[rating=5]
120 min • Roundhouse, London • June 5, 2014

Prince wows in his London show, where he performed two concerts in one night. Nothing compares to his Purple Highness.

“As the indigo light covers the stage, it’s time to send us off singing into the night with a show-stealing performance of the timeless classic ‘Purple Rain’, which has every member of the audience holding hands and singing along like a faithful choir.”

[rating=3]
140 min • Above the Stag, London • Until May 4, 2014

Saucy songs, tongue-in-cheek fun, and Kenneth Williams steals the show. That sounds about right.

“Cruising number ‘Another Night, Another Man’ is one of the show’s stand out songs, making George Michael’s previous nod to male toilet activity, ‘Outside’, look like a nursery rhyme in comparison.”

Films of 2013.

From the end of Hannah Montana and an unlikely duet through to 2.37 seconds of pop perfection, here are DJ David Robson’s Favourite Singles of 2013.

[rating=4]
Released October 7, 2013
Flashback is a look back at a brief yet impressive contribution to black British music by one it’s most flamboyant groups, Imagination.

Iif you’re a fan of a bass driven seductive funk with heavenly falsetto vocals then this is worth the listen. A fine slice of early ’80s Brit Funk at its most fabulous.”

Body Talk.

David Robson interviews Leee John about his many years in the music industry as he talks Soul, Spandex and Sinitta.

“Sinitta never had the Diva voice. She could blend well and yes she can sing but, visually on stage she was so sexy and she’d just work it. We all had such laughs.”

[rating=5]
Cert: NR • USA: 109 min • Public Square Films • 2012

How To Survive A Plague is a first-rate, suspenseful documentary that looks at how activists from ACT UP and TAG made AIDS research possible.

“Shot through archive interviews, newsreels and camcorder footage, it’s a truly inspirational story of how a community can come together and fight for real social change. Essential Viewing.”

[rating=2]
100 min • Manchester Arena • March 7, 2013

DJ David Robson watches The Girls Aloud tour, and sees the Girls going through the motions … and not much else.

“Pop today is ruled by reality star competitors who are such products they haven’t got anything to say. They are happy to go along as part of the machine and as a result become such faceless acts that, when it comes to performing in an arena tour, the flaw in the pop plan is plain to see.”

Queer as Folk, by David Robson.

To celebrate LGBT History Month, 2013, Polari is publishing a daily series of LGBT Heroes, selected by the magazine’s team of writers and special contributors.

“Queer as Folk was more than a piece of television to me and it remains so. I was a confused boy looking for some direction and meaning. It provided me with the knowledge that there was something else out there for someone who wanted to break the family mould.”

Air, ‘Sexy Boy’.

To mark LGBT History Month, 2013, Polari asked its contributors to recall a song that had an impact their own stories.

” ‘Sexy Boy’ took on a whole new meaning to me after this. It set off a firework of thoughts and feelings I hadn’t realised were there. It was my sexuality awakening.”