DJ. T-shirt designer. Idiot. Meet Sugar Plump Fairy.
Sugar Plump Fairy (AKA Gerard Frank Long) has been making a nuisance of himself as a DJ in Melbourne, Australia, for a while now, but the clothing biz was launched only a few years ago and has found great success. Most of his clothing has been sold within Australia, but he ships all around the world and has plans to expand the business further overseas in the future.’
SPF prints in relatively small runs so that he can keep turning out new designs, but also scarcity can be kinda cool, right? He notes that people often refer to his gear as merchandise, but that self-promotion isn’t the point of it. He wants people to feel cool, confident, comfortable and, in practical terms, get checked out! He’s got lots of great stories about people meeting via his tees and at his clubs, be it the start of a new friendship (sometimes a relationship), a one-night stand or even a quickie in the bathroom lol. Ultimately, he says, it’s not about me – it’s about you.
He also works with a bunch of LGBTIQA+ businesses and performers to help pimp up their merch pitch. He is currently working with the reigning Mr Vicbears 2025, Billy Mather and has collaborated on releases with bears, including chubbytanuki and wizardnoodle.
Btw, check out the Sugar Plump Fairy Website: https://sugarplumpfairy.com/.
As of Thursday, 22nd May 2025: Sugar Plump Fairy is currently running a 30% off sale, so get in the water while it’s wet! Sale ends Monday, May 26.
The Sugar Plump Fairy resides in Melbourne/Naarm, Australia.
Luka Musicki (LM): “When did you start performing behind the decks as a DJing and why?
Gerard Frank Long (GFL): My first paid DJ gig was 25 years ago and it was… a shitshow! I cleared the dancefloor, and thinking about it now still makes me shudder lol. That said, I don’t regret it – learning that way teaches you that good DJing is about the relationship between you and the dancefloor (whatever that is on a given night). Fortunately I’ve improved since then and have run a few successful ongoing bear/gay/queer parties (my latest being Bruno Disco), and I’ve played at pretty much every homo venue in town.
LM: When did you start the Sugar Plump Fairy clothing business and why?
GFL: In a word… COVID. I lost my job in London in 2020, and while happily ‘trapped’ in Malta and Glasgow, I started to think the unthinkable – that maybe I could have a creative work life (whaaaat!). With some time and money on my hands, I started playing around with a few ideas I’d had, and made a few prototypes to run by my most judgmental friends lol. Some worked well, and others now make me cringe, but you gotta start somewhere.
LM: Who are some of your DJ influences?
GFL: My friends have been my biggest influences and sources of wisdom! Butch le Butch, Deb Walters, Stephen Allkins and Pete “Lady DJ” Kung to name a few. Otherwise, the Horse Meat Disco boys, CC:Disco!, The Blessed Madonna, and I think everything Luke Solomon touches is gold.
LM: Do you have a favourite t-shirt design?
GFL: Of my own, I think I’d have to say “I’m So Into Ron” – a mash-up of Ron Swanson and Ariana Grande. Of other people’s tees, I want to call out Babak Ganjel’s creepily hilarious I’m in the Bush Outside and I Really Love You tee.
LM:What is your favourite genre of music?
GFL: That’s like asking me to pick between a late 1970’s Bob Hoskins, Paul Sorvino in Cruising and fat Chris Pratt. I’ve never been good at sticking to one genre, but when I DJ, I play mostly a mix of underground disco, house, indie dance and more recently, a splash of electroclash. Oh, and I’m not afraid of a banger 🙂 When I’m not DJing, I listen to loads of different stuff, and the record store kid in me likes to keep up on new releases. My boat is floated by artists like Boys’ Shorts, LCD Soundsystem, Sevdaliza, Pet Shop Boys, Aretha Franklin, St Vincent, Robyn, Perfume Genius, Roisin Murphy, Sylvester, Nick Cave, Cerrone, 070 Shake, Japanese Breakfast, and to not include Kylie would simply be homophobic.
LM: Would you say being a bear has helped or hindered your career? Is your audience primarily bears?
GFL: As far as DJing goes, I always say that if I’m doing my job right, no-one is looking at me (!), but for sure being a part of the bear tribe has been great for me on both a professional and personal level. Crowds at my parties are mixed, but always heavy on bears (and those who identify as bear-adjacent lol). As to the clothing line, all I can say to anyone who’s bought my stuff & nonsense is that without you I’m nothing! I always get a kick out of it whenever I see a cutie cruising the streets in one of my designs and, every so often, telling me that they lost theirs in a dark room in Berlin. True story!.
LM: Is there any advice you would give someone (like a bear) who would be interested in starting a DJ career or starting up a clothing brand, and what is involved?
GFL: On the DJing, don’t be afraid to punctuate! What I mean by that is to try to create moments. Not every song needs to be a banger, but you can make lasting dancefloor memories by punching in the right song at the right time. On the flipside, you may think that there’s a song you love that everyone MUST hear, but sometimes it’s just not gonna work. It’s all about flow. Watch your crowd to see how they respond and adapt if you need to – your job is to give people a good time.
If you want to start your own tee/clothing line, be aware that there is obviously a hell of a lot of competition out there. Do things other people aren’t doing, know your audience and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Work with good people. Be out in the community. Don’t give money to Meta if you can help it. To make yourself stand out, you need more than just a good design – it’s about originality, quality, comfort, customer service and (where you can) sustainable business practices.
But also, you can just do it for fun – put some of your own ideas down and get them made at on-demand printers and be the only person in the room wearing that tee 🙂
Lastly, accept the help that is offered to you, and ALWAYS give back.
LM: Do you have any favourite gigs?
GFL: ’ve been lucky to play lots of great parties and gigs but I’m gonna single out a particular moment – that time I played Robyn’s “Honey” at Honcho Disko a few days after it was released, and the whole dancefloor spontaneously started coupling up and making out. Hot. Cute.
As far as live bands go, that’s easy: Kate Bush in 2010, LCD Soundsystem (every single time) and Jonsi at Terminal 5 in NYC on my 40th birthday surrounded by friends. It was very emotional, but that might also have something to do with the preceding night’s celebration that ended at the Russian & Turkish Baths 🙂
LM: What are your career goals for the future?
GFL: I think it’s good to have goals, but the reality is that things change all the time. I mean, the world is a clusterfuck right now and that has definitely made it harder for everyone. We all have highs and lows, but you just have to keep on trucking. On a lighter note, I would love to play some more international gigs this summer. My long-term life goal is to somehow find a way to live, work and swim in Malta for a few months a year, expanding my work in Europe and the rest of the world!
Where can you find yourself? Website, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gerard.f.long
Instagram: www.instagram.com/brunodisco
Mixcloud: https://www.mixcloud.com/gerardlong/
Website: https://sugarplumpfairy.com/
Again, as of Thursday, 22nd May 2025: Sugar Plump Fairy is currently running a 30% off sale, so get in the water while it’s wet! Sale ends Monday, May 26. Which is now extended to June 4 – Remember Vic Bears Tees are not included.
