MÂCHÉ XL @ Gold Digger (for Fringe)
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Brought to you by the twisted imaginings of Perth’s own Gendermess collective, MÂCHÉ XL slayed in their requested encore performance for FRINGE WORLD 2018. In a space where gender is inconsequential, Gendermess continue to deliver the goods with their unique club kid aesthetic, blissfully combined with the joy of freedom within self-expression and an overarching exuberance for life.
Led by local identity Ginava (play with that acronym for a bit, let it sit), Gendermess have been bringing their inimitable style to Perth audiences for five years now. Combining a fabulous blend of gender fuckery, divine costuming, dance, lip syncing and sublime monster madness, they delighted and shocked audiences in 2018 with MÂCHÉ XL. So much so that they were asked to do an encore performance on the final night of Fringe.
Hostessed by the beautiful Veronica Jean Jones, featured performers included local identities Flo Reel, Perri Oxide, Donna Kebab and Skye Scraper, with special guests Scarlet Adams, Lunar Sea and Jason Green.
Ginava has long challenged what Perth considered drag and performance art, and Gendermess will be celebrating its 5th anniversary June 27.. “Gendermess was created from there being lack of platforms for alternative drag performers to showcase their talents,” Ginava tells X-Press. “I started performing drag seven years ago under the name Ava Gin. After about a year into the game, I was really frustrated with how the drag scene was constantly telling me I had to be ‘top 40’, I had to be glamorous and that this was the only way I would be able to get booked as a drag queen. So I changed my name to Ginava and started performing things out of protest of what everyone else was doing at the time.”
The ultimate, and possibly only representation of club kid culture in Perth, Gendermess represents some of the best of local creative, personal expression. For those unfamiliar with club kid culture (seriously, get into it – Google is your friend as always), Ginava explains and enlightens that,” I think that the term ‘club kid’ has evolved into a drag genre all its own, but even I find it very hard to describe. It combines avant-garde ideas of art, fashion & makeup, fantasy, shock & horror. It’s taking an idea or concept and over exaggerating it. It’s finding the beauty in the most ugly. It’s self-expression and having a sense of freedom in a very extreme way.” Sounds fun, huh?
Gendermess and MÂCHÉ XLwas truly a glorious mash of glamour, glitter, and gender bending wickedness. We eagerly aniticipate their future endeavours, with lieutenant monster Ginava at the helm to challenge minds and make everyone rethink drag with our favourite Perth queerdos.
NATALIE GILES
Photos by Jason Matz Photography
