Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Time for a second serving Shirleyphiles, of a show we posted couple of years back – “Please laShirl, Can I Have Some More?” While the manservant is twiddling around with a new show, I hope this repeat keeps your appetite for low-fi lovliness sated. Its one of our favourite dishes.

Now I’m no Margaret Fulton or Nigella Lawson when it comes to tossing it up big time in the kitchen department, but mr.Kenneth has a bit of the Jamie Oliver in him when the fancy takes him. And that certain kind of fancy takes him often … but we’ll leave that for another show, shall we?

The manservant been known to have a whole dinner party contingent on the floor squealing with delight after sampling one of his “special” desserts. Apparently he came across the recipe in “The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook”. Do I need to say anymore? I learned my lesson long ago and dare not put so much as a crumb of these after dinner treats near my lips. I just sashay over to the bar, as usual, mix myself another Harvey Wallbanger, sit back with a cigar and count the car keys as they get thrown into the fruitbowl.

Its a very mixed bag in this show, kind of like a musical stir fry with The Tubes, Herb Alpert, Terri “Cupcake” O’Mason, Vincent Price, Deee-Lite, Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan, Duran Duran, Sly Stone, Ella Mae Morse, Eydie Gormé and other tasty musical morsels more or less all ending sunnyside up in the pan!

So kids, it’s time to strap on the aprons … you don’t want too much mess in the kitchen now do you … get out the beaters and prepare yourself to wrap your luscious lips around the mixing bowl with the Sunbeam mixmasters of lurve, yours truly and mr.Kenneth!

Until next time, take absolute care, play fair and don’t forget to eat your crusts!
They’ve put hairs on Shirl’s chest … no kidding!

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr. Kenneth

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Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Well I just bet the title of this show made a few of the regular Shirleyphiles spit the pins out, hey? Alarmed internal voices throughout the cybersphere crying out “What??!! Shirl engaged!! Did mr.K finally go down on his knees before our Shirl with a proposition she couldn’t refuse? Or vice versa??!! Heavens to betsy!! Where’s the party? What will I wear? Who’s doing the catering?”
No. No. No.No. Put the knives and smelling salts down, dears. Its none of the above.

I know its been sometime between Pimms, but the engagement of two of our faves, Donat and Louise (DT – musician, Francophile and possessor of an encyclopedic, enviable brain crammed with all manner of musical detritus & the gorgeous LB – extraordinary artist and the human heart behind Drawing Girl) requires special acknowledgment round these parts!
Lacking any real idea for a suitable gift, mr.K and I decided to do what we know best and lovingly craft a celebratory show in honour of this fabulous news. We’re sure they have just about everything they need. After all, they have each other and as the song goes, who could ask for anything more, right? Wrong! These two love birds deserve to be “Shirled” and Shirled they shall be!

Well, who have been gathered together to join the hijinx? For starters, Yoko Ono, The Nerves, The Shangri-Las, Question Mark & The Mysterians, Lily Tomlin, Paul Mauriat, Joe Youngblood, Eartha Kitt, Normie Rowe, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, Shower Scene from Psycho, John Prine and Iris Dement, Orange Juice, Brigitte Bardot, Rachel Sweet, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, Ivor Cutler, Cilla Black, Sherbet and wrapping it all up are The Passions with slice of delicious pop and wise words, “Love is Essential”.

So Shirleyphiles, join us in raising your collective fruitcups to Donat & Louise! mr.K will be joining DT & LB tonight ahem – next week – with a bunch of their wild and crazy Scooby gang and I expect a full report of the high brow goings on that will no doubt occur in an outer Brisbane suburb. I do hope mr.K can remember his name and address if he needs to ask a friendly policeman for directions home!

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr. Kenneth

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UPDATE : mr.K has just arrived home rather embarassed, poor luv. It seems in his excitement he got the date of the engagement party all wrong!!! He turned up to LB & DT’s digs … unusually quiet party he mused while ringing the doorbell only to be greeted by a bemused Donat when asked “So where’s the party?” “It’s on next Friday, Ken”. Well, I’m quite beside myself with laughter. Oh dear. But mr.K tells me he was able to have a couple of quiet beers and a pleasant natter with the couple du jour before being escorted safely to the nearest bus stop where he stood shaking his head in befuddled wonder at this senior of senior moments. And he has the nerve to tell me I’m dizzy sometimes! Rest assured I’ll be dining out on this social faux pas at a certain manservant’s expense for sometime … hehe.

original image : marc7654

Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Like sands through the proverbial, this show is a collection of tunes around that harsh mistress called “time” …

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr. Kenneth

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Perhaps you’re looking for some of the past shows? Click on the Archives link above, the Recent Posts or a bunch of mp3 versions can be found HERE

Danny La Rue ::: 26 July 1927 – 31 May 2009

Greetings Shirleyphiles,
Time for a return radioShirley performance from last October :: DRAG! :: to pay tribute to the one and only Danny La Rue!

Nice to see I’m not the only one in blogdom tipping their collective wigbox to La Rue. Ally over at dustysevens has a fantastic poster and Sugar Pie Desanto track to mark the occasion. Bona drag indeed, ally.

DOWNLOAD .mp3 (14mb) | STREAM via realplayer.
If you need the player, download here

*be smooched*
Shirl & mr.K

Image : David Kouture by Alain-Christian

Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

“rhythm is both the song’s manacle and its demonic charge
it is the original breath
it is the whisper of unremitting demand
“what do you still want of me?” says the singer
“what do you think you can still draw from my lips?”
exact presence that no fantasy can represent
purveyor of the old secret
alive with the blood that boils again and is pulsing where the rhythm is torn apart
how your singers blood is incensed at the depth of sound
lacerations echo in the mouth’s open erotic sky where dance together the lost frenzies of rhythm and an imploring immobility”
from I.Penman : The Annihilation of Rhythm

Ladies and Gentleman …. Shirl’s Pole Dancing Favorites!

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr.Kenneth

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Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Well its getting a little chilly round these parts and when Shirl’s parts get a little chilly, yours truly reaches for her favourite fur coat. Now before you start throwing cream pies and planning how to knee cap me next time we meet in the carpark, the fur in question is 100% endorsed by the late Linda McCartney herself! No, its not woven from Sir Paul’s pubic shedding – heaven forbid – but is a fabulous faux little number which fits me to a tee and fools just about everyone! Even mr.K looked twice when I swished in wearing said fur for the first time. Always the thoughtful one, for the first two weeks he would leave it a bowl of water as it lay languid across the lounge.

That’s more than Heather did for Sir Paul I bet!

So for all the Shirleyphiles feeling the chill, this show is for you! Unhinged as we are, we’ve thrown open the cages with Pavlovian technique and released our animal instincts along with Tom Jones, The Trashmen, Slim Whitman, Mama Cass, Iggy Pop, Dusty Springfield, Mrs Miller, Ivor Cutler, Wire, Nick Cave, The Birthday Party, Rex Harrison, Kate Bush, Benzell Graham, Brigette Bardot, The Nutty Squirrels, Jonathon Richman & The Modern Lovers, Tiny Tim, Ella Mae Morse & The Kinks. How’s that for a musical menagerie!

Until next time listeners, move the cat out of harms way, feed the birds tuppence a bag and give the next furry friend you come across a little scratch behind the ear. You should see mr.K roll over each time I do that to him! It’s positively canine, darlings!

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr. Kenneth

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If you need the free player, download here

If you’re looking for some of the past shows : download HERE or troll through the Archives page for a selection from way back!

Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Inspired by a post which appeared a few weeks back over on one of Shirl’s favourite blogs, this show is all about, you guessed it, houses and the assorted items of everyday living which inhabit them.

from Jockohomo :

“Homosexuality is one of the essential elements of living in contemporary society.” Official IKEA spokesperson’s response to pressure from grumpy Polish Catholics (namely a letter writing campaign) who had a hoo haa because they wanted queer couples removed from the IKEA catalog.

Read the full post HERE

Hoo Haa indeed! And bouquets to IKEA’s spokesperson for such an eloquent t-shirt/bumper sticker one liner!

I wonder what those same grumps would say if XTC, Jody Miller, Carol Channing, Marc Almond, Lou Reed, John Cale, Denise laSalle, Vivian Stanshall, Buzzcocks, Tiny Tim, Herman’s Hermits, Dionne Warwick, Leona Anderson, Split Enz who feature in this show, featured in the next catalog? MMMmmm?

Regular Shirleyphiles shouldn’t be at all surprised to know that I for one, would be out there buying up any chair, table, bedlamp or drink coaster which was being endorsed by that ultimate Jazz Baby, Carol Channing!

Goodness, I’m sure even the manservant, mr.Kenneth could be tempted by a Marc Almond leather recliner rocking chair!

Until next time Shirleyphiles, take care and remember … play fair

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr.Kenneth

DOWNLOAD .mp3 (15mb) | STREAM via realplayer.
If you need the free player, download here

If you’re looking for any of the past shows : download HERE

original image by Miss Loisy

Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Oh the world seems to be going to Hell in a handbasket doesn’t it? Honestly, there’s just so much “fiscal stimulus” one can bear, don’t you agree? So how are yours truly and her manservant coping with the current global climate of chaos and turmoil?

Well, I’ve been behaving like a classic 50’s hausfrau: tearing through my own little Valley of the Dolls wearing a taffeta gown, shot silk throw, sporting frilly aprons whenever the fancy takes me and washing down fistfuls of candy that’d make Susan Hayward proud and Patty Duke Astin choke! mr.Kenneth on the other hand has been his usual flatline self : sensible shoes, three meals a day and positively Yin to my Yang. How we’ve co-existed so long, is a complete mystery!

So this episode is a little inside take on what I’ve been indulging in : a confessional of sorts, without the broom cupboard drama, detailing just a few of the favourite things which have been helping me wake up to the day, put one foot after the other and then lay the head back down on the pillow or plonk it forehead first into the oven. But no, this never happens on a Sunday! Only a few of my wicked wicked ways are name checked here. If I named everything which puts the tiger in my tank, the zazz in my piz or the wind up my kaftan, then we’d end up with show called “Shirley’s Ring Cycle” wouldn’t we? I mean, in these tough times, there are just far too many indulgences to mention!

mr.Kenneth has been a patient love as usual, risen to the ocassion and helped me select this soundtrack to the current shape I’m in. Yes Shirleyphiles, its messy. Yes, its all over the shop but we love it that way. Opening up this aural cabinet of curiousities are the Rolling Stones followed by The Champs, Regurgitator, Brenda Lee, Flying Lizards, Vincent Price, Sailor, Fischer-Z, Dean Martin, Kevin Ayers, The Pineapples From The Dawn of Time, Queens of the Stone Age, Terri “Cupcake” O’Mason and if that last track doesn’t get you doing the “Vitamin Mambo” then the fabulous B-52’s are bound to!

So Shirleyphiles, like the 52’s, gather together whatever deviant ingredients you have on hand, head on down that Martini mile and elevate yourselves to a very fine state of mind with mr.K and moi!

Until next time, take Absolut care and remember … play fair

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr.Kenneth

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Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes or so of low-fi lovliness!

Yours truly and the manservant, mr.Kenneth have been saddened this last week to learn of the sudden passing of Iain “mr.Id” Clacher. Writer, photographer, musician, activist and all round extraordinary human being, Iain will be sadly missed by those who came to love, respect and marvel at his energy, enthusiasm, humour, drive and down to earth determination when it came to issues he cared about … and there were many.

mr.Kenneth first met Id when Id played keyboards in local bands Krank and then Spank sometime last century. Time passed and it wasn’t until early this century that paths crossed once more via blogdom, online chat, out and about at a few gigs and through radioShirley. Id would often send the manservant very kind and enthusiastic comments about the shows as they appeared online. When we moved radioShirley to this blog format a couple of months ago with the “radioShirley presents “DRAG!” show, I emailed Id a notification and he responded with “drag? Perfect! *smoochback* my place. me in a frock. with beard” with the photo of him above as “Busty Springsqueal” attached. What an eye for style!

Tributes from friends and colleagues have been flowing onto Iain’s Facebook page from far and wide. I’m linking to a couple here and here which illustrate the depth of talent, commitment and support he fostered particularly amongst the Australian LGBTQ community in his position of 8 years as editor of Queensland Pride. Read and you’ll have an idea of why he is so highly regarded.

With Id’s sudden death uppermost in my mind and reflections this week, we decided to put together a mix of low-fi lovliness to celebrate his life. mr.Kenneth and I have chosen a number of artists and musical styles that Iain had indicated a fondness for. Some instances are tracks that we just thought may be appropriate. Among these are Lovs é Blur (whose fabulous singer, Wendy Seary fronted Spank with Iain), a little rockabilly from Carl Perkins, the New York Dolls, Lydia Lunch, the Cramps, Mrs Miller (I know when Mrs. Miller first aired in a radioShirley show some time back, Iain was gobsmacked and emailed me with “Who WAS that doing Green Tambourine?”), Taylor Mead, Nina Hagen, Ike and Tina Turner, Mistress Formika with “Fight For Your Right – To be Queer”, Wanda Jackson, a beautiful song from John Water’s Hairspray by Toussaint McCall and the mainman himself, Iggy Pop.

So Shirleyphiles, join the manservant and myself in toasting the life the times of Iain “mr.Id” Clacher. As mr.Kenneth wrote on Iain’s Facebook page, “here’s to you, mr. Id. cheers my dear. x”

*be smooched*
laShirl and mr.Kenneth

View Iain’s fabulous photography on FLICKR here

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A re-up from the Archives. Why? Well two reasons really.

#1. This show formed part of the soundtrack behind mr.Kenneth’s re-entry into the new year. The manservant enjoyed hearing it again so much that the luv begged and pleaded with me to re-up it for all the new visitors who may have missed it from last year.

#2. I couldn’t think of a better way to sashay the new year in than having a bevy of blokes strut their stuff in some kind of Revue while I lay Liz Taylor-like on the divan, G&T in paw … even if the parade is all in my ice cubes.

So here it is kids and let us wish all the Shirleyphiles, old and new out there a brilliant, safe and smiley 2009!

*be ever-so smooched*
mr.Kenneth & laShirl

5 May 2007
Greetings Shirleyphiles and welcome to another 40 minutes of low-fi luvliness!

Its been a long time between drinks I must say and what better way to greet some old friends than getting mr.Kenneth back to doing what he should be doing and working his fingers to the bone for yours truly! Yes … not unlike Katherine Hepburn, laShirl wears the proverbial pant suit in this family.

We’ve lined up a very talented bunch of menfolk, all possessing suspicious levels of testosterone, all circumspect about their gender and lets face it … with those personality traits, I’d have them all over for dinner in a flash. Wouldn’t you? I just wouldn’t let Vincent Price near the kitchen that’s all. If you listen to the show, you’ll understand why.

So who’s sitting round the table you ask?

Starting at the head (what a perfect place to start!) and holding court is the legendary Quentin Crisp. To his left are the boys from Sweet, a real rock and roll disgrace. Next to them, the man who really started the whole bling thing, Liberace is telling tales to the ever funky but chic, David Johansen. Fess Parker without the raccoon on his head, it’s one of the courses actually, decides that Jimmy and The Boys are really not like everybody else. The TuneTwisters bring up the tone of the evening with a touch of four part popcorn. The Spencer Davis Group explore the definition of a “man” with John Wayne. Speaking of definition, my favourite bare chested boys, Rammstein provide a little table cooking entertainment with the help of Vincent Price, a fork, a few boys and a flamethrower. Tokyo Baby keep the table cooking action going while Jim Croce tells some story about a cat called Leroy Brown. Definitely not on the menu! Neil Diamond sings of brotherly love and salvation until that upstart Arthur Comix, a right snivelling shit, decides a little reality check is in order by asking the eternal question “Is God a Man?” Pulchritude is indeed a big word, Arthur. The Television Personalities decide to lighten the mood with a ditty about Geoffrey Ingram and to end the night on a high note, the dessert in a torn pantsuit himself, P.J. Proby leads us all in a cutlery waving rendition of “Que Sera Sera”.

Whatever will be, will be … indeed … but who is looking after the washing up?

*smooches*
la Shirl and mr. Kenneth

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