Q&A: Miss Taylor Trash on surviving lockdown, plans for the future and her drag competition the Gold Rush

Taylor Trash
Taylor Trash

Like most entertainers, Miss Taylor Trash had some unexpected free time on her hands as the scene came to a sudden halt in March. But with venues set to begin reopening on July 4th, the self-proclaimed ‘Southern Belle-end’ talks to Conor Clark about what she has been up to and what we can expect to see from her

 

Taylor Trash
Photo by @postteenidol

Hi Miss Taylor Trash! How have you been keeping busy during lockdown?

Oh why hi there y’all! I’ve been doing mighty fine, thank you ever so! I have been busying myself with styling hair, trying to improve my skills… you know, I’d love to set up my own salon. Just call me Tottenham’s Truvy Jones. Oh and I’ve been writing songs – my debut single ‘The Gold Rush’ is out now and on all streaming platforms!

When did you first become Miss Taylor Trash?

I first became the UK’s ONLY Southern Belle-end by pure accident over five years ago now! I went to a club night in drag and the bar man said I looked like “trailer trash” and I thought ‘this could work for me…’ I love Americana and trash so it was a happy accident. The look is inspired by Dolly Parton and comedian and broadcast legend Kenny Everett. 

How would you succinctly describe what you do?

I write my own songs and parodies of pop songs. I also run the best darn drag performance competition in the whole country, The Gold Rush.

What has adapting to working virtually been like for you?

I did a few shows at the beginning of lockdown but have since taken a step back. Getting ready for however long to sit on an Instagram live for 2 minutes was not doing my mental health any favours – so I have been doing some pre-recorded content for shows which has been a lot of fun as I have been able to hone my editing skills and really ramp up the camp!

For anyone that hasn’t heard of it, can you describe what The Gold Rush is and when we can expect it to return?

The Gold Rush is the best drag performance competition in the country! It’s for all types of performers and we actively encourage people from all styles of performance to take part. If you want the stage time, try out, it’s yours. We have the best prizes, judges, venue and contestants!

The competition runs over several weeks at our home The Glory, and we have seen three seasons so far and are expecting our fourth probably in the new year. We have had amazing sponsors like MAC Cosmetics, LuvJus, Whatadrag UK, JML (who make every day easier) and Dragr. There are more sponsors coming for season four so watch this space.

If you can’t wait for the return of the competition you can watch the web series of season one on www.youtube.com/trashtvofficial – we film every season and turn it into a series. Season two is in post-production right now! I want to make stars of everyone who has taken a chance on me and the competition.

What has been the best part of hosting the Gold Rush for you?

What I love the most about the Gold Rush is meeting new people and seeing new performers rise up and shine. I also love setting the challenges and seeing how people respond to them – you can’t beat creativity. I love the format of the show as well, and having audience participation every week and our Eurovision scoreboard is what keeps it exciting. 

It can be quite emotional as well as I really feel for the contestants when they are taking part and just want everyone to do so well. I made a promise to myself that once people do the competition, they are my forever family and I will look out for them however I can – be that offering them advice or hooking them up for gigs.

What are your plans now that London is slowly coming out of lockdown and the scene is returning?

I am planning on returning to my spiritual home, The Glory, when they are ready for us. My aim is to encourage as many black, POC, trans, Kings, female identifying and AFAB queens to come and take part in the next season of Gold Rush and take the stage they deserve. Drag isn’t just for us white gay men, it’s for everyone. 

I want to start a new cabaret show that’s fully inclusive and can act as a space for me to scout talent out for the competition and to connect with parts of our community who have felt their voices are not being heard and not being seen. There’s a lot of work to do, and I am always looking to talk with people from the community to make things better so if anyone reading this wants to reach out, let’s get the ball rolling!

You can follow Miss Taylor Trash on Instagram at @misstaylortrash and @thegoldrushldn for updates on the Gold Rush.

 

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