Roll up roll up, there’s a new circus coming to town and it ain’t for the faint hearted!
Imagine the gates of hell casually opening up somewhere in the middle of a travelling circus and then demons possess a whole bunch of the acts……
Who doesn’t love a good trip to the carnival right?
The Tour
The wonderful people over at Alt Space Events are about to bring you an absolute treat for your hot goth summer and we couldn’t be more excited to tell you about it.
Teaming up iconic Dragula Ghouls Dahli and Evah Destruction (plus a one-off guest appearance from Orkgotik in London) and various amazing artists all around the UK, the Carnival of Filth tour is promising to be one you will certainly never forget. You can expect a fully put together show featuring a tonne of absolute debauchery, stunts, adult content and truly crazy antics.
Being a fresh face on the drag events scene that has been a rollercoaster in recent years, we just had to ask what inspired the team to throw their top hat in the ring now. “The truth is we are HUGE drag fans! However, we have noticed that Drag seems to be quite “samey” at the moment. This isn’t an attack on RuPaul, but it does look like these artists are preferred and have a lot more opportunities than others. As huge fans of drag kings like Valentino King (RIP) and TV’s Drag SOS, we miss the edginess and creativity shown by these legends. Cheddar Gorgeous is a huge inspiration to us, as is Landon Cider (Dragula). When we discovered Dragula we were so happy! Everything we love in one place… Drag, Filth, Horror and Glamour. Seeing true artists, Drag Kings, Trans/non binary artists and more on this show brought us so much joy! It was refreshing and we wanted to put on these kinds of shows. So that’s exactly what we did! However we thought we’d go one step further, by making a point of platforming all of the amazing artists who rarely seem to get opportunities from large well established tour companies. At Alt Space Events we are proud to work with Drag Kings, Drag Things, People with disabilities, people who are neurodiverse, artists from a global majority background and more! Everyone is treated equally and with respect.”
When prompted to give a little more as to what sets them apart from other companies (as if it wasn’t already obvious), they were happy to confirm the following: “We put our money where our mouth is! We are 100% enby and disability owned. We pride ourselves on working with under represented and minority artists. We pride ourselves on working with (mostly) independent venues and providing platforms for local artists in the cities that we visit.” Quite honestly this is really refreshing to see and we fully appreciate the inclusion in a very saturated scene. They also went on to say “We wanted Alt Space Events to be the place where you get to see true diversity. We are determined to buck the trend with current UK Tour organisers and venues. You WILL see Drag Kings! You WILL see alternative Drag artists and you WILL see a genuine love and warmth for the artists we work with.”
With each city having a unique line-up of support artists working alongside Dahli and Evah, we just had to get a little insight into how these were choose. “Well they actually chose us! It’s a long story but we have been putting on Drag events for a while and wanted to focus on more diverse projects. We were very fortunate to have developed a friendship with Omni Entertainment Group and this means that we can bring the highest calibre of artists to the UK. We have loved Dahli and Evah Destruction for many years and getting the chance to do this tour was simply too good to turn down! In terms of the support artists, we chose based on audience feedback and reputation. We like to think that this is the most diverse tour line up for any national Drag Tour… with a LOT more to come.” Now that is a fabulous way to put together a tour, get your headliners on board and then ask each city who they want to see alongside them, we love it!
The Hosts
So now that we know more about the events team, how about we get to know a few of the incredible drag ring leaders that will be hosting the show?
Matt Hazzard
GURL: What are you looking forward to most at the Carnival of Filth?
MH: Oh, there’s so much I’m looking forward to! I can’t wait to meet and work with all of the other fabulous performers at the Bristol gig and get to know them better! Carnival of Filth will be my first drag gig outside of Wales which is really exciting – I’m looking forward to meeting more people from outside of the Cardiff scene! It’s also an absolute scream and an honour to be working alongside Dahli and Evah Destruction, two of my biggest drag inspirations. I absolutely love the art that they create and can’t wait to see what they bring to the show!
GURL: Can we get a sneaky hint at what to expect from you?
MH: Expect gooey, mucky, filthy clownfuckery!
GURL: What inspired you to begin performing in drag?
MH: I’ve always loved creating costumes and different makeup looks ever since I was a kid, so that definitely has played a huge role in it! I’ve been into horror and darker themes for as long as I can remember, so finding out about the radical self-expression that drag facilitates (especially alternative/monster drag!) was a huge draw for me. I’ve always expressed myself fully and unapologetically through the way I present, so having an avenue to explore that through performance is extremely appealing to me. I attended a drag workshop last November and just fell in love with the art form – I haven’t regretted a moment since!
GURL: Do you have a go to track that you love performing to?
MH: Definitely Toxic Love from Ferngully! I’m all about sludge and grime and decadence, so it’s right up my alley! I love playing with messiness and filth during my performances, and who doesn’t love a bit of glowing green nuclear waste?
Nefarious De Vile
GURL: What kind of antics can we expect to see for you at the Carnival of Filth?
NDV: Oh I plan on going full ancient psycho, you can expect killer looks, witty, vulgar, but educational performances and of course, a body… Literally from Nefarious De Vile!
GURL: Have you got a hosting outfit in mind and can we get an idea of the concept if so?
NDV: Oooo…this is different, about the mystery, I don’t like giving things away, especially for free… (qué Sigourney’s stare and Zava’s eye roll). However, I will tell you my look is going to be very telling on who or what the performance is based on, but as usual it must be easy to get out off…
GURL: When was your first experience of drag?
NDV: My first time out in drag was DragCon 2023, no I don’t have pictures…😣 However, I’ve been practicing NDV’S aesthetic for about a year prior, but my first ever performance was Drag Wars 2023 in Cheltenham, so I’m a seasoned, expert performer of about a year and half experience…
GURL: Can you offer any advice to someone looking to start drag?
NDV: I know this is so typical, but practice really does make perfect, for one example I’ve had many people ask me how I got such a good mug for someone so new, and it’s because I made promise to myself once I had designed my face that I was going to practice my makeup once week and I’ve never let up, I still do it now! So practice is highly important as is patience with said practicing, because no one is brilliant at the start and the best artist ever can always become better through practice.
Other advice would be to be nice, because being a bitch is not, once again is NOT a personality that is desirable in performers. We are stars and everyone knows that, but a true star takes care of those within our constellation. Oh also, have fun, if you’re not having fun, in my opinion you are missing the whole concept of drag, it’s meant to be as much fun for you as it is for the audience, you should love the job you do, because believe me drag is a full-time job and needs your heart and soul.
Nicolas Hoare
GURL: How are you preparing for the tour?
NH: I am preparing for the tour by drinking lots of beer, doing rip curls and pruning my haemorrhoids! Those guys are nasty! They developed sentient intelligence about 4 years ago and now do song and dance routines. It would be easier to deal with, but those guys can death drop and I can’t. I’m also putting together another act.. performed to a Queen song, there’s a shock! Plus I’m setting stuff on fire, so should be awesome! Just don’t wear an acrylic wig too close to me.. I’m short sighted and playing with fire.. y’all gonna look like Freddie Krugers love child.
GURL: Which city are you most looking forward to visiting?
NH: Well that’s obvious! I’m going home to Manchester! This is my first gig on Canal Street in years! I love Manchester, its the greatest city in the UK! Nothing makes me feel more at home than dancing in the rain! I am an original Manchester Drag King and performing there again genuinely means something.
GURL: What is your favourite memory in drag?
NH: My favourite memory is winning Mx Publicity 2024 at Mx Drag UK! Not because of the prizes or anything (letters fell off my sash, I’m now “M Pub City”) but the awesome diverse people I got to compete against.. and beat! Apart from Little Glimour… bitch kicked my ass.. Next time I’ll just enter Drag Wrestling.. I can easily win.. just gotta sit on people 💪
GURL: Tell us a little about your drag family?
NH: Well Haus of Kaos is aptly named believe me! No I’m joking! The idea behind Haus of Kaos was to take everybody who doesn’t “fit” with the traditional kind of Drag. The artists who are woefully under represented. The Drag Kings, QIPOC, neurodiverse, disabled, trans/non binary, not part of the clique, people who have huge talent, yet don’t get the bookings or the respect they deserve! There is strength in numbers and if people aren’t going to book us then we’ll just do our own shows! So HOK has successfully put on many events across the UK and provided numerous platforms for artists of all kinds! We are supporting, nurturing and developing some of the most exciting talent out there and really making a positive difference. The great thing is that we all come from a place of love and kindness and genuinely have real connection with each other.
Get me in!
Oh so you want tickets to the show now do you?
Well you can find the full set of tour dates on the cute poster below, we’ll be at the Newcastle gig if anyone wants to say hi, grab a drink and a picture.
Come join Dahli, Evah and a whole bunch of fantastic locally sourced support acts in each city by grabbing your tickets right here and be ready for a HELL of a good time!
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