Songstresses and burlesque queens: Five unusual ladies

I’ve had to interview various unusual and creative ladies for magazines and it got me thinking about a few that people may not have heard of, but would like to.

I’m on some pretty heavy painkillers (have a read of my post on endometriosis) so forgive me if I don’t make much sense…

The first two are musical. I like ethereal music ladies such as Bat For Lashes and CocoRosie, and two singers/musicians I came across in the last few years have caught my interest.

Anneka Snip lives in Brighton and has collaborated with electronica artists like Milanese, Blue Daisy and Ital Tek.

Kid A (or Annie T) is an American lady who is currently on tour with Scroobius Pip. Have a listen:

Next up is a cabaret artist known as Missy Macabre. A one woman vintage burlesque freak show, I interviewed her about a short comedy/horror film she appeared in called Annabelle’s Tea Party. Have a look at her in action:

Next we have comedy burlesque performer Fancy Chance. I was sent to review The Fire Tusk Pain Proof Circus and she was very entertaining:

In the same show was Lucifire, the lead stunt woman. Amongst other things she ate glass, walked on it and made me chuckle (the gentleman onstage is her husband and fellow performer Professor Tusk):

Just as an added bonus here’s Bat for Lashes doing Horse and I at Shepherd’s Bush, London:

Best Music to Write Weird to

Here is the chance for me to show off and go, ‘ooh, look at me and the cool stuff I like, don’t you just wish you were me?’ I was inspired by an advert I saw the other day called ‘The best album to worship to…ever,’ and it got me thinking about the way I use music.

If I’m writing I tend to listen to a single album on repeat until it makes me so nauseous I could throw it out the window, and then I pick another and do the same. Because I’m usually writing something a bit odd, such as an accused witch going mad (more on that later) or my surreal comedy sci-fi/fantastical series (more on that later too), I listen to things that get the old brain in that frame of mind. So here is a list of albums in case you need something a bit unusual:

Ital Tek’s Midnight Colour

Broadcast The Noise Made by People

Martina Topley Bird The Blue God

Leila Blood Looms and Blooms

Coco Rosie Noah’s Ark. I’ve not heard their new one yet, ‘Grey Oceans,’ but I’m sure it’s very good

Flying Lotus Los Angeles

Thom Yorke, anything . I need to hurry up and get famous so that when he finds me hiding in his room he won’t be so frightened.