A new stage

What do you get if you mix a motorbike, a handful of showgirls, free booze and a DIVA board member? My first answer would have been a bloody great time -“ and I have to admit it was just that -“ but

I am really talking about the official opening of The Palace hotel last Friday night. The Palace hotel is on the corner of Flinders and South Dowling Streets, making Flinders St filled with gay hotels left, right and centre.

Now I am sure you are all sick and tired of my bitching about not enough hotels where we showgirls can jump around like fools. Over the years it seems the number of hotels with drag acts has slowly diminished.

That’s not to say that the ones that have stuck around haven’t done an amazing job. As shows started to disappear, hotels like Stonewall and the Midnight Shift pushed to have more shows on more nights, going from drag on just two nights a week to almost every night.

But there is something about a new stage, and I have been told by the lady doing all the pushing, Helen Ryan, that The Palace hotel is in it for the long haul.

Already shows are on Friday and Saturday nights. Friday nights feature new girl on the block Kirsten Damned, usually found behind the sewing machine but now given a opportunity to tread the boards. The very sexy pocket rocket Kane flips and spins up a storm.

And how can we forget DIVA Entertainer of the Year, Miss Congeniality, and Choreographer 2005, Minnie Cooper, bringing up the rear? These three plus special guest, the fabulous Verushka Darling, will be doing Brokeback Fridays shows starting at 9pm.

Then we have our Saturday night show, Queens At The Palace, with me as warm-up act (yes, I will warm each and every one of you personally) and the gorgeous Vanity Faire with her glamorous one-woman, impersonation show. It’s a great way to start the evening before a night of burning the dancefloor.

I have to say thank you to the staff and especially Mark for a wonderful opening last Friday night. As I always say, there’s nothing better than a fabulous opening.

EYESPY I try to be happy and friendly wherever I go. I think karma is out there and it will get us. So anyone who thinks it’s okay to personally attack anyone, either my fellow performers or fellow patrons, is not welcome anywhere that I will be working. You will be evicted from the house. This is not revenge at all -“ this is a fact.

To all the boys at the Harbourview Hotel, thank you for looking after me so well on Anzac day, though I have to say calling two-up for six hours really does put a strain on you. But how can I complain about a pub full of straight boys all looking at me? What a day!