The fury of the furries

Vicki Anderson of the Press apologises for offending members of the furry community. She had interviewed some people who wore furry costumes but who were not, in fact, furries. A genuine furry explains:

The majority of us are just ordinary people who like to put on costumes and perform.  The biggest misconception is that it is all about sex and wild parties.

Not a misconception I have laboured under, for I have never heard of these people. But it is a complex community with delicate gradations:

He added that of those who identified as furries, only around 30% were fursuiters.

Complex, but leading blameless lives:

“Like myself, the others depicted in the photographs were upset to hear that they were insinuated to be part of the fetish crowd when that is not what we do. [. . .]

“We do a lot of work with children and are carefully vetted. Anything like this can be very damaging to our reputations and livelihood.”

So here is Furry Lewis (1893–1981) with “When I Lay My Burden Down” in about 1972. He has an unusual technique – brilliant right hand but, at about 3:00 minutes in, see how he uses his left elbow:

Alternatively, here is John Cale, who can simultaneously play the viola and sing,  performing “Venus in Furs”:

Monitor: Paul Litterick via FB