Wednesday 11 July 2012

It's A Kind of Magic

Sometimes the past can pop it's head round the door in a most unexpected way.  I was so excited to see of photo of myself  in the new Freddie Mercury biography by Lesley-Ann Jones .



Yes, I'm the body painted lady in the lift with Freddie! I was so lucky back in 1986 to be part of the now seemingly legendary Queen party at the Kensington roof Gardens.  It was held after their concert at Wembley Stadium on the 12th July, the last gig of their 'Magic' Tour.

During 1985 - 86 I'd been involved in a couple of courses run by the marvellous german make-up artist Bernd Bauer. He was/is particularly renowned for his body-painting and I'd already had the chance to be a model for his work on the front cover of 'Timeout Magazine'.


'Timeout Magazine' 1985. I'm the cocktail in the middle!

 . So I get a phone call  a couple of days before the party asking if I'd like to be a model there and it took all of a split second to think about it and say YES  :))

It really was an astonishing and utterly unforgettable evening. I was painted up to look like I was wearing a bell boy uniform and my job was to bring the guests up to the Roof Gardens in a mirrored lift . (which is where the photo was taken).  There were other body-painted models there, some mingled with the guests whilst others were painted up as shells and stones and lay in a huge faux aquarium! An extraordinary sight.

I  loved every minute of it and once all the guests had arrived I was able to just party along with everyone else. A never ending supply of champagne, Queen giving a brief  but wild performance, dancing all night and then a cab home at about 7.00 in the morning , it was a hard job but someone had to do it  ;)  It took about 4 baths to get all the body-paint off but what a hell of an adventure and such a special thing to be a part of. So to see this piccie was such a treat :))






7 comments:

  1. what apity no to see the photo!!!!!!!!!! i will never buy this book so showplease the picture !!!!!!
    what another singular story! the more i know you the more you estound me ;)

    you really had lived several lifes in on life

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  2. What a wonderful memory to have! I should love to see your photo too x

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  3. Hi :)
    I didn't post the photo because I don't have a scanner at home so would have had to have done it at work, which they wouldn't be too happy about I think ;) But I have now managed to find a copy of it online !! So you can take a peek at it here:
    http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/magic-tour?before=1339173877

    It's the black and white photo in the middle. Not a great copy it's much better in the book, but at least you get an idea ;) Also found a copy of the 'Timeout' magazine cover online, so here that is as well (also now added as a hyperlink in the blog entry)

    http://www.timeout.com/london/covers-archive/view/774

    Take care
    XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

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  4. Fab, thanks for looking those out! your body paint must have taken ages to do ;-) x

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  5. spectacular!!!!and as sculptural as possible,!you really look like a manga or comic character !not human anymore !

    I hope you kept some copies of this issue
    the postcards , ths magazines covers , Freddy Mercury ....whatare the other past things you are keeping secretly hidden in your hat ?;)

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  6. Come on, I can't believe you're that girl! :) I know this picture from a long time, and always wonder who are all those people that appears next to famous people at one time and how are they doing... do you know that woman whose ass Freddie signed at a party? :))
    anyway, you made my morning, I am a big Queen fan, also I love masks, and this morning accidentily enter here, just surfed "next blog" untill I found you :)

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  7. Hi Shadow, nice to have you passing by here and thanks for your kind words :)) I had wondered about those people as well. I think now that probably many of them are like me, just tipped into an extraordinary moment by a fortuitous chain of events :)) If I remember right I think most of the other painted models there that night were students of Bernd's. I'm sorry but I have no idea who the famous 'signed' lady was, I imagine plenty of friends of friends must turn up for these sort of events ;)
    Best Wishes
    Tanith

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