Yeah, she has this mad persona, the build any Amazionian woman would be in awe of, and, is just slightly terrifying but fuck me, this woman was/is light years ahead of her time and more fool me for only just realising it. After last night, I figured I had a lot more to learn about this one-woman tour de force. Born in Jamaica to incredibly strict and religious parents (her father was a pastor), she grew up being denied any kind of creative stimulus or outlet. After moving to America aged 12, she found, as the only black girl in her class, and with a deep Jamaican accent she stuck out like a sore thumb at school. She was also branded ‘Socially sick’ on her Junior High report card. Clearly all this adversity, denial and labelling was either going to break her or spur her on. Well you know the outcome. She began to explore the world of modelling, go-go dancing and acting and the rest, as they say, is history! Famous for her love of fur coats, crazy accessories, legs that go on-and-on, partying HARD (I ALMOST KILLED A MAN IN A TEQUILA DRINKING CONTEST IN BELGIUM. AN AMBULANCE HAD TO COME AND GET HIM. HE WAS IN HOSPITAL FOR THREE DAYS), roller skating on Quaaludes, standardly being 3hrs late and THAT temper, this woman soaked up and learnt as much as possible from her surroundings and set about, without compromise may I add, creating a self she wanted to be - flipping the script as she went. Her love affair with artist Jean Paul Goude was part and parcel of creating that unique ‘Jones’ look and she used her modelling years as the best one could get in: ‘lighting and design education’. A self proclaimed product of Europe rather than America, she escaped New York the only way befitting a self fashioned lady: hopping on a flight to Luxembourg then hitch hiking her way to Paris with nowt other than $200 in her back pocket and no knowledge of the French language. This is where her music truly began.
As I watched her last night I was struck by how truly unique she is even now, let alone the 80’s. Don’t get me wrong, ‘My Jamaican Guy’ (it should also be noted, I’m a big fan of the sample use in one of my all time fave tracks: ‘Doin’ It’ by Mr LL Cool J ) and ‘Pull up to my bumper’ have always been thumped loud in casa Milly but, I’m the first to admit, other than that I’d not really given her much listening love. I will now. This woman is a metaphorical onion – There’s so many more layers going on here than meets the eye. The diva on stage, her insanely skimpy outfits, the bizarre headwear, the voice and her deep lyrics (apart for the ones about anal sex but you get an A+ for stunning metaphors in that one) are just one facet of this lady! If I could rock ‘simply’ a corset, some fishnet stockings, a pair of killer heals and some ridiculous headwear at the age of 60 summat, and look half as hot as she did last night, trust I’d be flashing all I could on stage. This woman has equal doses of energy and crazy stage presence with a healthy portion of in-your-face sexiness thrown in for good measure. Yeah, that’s right I said ‘sexiness’. There’s nothing more sexy than a woman who knows what she wants and how she wants it and isn’t afraid to show it off. If you mistake strength for manliness, sexiness for sluttiness and that man-eating persona for man hating then, most likely, you’re the one who needs to go and have a good, hard look in the mirror!
Even at her age her music still pisses on a lot of the bullshit being churned out by the music factories of today. She had the crowd eating out of her hands, and yes they were predominantly gay but nonetheless she had us all transfixed and on the very tip of our tippy toes to see what she would come at us with next. There was a new outfit for each song not to be out done by it’s predecessor and it was clear she had an army of people tucked just off stage making the showbiz happen! I’ll tell you this for nothing: Sacha Fierce aint got nada on this lady. In fact, that would be something I’d pay to see: Beyonce even try to hold down a stage with this lady on it. Ms Jones would swallow her whole mid-chorus whilst cavorting on her rotating pole AND popping off for outfit changes. Yes, rotating pole I said. Bottom line. GRACE JONES YOU’RE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR IN ALL THE BULLSHIT! Hands down. Best live gig I’ve been to in a very long time. My favourite moment? Trying to double-time my bumpa as gold glitter erupted either side of the stage, reigning down on me of course. Doesn’t take much does it?
PS.
Grace, if I may call you that, even if I had a crazy disc-like, glitter encrusted head piece fashioned like yours, I’d take it off to you. Fancy adopting me? I’d love to see the look on any future beaus face when I broke it to them: ‘yeah come round for tea. My mum, Grace Jones, really wants to meet you.’
PPS. Here are just a few inspiring and amusing quotes for you ladies!
I’VE LOOKED THE DEVIL IN THE FACE, AND GOD, AND SOMEHOW I'VE FOUND A BALANCE. BUT BEING EXTREME IS AT THE SAME TIME A BALANCE - ONE EXTREME BALANCES THE OTHER.
I WASN'T BORN THIS WAY. ONE CREATES ONESELF. I BELIEVE WHATEVER I DREAM. WHATEVER I DREAM I WANT TO DO.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A REBEL. I NEVER DO THINGS THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. EITHER I GO IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION OR I CREATE A NEW DIRECTION FOR MYSELF, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE RULES ARE OR WHAT SOCIETY SAYS.
.I HAVE A BAD TEMPER BUT IF YOU KNOW ME WELL YOU'LL KNOW I'M JUST LETTING OFF STEAM, LIKE A BULL. I SHOULD BE LOCKED UP FOR AT LEAST A WEEK EVERY MONTH! THE OTHER NIGHT SOMETHING UPSET ME AND STEAM, I SWEAR TO GOD, STEAM WAS LITERALLY COMING OUT OF MY EARS. I THOUGHT I WAS SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUSTING. I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO BURST INTO FLAMES - OH YES, IT WAS AT THE AIRPORT IN BUENOS AIRES.
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