PAUL MAC: “I WAS GEORGE MICHAEL’S FLUFFER”
A FEW DAYS after the shock of George Michael’s untimely death, Australian DJ/producer and electronic music guru Paul Mac shared this intimate story of what it was like hanging out with the superstar towards the end of his life…
“It’s been a super sad couple of days thinking about George and how he was such a beautiful man, friend and inspiration. Me and Jonny [DJ/producer] were working with him on what was, unfortunately, an unfinished dance album. The only thing that saw the light of day was the Stereogamous remix of White Light, which is the amazing song he wrote after surviving a near death experience when he caught pneumonia on tour.
“We had spent a lot of time together in Sydney and London working on music. I can’t get the image out of my head of us and his bestie Keiran Smyth laughing and listening to music in our backyard and studio, introducing him to Sia, and him being incredibly generous with his time, money and musical experience.
“Anyway, as part of Queerstories (at the 2016 Sydney Fringe Festival) me and Jonny were asked to tell stories of our queer life experiences. Part of mine was sharing a beautiful night we had at George’s house. “The story is called I Was George Michael’s
Fluffer. I wondered whether it was a tribute or disrespectful to make it public, but after much thought I know that it would make him smile wherever he is now so, fuck it, this is the story…
“Me and Jonny are touring Stereogamous through Europe. We haven’t slept for five days and arrive to do a live set at Lovebox in London. George promises he will show up. He does and it’s chaos. Me and Jonny are playing security as everyone from Beth Ditto to Robyn want a chat with our megastar friend. An amazing flamboyance of club kids accompany us all back to his mega house.
“I’m exhausted but the drag queen from Israel with the incredible voice and one long scooper finger nail keeps entering the room every 10 minutes chanting the name of the new drug she is offering in an elongated Euro-camp accent, ‘Methadrone, cocaine, ketamine’.
“The party is delightful but finally the week’s lack of sleep has caught up with me. I ask our gracious host if I can pass out in one of the many guest rooms. He shows me where and I say good night.
“Next thing I know I wake up sensing a presence in the room. I open one eye as I know that someone is standing next to me at the bedhead. I wake up a bit. Someone’s jerking off near my face. He looks at me expectantly. He’s not really my type but it feels kinda rude not to participate. I give him a perfunctory blowjob. He gets nice and hard.
“I feel another presence at the doorway. It’s George with a cheeky grin who has been watching the whole time. He’d met someone on Scruff, invited him over to his house and promptly sent him up to my room. I warmed him up and sent him on his way. It was then that I realised… I was George Michael’s fluffer.”