Bullet-Proof Grace

Feature, By Travis de Jonk, 14th October, 2008

Kenny Mellman – the piano playing half of renowned duo Kiki & Herb – arrives back in Australia for a season as Grace Jones in his new solo show ‘I’ve Got A Bullet Proof Heart’. Same Same’s Travis de Jonk sat down with Kenny to find out what it was about the diva that inspired him to step into her shoes.

There’s no doubt about it – Grace Jones certainly was (and still is) a true original. At a time when people were boxing themselves up into easily marketable categories, she was all things – a stunning, much sought after model, a performance artist, a film star, a major recording artist, a poet and spoken word performer. It’s hardly surprising then that she was also a muse to photographers around the world, artists like Andy Warhol, and even now with contemporary cabaret performers like Kenny Mellman.

US born Mellman is about to arrive back in Australia to play a season of his new solo show I’ve Got A Bullet Proof Heart: Kenny Mellman Is Grace Jones as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival and Sydney Opera House Spiegeltent seasons. I asked Kenny what it was specifically about Jones that inspired him.

“I’ve always wanted to do a show that explores her and her music in some way. What I love about Grace is that she wasn’t afraid to tackle anything… she has this ego that makes her think that she can pull off anything, and she does. She manages to create a great pop hit like Pull Up To My Bumper, then slides along to avant garde slam poetry, and then she hits you with a bizarre disco version of Send In The Clowns!,” explains Mellman.

The show that he is bringing to our shores is just as original as the diva it is based on, and certainly packs as much of a punch. With a piano and a drum machine, Mellman dons a hoodie and a pair of very retro 80’s sunnies, and performs a selection of Jones’ songs, in his own very powerful and unique style. Aside from being a tribute to Grace Jones, Mellman’s show also strips away all the surface, style and glamour, to reveal how truly multi-dimensional Grace Jones is, and likewise, the material she produced. It’s in your face, intense, and authentically political.

“Politics is always important. Even back in the Kiki and Herb shows, politics was important,” explains Mellman. “It’s part of the cross you bear as a queer artist. Whether or not that’s a good thing depends on how you look at it. For me it’s inseparable… it’s a part of me and important to explore. It’s an opportunity to enlighten and learn. It doesn’t have to be preachy or dogmatic… it’s often not if it’s coming from a real place. Being gay on stage isn’t different to being gay in real life.”

Kenny Mellman is probably best known to most of us as one half of the hysterically funny cabaret stage act Kiki and Herb. Together Mellman (Herb) and Justin Bond (Kiki) took the world by storm, becoming the hit of festivals, and even selling out Carnagie Hall. These comical caricatures are much loved and adored, so the question everyone wants answered is “What’s happening with that hot double act?”

“We’re on what seems like a permanent hiatus at this stage, with a view of possibly never returning to the stage together. I can’t really comment on whether or not we will ever perform together as Kiki and Herb again,” says Mellman. “But to be honest, I’ve been part of a duo now for the best part of 20 years, and I was often the lesser acknowledged one out of the two, which didn’t feel great for me. We did some great work together, and that was a great experience. At one stage we were doing something crazy like 200 shows a year! I don’t really miss that. I’m at the point now where I want to create my own work as an artist, my own way and take different kinds of risks.”

And how does he feel about going solo?

“Of course [going solo is] totally mortifying…” says Mellman. “To face a crowd by yourself without another person there to bounce off of, or take the heat away from you occasionally. But I’m actually loving that, and I’m growing from it as an artist. I’m learning what I’m capable of.”

Mellman says that he’s very excited about playing in the Spiegletent. “It’s a magical space to perform, and Aussies make great audiences. I love Aussies! I always have a great time when I’m in Australia. You [Australians] have a sense of humour and you get where I’m coming from… and what performer doesn’t like that?”

Kenny says that while there are many things he looks forward to doing when he gets to Melbourne, there’s one in particular that’s got him licking his lips. “You’ll laugh, but the first thing I’m doing once I get to Melbourne is I’m heading straight down to China town for dumplings! I’ll be damned if they are not the best dumplings I’ve ever had in my whole life!”

I’ve Got A Bullet Proof Heart: Kenny Mellman Is Grace Jones plays in The Famous Spiegeltent as follows:
Melbourne (located at the Arts Centre Forecourt) – October 21 and 22 at 9:30pm as part of the Melbourne International Arts Festival,
Sydney (Sydney Opera House Forecourt) – October 23 as part of Gorgeous!.

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