02/04/15: After ten heats that showcased some of the most insane, anarchic, imaginative and utterly bonkers lipsync performances this queen had ever seen, the grand final rolled around with a mammoth eighteen performances.
Yes EIGHTEEN finalists, comprised of ten heat winners and eight wild cards each tasked with delivering the slickest four minute lipsync to impress the judges: columnist Grace Dent, Ireland’s drag ambassador Panti Bliss, Le Gateau Chocolat, lipsync maestro Dickie Beau and moi, Cliff Joannou of QX.
The standard was set higher than a crusty at Glastonbury from the minute Glory matriarch Jonny Woo opened the show. How do you follow one of the UK’s cabaret finest? Answer: throw everything and the kitchen sink at the ensuing chaos. Sashay Okray gave Carmen Miranda realness complete with full on Madonna-style recovery after falling flat on her ass! Jacqui Potato delivered half a dozen babies on stage in homage to Angelina Jolie’s penchant for propagating the species. M(Ollywood) showed that even club host studs can pull off stilettos. Bayo and Jody channeled Queen Latifah and Monie Love for a roof-raising ‘Ladies First’ tribute that saw them lose a few earrings. (You know you’ve put on a good show when you lose an earring on stage. These bitches lost three of ‘em!) We can’t even begin to express the majorness of this event because how do you get EIGHTEEN acts into one 300 word review and do it justice? We simply bow down and give props to what was one of the finest showcases of talent on the queer cabaret scene that I’ve ever seen.
Three hours later, with sweat dripping down the windows and wig hair in our mouth the scores were counted, the winner was decided. Praise goes to runner-up Crystal Lubrikant who delivered a tour de force of master-class lipsync. But huge congratulations go to winner Ellis D, who nabbed the crown by a whisker combining extreme lipsync skill with astute artistic delivery.
The Lipsync 1000 Final was everything. That’s all.
The Glory, 281 Kingsland Road, E2 8AS
Words by Cliff Joannou
Photos by Holly Revell
