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www.ExpressGayNews.com • November 24, 2003 Q1 Q_PERSONALITYCOVERstory profile Pink: Punk Panther on the Prowl Pop Star Reunites with Lesbian Co-Writer for ‘Try This’ By Lawrence Ferber emotions and recording sessions. “Working Special to The Express with Tim, I didn’t take as long,” she notes. “I’m just a tough “I just do whatever the freak I wanna Armstrong produced and co-wrote most of bitch. I used to get in do, and I do it with kindness,” insists Pink. Try This. “There was no trauma! Three a lot of fights. Over Smoky voiced—kinda like the cool tough songs on this album were recorded on a tour chick in high school who interceded when bus driving down the street. “Trouble,” “Oh disrespect. I like jocks got too far into your face—and My God” and “Save My Life”—you can respect, and I don’t good-humored, the 24-year-old multi- [hear the motor running]—it’s pretty terrible. platinum-selling pop star has managed to You have to [isolate] the vocals in order to like sexism or all that infiltrate the mainstream with hear it (laughs)!” prejudice and stuff. unpretentious punk attitudes, political Regardless of the producers involved, Most of my fights mindedness, hot tunes and, well, any hair many songs on Try This reflect aspects of color she pleases. Pink’s own life, both dark and light. “The have been over “I did it as a joke and kept it,” she notes Last to Know” chides an unspecified “stupid something like that.” of her hair’s bubblegum-tone between 2000’s f**k,” for standing her up. “I’m not telling —Pink debut album release, Can’t Take Me Home, who!” Pink laughs when prodded for a name. and 2001’s M!ssundaztood. “But I get bored “Save My Life” is a musical cry for help, of way too easily to keep shit like that.” which Pink shares: “I actually wrote it about Try This is Pink’s third album, and it’s a couple of friends of mine, but I have been a big ol’ peach, an uber-accessible tasty there so I know how it feels. I have a lot of buffet of pop rock with electronica (a la friends struggling with depression, Garbage), R&B, soul and retro/new wave loneliness, drugs.” touches, depending on which of the And “Trouble,” the album’s first generous 14 tracks you’re listening to at single (co-written with Armstrong), is a the moment. Pink reunited with concept familiar to Pink since her youth. M!ssundaztood’s out lesbian co-writer/ You name it, she’s caused it, she claims. producer (and erstwhile 4 Non-Blondes “My favorite thing to do in school was member) Linda Perry for several tracks. organize walkouts,” she says. “My whole Other collaborators include Rancid’s Tim life I loved to piss people off and make Armstrong, Billy Mann, Damon Elliott them question their own world and values (Dionne Warwick’s son!) and “hardcore and rules and all that shit. Nowadays, I do rap siren” Peaches (on “Oh My God”). it with my music.” from it’s the color her face turns when treating the animals.” So what sets M!ssundaztood and Try Born in Doylestown, Pa., and raised embarrassed to, more lewdly, something a Pink’s also lashed out against This apart? Pink proffers: “Different in Philly, Pink (nee Alecia Moore) was first boy cried out when she shoved his face, homophobia, racism and bigotry whenever producers, different time in my life and the groomed for a musical future by her guitar- ahem, down there. “Ah, it’s all true,” Pink she’s witnessed it. “I’m just a tough bitch,” biggest difference I guess is it’s not as playing father. She was raised on Bob responds, mildly amused and clearly used she admits. “I used to get in a lot of fights. painful, as in just bearing my soul. Dylan, Billy Joel and Peter, Paul and Mary to this question. “It was just a nickname Over disrespect. I like respect, and I don’t “When Linda and I collided two years (and some edgier stuff like 2 Live Crew people gave me when I was younger. My like sexism or all that prejudice and stuff. ago, it started a shit storm and and Skid Row, thanks to her brother). At friends called me ‘Pink.’ It was just like ‘junior’ Most of my fights have been over M!ssundaztood was the child we had,” 13, Pink was enlisted to dance and sing or anything else, and it’s become a lot larger something like that.” Pink explains. That “shit storm” included Mary J. Blige hooks for a local rap group, than it was intended to be.” Since her youth, Pink has mixed with a massive hit, “Get the Party Started,” Scratch n’ Smoove, and began writing her Getting back to that trouble-causing a pretty diverse crowd, including the queer which swept awards, including a BRIT, own songs. habit, Pink’s been putting her personal boys. “Right now I’m perfecting my MTV VMA and Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice. A year later, she recorded one, and feelings, voice and ethics to use for social catwalk,” she laughs. “I’m really coming Apparently, Perry’s ace card was the fervently pursued attention at Philly clubs causes. Recently, she shot off a letter to close. I twirl the pussy, yes.” She admits ability to draw out Pink’s deepest personal like hip-hop Club Fever, where she landed Petco’s CEO, Brian Devine, asking him to to twirling with lesbianism as well—at 13, traumas and emotions (“She handed me a five-minute guest spot every Friday night. do something about what she alleges is she had a girlfriend, “and she left me for beers,” Pink jokes of Perry’s secret This gig resulted in Pink’s discovery by the company’s cruel mistreatment of my brother. It was pretty sick!” technique), resulting in an intimate, an MCA A&R representative, and, animals—allowing dead animals to rot, Would she date a girl now? personal disc. As a result, some record respectively, placement in their fledgling freezing live sick ones, overcrowding “I don’t know, I don’t know. I don’t executives were keen on tampering with black R&B group, Basic Instinct. cages—in its stores (see the letter and like the word ‘date.’” How about ‘sleep Pink and Perry’s labors. “M!ssundaztood The experience proved brief and details at www.peta.org/feat/pink). with’ a girl? “It depends.” was a total fight, a knockdown drag-out ultimately unpleasant: Pink says her fellow “I sent a letter to him, I sent a letter to It definitely would not be one of the fight,” Pink shares. “But you have to fight members ousted her due to her skin color. Vogue , I sent a letter to Prince William,” girls from long-since-dissolved Basic for something you believe in and put A subsequent group, Choice, followed, she adds. “I’ve sent a lot of letters Instinct, though. In fact, Pink doesn’t have everything you have on the line, and it which led to Pink’s discovery and signing recently. And Petco released a statement many words to spare about those gals. was totally worth it.” In the end, some 12 by Antonio “L.A.” Reid, co-founder of La that said everything I said wasn’t true, “I have a tattoo on my wrist that says, million copies sold worldwide. Face Records. but,” she says, “ it’s already been proven ‘What goes around comes around,’ so I don’t Try This was a far less arduous As for her (literally) colorful nickname? that it is true, so all I’m doing is making usually need to say anything to people,” endeavor when it came to the label suits, Rumors and origin tales abound, ranging people aware that that’s how they’re she affirms. “I let karma bite them in the ass.” Q2 www.ExpressGayNews.com • November 24, 2003 Q_CULTURAL COCKTAIL By Mary Damiano FLIFF Films Invade the Gateway; Lorna Sings Judy Gay Community Gears Up for Holiday Happenings Showtune Shows Off people, singing and dancing, pairing off for Italian families. now so you don’t miss anything. A great The Caldwell Theatre is known for love songs, enacting scenes to match the Judy’s Other Daughter kickoff to the season is “Christmas on Las classy, quality productions, and its current songs—you get the picture. Some highlights Liza might get all the press, but Lorna Olas,” Tuesday, Dec. 2. The trendy boulevard offering, Showtune, lives up to their include a mini-salute to La Cage Aux Folles, Luft, Judy Garland’s younger daughter, has will be closed to traffic and opened for reputation. But Showtune, which pays tribute a dueling Dolly and Mame on “Bosom carved out a nice career for herself as a singer. carolers, revelers, shoppers, real snow and to Jerry Herman, the genius behind such Buddies” from Mame, a movie-themed Luft brings her show, Songs My Mother terrific entertainment. Look for performances shows as Mame, Hello Dolly, Mack and section devoted to Mack and Mabel and a Taught Me, to Parker Playhouse for a nearly by the gay community’s own Lambda melancholy “We Need a Little Christmas” month-long run. The show, which grew from Chorale, Flamingo Freedom Band, Ft. from Mame. Lorna’s cabaret tribute to her mom, allows Lauderdale Gay Men’s Chorus and more. While Showtune is an enjoyable show, her to explore her mother’s remarkable legacy And speaking of bands and choruses, it’s a little like watching a really classy episode through a multimedia presentation that plan on attending the fabulous holiday of The Lawrence Welk Show.