Performer Yoz Mensch’s show My Grandpa Doesn’t Follow Me On Instagram follows a grandfather and grandchild’s drive from Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands in the wake of a familial bereavement. Exploring a spectrum of emotions from bereavement to queer joy, in the context of a meandering roadtrip, Mensch’s show explores the tightrope between identity, acceptance, and self-love.
Below, Mensch selects the perfect soundtrack for a queer roadtrip: from The Muppets, to SOPHIE.
Chappell Roan – Pink Pony Club
Ms Roan inspired my search for queer joy. Her music nudged and shoved me out of my own damn way, until I fell face-first into unconditional self-acceptance. This song is such a bop too, it will be drunkenly belted out by everyone at afters for generations to come. This is the only song in this playlist that appears in the show.
The Proclaimers – I’m on My Way
A classic roadtrip banger? Certainly! A core piece of my childhood that formed my expectations of adventure by being embedded in that one scene from Shrek? Absolutely! Fun to sing? Obviously!
SOPHIE – Immaterial
SOPHIE is trans royalty. Experiencing queer art is important to me, because it captures feelings that I’ve felt but struggle to describe. This is like swimming in a sparkling synth pop ocean that makes you feel warm and gooey. Rest in Power, SOPHIE.
Wings – Mull of Kintyre
I can almost get through a listen of this without cascading from the face, almost. It was Ma’s (my late grandmother’s) favourite song; it conjured images of her parent’s home and their journey to Australia. She’d sing it as I fell asleep in her library, and had an instrumental version as a ring-tone. It played as my brother, dad, uncles and I carried her coffin out of the service. I also listened to it secretly on the roadtrip, so as to not upset Pa, but to ensure Ma was with us.
Fozzie and Kermit – Moving Right Along
The Muppets are great. Roadtrips are great. This song slaps. Kermit and Miss Piggy are T4T.
The Empty Threats – Can’t Think About Myself
This is an excellent queer band from my home town Kaurna Yerta (Adelaide, South Australia). For me, it captures the montage of cabin fever of feeling trapped as a passenger princess, eye-twitching irritation, needing to find any small refuge you can, but sticking it out.
Josh – Peach PRC
When I changed my name to Yoz I made the customary socials post coming out as non-binary (at the time), but the bulk of the message was delivered by attaching this magic Peach PRC song with an emphasis on the chorus, “Stop calling me Josh!”. Pa replied to the post with “Yos what the fuck”. While he didn’t spell my name correctly, I still appreciate him not using my dead name.
Joy. – RAYE, Amma, Absolutely
This song came out after the show was made, but it gorgeously captures the gender euphoria of truly feeling like you have the courage to be yourself, with or without anyone else’s validation.
My Grandpa Doesn’t Follow Me On Instagram, Underbelly Cowgate, 5-30 Aug (not 18), 8.25pm