How’s it rocking Andy?
I’m all good, just came back from a couple of days of DJ-ing in Abu Dhabi and I’m feeling very relaxed right now. In Abu Dhabi all of the clubs are located in the hotels because of alcohol laws, so I’ll just say that hotel staff are very keen to make sure you enjoy your stay.

Who are your musical heroes?
I don’t actually come from a very musical background, so growing up I was free to make my own choices when it came to music. When I was about 11, I came across Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) LP, and as of that moment, I was hooked on every aspect of hip-hop, and among my favorite artists were Nas, Ghostface Killah, Jay-Z and Big Pun. My all-time hero has to be Mix Master Mike (of the Beastie Boys). He has such a unique and crazy style when it comes to scratching, and having seen him live on a couple of occasions, he certainly knows how to set the geeky aspects of DJ-ing aside and rock a party.

Any emerging UK artist you’d like to flag up?
My favorite emerging artist of the moment is a Peckham-based rapper called Giggs, who possesses a unique flow, vocal-tone and slow delivery that has taken over the UK ever since he exploded onto the scene with his debut single “Talkin’ the hardest.” It is worth checking out his singles, “Don’t Go There,” “Slow Songs,” and “Look What The Cat Dragged In.”

What can we expect from your set in Singapore?
I have yet to DJ in Singapore and have only heard good things, so I’m itching to set up my turntables and take your infamously enthusiastic crowd for a ride. Without giving too much away, you can expect an energetic set of party hip hop and R&B combined with a taste of the UK scene. Don’t expect to have any time to catch your breath during my set.

Gear up for a sweltering urban night at Ministry of Sound: Smoove presented by Courvoisier on Apr 30, 9pm. The Forbidden City, 33 Merchant Court, River Valley Rd., 6557 6272. $28-32 includes one drink.

What inspires you?
I'm always inspired by new countries; the energy and freshness is so uplifting. Not knowing what is around every corner creates a tension I thrive on. Sonically I am a huge lover of all music, from acoustic to disco and electronica. It all depends on the time of day and mood I'm in. I love the way music makes you feel and how it can transform you.

Does having a famous dad open doors in the music industry or was it more difficult to live up to the great expectations for your Jezebel parties?
I'm sure my father creates a certain allure for people coming to our Jezebel parties, and it has definitely opened up doors in so far as I have had the chance to meet so many great performers. I have never let my Jagger name get in the way of what I do; I am very independent and feel that I have carved my own identity with all that I do.

How do you manage to juggle so many different interests—fashion, jewellery design and hosting music parties?
I love all the different mediums I work in, and for me they all share one artistic common goal. It's always hard to get your priorities right especially with a family, but I am lucky enough to love what I do.

What have you been listening to recently?
2 bears’ (a collaboration between Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard and Raf Daddy) Curious Nature EP and Felix Dickinson’s latest album of ace remixes are what my ears have been glued to.

You are famous for your parties. What kind of a set can we expect from the party in Singapore?
No-holds barred chaos set to a Balearic backdrop and a heady, intoxicating cocktail of house and disco.

How do you unwind after a marathon revelry session?
I often like to go home and have a last drink together with my team. We are like a family, so it’s always great to have a good natter about how everything went. But it’s usually so late though and we have had so much fun dancing that we are all ready for bed.Gear up for some jumping Jezebel tunes till the sun rises at

Amnesia Ibiza, Apr 30, 9pm. Azzura, 46 Siloso Beach Walk, 6270-8003. $48-68 includes one drink.

What was your childhood like?
My house was surrounded with paintings. My father is an art teacher, and my mother teaches English. Though they’re both from Bangkok, they went to live in Nakhon Ratchasima because they were fed up with urban life. They visit Bangkok once a year.

How did you start taking photos?
Actually, I knew nothing about photography, except I used my school’s film camera for the student newspaper. I seriously took photos when I studied at the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University. I started taking photos of my friends. The first was Chaam, Onwarin Osathanond, Miss Thailand Universe 2006.

Why did you shift to mostly nude male models?
There are a lot of reasons. Being a man myself, working with men is more comfortable. As for the nudity. I’ve always had problems with stylists. They do it for the money, but I do it because I like to.

You do it for free?
Yes, 80% of the time. It’s my personal challenge. I like to make an ordinary person look like a superstar and I want to change people’s thoughts. Now male models approach me to take their photos, but I don’t do it for all of them. For some, I feel they have no selling point or are too famous already.

How do you know how to present each person?
It’s hard to explain. It depends. Partly, it comes from the conversation we have, where I learn more about his character and attitude. We have to trust each other, and the photos will be better.
Why do you think your work is getting so widely-known?
I post every piece online, through websites like Portfolio or other social media. I studied at at Chula’s Communication Arts faculty, so naturally I’m among the insiders of the entertainment circle. Word of mouth has helped.
 

What is your most successful project?
It has all started from Stephen Sohn, Korean-American friend of a friend. It was almost like God’s will. I saw his picture on a friend’s camera, and I asked Stephen to come to Thailand in 2008. After our shoot, many Asian countries buzzed about him for a while. Now he’s an economist in America.What’s your day job?
I am a media specialist for a PR company. I am a representative of brands like Unilever, Thailand’s Got Talent and a few others.

What’s your next plan?
I’m starting a big project with Attitude this year. Usually, though, I don’t accept heavy-commitment projects and I don’t take photos for money. It’s my happiness to influence people through photography.

Faculty of Arts (Lakorn Aksorn)
Tarin Keeree

How did you first get involved in plays?
I participated in a small stage play as part of studying English during high school. It was fun when you create it and run it. And that’s the reason why I enrolled in this faculty.
Lakorn aksorn has the reputation of being hard to understand.
Actually, it is not that hard to understand but our style is not something people are used to. Lakorn aksorn focuses more on the content, and presents it in an artistic form. People used to mass media will expect to see what they are familiar with, so that’s the reason why it’s hard for them to understand. It would be easier to watch every stage play in this world without expecting anything. Just clear your mind and let your emotions run with the play.
Tell us a bit about this year’s story.
This year we are performing Macbeth, the famous play by William Shakespeare for the 40th anniversary of the Dramatic Arts Department. This will be the first show in our new auditorium named after the founder of our department, Prof. Sodsai Pantumkomol. This is a story that reminds us of our professor.
What is the uniqueness of lakorn aksorn?
We study about humanity and literature and we believe that the study of art make us know more about the world. So, our play is mostly concerned with what it means to be human. I believe this is the uniqueness of our show.
What makes a good stage play?
I believe the good thing in every stage play is the intention to tell the story. Today many faculties from different universities do plays even if they are from the faculty of Political Science, Economics or Law. They didn’t study drama directly but they have a message and they can tell it through a play. So, it’s the message that makes your play worth watching.

Faculty of Communication Arts (Lakorn Nitade)
Supalerk Ningsanon

Tell us a little bit about this year’s play.
This year’s play is titled Westonhood. We’re doing a cowboy theme this year. So instead of staging contemporary dance style musical numbers, we’re doing tap dance routines. The music will also be country rock, the one you’d hear from Western movies. It’s quite different from what we’ve done before. Thus, we’ve got quite a lot of homework to do. We’ve tried to watch as many Western movies as we could. Our choreographers are now taking dance courses, as well as seeking help from alumni.
What gave you the idea for the theme and story?
We just wanted to do something that would be totally different from what we’ve done before. And Westerns popped up. It has its own style of dance and music. As for the story, we wanted to create one that means something to us. We found from our experience that when you are determined to do something, you often ignore another thing that is equally important. We combined the context and the content together. That’s how it becomes Westonhood.
How did you become interested in play production?
Before studying at Chulalongkorn University, plays weren’t what I cared about at all. I thought it was something far-fetched and difficult to understand. But during my freshman year, I got a chance to perform in Rainbow Café and I enjoyed it a lot. Also, I got to see Water Time, a play by Bhanbhassa Dhubthien and again I enjoyed it so much. In fact, this play inspired me to produce one of my own. I wanted others to feel the awe I felt during the play. So when the Lakorn Rong Lek week came by, I didn’t hesitate to jump in.
As someone who has been involved in several productions, what do you think is the uniqueness of lakorn nitade?
I think our musical numbers are what make us different. The performance is taken quite seriously. Plus, we always write new plays and because we study Communication Arts, our main goal is to communicate with the audience. Thus, our message is clear and easy to understand. And most importantly people in the production are all our students because the main purpose of staging a play is to provide students with an opportunity to get to know each other through working. Seniors teach juniors what they know while juniors seek advice from them and the alumni. This is where everyone meets and learns something together.

Faculty of Architecture (Lakorn Tha Pad)
Tat Wattanamethee

You guys are training to be architects. What are you doing on stage?
As we study about design, creativity is in our blood. I think lakorn tha pad just started as an activity designed by our seniors to promote creativity. The first show was a success and it became a tradition.
Has it actually influenced your choice of faculty?
It did. I heard about lakorn tha pad when I was in secondary school and that made me interested in the faculty of architecture.
Why do you always use famous plots or fairytales?
We do not study plays directly, like the faculty of Arts. What we have is creativity and our passion and it’s directed at the presentation of the show. So, we select a plot we like, like the Godfather or Snow White, and stage it in our own style.
Tell us a bit about this year.
This year we will do Frankenstein. We had never done a ghost story before and we liked the idea of giving it a shot.
What’s lakorn tha pad’s secret ingredient?
Our own style of comedy.

How have you evolved since your recent exhibition in 2007, Changing Identity?
I don’t think there is an evolution in the subject or theme as I am still focusing on a woman’s identity and what she is destined for. The only evolution in this exhibition is the technique and materials I use. This, in fact, is my first silk solo exhibition. In Changing Identity, I showed oil paintings. In Hidden Flower, all of my paintings are pigments on silk. I am much calmer, more tranquil and very careful when I paint on silk. Painting on canvas, on the contrary, puts me in a different state of mind.

What is the story behind this painting?
I often contemplate on the sorrow of women, especially Vietnamese women. Sadness and loneliness are universal human emotions, but for Vietnamese women, such emotions run much deeper as they tend to bury it deep in their hearts. They simply bear the cross quietly. And this is what I think makes them beautiful yet strong, mysterious yet charming.

Why this focus on women?
Women have always been my source of inspiration, not only for their physical beauty but also their inner beauty and graceful strength, which I have witnessed time and again in my grandmother, my mother, my sister, my friends and even in my own self. Their unbreakable spirit never ceases to amaze me. I want to share emotional burdens they bear but do not utter. I want to lighten their heavy emotional load. And most of all I want to send a message to the viewer of women’s competency at being able to succeed in her career while not compromising their traditional role as a homemaker.

Who are your favorite artists?
Van Gogh and Bui Xuan Phai.

How do you see the future of Vietnamese contemporary art?
I hope to see Vietnamese artists push their artistic boundaries and forge new paths. I also hope to see a more professional gallery system in the Vietnamese art scene. We currently have too many commercial galleries, which will be detrimental for Vietnamese art in the long run. And lastly, I hope to see Vietnamese art more highly priced in the world stage as this would prove our art is highly appreciated.

I graduated with a degree in education but landed a PR position for a shopping mall. I quickly realized that I could write.

If you don’t take risks, you can’t get ahead. It’s a risk moving to a new magazine for a new market. But having worked for several magazines that closed I am used to this kind of risk.

I’ve been a fan of the original Attitude from the UK since I picked up their fifth anniversary issue. I wished one day somebody could make it happen here too.

Gays are difficult to please, as we all know. We have Facebook feedback saying that people need a gay magazine that imparts better wisdom and values than Attitude does. At least we’re a lot better than those model magazines that come with behind-the-scenes CDs.

Attitude Thailand won’t talk about religion and we won’t point out who is or who is not gay. That’s a personal matter. Thai culture is different from the UK’s.

It would be great if PM Abhisit could be on our cover. Tony Blair appeared on the UK edition’s cover. We all know there are gays in parliament but we can’t talk about it. If Abhisit is on the cover I believe he’ll get more support from gays and lesbians.

I’m not political. I like reading about politics but I don’t take part in gay political rallies.

Gay rights and gay marriage: sometimes these issues are not essential. The current constitution is the first in our history that accepts the diversity of sexes.

We already have more rights than our friends in Southeast Asia. Filipino gays might be able to marry but Singaporean gays are so stressed out, they have to fly to Thailand to have fun.

Child adoption for gays should be legalized. It’s common in other countries, but we don’t see it much here because there is no law explicitly supporting it. Those who object to adoption for gays should go watch The Kids are Alright, a film about a normal lesbian couple with teenage children—and a happy ending.

Gay men are more likely to be promiscuous. That’s different from lesbians, who usually have long-term relationships.

Because of our cultural complexes, we see two gay men living as a couple as more scandalous, while lesbians don’t attract so much attention.

Today if we talk about “sex” we also need to talk about “gender.” Sex is your appearance but gender is what is revealed when you have sexual intercourse. This issue is very complex.

Thai society loves to hide things. We all know we have problems but we just ignore them. It’s like we don’t talk about corruption, which we all know exists, but it’s dangerous to mention it.

Sex education won’t encourage more sexual intercourse but rather help protect lives.

Homosexuality used to be described as an illness, which is not true. Today’s psychologists agree that being gay is the result of genetics and is beyond our control.

I like the Kinsey Scale theory that says that the spectrum of heterosexuality to homosexuality ranges from 0 to 10. A guy might love his friend as much as his girlfriend but doesn’t want to have sex with him. He might be a 2. The degree of homosexuality varies.

I’m not saying everyone is gay. Gays are those who really accept what they are.

The biggest pressure on the editor of Thailand’s first gay magazine is society’s perceptions. When we ask for an interview, people have questions about who we are and what we do.

Gays in Thailand can sometimes be too rad [annoyingly flamboyant] even if they are not katoey [transgender], especially when they are among each other. For example, those skin-headed students in skirts and tank tops might one day grow up and feel silly when they look back at their teenage years.

We should stop calling gay men toot [faggot]. It’s rude.

Sexiness doesn’t mean nudity. Some guys are sexy wearing a pair of jeans. It’s in the eye of the beholder.

While Chinese, Japanese and Korean looks are still the favorite looks among Thai gays, some really prefer those hunks with classic Thai faces and dark skin.

Thai television gives gays a bad image. Gays are just clowns because the censorship board would reject any other depictions. Everyone has to work together to change that: the producer, censorship board and also the audience.

Gays, your happiness starts when you have self-acceptance. It’s much more than just coming out.

Your very first camera?

It was a Nikon F. I was 16 years old, and saved up my earnings from my job as a camera assistant to Mr. Choi, my first photography teacher in Hong Kong.

What were some of your earliest images?

Mostly portrait shots of my friends, maybe that was why I became fascinated with shooting people.

How did you start working with Hong Kong-based auteur Wong Kar Wai?

During the mid 90s, I was a nobody, just an ordinary creative professional, working full-time in a company. Fortunately, we had a mutual friend who hooked me up with a meeting with Kar Wai, who was impressed with my portfolio, and immediately made me the official photographer for Happy Together.

How was it like working with him?

Very interesting. He doesn’t say much but has a great eye and feel for beautiful images. Sometimes, I can’t even understand why he picked a particular photograph, but that is his special gift. The best thing about working with him is the amount of freedom that he gave me, not even once did he interfere during my shooting sessions.

What was the experience of working with Tatsuyuki Tanaka, the famous Japanese manga artis, like?

It was an awesome project with a very tight deadline. I am usually very particular about cropping my images but in this project, I followed the perspective of Tatsuyuki’s storyboard very closely. With any collaboration, it is important to show the vision of all the different artists involved.

You have shot numerous famous personalities, who has impressed you the most?

I enjoy shooting actors because of their ability to convey an emotional feeling. Some of my favorites include Gong Li, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, who get into character effortlessly. You don’t even have to give them special instructions.

Your heroes?

I come from a fine art background, hence my fascination with Anselm Kiefer. From the world of pop culture, I like Andy Warhol.

What’s your philosophy?

Never play safe, always push boundaries. I get bored easily and like to find places that are ugly(for example a tacky restaurant) , shooting images from a new perspective, and capturing an essence that others have not seen.

Here’s you last chance to catch This is ‘Real’ A Wing Shya Retrospective, which ends on Apr 23. ION Orchard Art Gallery, 2 Orchard Turn, 6835-8748. Free.

Where are you from originally?
I’m from Roi-ed but I’ve lived in Bangkok for ten years already and consider myself a Bangkokian. I now live with four relatives in a rented house on Soi Phiphat. I work and provide for my father and mother who still live in Roi-ed.

Have you always sold kluay khak (fried bananas)?
No. I sold socks first but the business wasn’t going as well as I would have liked, and I thought food might be more lucrative. So I switched to bananas three years ago. I use one of my friend’s recipes and bought the cart secondhand. I chose selling snacks simply because they’re easy to sell. Almost everybody eats kluay khak. It’s been going quite well actually.

What’s your daily routine?
Every day I wake up at 5am to prepare the ingredients: flour, bananas, sweet potatoes, and taro. I come here at 7am and start cooking. But when school is in session, I have to come here after 8am because there’s traffic from students coming to school, so the police asks us to come later. Almost every day, I’m sold out by around 3-4pm. But if there are not many people on the street, I won’t fry all of my bananas because the remainder can be kept for another day. Every couple of days, I go by tuk-tuk to buy my ingredients at Khlong Toei Market.

How has the palm oil price crisis affected you?
I have had to raise my prices. The price hike has resulted in fewer customers, too. In fact, oil price isn’t the only factor. Coconut, coconut cream, sugar and flour are more expensive as well. I used to sell seven pieces for 10 baht but now it’s four pieces for 10 baht. I know it’s almost 50% less but the ingredient prices have doubled.

Do you have any complaints about Bangkok?
Well, I don’t think there’s anything specific I want to change, but I’m worried that the permission for street stands might be revoked in the near future. We all have our names registered at the district office, yet the authority is pretty strict. The sanitation unit comes quite often to check on the cleanliness and to make sure we use proper containers for our food. The municipal officials come a lot too, but after a recent receipt scandal, I haven’t seen any. Sometimes we have to pay them a little something like a “cleaning fee,” but I don’t want to talk about it. It’s sensitive.

Have you ever dreamed of selling anything or doing something else?
No. I’m satisfied. I’m self-employed. I can work on my own and I enjoy my freedom. Interview by Kanyanun Sanglaw, Nuchanat Prathumsuwan

Hello Bot and Phra, how have you guys been?
We're both great thanks!

Born and bred in Milan, how's the scene kicking these days?
We don't live in Italy no more. I hope it's all good though.

No more? You guys must be busy with projects. What's new?
We are finishing our new album/project called Dr.Gonzo (first EP out April 11) with a couple of amazing producers. And we've been touring a lot!

Both you and Francesco "Bot" Barbaglia have been at it for 8 years now as Crookers. How is the relationship like?
We are like an old couple... that means all good!

What’s the weirdest thing you guys have ever done together?
Nothing really weird, we are pretty normal guys.

Your debut album Tons of Friends released last year featured works with many A-list acts including Pitbull, Drop the Lime, Major Lazer and Kid Cudi and was a major success. How has that helped shape your career?
Its all about music. I think our career is helped more with not getting stuck into a  musical genre and always try to do new and excithing stuff.

Describe a typical Crookers set.
Bum, clap, bum, clap... break, bum, clap... pull it up!

Is that the same thing that's going to fire up the dancefloor on your upcoming gig at Zouk?
Bum, clap, Dr.gonzo, melody, bum, clap, weird break, dubecho...pull it up!

Bum, clap and then some at Readysetglo with the Crookers on Apr 23, 10pm. Zouk, 17 Jiak Kim St., 6738-2988. $25.00-30.00 includes two drinks.