David Hoyle on the Equality of Beauty, Queer Icon Status and Starting a Revolution
Words: Misha MN
Make it stand out
David Hoyle is your favourite queer icon’s favourite queer icon. An unstoppable, counter-cultural juggernaut, Hoyle has been blessing us with his divine oratory since the 1980s, and he is certainly showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
An unforgettable presence - sometimes described as an anti-drag queen - I prefer to think of Hoyle as an avant garde expressionist, a sort of monstrous cabaret artiste steeped in surrealism and radical politics, an end-of-the-pier socialist showgirl crossed with the physical embodiment of righteous rage, dancing in her scanties on some of the finest stages across the world. Wherever Hoyle is is the place to be for the cool queer underground. He is, as the kids like to say, MOTHER.
Having grown up in Blackpool, Hoyle’s showbiz education started early, seeing some of the fabulous stars of yesteryear take their summer seasons in the premier seaside resort of the Northwest. Welsh songstress Mary Hopkin, Britain’s first teen idol Tommy Steele, the iconic cast of Are You Being Served, and so many more all performed on the iconic Blackpool stage and little David thought it was fantastic. There is also an inherent underbelly present in all seaside towns, thanks in part to the heavy tourist industry they incite. “An underground is always needed.” When asked about the theory that the sunniest places harbour the best goth scenes, David said “Oh yes, we all visit the seaside, even goths.”
I first became aware of Hoyle during his scene stealing role of Freddie in Velvet Goldmine, the 1998 Todd Haynes musical about the rise and fall of a Bowie-esque glam rock star, a defining moment of my adolescence. “It was an amazing experience doing that film. I had to audition a couple of times, I just loved it.” I asked about his favourite part of filming, and his swift response was “I was fortunate enough to be costumed by Sandy Powell. I fell in love with the costumes, it was so much fun.”
Powell, Oscar winner, Bafta Fellowship recipient, etc, was not the only legend on that set. “Todd Haynes wanted people from the performance art scene to be in the movie, to have that connection.” A cameo role from the enfant terrible of the avant garde dance world Lindsay Kemp also stood out to Hoyle. “I went to see one of his shows in Italy a whole ago, we got on like a house on fire. I loved him in The Wicker Man.”
David Hoyle is now a legend in his own right, from his start as the Divine David to the present day, when a new retrospective of his work - alongside brand new pieces and performances - are being mounted in Aviva Studios by Factory International in Manchester.
Hoyle enthuses about the residency: “I’m most looking forward to the people, energy exchange is a two-way street, we can help each other. It’s very important that we all come together organically, not just being lonely staring at a mobile phone screen.” Hoyle has a very incisive tongue, casually dropping Wildean level epithets at the drop of a hat. He puts his flair for language into his paintings, which sometimes feature post-modern slogans like “It’s Okay, Don’t Worry, Lives Get Ruined Every Day”. When asked his favourite, he responds “The one about the equality of beauty is important. We all have our stories to tell, and in our own way, we are all gorgeous.”
Our talk turns to fashion. I ask him what clothes he feels best in at the moment. “Wear what makes you feel comfortable. I think the kaftan is the way forward, I’m into quite loose fitting things.” An embellished Elizabeth Taylor affair?
“Yes.” Hoyle replies, “Or anything by Rick Owens. He’s been following me. I met him in London and have had some very nice times in Paris with him and Michele Lamy. I’m very lucky, he sometimes helps me out with costumes.” Hoyle has worked with Owens and Lamy many times, including at the Atelier Richelieu in Paris as a tour guide for an exhibition of outsider art. “I don’t regard it as an outsider, I think it’s quite central, just with people with different mental conditions. Christeene came over for that too, so that was very fun.”
When talking about Christeene, Hoyle lights up with glee. “She’s my life partner, we’ve been married three times. The first time was at Vogue Fabrics, and it was a very emotional affair, particularly when the ceremony came to the part where you can rim the bride. That basement was dripping.” One can only imagine.
Talking of Vogue Fabrics, I am reminded of the struggle so many queer nightlife venues are going through. David has a surprisingly optimistic take, “There is an evolution going on, Jonny Woo and The Divine are giving people opportunities. I’m grateful to the team at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, they are very proactive with different and diverse communities.” I asked him what was the main cause for this evolution and I was treated to that trademark insightful analysis. “The country is suffering a very serious cost of living crisis. The authorities are limiting the amount of disposable income we have with rent. They are like a cult, and that cult is the free market. They claim the free market is self regulating, that trickle down wealth is helping. The only trickle down that is happening is money trickling down into offshore accounts in the cayman islands. In the words of ABBA, it’s a rich man’s world.”
Talking to David Hoyle is an absolute dream. In a world as ephemeral as queer nightlife, stars are precious, and, once found, can never be forgotten. Longevity is next to divinity. So many of our best memories of nightclubs disappear with the next day's hangover, so we need to honour the arbiters of our nightlife awakenings. There is a reason that revolutions begin in bars and late night community spaces, and David Hoyle is one of those reasons.
His wisdom and experience, his intellect and humour, his rage and power, these are all the things we need to lead us into a freer and better world. I leave you with this incredible quote, and look forward to seeing you on the battlefield when we finally destroy this corrupt Tory government. “Why deny ourselves pleasure? With the way the world is at the moment, who wants to be around it for another thirty years? So this is a revolution. Life’s getting worse, not on a day-by-day basis, but on a second-by-second basis. It’s a plummet to the bottom, and we’ve got to be aware of that, so we can all come together and counterbalance it. We’ve got to fight it.”