Willam
I’m back again at Brighton’s prestigious Powder Room for their latest event; Willam and Alyssa Edwards! The show was fantastic as always, with a wonderful range of diverse acts, showcasing the divine talent Brighton has to offer. Hosting the evening was the hilarious Tina T’urner Tea Lady, who is just as ridiculously incredible as you’d think. House queens Lydia L’Scabies and Rococo Chanel wowed the crowd with their own acts, followed by an introduction to the double act “Cinebra” (they really like movies). Revenge’s “Lipsync For Your Life” winner and drag king Richard Von Wild also took to the stage, slaying his fast pace lipsync. Then came the headline acts! A combination one would think as unconventional proved to be sensational. With Alyssa’s incredible dance routines and motor mouth (I could listen to her speak about nothing for the rest of my life) to Willam’s sassy presence, hilarious parody songs and STD readings, the pair had the crowd in stitches. I sat down with Willam after the show..
Emily: Hey Willam! You’re frequently in the UK, how do you find it here?
Willam: The more North I go, the harder it is to understand the accents I find. I don’t know if that’s cause it’s like where winter is coming from, or if the Wall is up there or what.
Emily: They’re all Wildlings.
Willam: Yeah, there’s White Walkers!
Photo by Ellis-James Strevens
Emily: Do you find shows differs greatly here in the UK than when you’re in the US?
Willam: No no, everybody’s drunk. People drink more in places where there is good public transportation, because there’s always less one designated driver, y’know. So like usually there’s one person who drives, so there’s one out of like maybe three or four people who’s not super fucked up. Over here they’re all fucked up, which is fun! They think I’m prettier.
Emily: Do you find the UK queens here differ from the ones back home?
Willam: No, queens are queens. There’s a type of everything, everywhere y’know.
Emily: Do you have any UK influences on your drag at all?
Willam: Yeah, it doesn’t come through strongly but Leigh Bowery. Charles Busch isn’t English but he has a very like English air about him, and Culture Club. Culture Club was huge for me.
Emily: Awesome. So you’ve just released a new song with Jackie Beat called “Penis in the Ladies Room”. Can you tell us about that at all?
Willam: It’s in response to the North Carolina bathroom laws, and Mississippi too, which just passed this stupid law about transgender people in bathrooms.
Emily: You have a really successful YouTube career. Out of Paint Me Bitch and Beatdown, do you have any particular favourites?
Willam: I don’t! I love my job, so both are equally satisfying!
Emily: I adore them both too. Where did they blossom from, as such?
Willam: With Beatdown, I was a Mystery Science Theatre 3000 fan. I would always be the person being shushed in the movie for talking back to the screen. It was kind of like that. I’d just say what people were thinking while they were watching. And with Paint Me Bitch, I saw James St James’ show and I wanted to do the same thing but actually have an ending. I like his show, there’s just not much on an ending. He just sits in the basement and takes a photo. I wanted an ending.
Photo by Ellis-James Strevens
Emily: You always have stunning designer clothes. Did this passion directly stem from anything?
Willam: I just like wearing nice things. If I wear nice things, you can’t clock me for other stuff, y’know my face or anything else.
Emily: Aw, sh. You have a beautiful face!
Alyssa: TELL THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH!
Willam: I like a label. But I get them all on discount, borrowed and pulls.
Emily: I’ve heard you mention that before. I have no idea how that works.
Willam: You have to suck the right dicks.
Photo by Ellis-James Strevens
Emily: I know you started in acting, but what was your first ever drag performance like?
Willam: My first ever drag performance? I was doing extra work.
Emily: What your favourite role you’ve ever played?
Willam: The one I’m doing now! It’s in a mini series called “When We Rise”.
Emily: Can you tell me more about the track “She Doesn’t Know”? I love that song, but I have no idea where it came from.
Willam: “She Doesn’t Know” was an attempt to be a pop star, and it didn’t work. No one cares about me unless I’m funny. I wouldn’t be able to sing it. It’s a good song, I just don’t know all the words, probably. If you put me on the spot, *tries to sing it*, no I can’t, I’m sorry!
Photo by Ellis-James Strevens
Emily: Can you tell us about your upcoming book release, (Suck Less: Where There’s a Willam, There’s a Way)?
Willam: October 18th, 2016. I wanna do a book tour. Hopefully I’ll be back here!
Emily: Finally, is there anything you wanna plug?
Willam: A converter, because I always fucking forget one when I come here.
Emily: Thank you, Willam!
Willam: Thank you, baby.
Keep up to date with Willam on his social media and pre-order his book here:
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Book.
Make sure we see you at the next Powder Room show, KIM CHI!
Click here to buy tickets!
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