MAUD GONNE WRONG @MAUDGONNEWRONG
KRYSTAL QUEER @KRYSTALQUEER
MIA GOLD @QUEENMIAGOLD ...talking about Pride
...on being apart of Mockie Ah, a dedicated drag family ‘It’s like being in a motley crew of make up addicts and camp pop culture savants- useless in an emergency, fantastic on a night out! I realise how special our performance group is when we travel together. Firstly, I’m always astonished we survive in the journey and secondly, when we do our thing for new audiences I realise how many like minded mentalers there are around the country and that we facilitate their skit filled, well deserved night out! The classic Mockie Ah show, as the fans will know is filled with cheeky tunes, saucy performances and bad talk. It’s a chance for us to be creative and have a safe space. I feel very lucky to be part of it.’ ...on the perks of being a drag performer ‘I love the chance to say “yes this is weird, I think we should soak it up and stop trying to be cool. Drag reminds me that fashion is meant to be enjoyed, going abstract and larger than life with make up, colours and my character is freeing. I actually feel more settled in my day-to-day self since finding drag. Nice to have an outlet for Maud! I also enjoy.. what’s it called again? ..HAVING A LAUGH. My favourite part is interacting with the crowd and feeding off each other’s energy. At a good drag show, I think the performer taps into the persona and the crowd willingly and enthusiastically
...on why Pride is still vital to our culture
‘Pride for me is literally what the word says, Pride in what you are and being unapologetic about it and YES, it is and it will always be important, because the fight for equality and respect for all the LGBTQIA community, is ongoing. We need to march, speak up and to educate why we need equality for all.’ ...on being a killer queen ‘In my experience, having learnt from so many drag performers around me, to make a stand-out performer is to have presence on and off stage. Don't be arrogant but welcoming and loving and always stay true to yourself because the best you will shine through. Show up on time, work hard and remember to have fun!’
‘Pride is vital to our culture and our people. I believe a younger, more naive version of myself would have disagreed. It wasn’t until I began to glue wigs to my head that I realised how rampant homophobia is. Homophobia in Ireland is casual. Pride will always be accessible to feminine gay boys like myself - but not for the closeted boy on the football pitch. Pride just simply existing inspires hope for the people who can’t yet celebrate it yet, but one day will. If there is anyone out there struggling - come to a Mockie Ah gig. You might as well take the full plunge - and I promise you won’t regret it.’
The word Pride and its meaning holds different for every person on the planet. Some use it as a term of protest, some use it to party, but one thing is for certain, everyone feels Pride. No more so than those who feel that pride week in, week out doing what they love to do... PERFORM. In this interview Paul Ryder speaks to just three performers from Mockie-Ah about what their Pride stands for.
...on what drag means to them
...on what drag means to them
‘That is a difficult question because I feel there is never a set definition to drag, I also don’t own a dictionary. Performing has always brought me such joy, and Mockie Ah assists me in spreading that feeling to an audience of eccentrics. For the foreseeable future drag will always be about spreading happiness - I will do anything on a stage to make people smile. I hope it stays that way forever.’ ...on being a stand out performer ‘Drag has trickled itself through the cracks of so many eras - prominent in Ancient Greece, Shakespeare’s works and even 70’s punk rock. Drag is not new and almost everything has been done and replicated to death. I think originality inarguably makes a stand out performer. A unique point of view is essential - and this applies to all art. For example, Britney’s entire discography will be preformed by drag queens until queers become extinct, but if you can take one of her songs and still make it original then you’ve struck gold. Speaking of Britney, she will be appearing at the next Mockie Ah, so keep your eyes peeled for tickets!’
LIAM BEE @LIAMXBEE
‘Drag for me is being whatever you want to be. It’s a creative outlet that allows me so much - performing, creating costumes and financial support - which is important because drag ain’t cheap henny.’
...on what Pride means to them
‘Pride at its core is a protest and we are far from done fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights so it’s important not to get complacent. The way I see it is that Pride is about remembering and honouring our queer history, celebrating how far we have come and continuing to protest and fight for our rights going forward.’ ...on Cork’s drag scene ‘Cork’s drag scene has done a complete 180 in the past few years in terms of the amount of people actually doing drag and feeling comfortable trying it, and I think that is as a result, in part of Mockie Ah’s influence on the scene. I know speaking for myself that when I started drag back in 2017 Mockie Ah welcomed me with open arms and felt like such a safe space to be more experimental with drag.’
take on the role of the adoring, hyped up fans- like playing Beatlemania! It’s a performance on both sides in a way and we all come out the better for it.’
FOLLOW CANDY & THE MOCKIE AH TEAM ON INSTAGRAM: @MockieAh
www.corkpride.com
#CorkPride2021
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