DWV @ The Meth Lab – Review

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Alcoholic vegetarian Londoner looking for my jacket. Likes Pritt Stick, adjectival agreements, vinegar, Serena Williams, tattooed men, Camden Station and panthers (in that order). Dislikes fennel. Once threw chips at someone from Made In Chelsea.@dylanbjones

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Also known as Detox, Willam and Vicky Vox, DWV stormed the gay blogosphere last year with the now ubiquitous ‘This Boy Is A Bottom’ (based on ‘Girl On Fire’ by Alicia Keys, now lying forgotten in the bargain bucket at Poundland #byealicia). Fuelled by notoriety on the now seemingly unstoppable RuPaul’s Drag Race, they noshed up millions of views on YouTube and worldwide fame. Their other collective achievements involve vomiting on catwalks and becoming the faces of a limited edition nail lacquer.

Last week, cabaret night the Meth Lab at Camden’s ironically iconic gay pub The Black Cap played host to the three dragtacular bitch megastars. The evening’s proceedings were MC’d by the inimitably imperious Meth. The phrase ‘drag queen’ doesn’t really sum her up. She’s more a concept, a destination. And in case you’re wondering, no hardcore drugs are involved at The Meth Lab, just hardcore cabaret, hardcore bitching, and depending on who you go home with, hardcore sex.

She opened the evening’s proceedings with a haunting lip-sync rendition of ‘It’s A Man’s World’, swiftly followed by dance performer MissCairo, who was serving some flawless Jessica Rabbit burlesque bitch realness.

Then DWV stormed onto the stage. They began with a warm greeting, assuring us all that they definitely weren’t on drugs. Then WKD bottles shattered underfoot as the crowd surged forward and the first gushy knells of their debut hit ‘Chow Down’ chimed across the dancefloor and out onto Camden’s damp cobbles. It also involved perhaps the highlight of the entire night, when Detox spat into Willam’s mouth. We’re still not entirely sure whether it was accidental or not, but seeing one drag queen spit directly into another drag queen’s mouth is definitely worth a bus fare and ten quid for a ticket.

From there they burst into ‘Blurred Bynes’, a tongue-in-cheek parody of Robin Thicke’s bloody awful misogynist claptrap ‘Blurred Lines’. A small break ensued for a quick Red Bull and a lipstick touch-up backstage, then they returned one by one for solo stints. Willam’s involved a spilt vodka and a terrified-looking twink, and made absolutely no sense, but we wouldn’t have had it any other way.

They of course finished up with ‘This Boy Is A Bottom’; audience members who weren’t screeching the words suddenly started doing shots or sticking their hands down each other’s pants. Which, considering the situation, was entirely appropriate really.

The electric atmosphere, round-the-corner entry queue and undulating ocean of Topman t-shirts highlighted the staggering success of this botoxed, bejewelled, brash trio of divas. Drag queens are taking over the world dahling. It’s just a shame no-one bought Vladimir Putin a ticket.

The Meth Lab is playing host to a sickeningly sequin-spattered line-up of queens in the coming months, including Alyssa Edwards, Michelle Visage and LATRIICCCCEE MOTHERFUCKIN’ ROYALE. So stick on some spandex, sashay down to Camden and EAT IT, HUNTY. Tickets available here.