In a twist to the usual pattern of Cabaret of Queerosities show, hosting the first act of this event was the incredible Matt Hazard (who we recently interviewed on our YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/QgFBcnjApoU?si=biRdXFfAxgaoWYIn) who informed the audience that this was there first time comparing an event. However, nobody could tell that Matt had not done this before as they seemed totally at home keeping the audience excited throughout and introducing every single act! Matt will actually be making a return to the hosting position for the Bristol leg of the Haus of Koas tour (you can read about their event with drag race icon Mz Cracker at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/11/13/haus-of-cymru-in-birmingham-production-review/) which will be headlined by Boulet Brother’s Dragula legends Dahli and Eva Destruction. On top of hosting the first half of the show, Matt also treated the audience to a wonderful performance of the song ….. which suited their character perfectly. The wonderfully jazz-infused, eccentric comedy with a dark undertone is where I think Matt really excels and this made for a highly entertaining performance that the audience thoroughly enjoyed! Having followed Matt’s Journey at Jolene’s drag race (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/08/13/jolenes-drag-race-week-three/) they are quickly making a name for themselves for being a runway icon with incredible looks every single time that step onto the runway. From costume design, and unique lip-syncing to live signing, it is clear that Matt is quickly becoming an unstoppable force within the drag community and is absolutely someone we need to keep an eye on!
Next to the stage was the fabulous Taffy Apple who we were first introduced to at a Del Fflur productions show (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/27/del-lightful-debuts-3-production-review/)). They decided to open their set with a rendition of “Teenagers” by My Chemical Romance which is one of the emo songs that I was actually able to sing along to! The amalgamation of the high-energy, intense performance and highly relatable lyrics (let’s face it who isn’t afraid of a group of teenagers) meant that it was not only me who was singing along but instead, the entire lyrics were roaring lyrics back at the drag king on the stage! Following this wonderful performance Taffy Apple decided to lead the audience in a game of finish the lyrics which helped them stand out amongst the other performers as they were the only person to deliver a game (which the iconic Chae with a C did at the first ever Cabaret of Queerosities show which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2023/12/26/cabaret-of-queerosities/) at the iteration of the event. Every single song in this challenge was a classic emo song despite me not actually knowing the majority of the songs, the rest of the audience seemed to love being tested on their favourite songs. After delivering an emotional story about a romance gone wrong, Taffy ended their set with a performance of “Thnks fr th Mmrs” by Fallout Boy. Not only was this a wonderful vocal performance but it also made perfect sense after the story they shared just before.
Next to the stage was a queen I was not particularly familiar with prior to this event but is absolutely someone I need to keep an eye on going forward. Devon’s own Gigi Netyx made her Cabaret of Queerosites debut and showcased an incredible live performance of “Bad Romance” but with an emo twist which made sense with the theme of the entire event. As this was such a recognisable song, the audience was able to sing along and the unique interpretation made it perfect for the overall theme. They then launched into a hilarious story about a school therapy session and how useless it proved to be. Within this session, Gigi was asked to simply be ‘happier’ which transitioned perfectly into her rendition of “Mr Brightside” which again was an iconicly recognisable song that the audience could easily sing along with. Going into this event I was a little worried that I would not know any of the songs being performed so seeing this performer doing a song I know very well was very welcomed and clearly the audience appreciated this just as much! In a surprise addition to the cast, it was announced that the amazing Diva Divine would be treating the audience to a performance at this event. Going from being the ticket seller to performer must have been highly stressful however Diva did not seem fazed in the slightest. They decided to showcase a performance of their iconic backstory (recently performed at Jolene’s drag race which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/07/30/jolenes-drag-race-week-one/) where she tells the story of becoming the divalivious diva. The fact that Diva continues to lip-sync to her own voice during this number will always make me laugh and she continues to evolve and develop every time she steps onto the stage!
During the May iteration of Cabaret of queerosities (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/07/cabaret-of-queerosities-4-production-review-2/) Ivory Glam took over hosting duties as Ice Amore was Going through a series of issues outside the world of drag. Ivory has been at the majority of the COQ events and every single time she always showcases her unique brand of high-camp comedy and amazing vocals with this time being no exception. Ivory delivered her iconic rendition of “Creep” by Radiohead which is always a treat for the ears. Having heard this performance multiple times previously (one of which being at Sly which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/05/01/sly-production-review/) you would think that the majesty would fade at some point but it still blows me away every single time! For their second performance, they invited Taffy Apple back to the stage and asked them to lie on the floor. Having been involved with an act where I was also told to lay on the stage (which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/04/29/queen-of-the-palace-wales-event-review/) I can only imagine what Taffy was thinking as the iconic opening of “Murder on the dance floor” by Sophie Elis Bextor (who we recently saw at Brighton Pride which you can read about at https://rhysreviews.com/2024/08/12/brighton-pride-2024-day-one-review/) started blasting through Fuel Rock Club. This performance was pure camp with the audience laughing throughout as Taffy played the role of the dead body on the dance floor!
If you have ever seen a Khloe Luxx show before you will know that she always brings her brand of intensely, high-energy choreography. She decided to start her set with a rendition of the iconic Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter but this version had a unique emo/rock-inspired twist which was perfect for the audience. Similar to Gigi’s song choice, the audience was able to sing along as it was such a recognisable song and the emo influence fitted the overall theme of the evening perfectly! Khloe used every inch of the stage and audience space to deliver a captivating and exciting performance. Their second performance of the evening was an almost total contrast where Khloe decided to focus more on pure emotion and nailing every single lyric (which she did flawlessly.) Her lip-sync performance of Zombie by the Cranberries was a slower and more intense song but equally had the audience totally captivated from the moment the song started. Seeing Khloe take on these totally different styles really proves how much of a versatile performer she really is! Earlier in this review, I mentioned that Matt Hazard hosted the first half of the show but for the second half the originator of the show Ice Amore returned and resumed their hosting duties. They were also able to introduce the acts and keep the audience excited throughout! The audience was lucky enough to be treated to a series of performances by Ice Amore. Their first performance of Tainted Love by Soft Cell which again had every single person in the audience signing along! My personal highlight from Ice’s performance this evening however was the closing number “Since You’ve been gone” which had everyone in the audience brought to the front of the stage and screaming the lyrics at the performer. As a big pitch-perfect fan, this song will always have a special place in my heart and so seeing Ice take it on was amazing. I always forget how much of a talented vocalist Ice is (as they are known for their iconic lip-sync performances with a wonderful array of tricks) but every time she busts out a live performance, it is very special!
Overall, Cabaret of Queerosities: Emo Summer was a fantastic tribute to an iconic genre of music. Going into this event I was a little worried that I would not know many of the songs performed however I was happy that this was not the case and in fact, it has encouraged me to listen to more emo-inspired songs which is the fundamental reason for events like this! Each performer brought their own perspective to the genre which helped keep the audience excited and on the edge of their seat throughout! I would rate this event 5 out of 5 stars!
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