SlayStation, a new drag gaming night, launches in London
SlayStation is the new London night giving the queers exactly what they never knew they needed – Drag and video games combined! Did you try convincing the school kids that you played Princess Peach for her special attack? Or were you obsessed with Princess Daisy giving big butch bi energy in her footie kit? Then this is the night for you!
Debuting Monday 13 December, 8pm at the Glory, hosted by Lipsync1000 legend VELVET CAVEAT and featuring performances by PETTY NONSENSE, MISS TERRI BOXX, and FRANK N’ FLIRTER, this is a night not to miss!
I caught up with Velvet Caveat to find out more about them and what people can expect for this night of drag and gaming fun!
Hey Velvet, how are you? How long have you been doing drag for?
Hi Robin! I’m great thank you, a little too busy for this time of year, but hibernation can wait a week longer. I’ve been doing drag now for 3 and a half years!
What’s been some of the highlights this past year?
I mean the first half was a bit dead, wasn’t it? A good excuse to game though! Spent a lot of time with the FFVII Remake. Spent way too much time getting Aerith and Cloud the perfect dresses.
But then I moved to London in June, which has been fab! I’ve been able to perform live again which I have missed so much. In August I did a show dedicated to the singer Marina and her friends and family came, which was crazy. Sadly she was stuck in the States, so I can let her off the hook. And in October I competed in this year’s final of Lipsync1000 at the Clapham Grand wearing a custom Cortana/Zero Suit Samus-inspired look with fantastic dancers. So that has to be up there! I didn’t win, but neither did Bimini, so…
Is it true that you won Britain’s Best Nintendo Gamer when you were younger?
Ha, it is! One of the boys at school didn’t believe me until Mario and Luigi turned up to school with my award and a bunch of games for us all to play. I was 12 years old, clearly peaked too early, and won games for a year, a limited-edition Wii and DSi, a 3DS before launch, and a trip to New York for my family! Plus, it was the last competition they held so technically I’m the reigning champion.
What did you have to do to snatch that title?
It required tarpaulin, vaseline, and a lot of marbles!
Nah, so the heats were in GAME stores across the UK. I entered in Yorkshire, where I’m from, and had to play New Super Mario Bros. I came second in the store, so earned a trip to the final in London. They put us up for the night, gave us spending money, and the next day we were off to this fancy event. It was like a mini E3 with demos for upcoming games and gift bags for guests.
The final showdown was on the GoldenEye Wii remake. They split the 16 of us into age-based rounds, so I was with the kids. I barely made it through, shooters aren’t my thing. So I was just happy to have made it to the Elite 4! The final map was one we hadn’t been allowed to play, but I noticed a tower in the art. So I thought, let’s try out a sniper rifle. Be experimental. And it worked! I sniped off the adults in brawling on the ground, then switched to my primary and finished the job!
Are you interested in becoming the UK’s first drag esports pro?
Gosh, wouldn’t that be camp. I don’t think I have the time right now, sadly. Got my day job and my gay job, plus trying to be social too. But I would love to be involved in the scene in some way.
You’ve got a new night coming up in London, SlayStation! Tell us more about that!
Yes, super excited for it. It’s a video game-themed drag show/night at the iconic queer London venue, The Glory. If you haven’t been, I recommend it. The first one is on Monday, 13th December. There’s going to be loads of video game-themed performances, audience games with nerdy prizes, and an audience costume competition! So costumes are encouraged, but definitely not necessary.
Where did you get the inspiration for it?
I just felt like there was a clear market for it, I have so many friends in the community who are huge gamers. Gaming was the first thing that let me experiment with gender and presentation. There’s something really inherently queer in that. So I wanted to celebrate that through my love of drag and performance.
What’s your aim for the future of the night as we move into 2022?
I’m hoping that it’s going to be popular enough to make this a monthly thing, with future events being themed after specific genres and series. Already planning for January to be Pokemon-themed and expecting lots of Team Rocket members present.
Are you seeing more of a crossover between drag, cosplay and gaming?
Definitely, which just makes a lot of sense to me. Like I said gaming is an LGBT+ thing and so to me, it makes sense for those worlds to collide. All three are about giving the fantasy!
Where can people find out more about you and SlayStation?
I’m glad you asked! You can find me on most social media outlets (not OnlyFans, yet) @velvetcaveat and you can specifically find SlayStation on Instagram @slaystationexp so please drop us a follow. For the gayming memes if nothing else!
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