What’s in Your Fridge is where the Straight asks interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting beside the Heinz Ketchup in their custom-made Big Chill Retropolitan 20.6-cubic-foot refrigerators.

On the grill

Bif Naked

Who are you

My name is Bif Naked and I have been a vocalist since failing as a ballet dancer, as a teenager, in 1988. I was in four bands—world music, punk rock, thrash, and prog—until making my first solo record, and forming my record label, Her Royal Majesty’s Records, in 1994. Happily putting out records and touring internationally for over 20 years, I enjoy volunteering with other cancer patients, and lending my voice to fight injustice alongside my fellow social, civil, and animal-rights activists. I believe in true love and have unshakable faith in humanity. I have defeated Death approximately six times.

First concert

The first real concert I saw was Iron Maiden on the Powerslave tour at the Winnipeg Arena in 1984. I took my younger sister and we were in the fourth row, in the centre. I will never know how us two kids were able to get these bitchin’ seats, but it was the very best. Twisted Sister was opening and Dee Snider spat on my sister and I, from the stage, hitting our little faces—and I was completely elated! “WE got fuckin’ BAPTISED into metal, Kid!” I screamed into my poor, 10-year-old sister’s ear, joyfully. I have the privilege of telling Dee this story every time I see him, which brings both of us huge laughs.

Life-changing concert

My first life-changing concert was at Donington—Monsters of Rock in 1995 in England. My managers, Peter Karroll and John and Marsha Zazula, had taken pity on me after doing a six-week publicity tour in Europe and my reward at the end was to travel to the U.K. and see this show. I wanted to see my favourite band, Corrosion of Conformity, so I made my managers all wake up and drive us to the festival site by 10 in the morning, which they did. I sat side-stage the entire day, saw every band, sang all the words, and at the end, when Metallica flew over top of the 100,000-person audience in a helicopter, I really felt like I could have died from happiness. It was the best!

Top three records

Judas Priest Unleashed in the East  This live record was given to me by my first boyfriend, in the seventh grade. The song “The Ripper” was my best performance in front of my sisters, as I would air-guitar and sing it at the top of my lungs in the basement-bathroom mirror. I continue to perform this air-guitar wizardry in hospital visits, to great fanfare.

Toni Braxton Toni Braxton  When this record came out I was at a rather impressionable age and I was a huge Anita Baker fan. I was amazed at the similar vocal styling of Ms. Braxton and instantly became a huge fan. I had the opportunity, about a decade later, to tell the writer and producer, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, how much I loved this record, when I was lucky enough to work with him in a New York City studio, when he produced my vocal for the Josie and the Pussycats movie soundtrack. It was definitely a dream come true.

Bad Brains Banned in D.C.: Bad Brains Greatest Riffs  Probably remains my favourite record of all time. Every song makes me happy. Every single song makes me grateful for my memory, my hearing, and grateful to be alive. Many of the songs on this fabulous compilation were part of the soundtrack to my life. I still love it, in fact I am going to go listen to this right now.

All-time favourite video

Madonna “Justify My Love”  My favourite video for many years was “Justify My Love” by Madonna. I was a fan of hers, of course, but obsessed with the work of the director, photographer, and filmmaker, Jean-Baptiste Mondino. This was one of the first music videos I purchased on VHS tape because it was not being played on any music channels, having been “banned”. I thought this was highly discriminatory, at the time, and felt a duty to champion this cause, citing that if it were a male recording artist the video would not have been banned.

What's in your fridge

A 32-oz. Mason jar filled with tap water and long strips of cucumber floating around in it like slimy, pale eels. The cucumber has vitamins that seep into the water, apparently, potentially making this more bioavailable? I just think it tastes quite lovely.

A container of LUSH-brand Charity Pot moisturizer. This is my favourite body lotion and I use it quite generously on my dry feet and elbows. I love the lotion very cold after hot baths or showers. Feels crazy.

Obscenely extra-large zucchinis in a mesh bag. For freshness. I like ’em as big as possible to fit into my noodle maker, for raw zucchini noodles, which may even be chopped afterward, to make “raw zucchini rice”. I eat this as a daily staple dish, underneath absolutely everything from miso soups to chana masala to served plain—drowned in Trinidadian hot sauce.

Bif Naked's latest record is Forever Acoustic Hits & Other Delights.