![]() ![]() They last performed here in 2014 at an event named Mustachioed that was touted as “the first Irish drag king festival”. The Windy City Blenders have performed in Dublin a number of times since their first trip. In 2004, Chicago-based drag troupe The Windy City Blenders performed here as part of an “exchange program”, and The Shamcocks travelled to Chicago later that year to take part in the International Drag King Extravaganza. In Ireland, the popularity of drag kinging peaked in the early 2000s, when a drag king troupe called The Shamcocks formed during the Dublin Lesbian Arts Festival in 2003. These include the International Drag King Extravaganza, a travelling conference which is currently on hiatus, and the San Francisco Drag King Contest which is entering its 21st year. A number of large events are hosted in North America to foster the developing international drag king community. Of course, there are plenty of kings who also prefer to perform alone. This is in contrast to drag queens who largely perform solo. Since then, kings have largely performed in troupes – groups that perform and often travel together. Drag kinging had a resurgence of popularity in the 1990s, especially in queer hubs like San Francisco. Meanwhile Gladys Bentley, a black, lesbian, cross-dressing performer was highly influential during the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s. British music hall stars such as Hetty King rose to fame as male impersonators from the late 19th century on. While drag kinging features less prominently on the queer scene and in wider culture than its glamorous queen counterpart, kinging has its own long and radical history. ![]() To the radically minded, it may be overtly political – a vehicle to get feminist or queer messages across” “To those familiar with queer theory, it serves to emphasise the fact that all gender is performance, that it is a thing we act out and that can be mapped onto a body using conscious action. ![]() Watching Gorgeous perform you’d wonder why in a scene saturated with drag queen nights, there aren’t more women willing to don a flashy outfit and facial hair and perform to an adoring audience. This performance is the pinnacle of Dublin’s drag king scene, and this is probably the only time a drag king will grace the stage this week. The performance is a stripped down number without much choreography or gags, but the feel-good factor of the song combined with Gorgeous’ easy confidence make it enjoyable nonetheless. Gorgeous commands the stage and navigates it with ease. When it’s Gorgeous’ time to perform, he lip syncs along to Valerie by The Zutons, a popular choice that has the crowd singing along by the first chorus. He plays the part of cheesy game show host well, firing quips at the contestants and Bunny. Gorgeous, with his hair slicked back, sideburns and beard dons a suit with flashy leather detailing. The night progresses in game show format, with contestants sacrificially offered up by their friends and goaded on stage with the promise of prizes and free booze. Phil T Gorgeous, Dublin’s only regularly performing drag king, descends the tackily adorned staircase onto the stage, accompanied by drag queen, Bunny. Just before midnight, the pumping pop music cuts and the stage lights up. Friends catch up, barmen pour pints and people pile into the venue until the low hum of conversation reaches an excited buzz. On Monday night at The George, despite the sub-zero temperatures outside, a crowd has gathered to engage in a weekly ritual. ![]()
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