Any gay prog rock bands out there?

Hi Omar

I understand Robert John Godfrey of the Enid is a homosexual. Dont know about the rest of the band though.

Why??

Happy the Man seem like a cheery lot....

Try some Tchaikovsky or DaVinci-- they were gay, so they say -- though I can't seem to detect that in their music and art.

Seriously though, the sexual orientation of strangers (artists, or otherwise) is of absolutely no concern to me.

Peter & Rushaholic

You are both right. It doesn't really matter, but some may say that ones sexuality is at the core of your character, whether you realise it not. IF this is the case then its fair to say that an artists work may reflect their sexuality, but as with the examples you gave, Peter, this is clearly not always the case.

With regard to prog, I cant recall ever hearing a piece of music that I have thought 'sounds gay' Whatever that means.

Liza Minelli??

it certainaly don't matter.  is there a corner of the prog scene which peraps caters for the persons sexuality - like you have metal-prog or symphonic prog as a sub-genre.

omar progriguez wrote: it certainaly don't matter.  is there a corner of the prog scene which peraps caters for the persons sexuality - like you have metal-prog or symphonic prog as a sub-genre.

What, like 'Camp-Prog' or 'Pink Prog' ??

I dont think so, Omar, old chap

Maybe.

Prog's been dismissed by many as elitist and nerdy over the years, because the the musicians care about what they do, and the songs are not run of the mill straight love songs. The broad and thoughtful subject matter written about in many a prog song should make the genre accessable to anyone 'interested' and bothered enough to care. Ones sexuality shouldn't have any baring on ones ability to appreciate the music.

If prog rock bands focussed on writing songs about doing it with hoardes of ladies, I would take your point  But they dont...

I guess all the good progressive rock is gay if you refer to the adjective =)

Hmmm Pink Floyd perhaps? Pink Fairies? Caravan's in the Land of the G(r)ey and Pink?  

The inner sleeve photo of Rush is almost a gay pin-up!

I think it might be of interest to anyone interested in music really. I am not gay myself, but I think that generally, "gayish" music is more creative and interesting than were "straight" genres. Were straight artists include the likes of Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Dire Straits and Metallica, and they are all completely boring. I also enjoy relatively "gayish" genres as new romantic and glam rock. It would therefore be quite interesting, because that would set progrock apart from other "straight" genres in being quite interesting.

And I think that the large number of gays in music and other forms of popular culture rather speaks on behalf of gays, because it clearly shows how boring popular culture would have been without them.

I believe David Palmer of Jethro Tull was gay, but technically not anymore...
http://www.j-tull.com/news/deepalmer.cfm - http://www.j-tull.com/news/deepalmer.cfm

They may not be gay (ask Threefates ), but they sure look like they are on this cover...

Derek Sherinian is gay. But I don't bother ... his songs are great! Allthough they are all instrumental. It has something epic.

Perhaps there's a hidden link between exceptional music and gay artists ( if you think about Freddy Mercury for example).

@nimrodel: Why should the Swedish band "The Flower Kings" be gay? Roine Stolt is great! Allthough his side-project Kaipa is a little bit strange ...

Hmm... I was reading some stuff in "Progressive Rock Reconsidered," and it had an article about prog rock and sexuality...a bit confusing, but interesting. It focused on Yes, and their music, mainly. It didn't label it as being "gay" or "straight", but rather open to any interpretation. You'll notice Yes always sings in reference to a "you", but never specifies it. Think of "And You and I". It could be interpreted as a simple generic man-woman lovesong, a song to God or a higher power, a song to yourself and your own soul/mind, or even a homosexual love song. It never says who "you" is. Some other examples are "Onward" and "To Be Over," and probably some others.

But really, I don't think there's a specific "gay" prog. There may be a few gay proggers here and there, but no ring or group or anything. The closest thing would be ambiguous hippie-ish music that could be either, like Yes.

Genesis sounds pretty gay and they play like girls And there album covers looks like they was painted by a child, yust by looking at them you know how its going to sound like baby prog. 

And people complain about jon andersons lyrics at least they sounds cool, Genesis lyrics yust sounds childish and silly, and very gay.

Which Genesis? Later Genesis looks like a bunch of kids broke into the recording industry, and about the music, I'd agree. I wouldn't say it's gay, though. Earlier Genesis, however, isn't babyish at all.

Actually, prog has always been rather androgenous (sp?). Never overly-macho or pin-headedly socially conservative, but yeah, I suppose Roxy Music and the whole glam rock thing is a genre of prog.

penguindf12 wrote: Which Genesis? Later Genesis looks like a bunch of kids broke into the recording industry, and about the music, I'd agree. I wouldn't say it's gay, though. Earlier Genesis, however, isn't babyish at all.

Well what i wrote was my first thought about Genesis, but i have to say i am starting to like em more and more and some soft rock is alweys nice if your in that mood, Dont take my post to seriusly it was most a joke.

Its been mentioned here about Freddy Mercury, but he wasn't gay, he was Bi.

Like in the song"...Bi.....siclke, Bi... sickle, I want to ride my Bi Sickle", about the bisexual farmer!

Joren wrote: They may not be gay (ask Threefates ), but they sure look like they are on this cover...

Actually, they don`t look gay at all, but superhetero. What they look like on that cover, is a couple of country bumpkins super heterostuds that has arrived in the big city for the first time, and have dressed up in "fancy" clothes thinking that they look all hip and modern, while they in reality looks like some kind of gay parody. Which they are happily unaware of.

Snow Dog wrote: Its been mentioned here about Freddy Mercury, but he wasn't gay, he was Bi.                       Like in the song"...Bi.....siclke, Bi... sickle, I want to ride my Bi Sickle", about the bisexual farmer!

You should know!

PeeWee wrote: Joren wrote: They may not be gay (ask Threefates ), but they sure look like they are on this cover...   Actually, they don`t look gay at all, but superhetero. What they look like on that cover, is a couple of country bumpkins super heterostuds that has arrived in the big city for the first time, and have dressed up in "fancy" clothes thinking that they look all hip and modern, while they in reality looks like some kind of gay parody. Which they are happily unaware of.

yes, and THAT is the reality I'm talking about.

Dazo wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Its been mentioned here about Freddy Mercury, but he wasn't gay, he was Bi.                       Like in the song"...Bi.....siclke, Bi... sickle, I want to ride my Bi Sickle", about the bisexual farmer! You should know!

About the Bisexual Farmer song? Yes I'm a bit of an expert on Queen music!

I have nothing really against gays, but if you want "happy" prog, I'd recommend LOVE BEACH

THE MOST PROG ALBUM EVAAAA EVAAA!!

Snow Dog wrote: Dazo wrote: Snow Dog wrote: Its been mentioned here about Freddy Mercury, but he wasn't gay, he was Bi.                       Like in the song"...Bi.....siclke, Bi... sickle, I want to ride my Bi Sickle", about the bisexual farmer! You should know! About the Bisexual Farmer song? Yes I'm a bit of an expert on Queen music!

Don't you mean you're a bit of a QUEEN?

Now listen 'ear Spazo! Your just cruisin' for a bruisin' aincha?

Peter wrote: Happy the Man seem like a cheery lot.... Seriously though, the sexual orientation of strangers (artists, or otherwise) is of absolutely no concern to me.

OK, two things:

1.- Kit Watkins, from 70s Happy the Man, is gay. 

2.- Anyway, it's none of our business, since gay or straight are not ideological components of prog. It may be for some disco bands or some punk bands or some post-rock bands (or maybe not), but definitely, the gay thing is not relevant at all for the genre. And what does it mean that prog is a primordially straight genre?

Zargus wrote: penguindf12 wrote: Which Genesis? Later Genesis looks like a bunch of kids broke into the recording industry, and about the music, I'd agree. I wouldn't say it's gay, though. Earlier Genesis, however, isn't babyish at all. Well what i wrote was my first thought about Genesis, but i have to say i am starting to like em more and more and some soft rock is alweys nice if your in that mood, Dont take my post to seriusly it was most a joke.

That's right! I was going to ask you what was so gay about Hackett's leads for 'Dancing with the Moonlit Knight' or Collins' drumming in 'Los Endos'.

Just for the thread's sake, we can tell that some prog bands or musicians sound quite masculine or quite feminine: for instance, "Pictures" ELP sounds very masculine, and "Waterloo" Caravan sounds, at times, very feminine. But that doesn't indicate much: I prefer adjectives such as muscular, delicate, serene, somber, heavy, melodic, atonal, weird, aggressive, subtle, free-form... those words are more suited for describing music than masculine/feminine or straight/gay. Besides, what would happen if a bassist-vocalist sounded "gay" at singing but very "masculine" at his bass playing -- would we say tha the sounds gay and straight at the same time. It would be better to say something like: "his delicate, almost etheral singing is a contrast to his powerfully edgy bass playing (he uses fuzz quite a lot)". See my point?

   Regards. 

Sir Realist wrote: Yeah, I heard Freddie M would f**k anything that moved. That's not the same as "gay"

I gather he was gay with a heterosexual past. He used to date boys and girls while having a permanent girlfriend, until he discovered that he was exclusively inclined toward gay sex and broke up with his girlfriend -- that's what I gather, and that's OK by me...

Dazo wrote: Wasn't Freddy in lord of the RINGS?

No...A Nightmare  On Elm Street

Man Overboard wrote: Blah, Daz, your homophobic comments are making me sad.

Knowledge is knowing there are more fruits than tomatoes.  

You may talk o' gin and beer
When you're quartered safe out 'ere,
An' you're sent to penny-fights an' Aldershot it;
But when it comes to slaughter
You will do your work on water,
An' you'll lick the bloomin' boots of 'im that's got it.
Now in Injia's sunny clime,
Where I used to spend my time
A-servin' of 'Er Majesty the Queen,
Of all them blackfaced crew
The finest man I knew
Was our regimental bhisti, Gunga Din.
      He was "Din! Din! Din!
  You limpin' lump o' brick-dust, Gunga Din!
      Hi! slippery hitherao!
      Water, get it!  Panee lao!            
  You squidgy-nosed old idol, Gunga Din."
 
The uniform 'e wore
Was nothin' much before,
An' rather less than 'arf o' that be'ind,
For a piece o' twisty rag
An' a goatskin water-bag
Was all the field-equipment 'e could find.
When the sweatin' troop-train lay
In a sidin' through the day,
Where the 'eat would make your bloomin' eyebrows crawl,
We shouted "Harry By!"  
Till our throats were bricky-dry,
Then we wopped 'im 'cause 'e couldn't serve us all.
      It was "Din! Din! Din!
  You 'eathen, where the mischief 'ave you been?
      You put some juldee in it     
      Or I'll marrow you this minute  
  If you don't fill up my helmet, Gunga Din!"
 
'E would dot an' carry one
Till the longest day was done;
An' 'e didn't seem to know the use o' fear.
If we charged or broke or cut,
You could bet your bloomin' nut,
'E'd be waitin' fifty paces right flank rear.
With 'is mussick on 'is back,    
'E would skip with our attack,
An' watch us till the bugles made "Retire",
An' for all 'is dirty 'ide
'E was white, clear white, inside
When 'e went to tend the wounded under fire!
      It was "Din! Din! Din!"
  With the bullets kickin' dust-spots on the green.
      When the cartridges ran out,
      You could hear the front-files shout,
  "Hi! ammunition-mules an' Gunga Din!"
 
I shan't forgit the night
When I dropped be'ind the fight
With a bullet where my belt-plate should 'a' been.
I was chokin' mad with thirst,
An' the man that spied me first
Was our good old grinnin', gruntin' Gunga Din.
'E lifted up my 'ead,
An' he plugged me where I bled,
An' 'e guv me 'arf-a-pint o' water-green:
It was crawlin' and it stunk,
But of all the drinks I've drunk,
I'm gratefullest to one from Gunga Din.
      It was "Din! Din! Din!
  'Ere's a beggar with a bullet through 'is spleen;
      'E's chawin' up the ground,
      An' 'e's kickin' all around:
  For Gawd's sake git the water, Gunga Din!"
 
'E carried me away
To where a dooli lay,
An' a bullet come an' drilled the beggar clean.
'E put me safe inside,
An' just before 'e died,
"I 'ope you liked your drink", sez Gunga Din.
So I'll meet 'im later on
At the place where 'e is gone --
Where it's always double drill and no canteen;
'E'll be squattin' on the coals
Givin' drink to poor damned souls,
An' I'll get a swig in hell from Gunga Din!
      Yes, Din! Din! Din!
  You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
      Though I've belted you and flayed you,
      By the livin' Gawd that made you,
  You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!

...

I think that at the beginning of his career mr ENO was gay or play the game...tranvestite!!

Dazo wrote: Thanks for sharing that with us. Your'e a better man than me Gunga Din for admitting something like that in public.

It's not the 1st time for him admitting it. I am rather callous towards remarks such as yours. I being a fruit as well have VERY thick skin...like a tough orange.

Anyways...try to remember everyone on this site isn't a breeder.

Dazo wrote: Thanks for sharing that with us. Your'e a better man than me Gunga Din for admitting something like that in public.

If you had paid more attention, you would have seen that he mentioned his boyfriend in your GOD thread!

frenchie wrote: Unifaun wrote: what an interesting thread... straining for ideas guys? I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true), and i often have thoughts of stripping down to my undies and looking all sexy and lezzing it out with a girl, maybe a friend as long as their were no awkward feelings, just for fun, she wud have to be a hot as me tho. mmm whoa! that is hot! talk about all lights f**ked on the hairy amp drooling!

since when do women like progressive rock?

or go on prog-rock boards for that matter? (besides threefates)

well always nice to see a female who likes prog (even rarer than finding good a prog in my cd store that's not floyd)

frenchie wrote: Unifaun wrote: what an interesting thread... straining for ideas guys? I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true), and i often have thoughts of stripping down to my undies and looking all sexy and lezzing it out with a girl, maybe a friend as long as their were no awkward feelings, just for fun, she wud have to be a hot as me tho. mmm whoa! that is hot! talk about all lights f**ked on the hairy amp drooling!

Hot indeed....

What does "talk about all lights f**ked on the hair amp drooling" mean, exactly?

Unifaun wrote: what an interesting thread... straining for ideas guys? I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true), and i often have thoughts of stripping down to my undies and looking all sexy and lezzing it out with a girl, maybe a friend as long as their were no awkward feelings, just for fun, she wud have to be a hot as me tho. mmm

Yep, works every time... Thats how I got DG's attention the second time... My girlfriend brings that up all the time and we still laugh about it...

Unifaun wrote: I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true)

Got any pix?

Sir Realist wrote: Yeah, I heard Freddie M would f**k anything that moved. That's not the same as "gay"

That means he was trisexual.

I would like to have your opinion about ENO controversial personnality...at the beginning of his career when he was in Roxy music, what happened to him?

Zargus wrote: Genesis sounds pretty gay and they play like girls And there album covers looks like they was painted by a child, yust by looking at them you know how its going to sound like baby prog.  And people complain about jon andersons lyrics at least they sounds cool, Genesis lyrics yust sounds childish and silly, and very gay.

I agree. Genesis is pink bubblegum pop-prog.

Also, high pitched voices like the ones of Anderson,  Lee and Shelley doesn't sound "gay" at all, because they are strict, rocky and firm. Furthermore, I think they follow the melody/harmony nice and smoothly, unlike Gabriel who just rambles off in an ugly way.

Joren wrote: They may not be gay (ask Threefates ), but they sure look like they are on this cover...

Definitely not gay!  Guess you did't read Emo's bio..

threefates wrote: Unifaun wrote: what an interesting thread... straining for ideas guys? I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true), and i often have thoughts of stripping down to my undies and looking all sexy and lezzing it out with a girl, maybe a friend as long as their were no awkward feelings, just for fun, she wud have to be a hot as me tho. mmm Yep, works every time... Thats how I got DG's attention the second time... My girlfriend brings that up all the time and we still laugh about it...

So I want to get this straight?  Did you use lesbo sex in order to get Gilmour's attention?? When and where was this and who was the other girl?  Do I know her??  and wait till I get a pen so I can write this down....

Unifaun wrote: what an interesting thread... straining for ideas guys? I am not gay but the whole lesbian thing is a turn on, i am a really hot girl (i say so myself but its true), and i often have thoughts of stripping down to my undies and looking all sexy and lezzing it out with a girl, maybe a friend as long as their were no awkward feelings, just for fun, she wud have to be a hot as me tho. mmm

My God Unifaun what the hell are you doing! I don't go to the forum for this sort of thing!

You've got me all excited now!......I think I'd better go and have a shower........I can't stop reading it!

THIS IS THE BEST POST YET BY ANYONE!

How can i recognize if a piece of music is "gay" !?   

ita_prog_fan wrote:   How can i recognize if a piece of music is "gay" !?

You'll feel it inside you!

Snow Dog wrote: ita_prog_fan wrote:   How can i recognize if a piece of music is "gay" !?    You'll feel it inside you!

Inside in what terms ?