Category: Manifesto, Performance, Portfolio
Tags: ArtWank, Del LaGrace Volcano, Ingo, Joe Pop, Norman Feather, Ophelia Bitz, Review, RVT, The late Night Shop, Wotever Sex, Yoshki Greenberg

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern was packed to the rafters from the unusually early hour of 6.30pm on Tuesday night for the first Wotever Sex. As the crowd settled the sense of anticipation was almost tangible. Having invited “people who learnt a few bits and pieces about sex that is different to what you learnt in school”, Ingo was both proud and priveleged to start the proceedings by introducing the first act, Del LaGrace Volcano.

Del was smart, charming and assured as he introduced the film “Pansexual Public Porn” or “The Adventures of Hans and Del”, and gave a running commentary that both enlightened and amused. A wonderfully sexual, sexy movie that had the audience feeling hot, horny and more than just a little curious! His ‘Queer Body Manifesto’ and poem (Deliver Us From Gaga indeed!) was both powerful and true. A fantastic queer positive piece that provoked both thought and rarturous approval from the Wotever crowd. As Del noted, Queer is not a noun “it is a verb passing as an adjective”. The writing made one question our ideas and ideals of what the queer body is and represents. Along with projections of his photography stunning work, Del LaGrace Volcano had the crowd captivated. Amazing stuff!

Before Yoskhi Greenberg took the stage, we were entertained to a very funny, sexy burlesque number by The Late Night Shop. When burlesque is performed as well as this, it reminds you why it has been an entertainment stalwart for so many decades. An unadvertised, but no less lovely treat for the event.

Yoskhi Greenberg, herself, amused the audince with her witty, self-deprecating tales of a range of subjects. From the perils of dating (especially via the internet), her time as a pornographer and crossing lines, which the audience laughed long and loudly to. The fisting sketch was particularly funny, and her use of cue cards gave Bob Dylan a run for his money. Coming on and finishing her set to the theme from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” seemed apt for a performer who kicked ass!

Norman Feather then entertained us with his humourous, devilishly deviant, dark songs. Singing of sodomy with lyrics that were as clever in their wordsmithery as Sondheim, he went down a treat. Great Brecht and Weill vibed music and performance that had you feeling like you were visiting aparticularly queer Weimar period cabaret. The mix of humour, insight and music meant we were all treated to an eclectic mix of entertainment for the night.

Finally, the last part of the night was given over to the ever-brilliant Ophelia Bitz and “ArtWank”. A taster event for more in depth nights later in the season. Mixing her magical wit and charm (and particularly clever, humourous turn of phrase) with porn from a by-gone era, the audience lapped it up! (Pun intended. The competition volunteers took this to literal lengths!). delving into her collection of porn of yore, “humble smut peddlar” Ophelia introduced us to queer menage a quatres from France, a cartoon to make Disney squirm (in more ways than one) and finished with a football-themed gay super-8 from the era when shorts were short. Not that these boys’ shorts stayed on for too long. Bringing humour and sex together in such an inventive and uplifting way was a great way to end the nights’ performances.

The crowd stayed to the end, knowing they’d been thoroughly entertained. Much fun, filth, frivolity and flirtatious feistiness was had by all. With music from that most talented and eclectic DJ, Joe Pop, to play us out into the night, everyone was able to go home happy and horny. A fantastic Wotever night out. remember, there are 4 more nights to come, so I suggest you get down to the RVT on Tuesdays, so as not to miss out!

Words: Lysander Dove || Photos: AbsolutQueer Photography