Pride but no prejudice, a party for all at Contemporary.
I have had the best time at Pride. While the month of August drags on with very few gay events on offer, it is worth remembering the best of times and forgetting about the worst of Pride 2019. Genuinely, a highlight for me remains the strong work of DirtyFilthySexy who put on a show to end all shows at the Contemporary this year.
The great thing about their shows is that DirtyFilthySexy have a great understanding of where drag is right now. Their shows, while inexpensive at £10-£15 a ticket, showcase some of the best underground drag on offer in the UK. I’ve been fortunate to see shows from Charity Kase, Freida Slaves and Rodent at their most recent events. But they have been known to offer stateside queens too with their Boulet Brothers show last year.
It’s also worth noting that each of the queens are talented performers in their own right with singing, dancing and lip synching on offer. The shows are enhanced by the comedy banter of hosts, Nana Arthole and Marilyn Sane. If you haven’t made it to Drag Bingo then we suggest marking it into your calendars for some monthly entertainment.
It was hard to pick a favourite act of the Pride show. I have a special love for drag kings so was impressed by Chiyo Gomes who slayed the stage. I would love to see more drag kings make it to Nottingham as I feel this is an area we are really lacking in. It’s also another reason I love that DirtyFilthySexy insist on drag that doesn’t quite fit in the neat ‘drag race box’ but it's dirty, it's sexy and sometimes... it's actual filth.
Freida Slaves was a big hit with some serious dance moves. I’m incredibly jealous of anyone who can move given that I dance like someone’s dad at a wedding. I hope to see more of Freida in Nottingham. I also would like to see the return of Mary Poppers who horrified my girlfriend by sticking needles in her own leg mid-performance. The close of the show saw Anna Phylatic of recent Drag SOS fame take to the stage to perform two numbers.
Another positive note with all DirthyFilthySexy events is how accessible they are. I counted leather, lace, queer, non-binary, drag, disabled, pups, lesbians... the list continues. It felt open and on offer to all. Which, surprisingly is not always a given with clubs as some may not always be wheelchair accessible or a fan of PVC or leather.
As always, the after party dancing was great fun as my girlfriend and I roared along to Tatu mixed with Nine Inch Nails. Last year, Sharon Needles turned up post performance to party and I can see why. There is only one place to be after pride and it’s where ever these queens are.
Make sure you grab a ticket here for their next event, DirtyFilthySexy vs. Haus of Dread at Albert’s on the 28th of September.
Read more about DirtyFilthySexy on their website.
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