Out lesbian American rocker Beth Ditto and her band The Gossip will visit New Zealand this weekend to play concerts in Wellington and Auckland. NME covergirl: Beth Ditto Music magazine NME declared her the world's coolest rock icon last year, and Ditto's voice has been compared to the likes of Janis Joplin, Tina Turner and Peggy Lee. "People fear me because I'm fat, lesbian and blatantly feminist," she told the UK's Sun newspaper last year. "Growing up, when I struggled with my sexuality and size, I never showed anyone how upset I was. I took things in my stride so I wasn't bullied." The Gossip's video for their single Standing in the Way of Control is shown below. The song was written by Ditto as a response to the US Government's decision to deny gay people the right to marry. Beth Ditto and The Gossip play at Wellington's San Francisco Bath House on Saturday 8 December, and Auckland's Kings Arms on Sunday 9 December, before continuing their world tour with concerts in Australia and Japan.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Tuesday, 4th December 2007 - 6:57pm