REVIEW
God Save the Queens
Federation Square, Melbourne
June 6
**
Not all drag queens can save the world, but this event can save Melbourne from stigmatising the brilliance of the community spirit of being queer, out loud and proud by dressing up and dragging up with tinsel, boa, wigs, heels, boots, lashes and LGBTQIA+ defiance.
The lineup of performers and family-friendly audience at the God Save The Queens event was beautifully welcomed by the radically outrageous, strong, bold and unashamedly queer drag queen Kween Kong. Kween strutted the stage with power and elegance in her masculine body in acts of love, joy and all things queer and welcomed and invited the foes of ignorance into a world of fantasy and imaginary freedom. She rocked the crowd, who may never have experienced a sassy drag queen before, that allowed messages of hope and understanding that self-expression is healthy and drag is a place for healing.
Kween Kong opened the program in the spirit of welcoming the Traditional Owners of the Land and called out to make noise of love in 3.2.1. The mothers, fathers and children in prams all reverberated the words that she announced. She serenaded the audience with “Don’t be an egg and say hi to a stranger next to you.” Eleni, my daughter, and I turned to strangers and said “Hi.” Kween Kong sang back, “I can hear you all purr with your Hi Hi Hi, and 3.2.1. Love and more noise.” Community spirit overflowed into Fed Square, which needed a community blessing where the voices of people connecting, opposed to protesting differences, came together under the wigs and glamour of the God Save the Queens event.
Kween Kong introduced the Neo Sun + Pasefika Vitoria Choir, singing traditional Pasifika songs and remixed as an experimental electronica meets traditional. When the choir sang a section where the words “Hallelujah” were sung, tears of joy swelled up in the square. She was an excellent, funny and welcoming host, who allowed the community to see the beauty in being a drag queen but underneath all the make-up and costume is a strong cultural Pasifika New Zealander man of deep love and respect for all.
Kween Kong continued to MC the evening as the acts powered through the night. Eleni and I were jumping to the rap-reggae-dancehall beats of the dynamic duo JessB + Rubi Du, two rising stars of Aoeteroa. I stumbled, thinking how loose I was dancing amongst the crowd and realised how they were having an insight into queer culture where the DJs were spinning the tracks I normally would find myself shuffling to in queer club after a party. No MDMA needed here, just the love and innocent energy of a community gathering to feel respected and connected.
Eleni was overjoyed when The Royal Family Dance Crew came on stage and said, “Oh my God, Dad, I can’t believe it, it’s them!” and began to mirror the dance moves that the crew were performing. I lost count of how many dancers there were, possibly 50. They were in sharp syncopated coordination with each other’s choreographic dance moves, and I thought I was watching Britain’s Got Talent and thought, ‘Where is Simon Cowell to press the Golden Buzzer?’ New Zealand/Aotearoa’s kings and queens of street dance crew were incredible, choreographed by the dynamic Parris Goebel, whose embodiment of his cultural dance heritage earned him acclaim on the world stage with his Polyswagg dance style. The crew invited the audience to take part and learn the dance routine step by step and slowly thousands of people mirrored the dance; a sea of arms swung in an arc. A large mass of people moved their hips into a hip hop street swagger, the music was turned up and the party of thousands danced alongside the crew and their Polyswagg dance.
Kween Kong and her sexy boy dancers later hit the stage, having a huge screen over the performers with a live video and VJ FX of the performance was sensational, where the city was a backdrop to a night of queer glamour and funky dance beats. This set the stage for DJ Halfqueen, who spun a set of fat bass and drum vibes that had to make you get up and dance to her trip-hop style club dance with menacing bass loops and dub FX. The final performance by Lady Shaka ignited the square and exploded the speakers with her honey funk dance club mix. Pumping it thick, juicy sweet and hard and ringing out love and joy.
During the event, I met up with Dr Kimberley Moulton and Gideon Obarzanek, who are senior curators for the festival, and we spoke about how this was an important gathering and a highly successful event. The perceptions of opinion about the LGBTQIA+ community and traditional cultural heritage values are slowly changing and taking risks through the arts is a positive form of social inclusion.
Federation Square has been showered with queer blessings and the crowds swelled up dancing, singing and smiling in awe at the energy of the performances that Ru Paul’s Drag Race show would be glistening proud that the world of drag is a place of freedom and creative expression. The RISING Festival’s presence of LGBTQIA+ artists validates the values of programming arts practice where identity, language and imagination are paramount, with acceptance of difference over ignorance. God Save the Drag Queens, Drag Kings and LGBTQIA+ of the world.
5 out of 5 stars
Review by Christos Linou
