Kelly & the Kellygirls
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Kelly & the Kellygirls

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Band Pop Alternative

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"now magazine"

With penchants for drag, jizz metaphors and ripping off his clothes whenever there's an audience, R. Kelly Clipperton has made a decent name for himself around town as a performer, photographer and stylist.The former frontman of Merkury Burn started gigging with his new band, Kelly and the Kellygirls, pretty much immediately after calling it quits with said goth camp queer outfit a couple of years ago, and now the Kellygirls (and Kelly) are launching a new record, Swing Swing, tomorrow (Friday) night at the El Mocambo, featuring guest performers and a White Trash Buffet. It's all very exciting. And it debuted at number 17 on CFCR Saskatoon radio. You know you've made it when that happens. "It was just like out of nowhere! Number 17," laughs Clipperton over coffee at a Second Cup. "I was like, 'Wow, it wasn't even at number 30 last month, and now it's at number 17. That's exciting.' And now it's broken the top 30 at one in Kamloops as well." I wonder if he has any theories about why those parts of the country seem to love him so much. "They're lovin' it over there. I'm thinking maybe most independent bands don't consider sending their stuff to places like that, so when they get stuff that's a little bit different they start playing it." A far cry from the trash wave of Merkury Burn, Swing Swing is a soulful, bluesy swing rock record merging all these elements with ska, pop and glam and adding instruments like flamenco guitars, congas, cello, piano and horns. Clipperton's rich baritone features prominently, oozing and dripping all over the love songs, laments, sexed-up skankers (that's skank as in the dance, not as in skanky) and catchy pop tracks. "It's grown on me," he says. "I don't know that when I finished it I was sure that this was what I wanted to do, because I was missing being raunchy and being crazy and all that stuff. But then I listened a little more and I like it." One thing that stands out is a pervasive feeling of sadness, which is interesting because Clipperton has always struck me as the kind of guy who's usually in a pretty good mood. You know, the type of upbeat person who has a million friends and punctuates his e-mails with exclamation points. "That's what my best friend, Dee, said, too," he says. "She calls me up and she's like, 'Kel, I'm calling right now because I'm listening to your record and it's very sad, so I just want to make sure you're OK.' And I'm like, 'I'm fine,' so she says, 'Good. The record's sad. Buhbye.' "I guess that's how I work out that sadness. That's where I put it and keep it so it doesn't get me too much every day." It's about venting and purging, he says. He points out that the songs I'm referring to (they're not all dismal and woebegone) were written when he left Merkury Burn. "Those were written within a week of my decision to leave the band, and it was a very sad time for me. I cried all the way through writing Take Care Of Me. I just had to get it out." But don't you worry. Clipperton hasn't gotten all wimpy on your ass and is still the same big gay madman onstage he always was. "I remember when Kellygirls first started, I was like, 'I'm gonna wear suits, I'm not gonna do the underwear thing any more, blah blah blah. Well, it's slowly coming back around. I start off a lot more clothed, but I'm usually wearing a lot less by the end. "I can't keep my clothes on. That's just who I am." - bluesy nude


"toronto star"

Should you feel compelled to bring a belated birthday gift for R. Kelly Clipperton to tomorrow night's Kellygirls soirée at the El Mocambo, we have a ready suggestion.
"Botox," laughs Clipperton over cocktails sunk in tribute to his birthday — we won't say which one — last week. "I told all my friends to pool their money and get me Botox injections. Put it all right here, in my forehead."
The garrulous Clipperton is entirely believable when he says he'd like nothing .
better than to spend his birthday talking about himself; he's nothing if not comfortable being the centre of attention. And, to his credit, he's one of those people who probably should be.
For this reason, Clipperton's recent attempts to step up the profile of Kelly & the Kellygirls makes good sense. There's more than enough charisma, talent and uniqueness of vision lurking within the curious sextet to merit attention beyond the Toronto club circuit and queer art scene upon which Clipperton — also a photographer, playwright, actor and hairstylist of some renown — has been a fixture since the mid-'90s.

His first band to make much noise, My Dear Heretic, is now fondly dismissed as a pop "training ground." The last, a heavier, metal-edged glam outfit called Merkury Burn, teetered ever on the verge of something larger before imploding last year, leaving behind a fairly large and faithful local following.
"I liked the band, too, at one point," says Clipperton. "But I like this one even more. I mean, anyone will say that about what they're doing right now, anyway, because you're getting whatever you need to get out of it. But bands f--- up. It's happened a million times ...

"At the end of Merkury Burn, I was still having a little bit of fun. But really, what it was, was I was tired of shouting. I think I've worked a long time to figure out what my voice does well, and it wasn't doing that anymore. I wasn't singing."
Kelly & the Kellygirls is, thus, finds Clipperton placing his arresting voice (Bowie or Peter Murphy with a little more sass) and showboating, occasionally drag-inclined tendencies within "a genre where your voice might actually flourish." To do that, mind you, he's more or less invented one; the Kellygirls — featuring such local notables as Amer Diab and New King Michael J — deal in a mix of glam, punk, New Wave, jazz, white soul and sultry baritone crooning quite unlike anything else happening in this city.
"It's not gonna be everybody's thing," concedes Clipperton. "Right after Merkury Burn broke up, the Kellygirls played the Bovine and it went over good, but the whole time there was the thought in my mind: `I am over this.' As fun as it was, I'm just moving in a different direction."
- bring on the kellygirls


"trade magazine"

April 21. Lee's Palace, Toronto. 10pm. Kelly casually takes to the stage with a drink in hand. As soon as he puts the drink down, Kelly and the Kellygirls belt out the first song of the evening. The audience is captivated by Kelly's haunting baritone voice; the rich diversity and obvious talent of the Kellygirls doesn't seem to hurt, either. Clad in a fitted powder-blue military-inspired shirt, low-slung white pants, and white kid gloves, Kelly prowls the stage, straddles the speakers, and addresses the audience with his soulful performance. With his enviable physique, high cheekbones and intriguing tattoos, it's hard to look away. Both queer boys and queer girls alike gush about his inherent sexiness, his feline ways. But wait, he's talented too.

Since childhood, Kelly has been involved in the arts. After he wrote his first play in 1990, trash (the age of consent), he's gone on to write five more, and produce all of them. He's an accomplished hairstylist with a reputation of having saved many a head from L.A. to Berlin to Hogtown. He's been involved in no less than six bands (People in Glass Houses, the existing, My Dear Heretic, Caustic Chevy, Merkury Burn, Kelly and the Kellygirls), and has acted alongside Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. Kelly's photography is eye-candy for the queer-eye. You've probably seen his work without realizing it. One of his photos graces the cover of the Arsenal Pulp Press anthology Brazen Femme: Queering Femininity; he has also shot promotional pictures for Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and for Xtra! Magazine. Meet R. Kelly Clipperton - unstoppable arts-multitasker.

We first met at Signal to Noise recording studio where Kelly and the Kellygirls were recording the tracks for their debut album Swing, Swing.

A week later, in the beginning of April, I met up again with Kelly, this time at the Rivoli on Queen Street. After he rode up on his bike, we went upstairs, had a few drinks, and talked about his newest musical incarnation and how he would be perfectly content to listen to Annie Lennox sing the alphabet.

TRADE: You have been described as everyone from Peter Murphy to Iggy Pop. My favorite description of you is "Bowie, but funnier." How do you see yourself?

KELLY: I think I'm rather like a sponge in a lot of ways. I store what has affected me during my life. I think of my teen-hood - I was absorbing all of the influences of people I really liked and admired in music. It made sense to me, and probably had a huge effect on me. So, I think I am a combination of all those things; I think they're all accurate. Bowie is a musical genius and I wouldn't fool myself to think that I'm nearly as talented as him; I'm different. I think that most of the comparisons that I get are from people who see the eclecticness...

T: And they need to define it?

K: Yeah, and they see me as an eclectic male so they look to other eclectic males to compare me to. Peter Murphy is just because the tone in my voice and because in bands that I've been in before, we've performed "Bela Lugosi's Dead". I tend to get the same ring and same tone as he does. Iggy Pop I never really got. I've never really understood that, other than I usually perform without a shirt on and Iggy Pop does that. Maybe that's where that came from. But I think that I'm a better singer than Iggy Pop - with all due respect to Iggy. How do I see myself? Hell, I don't know anymore. I'm certainly not lost in an image that I've created for myself; I just see myself as a passionate person, and I think that comes across when I perform. These days, a lot of music is watered-down with presentation, concept and marketability. I think it really takes away from the passion, and passion is something that has always stayed in my work. So, whether you like or hate what I do, I think that almost anyone would agree that I'm pretty passionate about what I'm doing.

T: How did you make the transition from the glam-punk style of Merkury Burn, to the bluesy rock pop-style of the Kellygirls?

K: I'm happy that it happened the way it did because I just wanted to sing. I wanted to stop shouting. There were complicated reasons as to why Merkury Burn ended but when it did I just thought, 'I'm tired of yelling overtop of everything.' I've worked a long time-and quite hard-to figure out what my voice does and how it sounds good. People have always said in the past, 'I really like that song, but it isn't the right key for you. It doesn't really show off your voice.' There were all of these different criticisms that I thought were totally honest, and I realized that I needed to focus on my singing; and if that meant singing in a genre where my voice could actually flourish a little bit more, then I wanted to do that. I've always loved swingy, bluesy music; I just never thought that I could do it. I sat down after I left [Merkury Burn] and thought, 'What can I add to the mix that will really excite me, and will flourish in a diff - the unstoppable kelly clipperton


"annie lennox dot com"

R. KELLY CLIPPERTON'S BALL AND CHAIN Glam newcomer rocks the cover. R. Kelly? Kelly Clarkson? Kelly Osborne? No way, here's a Kelly musician you should know and he's not of 'The Kelly family'! He is R. KELLY CLIPPERTON, he's hot in Toronto (and not only there) and did a very good cover version of Eurythmics' 'I love you like a ball and chain' on his 2004 album 'Swing swing' by 'Kelly & the Kelly girls'.

"...the production on [swing swing] is excellent. Clipperton, a talented songwriter who penned most of the tracks on his own, has a voice reminiscent of a young Pete Burns along with Phil Oakey - but he has a more sensual element than either said artist. Stand out titles such as Carbonated Liplock and the incredible cover of Eurythmics' I love you like a ball and chain stay with you... and his lyrics - especially to It's Been Hours Now, are incredible. [Clipperton] has a strong visual image but most importantly, the songs have enough personality to shine on their own."
- ball and chain


"sexy swing"

This (‘swing swing’) is really a party. The horns make it different. Now I'm thinking of bullfights. It's all about screwing and dancing and seduction. The lyrics are glossy and showy... R. Kelly Clipperton has a dreadfully low voice... not exactly what you'd expect out of him. It's sexy and growling. There's a grumbling explosion … It just has so much energy. … Wow, so sleazy, I just can't get over it. Andy Scheffler, feb 05 - cord magazine


"sexy kelly"

R. Kelly Clipperton takes an energetic and expressive approach in his new album, featuring his memorable voice to best effect…his resonant baritone voice ranges from croon to growl on this album... and he does indeed project a blatant sexuality and charisma that has proven impossible to ignore by his audiences. His dramatic, distinctive personal style is conveyed effectively in the music of this album, reflecting the magnetic appeal of his powerful stage presence. Leslie Claire, (Houston), Jan 05 - outsmart magazine


"spill magazine"

..."Carbonated Liplock" and "Tonight" are among the best tracks on the album. Their quick tempos and catchy choruses get the party rolling with a lot of momentum… "Take Care of Me" is another real bright spot. Surprisingly, it actually sounds very..."New Jersey Shore" - kind of like old Springsteen and E. Street at their swingingest...‘swing swing’ is big on melody, big on horns and huge on showcasing clipperton’s rich baritone- an irresistible voice… the wig, feb o5
- spill


Discography

swing swing-2004
we love you but not as much as we love ourselves-2006

Photos

Bio

As a photographer, Sasha von Bon Bon calls him the Bernard of Hollywood of contemporary Toronto. As a musician the media has compared his voice to Peter Murphy and Tim Curry, his stage presence a mix of Iggy Pop and Freddie Mercury. His songs: 6 albums worth of good ones (the newest batch under the guise of Kelly & the Kellygirls who released their debut early in 2004). As a playwright he has scripted 6 original works, and produced them all himself. His craft as a hairstylist has saved many a head from L.A. to Berlin to Hogtown, and his dabbling into acting found him alongside Kate Hudson in How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. A local force of nature and truly over-organized Virgo, Mr. Clipperton is always looking for something new to master and expand his caché.

“fabulous … buoyed by the quivering, sexy bravado of Kelly Clipperton's voice.” (eye weekly)

“I could imagine the flamboyant Clipperton's voice going over perfectly in a Las Vegas lounge act, but fortunately, he deploys it with enough menace and anguish to balance its suave, let-me-sell-you-something side…..surrounded by paparazzi eagerly photographing and videoing in hopes that Clipperton would yank the Velcro on his PVC undies loose, as he's been known to do. He didn't bother” (NOW Magazine)

Clipperton's voice is easily the sexiest baritone in rock music since Peter Murphy's ode to Bela Lugosi 20 years ago. . (Xtra! Magazine)

Clipperton has a refreshing attitude he carries with him on stage. He orchestrates the most flamboyant and entertaining live shows….an uninhibited performer, Clipperton's deep, sexy voice leaves quite a lasting impression. (On The Wall)

His debut ,'swing swing', with the kellygirls finds him taking a more soulful approach, focusing on his haunting voice. He has summoned the talents of Jennifer Gillmor on bass (formerly of dropdeadbeats and Roach Motel), Michael J. on trumpet (of Big Rude Jake fame), Amer Diab on guitar and Jerry Pergolesi on drums. Saxophonist Shane Mackinnon adds to the mix. After a successful festival summer tour, the ‘girls’ surge forth touring the country with their swingy pop, achy raunch and raw shuffle.