It has been almost a full year since o took the short, hour-long journey from Cardiff to Bristol for the first time! If you haven’t already, I strongly recommend you read about my action-packed day in Bristol at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/09/28/bristol-adventure-experience-review/. I have been looking for an excuse to go back so when I discovered the incredible haus of Cymru was heading there (with the amazing headliner Anita Wigl’it) then I knew I could not miss it! For those who don’t know a drag haus is a community of drag performers who come together to help and support one another in the industry. In fact, the entire evening was hosted by the drag haus daddy Nicholas Hoard who helped to make sure the event ran smoothly. Nic was a fantastic host who excelled at getting the audiences hyped for the upcoming acts, dealing with sudden changes in the programme and was even able to squeeze in a wonderful amount of corny dad jokes which are my personal favourite! We were even treated to a wonderful performance of Bohemian Rhapsody at the end of the show which had every single person singing alone even if they did not know the words!
Historically speaking, the country music market has not been known for being the most inclusive sector and still has a long way to go especially for the a acceptance of the queer community. Therefore I was very surprised to learn that the show would be opened by the Bristolian drag king sensation Small Willie Nelson who would be giving us a country/western spectacular while donning a black and red checkered cowboy outfit. As soon as the recognisable guitar riff of Dixon Dallas’ “Good Lookin” began to echo through Queenshelling it suddenly all made sense! For those who do not know this song for TikTok, it is a very sexually explicit song that talks about the love of two male cowboys in intense detail! At one point in this performance, Willie invited a lucky audience member to lie down on the stage as a series of sexual actions were demonstrated. After this opening song, Willie began to peel off the cowboy outfit to reveal a brilliant cow print look that was such a clever and on-theme costume reveal. A common complaint about modern drag performers is that the same stunts are oftentimes just shoehorned in however Willie made sure that this reveal not only looked incredible but also made sense within their set! This insanely high-energy performer managed to start the entire evening with a bang with their incredible constant high-energy choreography and even a wonderful splits moment that had the audience screaming!
Next in the lineup was the incredible Miss Felicia who showcased incredible live vocals that had the audience up on their feet! Their set began with a rendition of Creature of the Night from the Rocky Horror Show (which we most recently reviewed at https://rhysreviews.com/2022/02/13/rocky-horror-production-review/) which just so happens to be one of my favourite musicals! Felicia managed to inject the perfect amount of camp-ness into the number while not taking away from the vocal showcase which is a very fine line to get right but this performer did it with ease. It was the second half of the show however when this performer really came to life with a flawless performance of Let’s Dance by David Bowie! This was not only a song that lots of the audience clearly loved already but Felicia’s voice suited the song perfectly!
One of the most impressive performances of the night was by the powerhouse Severn who was able to captivate the audience simply with the clack of a fan! The number began with an extremely dramatic yet burlesque-inspired face reveal as Severn fiercely strutted around the venue. The slow build to a total reveal helped to build an ever greater sense of excitement while simultaneously hinting at the continuation of the sexual undertone of the evening established by the earlier performers. The audience were totally captivated by the Brazilian as they wowed with their dance-based talent and showcased incredible flexibility throughout!
If there is one thing I know about the drag icon Kiki Babs is that you never know what to expect from her! Despite having known her for just under a year this event in Bristol was the first time that I was actually able to see her perform and I can honestly say I have never seen a performance like this one before! She came out in a gorgeous white ruffle dress and began keeling over in pain on the stage as fart noises boomed around the venue. This turned into a reveal of a different soiled dress which paid homage to that iconic yet hilarious scene in Bridesmaids! Storytelling is clearly one of Kiki’s strong points and this unique performance went down a treat with the audience! Later in the night, Kiki graced the stage teasing an live ABBA number but in a hilarious twist decided to freeze when the words “I don’t want to talk” leaving the audience wondering if this was an intentional mistake or a tech issue. This gag was perfectly performed to the point where people were offering their apologies for the venue’s supposed mistake however this was all crafted by Kiki which I found hilarious! Not only did this queen perform two unique spins on iconic songs but she also decided to host a game of Kiki says where the contestant had to gather a specified item in five seconds otherwise they had to remove an item of clothing. This did end with the bar manager in his pants, wearing one of kikis bras while strutting across the dance floor which goes to show you truly never not what to expect from a Kiki show!
The entire event was headlined by none other than Anita Wigl’it from Drag Race Down Under Season One and being Mrs. Congeniality during Drag Race Canada vs the World (the latter of which you can read our thoughts on at https://www.nerdly.co.uk/2022/11/24/drag-race-canada-vs-the-world-2×01-review/) I personally fell in love with Anita during her time on the show due to her infectious personality and that wonderfully over-the-top smile but what I did not expect was how crude her set would be! Sticking with the nature themes introduced by Nicolas, Kiki and Seven earlier in the night, Anita made her way through the crowd as the unique beats of Hot ’n’ Juicy’s “Horny” blasted through the venue as Anita demonstrated a shocking array of sexual activities one could do which also included a sequence of positions demonstrated with a very special audience member. She was able to use every bit of the venue including starting her performance on the dance floor, moving to the stage and even getting amongst the captivated crowd which helped to introduce a wonderful sense of immersion into the show! At the end of the night, Anita joined the rest of the haus of Cymru for a rendition of the iconic Proud Mary (I am still not over the death of Tina Turner earlier this year) which those who know me in real life will know this is one of my all-time favourite songs!
Overall, the haus of Cymru brought with them an eccentric mix of local talent who each showcase their unique talents to the highest degree! The entire evening did have a constant throughline of sexual liberation but each performer channelled that in their own unique way. Anita Wigl’it proved why she was a fan favourite each time she competed in Drag Race while also exposing a side of her that I know I did not expect! I would rate this event 4.5 stars out of five and am very excited to join the haus of Cymru when they land at the Wales Millennium Centre alongside the insanely creative Charity Case!
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