The best and the worst
RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE WINNER JERICK HOFFER IS LETTING ALTER-EGO JINKX MONSOON LOOSE ON BRITAIN. MARION McMULLEN DISCOVERS WHAT’S IN STORE
What are the biggest misconceptions about drag artists? I THINK a lot of people assume you get into make-up, you get on stage and that’s all there is to it. First of all, the make-up process takes hours; for any good drag queen it’s gonna take hours to do the transformation.
Then it’s not just putting on the make-up and performing, it’s stepping into a second skin and into a second life.
It’s like having two brains at once because you’re thinking as yourself as the artist and also as the persona you’ve created so you’re kind of splitting your attention at all times. Graham Norton and Alan Carr are going to be the judges on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. What do you think people can expect? I’M so excited that Drag Race is coming to the UK. There’s so much amazing drag talent worth showcasing, and I have no doubt the judges that have been announced will do their due diligence in bringing forth the best out of the girls!
You are touring with your show The Ginger Snapped. Do you have any dressing room diva demands? NO, all I need is loads of sugar-free Red Bull, a kettle to make my tea and paper towels. People don’t realise this but drag queens need paper towels constantly.
If you could have anyone on the guest list to come see your show, who would it be? BETTE Midler. I don’t think I’d be a drag queen if she wasn’t a drag queen. I think hers is the best drag in the world. I’ve never met her, but someday I will.
What’s the first thing you do when you come off stage? (LAUGHS) I have a shot of vodka. A big shot or a little shot? It depends on how the show went.
What’s been your darkest drag moment? IT’S funny because it was one of the best nights ever but also one of the hardest, and that’s when I crowned my successor on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I’m sure anyone who has won a title can agree that it’s exciting because you get to be the one to put the crown on someone else’s head and share that experience, but it’s also hard. Then again, if you experience being on top you also have to experience the plummet from it. That’s the double-edged sword of being a winner.
Do people recognise you when you’re not in full Jinkx mode? MORE typically they do in drag bars and gay bars.
The biggest thing I gave up by doing Drag Race was my anonymity.
I used to be able to be Jinkx then take off the costume, the make-up and the wig and no-one would recognise me. Now I’m Jinkx full-time and I’m totally happy with that.
I’m totally content with the fact Jinkx and Jerick have morphed into one fusion, but I do miss the anonymity. What topics do you cover in the show? THE main topics Jinkx addresses are her own ego, her insecurities and the nature of drag as a competitive art form – which requires you to be your best at all times while also constantly trying to be better than everyone else.
You’re touring with your performing partner Major Scales, who acts as both accompanist and therapist. How does that dynamic work? HE starts out as the pianist, then he becomes my therapist and he serves as both throughout the rest of the show. He asks ‘Why would I be your therapist when I’m not trained to do this?’ and I answer ‘I’ve paid you enough to be here, the least you can do is psychoanalyse me’.
So what can audiences expect?
IT’S like Jinkx Monsoon going to see a therapist live on stage for your entertainment. It’s more of a cabaret showing starring a drag queen.
The music that Major Scales and I write is not drag music, it’s real rock music that we’ve collaborated on together and I’ve then written a show to showcase it. The main point of the show is to showcase the music. (Laughs) And I just happen to also bare my soul.
It’s probably more personal than any show I’ve written before and it’s very honest and upfront.
What is the style of music?
WE do three covers in the show and the rest is original music composed by Major Scales and me. We were heavily drawing inspiration from 90s grunge and the music we grew up with, having both been born in the late 80s, so there’s a lot of No Doubt, a lot of Garbage and Portishead as influences and, of course, there’s always the B-52’s in there somewhere.
Any places you are looking forward to visiting on the tour? I HAVE a lovely friend in Liverpool named Connor who is a mortician. He mapped out my skull so that if I ever die he can identify me just by my skull! It was quite romantic. My UK audience treats me like I won yesterday. It’s not like it’s been five years since I was on Drag Race, it’s like it happened yesterday. What’s the one thing you couldn’t be on the road without? THROAT Coat. It’s a miracle tea that I drink to keep my voice in good working order. The Ginger Snapped tours from March 6. For details go to jinkxmonsoon.com