BOYZ NITE OUT | London, Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club

BYOB (Be Your Own Brother), Johnny Rubber, Fanta Le Mon, Kenickie and Greenday are BOYZ, London’s premier drag king boy band. With heartfelt choreography, winning vocal harmonies and non-threatening facial hair, BOYZ send up the very nineties boy band invasion that they (and we) so clearly adore. It’s beautifully observed and extremely funny.

BOYZ were also joined by some special guests throughout the two hours. Benjamin Butch’s two acts were an obvious highlight: the first, lip-syncing to a hilarious mash-up of “macho” adverts from TV; the second, stripping out of a sexy fireman outfit to reveal period-soaked pants, removing a massive, bloody tampon, and whirling it around his head as he sassily left the stage.

Richard Melanin III’s clown-like acts were mesmerising and bizarre, silently dressing up in a laundry bag to the theme tune from Transformers, and wheeling off the stage on a unicycle. Wesley Dykes performed his new song (cueing the audience to shout out “Fuck you” at certain moments), and deranged, cane-twirling Li’l Wank Stain enjoyed a fine debut, lip-syncing to a rap song about cunnilingus.

The two hours absolutely flew by, and the audience were roaring with laughter throughout, as well as screaming with applause. While the Drag Queen world is now mainstream, the Drag King world is bubbling forth some very exciting stuff. These brothers are doing it for themselves, and we couldn’t be happier.

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