I get irritated, nervous, very tense or stressed, but never bored.
- Catherine Deneuve
This page is kind of an evolving scrapbook from so many corners of my life. It’ll change and grow… the image here on this page was captured by Kathryn Gaitens in my family’s backyard pool as she shot my band for the cover of NOW Magazine back in 2002…
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I've always been drawn to FILM. I've directed most of the music videos I've released (and a few for others) and taught myself post production in cutting, editing and colour correction. I enjoy it all immensely. Kitty Neptune and I created some short gems together including my favourite from 2011 Airport! that feature’s Joe’s award-winning-hand-acting.
During the lockdowns she came up with a clever thesis, designing short films about the survival of the creative spirit. Metamorphosis (mature content) is one of my favourites from those 10 films we did. I designed and built the costume as well and Kitty designed the box and the choreo.
In 2014 after performing on stage with The Scandelles in Sasha van Bon Bon's brilliant Neon Nightz, I opted to begin development of a film version and produced and directed a few short scenes. Here is one scene we shot in Little Italy which was subbing in for 90’s Montreal.
Merkury Burn’s iconic NOW cover and article were a big accomplishment for me. I felt very proud of that moment. The magazine was good to us in our 3 years together with various features, spotlights and reviews.
Yvonne Matsell was key to the Toronto success of all of my BANDS. As a booker, I followed her from Ultrasound to The Reverb to 360 to Ted's Wrecking Yard to The Elmo. I'm grateful for her support and encouragement. I booked and promoted 4 Canadian Tours and 2 UK Tours with The Kellygirls. I recently uncovered our gig list. It's kinda crazy to look at now. The band headlined the 2010 Luminato Festival in Dundas Square and were written about at length by publications country-wide and beyond. The Argus UK, Brighton Post UK, fab, Tunes, Outlooks, Out, Outsmart, Prairie Dog, Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Xtra! West, Toronto Star, and Winnipeg Sun. Pride events around the globe will always hold a piece of my heart, especially being introduced by Graham Norton in Trafalgar Square in London UK.
I first came up with the idea of what would eventually become MANifesto back in 2009 when on tour with The Kellygirls and hearing The Promise by Girls Aloud on the radio. I wanted to sing songs by GIRL GROUPS, a genre I’ve always found an affinity with, so I recruited 4 other out gay men to make this a reality in 2019. The band received much praise for our 2021 debut Pinky Swear and its 2022 deluxe companion Double Dare. The group’s infectious stylized music videos received so much attention that eTalk did several stories on the band, and CBC radio and Toronto Star featured us prominently. The lockdowns made it difficult to perform live but our Church St Halloween performance, dressed as The Scooby Gang in the POURING rain, is now legendary. After a highlight summer in ’23 that included 2 new singles, 4 Pride performances, the opening gala of Luminato and tearing up the stage for Olivia Chow’s winning rally, the project disbanded. The hot pink vinyl of Pinky Swear is available for sale through bandcamp.
My MODELLING career has been joked about endlessly by my friends, but in high school, in an attempt to gain some confidence, I enrolled in Alexis Modelling Agency and worked quite a bit for a few years. I loved walking in fashion shows and shot a few editorial campaigns. Stumbling across contact sheets and head sheets, I hardly recognize that bright-eyed boy. I returned to the industry for a few years in the 90s…
The THEATRICAL FASHION PRESENTATION was a term coined to describe what me and my friends came up with in the early 90s. From ’93 to ’96 we were everywhere doing huge fashion shows that highlighted fantastic Canadian designers and did so with a staged approach that had rarely been experienced.
Fashion Cares was an important influence on what I came up with as a producer and choreographer, as was music generally, and the wild imaginations of designers Damzels In This Dress, Fred Keegan, Churla Burla, Hoax Couture and many others fuelled the exciting years we spent together. Crowing moments include The Dressing, Le Flick, The Renaissance Collections, Uomo, and CFNY’s Music Matters and the inaugural Clothes To The Edge. Oooh La La showed up one time, as did Style VIP. A few spreads appeared in the locals: Lexicon, Toronto Sun, Xtra! and icon.
Our dear beloved Jennifer Gillmor, multi-instrumentalist of Toronto, suffered a debilitating stroke in 2023 and I felt compelled to pull her COMMUNITY together to celebrate and support her. In a matter of weeks I wrangled 10 bands that she has played with throughout her career to hit the stage at Revival (some for the first time in 30 years). The Nancy Sinatras, Roach Motel, Random Order, Matrophiles, Brazen Crush, Evalyn Perry and Disco Dyke Divas all put OUT! It was an epic night and I thrillingly, for the first time in 10 years, regrouped The Kellygirls which Jen was a founding member of.
I stumbled across a picture of my first high school band People In Glass Houses. huuuuuuuuularious.
My PHOTO EXHIBITS have always been such a passionate affair. My first at Buddies included me doing iron on transfers onto a massive 20’ x 20’ curtain and some images being blown up to 5’ x 6’. Greatest Hits, Hogtown Hedonism, Order Will Keep You Calm, Los Coristas, Agnes & Gradon
I began CUTTING HAIR as a kid and in university did so as performance art in exchange for beer on pub night. I apprenticed at Jazma Hair Inc. after graduating from York and have built my independent client base ever since. Continually grateful to have discovered something that fulfils me creatively daily as well as puts smiles on client’s faces… oh, and keeps a roof over my head. Always taking new clients if I can. Drop me a line.