Dream girl

Quench takes time out with one of Cardiff’s most popular drag acts, Pixie Perez, and get mauled in the process

As we are welcomed in to Pixie Perez’s swanky Grangetown pad, we really can’t help but notice the glittering pair of giant gold platform boots casually dropped by the staircase. This is clearly the home of a drag artist.

Pixie is without a doubt a staple of the Cardiff scene. Holding residencey at the city’s Golden Cross, she entertains her punters every Wednesday with her own style of cabaret. But it hasn’t always been that way. After studying classical piano and eventually graduating from the Welsh College of Music and Drama, Pixie aka Gary Mullins’ career took an unexpected turn: “while I was there I couldn’t forsee a time where i would be making much money, so I decided to put the music on hold.” It was soon after that Gary was introduced to an infamous face of the Cardiff drag circuit, Miss Kitty.

After pestering Miss Kitty on a weekly basis to join her on stage, Kitty finally caved in and Pixie Perez was pushed into the limelight: “I used to ask her every Friday evening ‘Do you think you’re beautiful?’ and she replied ‘yessss’.” Drag Queens obviously aren’t known for their modesty.

Pixie then performed in Ibiza before returning to her home turf. That’s not to say that the female impersonater has neglected the Welsh capital of her time and showtunes: “I always like going away. Belfast, Copenhagen, etc, it keeps me fresh and it keeps me on my toes.” But she always enjoys returning to a home crowd and the unique clientele of the Golden Cross. These poor individuals are somewhat easy targets for the likes of Pixie’s scathing insults, something that she has acquired a reputation for.

The art of a put-down is something Pixie certainly has a hold of: “There’s a way of getting away with saying the most horrible things to people. I like to lull victims into a false sense of security and then hit them hard when they least expect it.” Pixie even confessed to breaking an unfortunate individual after brutally declaring him a “ginger love puff”. That’s the great thing about Pixie, she knows how to work a crowd to her advantage. She’s a self-confessed bitch whose lashing tongue is often followed by a flutter of the eyelids and the phrase “But you know I’m only joking, cherub.” Even Gay Quench didn’t get off lightly. When we popped in to see her Wednesday show, we were singled out as students, after Pixie apparently caught a whiff of “pot noodle and damp.”

If any drag artist is going to take over the world, it has to be Pixie. This is evident after her recent footing in a popular BBC medical drama. The Casualty producers approached Pixie for a slutty Madonna-esque performance in a recent episode. However, she was forced to mime after it was discovered that Pixie’s vocal stylings were somewhat flat: “I’m not a singer” she confessed. It seems Pixie posseses a degree of self-awareness that many members of the Cardiff scene tend to lack. Overall, her experience was an enjoyable one. Despite facing seven o’clock make-up calls on a cold Bristol morning and her request for a gang rape scene being declined, Pixie was sure that Guppy was after her: “I could feel something rubbing up against my arm.”

We wouldn’t be too surprised if the male cast of Casualty were infact lusting after Miss Perez, who, when in full costume, scrubs up pretty nicely. The transformation from Gary to Pixie is an incredible one. This is aided by Pixie moving costume designer and the proprietor of Glamour House Frocks, former drag artist Marcia, into her Cardiff abode. It’s at this point in the interview that Pixie peers under her dining table, insinuating that her dress maker is actually a small foreign boy going by the name of ‘Ting Tong’.

Her current housemate has had a lasting influence on Pixie’s act. She cites Marcia and Kerry Dupree as important figures in her career after watching them performing at Minsky’s showbar on Charles Street. Outside of the drag circuit Pixie’s influences lie in the classical genre, opera and musical theatre, with the recent ‘Wizard of Oz’ spin-off ‘Wicked’ proving to be one of her favourites. She also declares her love for “all that pompous circumstance stuff.” Unlike most teenage boys, Gary was often caught by his mother, in front of the mirror, hairbrush in hand singing along to ‘Cabaret’.

Pixie’s shows often encapsulate the excitement and glamour of such musicals. She seemingly expresses the sentiment that no one likes a power ballad, preferring anything up tempo: “In gay shows it’s all ABBA, hands in the air and all that crock of shit.” Pixie has also expressed a liking for performing songs by such artists as Queen, as it allows her to blur the boundaries of gendered vocal performance further: “It’s quite good when you can take the genre of drag and add a male perspective, singing masculine songs from a female point of view.” In order to enhance her performance, Pixie has recently given up the fags. But it hasn’t been easy: “I’m on heroin now.”

Pixie is not one to shy away from current affairs either. When the recent bird-flu epidemic came in to conversation she stated “Ipswich haven’t had much luck have they? With the five prostitutes gone and now the turkeys, where do you go for a gobble?!”

With Quench turning the ripe old age of 50 issues, we wanted to know where Pixie sees herself in 50 year’s time. This caused a little panic to occur as Pixie choked “I’ll be 80!” More worryingly, avoiding rehab is top of the agenda. If that goes to plan she’ll hopefully be playing the piano in a nice house, not without her faculties and keeping her good friends around her. Gary hopes to gradually fade Pixie out of his life. “I don’t want to do this job forever, but I’ll never give her up completely because I gain so much enjoyment from her.” It almost seems as if Pixie is like an ex-wife that will never quite go away.

Pixie’s views on the importance of having a prominent gay voice in society are distinctly positive. “I think it is superb. Ten years ago I came out and found it easy. Ten years before that it was terrible.” Pixie finds that a lot of gay men are stuck in relationships that simply go against their true sexual orientation. In this sense recent generations of gay people truly should be thankful. “Growing up I used to get called ‘Gay Gary’ and ‘Doctor Spock’, but apart from that I haven’t had much abuse at all. Things like the Quench Gay section are great ‘cause they’re getting the word out there.”

For more information on Pixie Perez including future appearances visit www.pixieperez.com

We ask ex-Gay editor Ian Loynd about the importance of our humble little section

Many misconceptions exist in Wales regarding issues of sexual identity. We collectively fail to recognise, celebrate and respect our differences. Prejudice is commonplace, accepted and rarely challenged. Non-heterosexual learners were poorly represented in student media and the gay section aimed to provide a platform for reasoned discourse on all matters regarding sexual orientation.

Homophobic intolerance is a significant contributor to antisocial behaviour in Wales’ schools, places of work and communities. The use of the word gay has come to mean anything which is disliked, substandard or dysfunctional. Its perpetual misuse, albeit conscious or unconscious, can lead to educational and professional underachievement, lack of confidence, low self-esteem and even suicide. Equality of opportunity is a right for all people and publications such as gair rhydd are to be congratulated for the part they play in exposing discriminatory cultural taboos.