Featured Queen: Medusa Repulsa
Medusa Repulsa is one of Cardiff's newest up & coming queens, she is best known for her jaw-dropping performances at "Hey Mary", Cardiff's best and only self-proclaimed "queer drag disco".
Read our interview with Medusa below.
When did you start doing drag?
Like many I was a Halloween queen, so Halloween 2015. I'd been fancying the idea of dabbling in it for a while and thought why not! Looking back, forcing my cousins to dress up as the girls from Totally Spies with me was a glimpse into my future!
What inspired you to start doing drag?
Being a huge fan of "alternative drag" and not seeing much of it in Cardiff, I thought I'd give it a go.
How does drag make you feel?
It's an odd one for me. Just being in drag makes me feel like a completely different person, that no matter what's going on, I can be fearless for a few hours and be 100% myself. It also helps to bring my spooky self out for everyone to witness!
Who are you inspirations for your drag persona?
I take a lot of inspiration from front women (and men) in rock and metal, so Maria Brink from In This Moment, Marilyn Manson, Taylor Momsen from The Pretty Reckless and anyone else who mocks the mainstream.
Who are your three all time favourite Queens?
Sharon Needles, a queen who's win on RuPaul's Drag Race made me realise that you can go out and perform a Marilyn Manson number and be as freaky as you want. Divine, someone who really changed the game and people's perspectives when it came to drag and either The Boulet Brothers who continue to influence my drag and who I look up to greatly, or Coco Peru who literally has me in tears laughing every time I watch one of her videos.
Do you have a specific look you like to go for, or does your look vastly vary?
I basically like to look as creepy and messed up as possible. I'm never one who wants to be the prettiest queen in the room, I'm the one who wants to creep you out the most and give you nightmares.
What would be your ultimate ambition you would like to achieve through drag?
Ideally, I'd like to showcase my drag and be able to travel all over the world. Working in different media, TV, film and really just weirding people out in every different way that I can. I want to show people that drag is still punk and that I can alter their perceptions and fuck with their minds.
Where are some of your favourite places to perform?
So far I've mainly performed in Clwb Ifor Bach, an alternative club in Cardiff. It's the perfect fit for an alternative queen like myself and people tend to appreciate the weird looks and performances I bring to the table.
What are some of your favourite songs to perform?
Anything you'd find a 15 year old goth kid listening to. Specifically Black Widow by In This Moment and Disposable Teens by Marilyn Manson.
If you could only have 3 makeup products to do your complete drag makeup look for the rest of your life, what would they be and why?
This is a difficult one!
1. The palest of all foundations, I wouldn't be me if I wasn't looking like the un-dead
2. A dark lip colour, the staple in any dark lady's makeup bag
3. Eyeliner, draw it on thick or don't even bother!
What is your one favourite piece of fashion or accessory from your wardrobe?
Most likely my studded black choker (I don't wear it enough in my opinion!)
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
Hopefully performing all over the UK. If not, pretty high up in the ranks of the Church of Satan.
What's your opinion on the recent increase in popularity of drag, due to things such as RuPaul's Drag Race?
Well, Drag Race did help to introduce me to world of drag and it's a great way to help up and coming queens as well. It's also helped me discover some great queens that have really influenced my drag and to meet some of them! The only problem is that sometimes Drag Race is the only reference
people have for drag, so I've people tell me I'm very Pearl and Sharon a lot, which don't get me wrong is cool, but I'm doing my own thing, just like they are. Everyone should go out and support their local queens and check out other queens to see that there's a lot more out there than just Drag Race!
Anything else we should know about Medusa?
- I like long walks on the beach, seances and ouija boards.
- You can always find me at a crossroad practicing black magic and exchanging souls for makeup.
- Medusa was the abandoned love child of Elvira and Marilyn Manson who was then raised by a typical Valleys family until she ran off to spend her life with Satan.
- I'm also one of The Diamonds Dogs along with Polly Amorous and Lilith at a night called Hey Mary hosted by my drag mother Lucy Fur (who will read you to filth and put a curse on you). If you're looking for sickening lip syncs and live music by some of the craziest queens Cardiff has to offer, you have to come along. Not to forget about the equally talented and freaky DJ duo Sissy Boy Tears who help to supply Hey Mary with the perfect mix of queer punk, guilty pleasures and anything else you want to dance to.
Check out some of our past events:
Thank You to Medusa Repulsa for this interview.
Follow Medusa on social media.
Facebook: /medusa.repulsa
Instagram: @medusarepulsa
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