During the summer madness of Barcelona in July, Loverboy experienced its very first Ravalada! The drag competition/bar crawl is one of the best ways to see the city’s drag scene and the community’s local bars.
With one queen down, the organisers needed to find someone, a previous six time winner no less, whom they could trust to put on a show at the very last minute – and so we came to kiki with Lady Red Velvet who fed the children with her Barbie production, involving a Little Mermaid lip sync, humour with a heart and audience participation in the art of dance!
Lady Red Velvet’s home is Barcelona’s La Federica but she also appears at bars across the city and always brings the party. Loverboy caught up with her to find out more about her journey in drag…
So, let’s start at the very beginning, daaaahling. When did you arrive in Barcelona and what brought you here?
Love! It’s all about love! I actually first came to Barcelona on holiday 15 years ago and met some great people who I would then visit each year aftet that. Then whilst celebrating on New Year’s Eve 2011 I met the gorgeous David Martin and bing, bang, bong moved to Barcelona 6 months later! I found a job, a flat and now 12 years later we are married and loving life together. He’s my biggest supporter and even acts as my DJ each week – the gorgeous DJ Tiramisu!
And what led to your own drag debut?
Now that’s a documentary for Netflix, for sure. I first started doing drag in the UK as part of pantomime, which is a type of play performed at Christmas in every theatre around the UK. I was aged 14/15 and played Maid Marian from Robin Hood, wearing my mum’s bra stuffed with socks. From then onwards I would often be cast in a drag style role whether it was the Pantomime Dame or a role in a classic play like Charlie’s Aunt which was a dream role.
Lady Red Velvet was born from all of these previous experiences, here in Barcelona’s Bar La Federica. I went to a Drag Race viewing party in drag and finally put a name to this wonderful creature, I had spent so many years developing. Soon after I was asked to do a monthly show, which soon became a twice monthly show which then led to the weekly sell out shows we have today.
Which women inspire you as Lady Red Velvet? And where did the name come from?
I love comedy and Lady Red Velvet is a full-on comedy queen. So my inspirations were always female comedians or comedy performers: Victoria Wood, French & Saunders, Bette Midler, Maggie Smith and I adore Jennifer Coolidge. I also love the big singing divas, Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, but it was the comedians who really influenced me. As for my name, I almost chose Choriza May! That’s how I got to chat with the real Choriza May on Instagram as I thought I better check to see if the name was in use and sure enough it was. So instead, I decided to go down the sweeter root of Red Velvet as I love cake! The Lady part was added for Instagram purposes but has stuck and I guess I am a good example of a classic British lady!
We first saw you during the Ravalada but cruelly we couldn’t vote for you! For the uninitiated, what can we expect from a Lady Red Velvet show?
I loved doing that Ravalada show as it was so spontaneous. (I had already participated 7 times and won 6 of those including Dragalada in Madrid) I woke up that very morning and saw a message asking if anyone was free to step in as a drag queen performing that day was ill. I’m so used to doing different shows each week so I created one from scratch in just 3 hours and then had a ball performing it that day in Freedonia. I was so happy at how well it was received but as it was the 2nd show from an All Winners competition, I decided to scrap the votes for me so people could concentrate on the other queens who had already worked so hard the previous occasion.
As for a Lady Red Velvet show… hold on to your hats and always expect the unexpected. I love to put on what I call “An off, off, off Broadway show”. It’s part musical, acting, comedy, improv, audience participation and plenty of chaos. Recently I was described as a Creative Drag Tornado, and I would say that sums me up pretty well.
Sometimes you lip sync, sometimes it’s more spoken word. But we can be sure we are always getting a production! How do you approach each show, how does the creative process work for you?
I love the process as much as I love the performance. I get so much joy from planning a show and generating ideas. I have a huge range of music in my playlists and often put them on shuffle and see what things work with the themes I have. I have a Little Black Book of show ideas and every time I do a new show, I tick it off and add a few more ideas. I like to include different elements and always have the audience securely in my mind. What would make them laugh? How can I interact with them? What will engage everyone to make them enjoy the show and have the best possible night.
Which are your favourite bars to work at?
My home is the amazing La Federica. It’s more than a bar, it’s a community. I love the way we always have such a mixed crowd of people in my shows, I love the way people feel happy and comfortable and that they are always made to feel welcome by the amazing team that work there. They do so much for local artists, performers, poets and drag artists – it really is inspiring. I also love to do my bingo night at the fabulous Candy Darling & get such a buzz from doing my preshow events with my darling sister Paprika at Sala Apolo at Churros con Chocolate. All of the Ravalada bars I’ve performed in have also always been so welcoming and supportive too: La Sastreria, Casa de la Pradera, Rouge & Bar Imperfecto.
Have you found Barcelona welcoming to drag outside of the LGBT scene?
I have indeed. I am lucky as people have got to know me and I am doing more and more drag in the wider community especially linked to education and each time have been warmly received. This summer Paprika & I took to the stage at the Fiesta de Sants and performed to such a fabulous mix of people and really brought the LGBTQ spirit to the neighborhood.
I’ve seen that you are doing workshops & The Drag Academy too right?
Yes, I’m pretty nonstop! I started the Drag Academy last November at La Federica after two members of the audience came up to me in a two week gap saying how much they’d like to try drag. So I thought why not start a Drag Academy which helps support new Drag entertainers and gives them a chance to perform with me in a safe and supportive environment which is also fairly paid. We have now worked with 11 Drag Academy performers, all of whom have been amazing. And in fact Kika Super Puta, the first member of the Academy has now won a Ravalada and the latest Futuroa too!
Have you seen the queer scene change here since you arrived?
Oh, my yes indeed! Clubs and bars have come and gone, new parties have exploded on to the scene and some have got bigger and better and drag queens have multiplied like a gay plague from the Bible! I certainly think the variety of drag themed events has just become so abundant, there truly is something for everyone! I especially like the queer spaces that are welcoming and celebrate the diversity on the scene.
What other types of events do you do? I’ve seen you doing fund-raising events too?
I do a lot of fundraising events and get great pleasure from doing it. My very first show 5 years ago at La Federica was a fundraiser actually and since that time we have now done 35 fundraisers and raised over 17000 euros for charities near and far. From lifeboats to cancer research, STOP SIDA to Alzheimer’s, from animal appeals to LGBTQ charities. Last month we made a huge 1000 euros in a single night for Arrel’s the Homeless Charity. For me drag is a political thing too – a voice for the community. A way small differences can lead to big changes.
As well as the charity work I do an amazing Drag Bingo each month at the fabulous Candy Darling with my sis Tye. Boozy Drag Queen Bingo is a blast and we have great prizes too.
Tell us about your podcast.
“Let them eat cake with Lady Red Velvet” is such a fun side project but it`s growing all the time. I’m on my third season now and talk about a range of different subjects but always link it to drag which is the main focus of the podcast. It’s available on Spotify and Apple Podcast and the interviews are great. So far I’ve had a huge range of guests including The Cake Man (wonderful baker in Barcelona), Emmie Reek (an amazing drag singer). Luke from Escuchame open mic night & my amazing friend and winner of Drag Race Espana season 3 – Pitita!
You’ve previously applied for Drag Race but now stopped. Can you tell us more about that decision?
Yes, I applied twice for Drag Race UK & twice for Drag Race España but with no success. I love Drag Race and would have loved to be on the show and do the challenges but now I’m not sure it’s really for me. I think perhaps I need to forge my own path, like the amazing drag queen, Juno Birch. I think many of the aspects of Drag Race I’d be really good at like the acting and comedy challenges as well snatch game but I don’t think my style of drag is polished enough for them (I’m quite happy being the way I am) and I’m not sure I’d want to spend a fortune getting on the show and potentially sashaying away at an early stage. I really feel sorry for the queens who put in all that effort, time and money to get on the show and then go home after one week, I think it would be soul destroying. It would be nice to see a different format to make it fairer to those participating. My level of Spanish would also be an issue I think for Drag Race España and might be frustrating trying to express myself fully but the MEMES would be hilarious. I definitely know I’m a fantastic drag queen though but think my talents are better shown elsewhere perhaps – I’d love a theatre show for example, that would be magic!
Who would you like to see on Drag Race España T4?
There are so many amazing performers I’d love to see on Drag Race. From Barcelona Daphne Monroe & Chloe Vittu would both be amazing! My friends Muschi & Zsa Zsa would also be incredible. My best buddy Paprika is just the best but she needs to come on tour with me instead! Lol! I would love to see a Drag King cast one day too. It’s high time Drag Race embraced Drag Kings too as there are so many talented Kings on the scene!
Lastly Loverboy is named after the biggest selling single of 2001 so we always ask what is your favourite Mariah song?
I love Mariah so much, she is the ultimate diva! I love the big ballads so would say ‘Hero’ or the epic duet with Whitney Huston, ‘When You Believe’ from The Prince of Egypt.
For all the latest on where to see Lady Red Velvet, follow her on Instagram.
