Carefree in Caerphilly 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Another fantastic day in the U.K., this time touring Caerphilly Castle -- a sprawling medieval stronghold famed for its vast moat and leaning tower. Tomorrow we’ll visit another celebrated citadel (in Chepstow) -- I’m married to a kastle kween, whereas I pretended my Fisher-Price fortress was my play village’s local theme restaurant -- before heading to Exeter for the Altered Images concert of my (childhood) dreams. 

Fun fact: Following her band’s breakup, singer Clare Grogan attracted what she later called a “crazy bidding war” and signed with London Records. 

She then recorded the solo album “Trash Mad” in New York with former Altered Images bandmate (and later husband) Stephen Lironi. 

The album was produced by Mark Kamins, best known for producing Madonna’s debut single, “Everybody.” But when its lead single, “Love Bomb” (b/w “I Love the Way You Beg,” failed to chart in 1987, London Records canceled the planned follow-up, “Strawberry,” and shelved the LP.  Another album track produced by Kamins, “Reason Is the Slave,” eventually surfaced on London Records’ 1987 various-artists compilation “Giant,” but that was it.

Although Kamins had an impressive résumé -- as an A&R man for Island Records, he signed the wonderful Waitresses and Was (Not Was), and as a remixer put his stamp on records by David Byrne, Bow Wow Wow and Kajagoogoo -- looking back I’m not entirely convinced he was up to the Grogan task.

(She wouldn’t release another album until Altered Images’ “Mascara Streakz” in 2022, which I can’t get enough of.)

The intriguing part is that even Grogan does not currently seem to know where a usable master of “Trash Mad” is. In 2024, she mentioned searching her attic for the album’s digital audio tape (DAT). In a 2025 interview, she said the album definitely exists and that she owns – or once owned – a copy, but thinks it may be at somebody else’s house. She jokingly added: “It couldn’t have been that bad.”  

If anyone has a bootleg, please contact me!

Greetings From Swansea

Had the best time at last night’s Saint Etienne concert in Bristol — even met another New Yorker who traveled across the pond just to see it — and then followed it up with 20,000 steps around South Wales today. 

 I’m not confident this post-via-email function works, so will leave you with this sunset photo from Bracelet Bay for now!

Pop Pilgrimage

Hey, guys! Expect blogging to be lighter than usual the rest of the week as Damian and I travel across the pond for not one but two concerts that aren't slated to make it stateside. First up, we're catching my beloved Saint Etienne on what's being billed as their final tour. (If you haven't heard the goodbye album, "International," give it a listen. First Tennis and now this? Not sure why all my female-fronted indie dance bands are calling it quits so young.) 

From there we're planning to visit Stonehenge and explore Wales, home of the Darling Buds, who sadly just finished a reunion tour. (Is this a good time to mention that I was working at an unnamed newswire service in 1997 when an editor accidentally "replaced all" his way to a "Diana, Princess of Whales Dies in Auto Accident" flash?!)

We're closing out the whirlwind visit by seeing Altered Images perform their debut album, "Happy Birthday," in its entirety to mark its 45th(!) anniversary. I remember my brother Bill bringing the album home from the University of Arizona and being instantly obsessed. (I'd spend hours watching MTV, praying "I Could Be Happy" would come on -- my favorite video of theirs.) Clare Grogan and her band, of course, have never played anywhere in the U.S. near my Michizona childhood, so this has literally been a lifetime in the making.

As big a superfan as I can be, this outing is a bit out of character. But as our idols exit the stage one by one, I decided to capitalize on the moment before they too join the list of "Dead Pop Stars."

This outing started as a birthday trip for my hubby to Edinburgh and Belfast, but work commitments forced us to move it up a bit, so we're running with it. Have a great week, and I will be posting a lot on Instagram before updating things here. xo

Loenzo Musetti Signs Package Deal With IUMAN Underwear

 

First they got Haas, Rafter, Verdasco, Tipsarevic (woof!), Nadal, Berrettini, Alcaraz (maybe a little prematurely). Dimitrov (schwing!). Fritz, Fognini, Pellegrino, Vavassori and Bolelli. But somehow it feels like it was all building up to the moment when Italian sexpot Lorenzo Musetti dropped his drawers for IUMAN. See what I mean BELOW.

Tennis Tuesday

 

U.S. Open fans aren't exactly known for being hard on the eyes. See what I mean BELOW.

Remains of the Day (09/14)

Variety: Cannot wait to see Joss Crowley’s acclaimed new documentary about the Pretenders, whose musical fate changed forever when Chrissie Hynde lost two members over the course of 48 hours

Brian Ferrari: When a 1983 issue of Mandate paired Armistead Maupin's words with a memorable torso

HuffPost: Mika Brunold thanked Joao Lucas Reis da Silva for inspiring him to come out after the two made history by facing each other in a professional tennis final

The Randy Report: Hungary’s new prime minister promises to restore same-sex adoption rights

Socialite Life: Male Model Monday features Giorgio Romandata, Matija Bogicevic, Simone Bredariol and more

Mug Shot Monday: Man in G-string and sneakers arrested outside Florida Target

Al Jazeera: Turkish authorities launch anti-LGBTQ raids, detaining dozens

The Gay Curmudgeon: What in the name of Stonewall happened to Christopher Street? A look at the heterosexualization of the once-gay heart of the West Village

Instinct: Gay adult content creator Noah Segsy dies at 22 after drowning in shallow pool in Cyprus

The Bench Rider: Kye Allums, the first NCAA Division I athlete to come out as trans, chronicles her decision to detransition: “This is my story”

PinkNews: This would make me more likely to vote for congressional candidate Chris Gallant

Gay City News: Fall moviegoing gets a gay makeover with a packed slate of LGBTQ films, festivals and special screenings

MNPP: Get a load of the David Corenswet jock movie 

Advocate: Am I the only one who thinks Pete Buttigieg is delusional?

Gr8er Days: Bob Mackie, legendary designer who dressed Cher, Carol Burnett, Tina Turner and Diana Ross, dies at 87

Hot Cat of the Day: I might need to go shopping in New Hampshire!

Fatal Reaction: Longtime friends and recent Rutgers grads Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both 24, have been identified as the pair killed after being struck by a subway train at Manhattan's Spring Street station early Sunday