"I've done so many looks that I love but my favourites are probably the ones considered 'traditionally' ugly."
We’ve been following Australia’s Maxi Shield on Instagram for a while now. Not quite as long as the sixteen years she’s been in the game, but long enough to know that she’s our kind of gal. Larger than life, with tats’n’tits for days, she works seven nights a week and doesn’t break a sweat, unless it’s listening to Mariah on the treadmill. Here she is…
British drag is traditionally very bawdy, Danny La Rue, man in a dress type thing. Can you tell us about Australian drag?
HAHA…well, we are all just ‘Men in Dresses’ deep down. Aussie drag is a mix of over the top, comedy, exaggerated creatures. Then there are, what RuPaul would describe as the Fishy queens. They are absolutely gorgeous and could give the leading models a run for their money.
Once upon a time Aussie drag was all Priscilla-style mimed shows, with huge production shows consisting of up to six girls. Now we have branched out to a lot more interactive drag…Karaoke, Bingo (Tranny Bingo is huge in Sydney at the moment), Trivia and even my ‘Meals on Heels’ night. That’s Drag waitressing, building relationships between pubs and restaurants. Being funny and great on a microphone is becoming a lot more important over being pretty.
Tell us about the tits’n’tattoos. It’s a strong look.
I’m only 5’6″, so to have over exaggerated boobs, hips and butt, sort of evens my body out. And why would you buy a new a pair of anything in Small? The bigger the better is what I say! As for the tattoos, Ive always loved tattoos and like my personality wanted them to be over the top and colourful. Who doesn’t like a man with tatts?
What’s been your favourite look so far?
I’ve done so many looks that I love but my favourites are probably the ones considered ‘traditionally’ ugly. When I dressed as Divine and The Penguin, they probably made the most impact. As I walked into our annual Drag Awards, DIVA, as The Penguin, a young queen came over to me as said, ‘Why did you do this look? You’re normally so pretty.’ My reply was ‘How many people looked at you when you walked in? None. They were all looking at me.’
What outfit would you be buried in?
I’d probably say a nice tight corset, and have TITS and HIPS for days. Being a fuller figured unreal woman, I hate wearing corsets, so I think when I’m dead would be a perfect time to slip into one. They are so bloody painful.
Can you tell us about the different nights you work?
This year I have clocked up sixteen years full time as a drag queen, no other employment other than drag, so I guess I’m living the dream.
My week consists of five days as the hostess with the mostess at Belloccio’s Cafe (Sun, Mon, Tues, Weds and Thurs). It’s a fabulous gay restaurant/cafe on Oxford st. Tuesday nights I’m the hostess of Karaoke at Stonewall hotel. Wednesday I’m the hostess of Karaoke at Scruffy Murphys (a straight backpackers’ bar). Thursdays I host ‘Cash For Queens’, an amateur competition at the Midnight Shift on Oxford st. Friday I’m the hostess at El Circo at Slide, a nine course theatre style restaurant with circus acts in-between fabulous food. Straight after El Circo, I’m off to The Colombian Hotel for ‘The Beat’, which is drag shows with a sexy male pole dancer. Saturday night I’m the Hostess at Tharens Theatre restaurant which predominately caters for Hen nights.
Do you do any charity work?
I work for The AIDS Trust of Australia and ACON (Aids Council of NSW). I’m a community speaker for a programme called Start Making Sense, which is an eight week course, introducing young gay boys to the community.
Would you apply for Drag Race?
I’m not sure I would want to enter Drag Race. I love the programme and am so happy drag is having its time to shine in mainstream pop culture. The stress that would come with the programme would be something I would have to factor in.
Where would we go on a first date?
Well you would need to come to Sydney, so it would be a very expensive first date, but if you made it all the way over to Sydney, I would make sure you got to see as much of this wonderful city as I could show you, maybe we could share a sneaky kiss on the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge or fish and chips on the sand of Bondi beach.
What is the strangest thing you find hot in a guy?
I’m not sure I have a strange thing I find hot in a guy. I love gorgeous eyes, teeth and tattoos, but am open to any type of man. When asked what my type of man is, my response is always MALE, everything else is negotiable. Maybe a strange ask is that he is a gentleman…that’s very important.
What is your favourite Mariah Carey track and why?
Emotions, it came up on my iTunes today on the treadmill. Though I have to say I do like all of Mariah’s music. I even watched Glitter, and have no issues admitting it.
