Exclusive interview with Burger Girl aka Benjamin Dukhan

-Our party takes name from the famous Cockettes, you look like one of them! what do you think of that period and their performance?
I’m in contact with one of them, Rumi Misabu, the last one, I met their work throught my performance partner Francois Chaingaud who often goes to NY to perform with Rumi. They organized a projection of their film here in Paris, It was really fantastic to see that work and feel the atmosphere of this period, and also to imagine the energie to produce this movie. I think it was a deep strong hard period; they had everything to invent; in a way they really sacrified themselves for their art and for us. I really admire this groupe energy that is so powerfull. I have the feeling that we’re now so lonely in our work. At that time eveything took so much time and they did it. They did a huge huge work!!! I think they are an example for us to see how we have to be brave. Because it seems like lots of fun, but I think it’s lot of work!

-Tell me how did you start working with Jean Paul Gaultier?
I started to work with Gaultier like that. It happenED really suddenly. I was back to Paris after a year in Berlin. I came back full of energy in Paris wich I was discovering again. Everything was beautiful, i felt beautiful myself. It was a great period I could really express myself as a performer, I met so many people, I was happy to be back. I was in this kind of energy and I felt confident; I got stronger and stronger.. and my beard was growing and growing.. And then I was street casted for gaultier show.

-Burger girl is a project that includes music and art.Who or what inspires you?
Yes I started this project One year and a half ago. It was just a joke at the beginning. I started with a friend. We did a little song on his computer. Then I brought this song to a great musican I’m working with now. My two first songS were Juicy Spermy and Burn My Vagina; It’s all about dirty thing. I don’t know why I did that now, why I used so many dirty lyrics. You see my video clip are very dark and bloody. And also with my Love Song KissLamour wich is very deep and sad, and the video clip is terrifying. So i would say, I sing my life and experience.
Sex is a great energy to create. But it can kills too.
So I’m into experience. I sing however I can; I’m not a singer at all. i’m searching my own way to sing. So I would describe my music like an experience for myself; as well as my video clip: it’s an amazing place where i can search and experiment all kind of thing. I don’t really have idol or someone inspiring me. I don’t really prepare my video clip. I just have the main idea, i bring material, and then I do an impro and then we try to edit it. Slut Machine was shot in 4 hours for example. Everyhting was pure improvisation.

Which are your goals?
So I started a little tour in Paris in November. I called it the Shouting Tour, Musical Burger Girl. It’s a 50 minutes live concert performance, I change costume, there video projection of images from my video clip, there are special tracks like this new version of the Rollings Stone Miss you. So My goal is probably to have this show more and more professional, more perfect, with realy beautiful Tableau and images. I like this show to be performing art, this is something I can play in gallery, or squats for the moment. I also love to play in party!!! And I’m here in Italy this week for the fashion week, I’ll be singing my songs in a fashion show.. I would love to sing in Gaultier Show, this would be fantastic!!!

-Who would you like to work with?
Oh you know what, If Nick Knight would like to work on my next video clip, I would certainly say yes!
There are so many people I would like to work with, dance, video, photo, video, performance art, gallerie. But first I still have to learn how I can work with myself, wich is not so easy!

-Is it your first live in Italy?
Yes my first live in Italy, in Plastic for Cockettes!! Unbelievable , no?

-What can we expect from your live performance at the plastic club?
Well first I think most of people will discover my songs because they probably don’t know them. Let’s see how much space I have in there…