my “North East England Working Class Kitchen” has

seen a daft baldy puff from Stockton celebrating the wonderful writings of

Trine Hahnemann, whose books about Scandinavian cuisine are a joy, and the

impeccable Olia Hercules’ mantra, “Mamushka”, finding centre stage. Sometimes

it’s just TOO boring to put the same flavours together again. Get on Amazon and

find a book and enjoy it. I’d urge anybody in search of new food inspiration to hunt

down “Mamushka” by Olia. It’s not even a real Ukrainian word....... Olia watched

the Addams Family when she was a bairn, and laughed.

HIGHLY recommended!

METHOD:


LEGO:

IT’S FAIR TO SAY THE LEGO VIDEO GAMES ARE FUN, BUT RECENT TITLES HAVE SHOWN LITTLE IN THE WAY OF NEW FEATURES OR GAMEPLAY IDEAS. IT SEEMS ONLY RIGHT THAT THE SERIES SHOULD GO BACK TO WHERE IT ALL STARTED FOR A MUCH NEEDED REVAMP. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a return to form. It’s a hugely enjoyable romp through the most recent Star Wars movie, and even better, plays out scenes and storylines we didn’t even see in the film. And all canonical too! The game begins at the end. Let me explain. The first level see’s you playing Luke Skywalker in the final scenes of Return Of The Jedi, before jumping ahead to the events of The Force Awakens. You can play and collect pretty much every single character from the film (and earlier films too!), but the most fun to be had is taking control of the breakout character, BB-8. It’s a short game - the single player campaign will take you about 8 hours. But the replay value is massive. Play the game again with new unlocked characters and you’ll open up vast new areas and levels. The best LEGO video game so far? Without a doubt.

THE FORCE IS STRONG IN THIS ONE.q

ALSO PLAYING

FIREWATCHAVAILABLE ON: Playstation 4, Windows, MacOS.Another in the increasingly popular ‘walking simulator’ genre, Firewatch puts your in the shoes of a chunky bear (yes really!) who takes on the job of a part ranger to escape an increasingly deperate life on the outside. To say more would spoil one of the most emotionally rich games we’ve ever played. With some of the best in-game voice acting we’ve heard, this is a (short) game to really get your teeth into.

• • • • •

NO MAN’S SKYAVAILABLE ON: Playsation 4Endlessly delayed, this title looks set to be released finally in August. Taking cues from space exploration games like Elite, No Man’s Sky give you - literally - a galaxy to explore. There are BILLIONS of planets to explore, vast regions of space to conquer and countless alien races to discover. How they’ve managed this is anybody’s guess, but it certainly looks like it’ll be taking up far too much of our time when it’s finally released.

GAMES

AVAILABLE ON EVERYTHING • • • • •

COMING SOON

STAR WARSTHE FORCE AWAKENS


STRANGER THINGS

WE’RE UNBELIEVABLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS. TAKING INSPIRATION FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERY SINGLE 80’S SPIELBERG MOVIE, STRANGER THINGS IS A TV SHOW THAT PROMISES A RICH ATMOSPHERE, SOME STRANGE GOINGS ON AND A MYSTERIOUS CONSPIRACY. When a young boy vanishes, a small town uncovers a mystery involving secret experiments, terrifying supernatural forces and one strange little girl. Set in 1983 in a small Indiana town, Stranger Things criss-crosses genres to combine horror, science-fiction and coming-of-age drama, with a few laughs thrown in for good measure. Following an intense game of Dungeons & Dragons with friends, a young boy disappears on his way home. At much the same time, a mysterious girl with a shaved head arrives in town. The two incidents appear to be linked, but the adults don’t have much success solving the mystery at the heart of the show, so it’s left to the kids to figure out what’s going on. Word of mouth is strong, and this looks like being the next big thing on Netflix. Get it watched before the inevitable spoilers!

NEED A NEW BOX SET TO BINGE NOW THAT GAME OF THRONES IS OVER? LOOK NO FURTHER...

THE PICTURES

GHOSTBUSTERS (12)

STARRING: JMelissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, Leslie JonesDIRECTED BY: Paul Feig

The most hated movie trailer on YouTube. Ever. Fanboys getting their anoraks in a twist about the audacity of casting four women in the lead roles. The odds were stacked against this movie from the get-go. What a massive relief then to say that this is a real gem. Hugely funny AND fun! Why there was ever doubt is beyond us. Both Kristen Wiig and Melissa McCarthy have more than proved their comedy chops in Saturday Night Live and Bridesmaids. The haters should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. The rest of us should enjoy the best Summer blockbuster of the year. Funnier than the original Ghostbusters, and better than Ghostbusters 2.

• • • • •

TELLY

WATCH NOW ON NETFLIX • • • • •

Documents

Bears United Magazine - Issue 4 -Summer 2016