‘See me with them hands’ – An Interview with Tatianna (March 11, 2017)

Sickening Glasgow got the lucky chance to sit down with one of the most well known queens from RuPaul’s Drag Race, the lovely Tatianna when she visited Glasgow as a part of her sell out UK tour.

You can find the audio interview at the bottom of the page after the transcribed text.

We want to give a huge thank you to Tatianna for taking the time out of her busy evening to sit down with us, you were so lovely and we had an absolutely amazing evening. She totally killed her show, Glasgow loves her and wants her back ASAP.

We also want to give a special thank you to Scott and the rest of the staff at AXM Glasgow for making this happen for us, we appreciate it so much, you’re all awesome.

Please check out AXM Glasgow’s Facebook and website for upcoming drag and club night events including RuPaul’s Drag Race icons and fresh faces alike. You can also catch the weekly drag show ‘Trigger’ every Thursday night at 10pm. Support your local queens!

SG: So, how’re you enjoying Glasgow so far? I know you just got here today but will you be seeing much of the city while you’re here?

T: Umm, I saw the ride from the train station to the hotel…and it seemed fun.

[laughing]

T: A fun city!

SG: Better behind a window glass.

[laughing]

SG: Are you here tomorrow?

T: No, I leave right in the morning.

SG: Where are you headed to next?

T: Home!

SG: Aww, what? So is this your last UK stop?

T: This is my last and my sixth or seventh gig since I’ve been in the UK, this time.

SG: Hoping for more!

T: Oh yeah, I’d come back next week.

SG: Just stay here for a week, Glasgow is at its best at night anyway. We’ll have an after party, just come back to ours.

T: Boom!

[laughing]

---

SG: So you started drag at such a young age. Who were your inspirations and did you have any drag names prior to Tatianna?

T: I was always Tatianna, but when I was growing up and doing drag I was always inspired by Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Aaliyah, just big pop stars that danced. That was my thing.

SG: So let’s bring that onto our next question, how does it feel to do a better Britney Spears than Derrick Barry? (wink wink, nudge nudge)

T: Lies, I can’t say that I do that. I think it’s great that both me and Derrick do Britney but we both do it in very different ways.

SG: Exactly!

T: She’s very proper about it, very focused on the choreography, she takes it very seriously and that’s awesome. When I do Britney, I’m not necessarily impersonating her, per say, like I do some of the choreography but I inject a little bit of me too because I enjoy it more.

SG: Man butter, of course.

[laughing]

T: I love it though, me and Derrick actually got to do a Britney vs. Britney number in Washington, DC. She came to my club. So it’s cool and I think in the near future we’re gonna do a Britney vs. Britney tour.

SG: That would be amazing!

T: Yeah, me and her doing Britney’s together.

SG: Queen vs. Queen, that would be so amazing, please bring it to Glasgow!

---

SG: So on All Stars 2  you mentioned about introducing Tatianna to a whole new audience, so how has it compared from Season 2 to All Stars 2 and being introduced to a whole bunch of new kids?

T: It’s cool, yeah, it’s a completely different demographic that it’s hitting. It’s much wider, it’s a lot of young girls now that’re really into the show and it’s great. I think I’ve changed the way of just, well obviously you get better when you’re doing something for six years, you’re obviously going to improve physically and stage presence-wise. But also, I’m just more confident in myself, I don’t give as much as a fuck about what other people think… oh, can I curse? Can you blur it out?

SG: Oh no, of course! You’ll fit right in, in Scotland!

SG: I think that showed on the show as well, like you say, there’s a progression from Season 2 to All Stars 2 and that’s really awesome…sorry, I’m just fangirling here a little bit! The favourite of Season 2 and of All Stars 2. I mean, when we were told the casting of All Stars 1, we were like ‘’Where’s Tatianna?!”.

T: Do you know what, I think I lucked out on being on Season Two of All Stars, rather than being on Season One.

SG: Can we just say, best season ever! By far!

SG: So how does it feel to be a part of the best lip-sync for your life in the shows history? (Alyssa Edwards vs. Tatianna, obviously).

T: Well that is all opinion, I cannot say that [winks and smiles] but I will say it was awesome being able to showcase what I can do, not performing a mid-tempo seventies song, because on Season Two the only two times I got to do anything was some weird ass seventies shit that I certainly didn’t know. That’s not really my tea, that’s not my gig. So being able to do something that I’ve actually performed before and something that resonates with me and I like to do. It’s something upbeat and it was really cool.

SG: It was amazing, the matching costumes, the choreography…

T: And none of that was even planned!

SG: I remember staying up, I had work at like 8am the next day and I thought, I’m gonna stay up because we in the UK, we find ways to watch Drag Race because it’s not shown.

T: Oh yeah, I have ways too because I don’t have that channel!

[laughing]

T: I just wait half an hour after it airs and boom!

SG: It was worth staying up for, let’s just say that. Not only the best episode of all time but just the best lip-sync of all time and… yeah, everything about it. Every single time we get drunk it’s “Oh we’re gonna put that on!”, the view count goes up at least a thousand times.

[laughing]

---

SG: The local Glasgow girls (Trigger) were performing in Newcastle at the same time as you were, did you get a chance to see them? You just did the meet and greet with the Glasgow fans, how do you think they compare to anyone else?

T: Everyone’s awesome, everyone’s just really happy to be here and happy to meet and greet and that’s always really good to have that energy.

SG: Did anyone cry at your meet and greet?

T: Today, no. But there have been criers in the past and immediately I just point at them and go “Don’t you fucking cry, Don’t. Fucking. Cry. I’m just a dude in a dress!”

[laughing]

---

SG: So you’ve had quite a lot of memes and .gifs made from your time on the show, what’s your reaction to sort of becoming a meme queen, spreading all over the internet outside of Drag Race?

T: Well, it’s funny, there were a few memes from Season two, like when Season two aired, memes were not a thing but when memes became a thing, people went backwards and were look “Ooh, I can grab that.”, so there’s like a few but seeing all of them was kinda awesome, like you know you’ve made it if you’re a meme.

SG: Totally!

[laughing]

SG: I just love it when you click one of the .gif icons on Facebook and see one of your .gifs.

T: You know, one of my friends from high school, we weren’t even really close and we don’t talk at all but they messaged me on Facebook with a .gif of myself and he was like, “I just found this, are you famous?” and I was like “No, there’s just a .gif, it’s okay.”

[laughing]

T: But it’s interesting when there are people who haven’t caught up with me in a while, like just from normal life, are like, “Yeah, your face is on the internet”

SG: It must be surreal.

T: They didn’t even know I was on a TV show and they’re not watching Logo, so it’s funny to see that happen.

SG: So your time on Season two, you and Raven had let’s just say, a little bit of a rivalry…

T: I hated her.

[laughing]

SG: So have you buried the hatchet now?

T: Oh we’re totally cool. I just saw her on Monday. It was a lovely Season two reunion, it was me, her and Jujube in Newcastle. It was so much fun. Yeah me and Raven, it was two years we didn’t speak and I know on my part it was intentional. I’m not sure if it was on hers.

[laughing]

T: But yeah, no, we’re totally cool now.

SG: Yeah, because you guys have done videos together such as Fashion Photo RuView.

T: Yeah, it was fun and anytime I’m in her neck of the woods, I always try to hit her up and let her know I’m there. We worked together not too long ago, I think it was December, in LA. Everyone on Season two is cool with each other, there’s no more drama.

SG: It seems like when you view the reunions there’s a little bit of tension but two years later, all you guy are best friends.

T: Yeah, it’s funny because we’re the only ones, and each season is the same, we’re the only ones that had the experience that we had, together. Like with different seasons, we can all say “I know what you went through” but the girls on that season are the only ones who know how it was, so we always have that comradery and because our season was so early, there was season one and then ours which got the new space that they’re still using and we got the workroom which is the same type of workroom. I actually signed a brick on Season Two and when I came back for All Stars, I searched the room one night and…same fucking set. I didn’t do it when the cameras were rolling because I didn’t want to be yelled at for six years ago, defacing the set. It was like, “Oh, we’re cutting for dinner now, let me go take a peek.”

SG: So that’s actually a pretty good lead in question for the next one, how would you say the production differs from Season 2 to All Stars 2 in terms of progression, challenges, etc.

T: The challenges were a lot different, a lot of acting challenges, I was lucky that I got eliminated and then brought back because I got to skip two that I probably would’ve been good at.

[laughing]

T: But yeah, I do notice as the seasons go on, there’s a a range of things to be doing. In the way of actually filming, there’s a union situation, so everything’s very scheduled, we all get our breaks and it helps, I mean it’s still tiring as fuck but it’s cool that there’s a time where, “Okay, we all have to go home.”

[Sickening Glasgow notices the gorgeous six inch denim cut thigh high boots that Tatianna is wearing]

SG: I mean, I wore heels that size for one Halloween for about three hours and I was crippled for three days afterwards.

T: See, these are my most comfortable pair of heels actually.

SG: Can we touch them?

[Sickening Glasgow fangirls over the boots when Tatianna lets them touch the fabric]

T: They’re jean boots and they have little lace folds in them. I only typed ‘denim boots’ in Amazon and I was like “Ooh, I gotta get them!” and I waited a month and a half, they came from China.

SG: They are insanely beautiful! What size are they?

T: I’m a thirteen, I’m a thirteen US, so I think here, I’d be a twelve.

SG: I could wear extra socks and pull them off.

T: Oh, I am!

SG: They’re so beautiful.

T: Look ‘em up.

[laughing]

---

SG: So where would you see Tatianna in five years from now?

T: Oh, god. I don’t wanna know.

[laughing]

T: Umm, I’m always on the road, right? And so, I will not plan anything, nothing like two weeks ahead and I won’t go further than that because if I do, I’ll get overwhelmed. So I never like to put expectations on myself, but there are goals that I’d like to achieve. I definitely want to do more music, I wanna do a proper music video with dancers, production, all that good stuff. I wanna keep on touring and I wanna keep growing. And then, personal life, like I’d love to find a husband and have a baby…

SG: White picket fence? Dog? Cat?

T: Oh I don’t want a house; I’d love a condo.

*laughing*

SG: Or a small island somewhere.

T: Yeah, just cool adult things, like I’ve only looked into wanting that stuff for about half a year because before I thought “Oh, I don’t know if it’s possible.” and now I’m like, “Oh, I can do that, I can totally do that. Let’s fucking try.”

SG: Okay so lastly, a famous RuPaul question, is there anything you’d like to plug?

T: Of course, there’s ‘The Same Parts’ on iTunes, Spotify, TIDAL. There’s also my follow up single which is, ‘Transform’ available on all the same platforms. I don’t have any merch online, I don’t know why…

SG: It’s such a shame, we thought there was going to be a merch stall here, we’d love a t-shirt or something.

T: Well, some girls, they sell it and I think about going to the Post Office every week to go ship out about five hundred t-shirts, it does not sound fun for me.

[laughing]

T: I need to find a different way to do it. Yeah, I hope to do that too. To sell some merch online and have someone else take care of that because this working woman can only do so much!

[laughing]

SG: Girl gotta make that coin.

T: Exactly!

SG: Well, I guess that’s everything, we just want to say thank you so much.

T: Cool, success!

---

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Interview conducted by Jozef Hamilton and Gordon Penman

Photography by Simon Crawford

GORGE

Prepare to be gagged by GORGE, the new glam club night that combines avant-garde style with great music to bring one deliciously extravagant club event to the city.

We caught up with the ever glamorous Guillotina Munter to find out what GORGE is all about.

 

SG: Tell us why you decided to create Gorge?

GM: We created Gorge as we all felt that there was now a distinct gap in the market for the kind of nights that we all used to love going to – clubs where went specifically to glam up and dance.
I think it’s great that in a large part to our efforts we’ve managed to spawn such a fertile performance culture and drag scene in Glasgow and in wider Scotland that simply wasn’t there prior to Menergy, really. But with the expansion and proliferation of cabaret events, we’ve seen the converse happen with nights like Utter Gutter, Death Disco, etc. It doesn’t help that great, legendary venues like The Arches have closed down. For a lot of young alt queers, they’ll have no experience of just being able to step out in drag to go dancing. We want to really bring that fun element back to drag CLUBBING, with no shows and a focus on really good music.

 

SG: When and where is it?

GM: It’s going to be this Friday 24th March at the Berkeley Suite on North Street, next to the Mitchell Library, downstairs from Chinaskis, from 11-3. We felt it was important to throw the event in a non-scene venue. It’s a bit of a tradition with alt-queer events that they’re off-scene, not because the scene is bad or anything (I work in it often enough and enjoy it), but if you’re trying to mark yourself as being different then you really do need to take it to alternative spaces.

The lady is not for turning…unless its turning out a fantastic alt club night. Munter is the queen of GORGE

SG: Is this a one off night or will it be a permanent fixture on the Glasgow scene?

GM: Jon, Fraser, Bonner and I have wanted to do a night together for the longest time. Our main focus really is on throwing a really FUN party, first and foremost. If there’s an appetite for more, then that’s certainly something we’d be open to. We’re going to have to see how the first one goes, really. There’s no guarantee of any more, so if you’re reading this and swithering about whether to come or not, come!

 
SG: What will set Gorge apart from the many events in Glasgow?

GM:We’re placing ourselves alongside other great nights like our own Bonner’s Shoot Your Shot, those at the Art School, DILF, Hot Mess, but the main thing that sets us apart are the focus on glamming up to go out dancing. We’re in an amazingly sumptuous venue, it’s the kind of place you WANT to be photographed in your finery in!

 

SG: Is there a dress code at Gorge?

GM: There isn’t a dress code as that’s restrictive and a bit naff, but we do encourage you to glam up if you do desire. And we’re not an exclusively drag, or even gay night. We’ve made a point of making it a mixed night as those have always been the best club nights. Just do you.

SG: Where can we buy tickets for the event?

GM: You can get advanced tickets at http://buytickets.at/gorge

Raven & Jujubee

Friday 24th February AXM Glasgow plays host to the sickening duo Raven & Jujubee. SickeningGlasgow caught up with the gorgeous pair prior to their performances to get the 411 on the evolution of drag since their appearance on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 2 and what it was like having to lip sync against one another on AllStars season 1.

SickeningGlasgow: Do you guys have any idea the buzz that’s around Glasgow because Rujubee are coming to perform in AXM Glasgow??

Raven – I honestly have no idea!!! I am hoping there is quite the buzz! I am super excited to FINALLY be coming to play with you!!!

Jujubee – The response has been absolutely amazing! We cannot wait!

SG –  Can you tell us what’s in store for us in terms of your performances on 24th February?

Jujubee – I can’t speak for Raven, but I surely haven’t even started packing yet! It’s Sunday before we leave for the UK!

Raven – It will be a lip sync extravaganza! I am not much of a dancer. But I can promise tons of make up and grace and beauty!!! As far as the songs I have chosen…you have to show up and see!

Raven serving 1940s pinup 

SG – How has drag changed since you appeared on RPDR S2 in 2010?

Raven – OH MY GOSH!!! It has changed completely!!! Everyone wants to do drag now and being compared to a drag queen (for someone who isn’t) is now considered a compliment! RuPaul’s Drag Race has helped to set a precedent for what most up and coming queens aspire to be. Getting in the show has become a right of passage and a lot of the queens look to a contestant or two for inspiration!

Jujubee – My life has been a whirlwind of everything. I am having so much fun and living the best life. Raven and I have remained friends and I have RuPaul’s Drag Race to thank.

SG – Your lipsync to Robyn’s ‘Dancing on my Own’ on RPDR All Stars 1 was off the hook. How emotional was that to go head to head against each other?

Raven – Thank you! It was very emotional, for sure. I will say that it was the toughest challenge, BY FAR, that I ever had to face while competing on RuPaul’s Drag Race. I would do it all over again, if I had to…compete, that is. But to lip sync against Juju…NOPE!

Jujubee – Lip syncing against Raven was one of the hardest lip syncs ever. It was never something either of us imagined would happen. I’m glad we shared that moment.

SG – You guys not only appear on WOW videos but perform all over the world. How do you keep your looks so fresh and new?

Raven – This is actually my first time out of the country. I do work 5 nights a week when home and have traveled to every corner, nook and cranny of the U.S. My creativity helps to keep me on top of keeping things new. I spend more than I make and always try to change things up. My love and passion for drag is what keeps my creative juices flowing and turning out new looks all the time.

Jujubee – Who’s pictures are you looking at? 😭 My looks are so 2013.

SG – What advice would you give to new queens who are just starting out?

Raven – Keep your head out of the clouds. Just because you may dress fierce and feel like it does not mean you have to act like a bitch. Be humble. Wait in lines if you have to. Be able to pay for your own drinks. Don’t get the idea that you may be a fierce queen and everything should be handed to you. It’s then that you may walk up to the bouncer and say, “do you know who I am?” And they look at you, laugh and say get back in line! Also, blend your make up and wash your tights!

Jujubee – I would say they should follow their heart, but bring their heads along. Drag can be very expensive and also physically demanding. Give 100% all the time and create a character and idea using the most inspiring aspects of yourself.

SG – What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you guys at a meet & greet?

Raven – I often find it strange when people cry. I just don’t see myself as someone to cry over.

Jujubee – It wasn’t so strange, but we drew on each other’s faces in with permanent marker once. 🙊

Jujubee serving cakes at her last Glasgow performance. Photo by Crawford

SG – Do you guys think there is an age limit on drag? Would you still like to be performing at 80 in drag, for instance?

Jujubee – There is no age limit to drag. I’m unsure if I’d do drag in my 80s, but if Lady Bunny can do it still, we all can!!

Raven – As long as there is lipstick left in the world and you have a passion for it, do it! I know plenty of fierce queens STILL in the bizz and approaching 60! I will be there one day!

SG –  Who is the most famous person who have proclaimed their love for you since appearing on Drag Race?

Raven – There have been way too many! EVERYBODY LOVES RAVEN!!!

Jujubee – LADY BUNNY!!! I flipped out when I met her. FLIPPED OUT.

SG – What will 2017 bring for Raven and Jujubee?

Raven – Well, for me…I finally get to travel abroad and have the gigs lining up!!!!!!

Jujubee – For me, hopefully new costumes.

Interview by Gordon Penman for SickeningGlasgow

Kim Chi

On Friday 3rd February, AXM Glasgow played host to the utterly gorgeous and talented Kim Chi. SickeningGlasgow had the privilege of sitting down with the breakaway star of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 and chat about Glasgow delicacies, make-up and Kimono-gate of Season 8.

SG: Welcome back to Glasgow. Have you had a chance to explore the city much on your visits?

KC: Its great to be back! Last time I was here I never got much of a chance to see the city but I had an extra day this time around and got see visit some of the museums and galleries. Its so much fun.

SG: Have you tried some classic Scottish food or beverages yet?

KC: Yeah I got to try haggis, lots of shortbread and Irn Bru. It tastes like liquid candy. I also got to try the vanilla wafer things, I can’t remember the name but it’s like a caramel block, they’re really good.

SG: Have you tried a roll and square sausage?

KC: Last time I was here I did. It was really good. I didn’t try it on a morning roll though.

SG: You got to see some of the amazing talent we have here in the city last night. How amazing are the Trigger girls who perform here at AXM Glasgow every Thursday?

KC: They were really, really cool. They have a really good variety of girls, they have the sexy queens, the dancing queens, the comedy queens. You guys have an amazing drag scene here.

Photo by Crawford

SG: We know you as a fierce fashionista with legendary makeup skills but we all have to start somewhere, right? Describe your first time in drag.

KC: Pearl (from RPDR S7) was like “Hey, I’m gonna do drag for Halloween if you wanna do it with me” and I was like “OK”. So we went out and bought makeup and brushes and all the stuff we needed. I practiced for a month before I went out. My first time in drag my look was inspired by Alexander McQueen Fall 2008 collection where the entire collection was inspired by Leigh Bowery. My face was painted completely white with huge red lips and I wore a red and black houndstooth outfit.

SG: Were you really called Jizzney Princess and what made you choose that name?

KC: The very first night it was Jizzney Princess, then it’s been Kim Chi ever since. I chose it because I was like “oh that’s punny” lol.

Photo by Crawford

SG: Your season of Drag Race opened with one of the best challenges in the entire history of the show, if you had a choice of a previous challenge to base your first runway look from, other than the Hair Ball of course, what would it be?

KC: Definitely the Hello Kitty challenge. Right now I wouldn’t know exactly what look I would do because I would have to see the materials to be inspired by them, but I know I could have turned out the Hello Kitty challenge.

SG: Was ‘Kimono-gate of season 8’ just a coincidence?

KC: Oh yeah, I think it was because we were all trying to avoid such iconic Madonna looks as we thought everyone would bring them. All of us thought we were being ‘alternative’ by bringing such an obscure Madonna look but it turns out everyone was thinking the same.

SG: If its any consolation, we thought yours was the best

KC: Aw, thankyou. Mine was the most expensive and was a traditional Japanese wedding kimono.

SG: You recently collaborated with Sugarpill. Do you have any other products in the pipeline?

KC: I have collaboration with PERVERSE sunglasses and I’m launching a mini sunglass collection soon.

SG: When will they be released?

KC: They will be debuted at Drag Con and available for sale on the PERVERSE sunglasses website and my website as well. I’ve also collaborated with Just Peachy who makes these really cute enamel pins, so that will be coming out shortly. I’m also collaborating with Wigs & Grace and I have my own wig colour coming out shortly

SG: Can you tell us which colour it will be?

KC: No, its gonna be a surprise!!

Photo by Crawford

SG: Why do you think that RPDR has such an international appeal?

KC: I think because drag is such a fascinating art so you have to be a jack of all trades; you have to be good at doing makeup, performing, being social and talking to people. Even acting and singing if that’s your thing. I think people are fascinated by talent shows in general, but its also the audiences ability to relate to the queen’s personal stories as well. It’s a combination of everything. As long as you accept drag as a form of art you can easily watch the show, grasp it and understand it.

SG: Would you return for All Stars 3 if given the chance?

KC: Its hard to say. I would never say no to an amazing opportunity but if I were to go on All Stars I’d like to improve on a few skills first, like a dancing class lol.

SG: Would you give us Pearl for Snatch Game?

KC: I’ll keep that as a surprise!!

SG: So, what’s next for Kim Chi?

KC: There’s a lot of cool things happening this year. This week I get to teach a week long course at Amsterdam University. After that I’m travelling to Peru, Korea, my Australian tour starts after that. It’s a round of non stop travelling and working but I love it.

SG: Going back to Korea must be great. Were you born there?

KC: I was born in America but went to elementary school in Korea.

SG: Do you think that has given you a different perspective having been exposed to two different countries?

KC: I’m really grateful I got to grow up in two different countries and got to experience both education systems and I feel like that really shaped my current work ethic.

SG: You can certainly see the influences in your fashion and makeup. What got you started in makeup?

KC: Halloween really. It was all accidental. I never set out or thought that I would be doing makeup it just kinda happened. I’ve always been an artist, I was actually working as a graphic designer, then I started drag and now here I am!

SG: So are you now a full time drag queen and celebrity?

KC: Yeah I do drag full time. Before that I was a graphic designer and I also worked as a server at a restaurant. The struggle was real lol.

HEAD TO THE SICKENINGGLASGOW FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE FULL SHOOT OF THE EVENT

Interview by Gordon Penman and Jozef Hamilton for Sickening Glasgow

Photography by Crawford

Queen Henny; Stacy Layne Matthews

Happy new year, Stacy!! How did you spend your Christmas?

hey henny!!!! I spent my Christmas with family. The best way to do it. I have my blood family and then I have my chosen family/drag family if you will. Food…. presents…. and a few cocktails.

First question that our readers want to know is why are you so god damn fabulous?

Lol well I think all big girls are fabulous. People tend to put big girls in a box and try to convince them that they can’t do anything a skinny girl can but I feel like it’s my job to convince them other wise.

When are you coming to Glasgow?

I would love to come to Glasgow. I hear it’s amazing. So maybe we need to make that happen HENNY!!!!

You are best known to your fans as the breakaway star of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 3. How has appearing on Drag Race changed you and your drag?

I will honestly say that I always knew that I was destined to be a star I just wasn’t sure when it would happen. Then I started watching the previous seasons of drag race and I knew this was my opportunity. I had been doing drag for 9 years at that point. Working in the clubs and trying to make it in a world where opportunities don’t happen very often. At least not where I come from. I took a chance and I was called. It has changed my life in so many ways. I was finally recognized for all my hard work throughout the years. It gave me a chance to create a name for myself. I would be nothing with out the fans and people who support me. So for that I’m very thankful.

You had some beef with some of the other girls on the series, have you resolved those issues with them?

I think that everyone was stressed during filming of the show. No sleep…. tensions were high so of course we all were on edge. I still speak to a lot of them. Some more than others. So there is no beef henny!!! Unless you mean steak? Lol I love steak.

One of SickeningGlasgow’s favourite catchphrases of yours is “Henny” which has now entered the drag lexicon. How do you feel about that?

Well I have been using that word my whole life. I think it’s a small town country queen thing. I think it’s great that people use the word. Have a catch phrase sets you apart from other queens and makes you unique. Ain’t that right henny?

Would you be down for Monique playing you in the TV film of your life?

That would be amazing. I first met Monique back in 2011. I can honestly say it was one of the highlights of my career. She is one of my favorite characters to do during my drag shows and especially pageants.

What challenge from any other season do you wish you could’ve gotten the chance to do?

I wish I would have been able to do any of the singing challenges. Singing and doing theater is what got me into doing drag. I would have loved to showcase that talent on the show.

How does it feel to be the meme queen of Drag Race? I think the only other one close to your level is Laganja Estranja.

I love it. It feels good to keep people entertained. I make some of the memes myself and I’m glad people love them as much as I do. I hear I’m very popular on reddit as well. Spreading my henny all over the world. Lol

What’s your favourite song to lip sync to?

I know it’s a little over done and every drag queen on the planet has done it but I have a dream girls mix with “love you I do” and “And I am telling you”. It’s very dramatic and tells a story that a lot of us are familiar with. I’m not going anywhere…. I’m gonna stay right here and you are gonna love me HENNYYYYY!!!!

The majority of us know you as Stacy but not a lot of your fans know about Ron, your boy self. Tell us about Ron.

Well Ron is a boy that grew up in a household where I didn’t have the best relationship with my father. I don’t talk about it a lot but I’m actually transgender. The only people that call me by my boy name are most of my family. I grew up surrounded by very religious people where homosexuality was frowned on. Not only did I grow up knowing I was “gay” but knowing that I was born in the wrong body. I don’t get much support from my family when it comes to living my true self which is why I have my chosen family. People that love me for who I am. People that support me in everything that I do. That person “Ron” is still a part of me but I will forever be STACY LAYNE MATTHEWS.  Queen Henny!!!

We at SickeningGlasgow would love for you to be a contestant on Drag Race All Stars 3. If you took part what would you do differently?

I would definitely showcase my true self. I feel like what people seen on season 3 was not me. I’m a lot more funny…. fun…. loud at times. I guess the stress of the competition made me go into some sort of shell. If I were given the chance again
I definitely would not hold back and would speak my mind and let them all know that queen henny is in the building.

What does 2017 hold for Stacy Layne?

I want 2017 to be a great year for me. I really wanna get healthier…. I spent a lot of the last few years dealing with anxiety and depression but I think 2017 is the year where I can be the best me. Work on music…. New content for social media
Travel more. Visit Glasgow (fingers crossed). Meet new people and make lasting friendships. And if you are reading this I want you to be apart of that. HENNYYYYY XOXO.

Siblings Out The Closet

Dear SickeningGlasgow,

 I urgently need your help. I told my parents I was gay when I was 15. My dad flew into a rage and demanded I go to counselling and my mum cried, saying I just hadn’t found the right girl yet. My only ally during this time was my older sister who had gay friends and completely supported my sexuality. Now I am in my late twenties and my parents are completely accepting of me and we have a great relationship. The problem I have is that my sister has recently come out as gay and my parents are delighted and oh so understanding of her. No tears were shed, no threats of counselling or anything like that. Should I be rejoicing at the fact that my sister didn’t have to go through what I did or am I right to be annoyed about it??

 Gary from Glasgow

 

Frans Gender 

Dear Gary,

It’s always wonderful news when a family has managed to wade through years of proverbiale crab-grass to reach the well-tilled fields of acceptance. Sure, you’re only human and it’s natural to feel jealous of your parent’s immediate acceptance of your sibling’s vaginal inclination but if I were you I’d just suck it up (I know fully that you’re perfectly capable of such an act) and be happy for your sister. Some families spend their entire lives separated by ignorance so do your best to be there for your sister. Maybe buy her some hiking boots or a coupon for a “lumberjack-vagina” class or something (I don’t know many lesbians).

 

 

 

 

Alana Duvey

 

Hi Gary,

Thank you so much for getting in touch with me this week.  That’s certainly a dilemma you have there.  My advice to you is that now is the time to throw the tantrum of all tantrums!  You flounce on into that living room with your high heels on in front of the whole family as they watch X Factor and let rip!  Tell them exactly how you feel, how rejected you felt when you came out.  Fall to the ground slowly sliding down the arm of the couch with your mascara running down your face from the tears!  Kick your legs and arms up in the air and off the floor shouting how it’s not fair and that it’s pure favouritism.  As for your double crossing sister, clearly drunk on jealousy at the attention you got for coming out pretending to support you before “coming out herself” she’s not even a lesbian, she told me!  She’ll be forced to admit her lies and from then on you’ll be at your parent’s mercy.  Anything you want, it’s yours through fear of wrongfully upsetting you again and your sister will be forced to live in the loft where she belongs, feeding on scraps from a trough once a month.  Happiness all round.  You’re welcome.

 

 

 

Jordy Deelight

Hi Gary,

Here’s Jordy Dee spilling some T! Coming out is a horrible, horrible experience, and my best advice to you and your sibling would be to go back in the closet and stay there. But on a serious note- the fact you and your sibling have both managed to share a personal part of yourselves is something to be proud of- the main word being PROUD. Here comes the more tricky part. You say the problem is the fact your parents haven’t shown the same negative treatment to your sister, much like your own experience, and that you’re annoyed. Well of course you’re annoyed, you’re a gay man. But surely you want your sister to be accepted like you are now, and use your experience as a starting point for educating your parents and preventing this for future generations? No? Oh well, I suggest if you don’t that you cancel your Netflix subscription so your sister can’t watch any more Orange is the New Black.

 

 

Glitter & Grind Revue

Following on from the success of their first two shows, Tom Harlow and Kim Khaos do it again! Bringing an amazing selection of talent to the stage at Polo Lounge, Glasgow. The stage was set, the sparkling decor was shimmering and the crowd was ready. The plethora of acts wowed, amazed and entertained. The international burlesque superstar, Velma Von Bon Bon. Rusty Von Chrome, Drag King of the Codpiece. Miss Hell’s Belle a femme fatale, elegant and graceful. Raven Rose, it wasn’t easy being green, but she managed it with aplomb! Dharma Geddon brought the Pokemon, as well as the GO; Battling Tom to the bitter end. Kim Khaos, so seductive she may have turned me. and Tom Harlow; host, boylesque extraordinaire and vocal powerhouse. This amazing collection of talent put on one hell of a show. If you missed this one, get ready for 2017!

All images by Crawford

 

365 Days under the Duvey with Alana

It’s been a year since we last had you over to the SickeningGlasgow HQ for a kiki. What’s been happening in the time since we last saw you?

Has it been a year already?  Wow!  Might I say, you’ve certainly gotten more and more sickening over the last 12 months, haven’t you?  Looking gooooood!  I heard after a year you got upgraded from kiki to kaikai! <laughs> Jings, what hasn’t been happening over the last year?  Drag in Glasgow has just exploded, hasn’t it?  It’s amazing!

Well, I’m still with my awesome partner in grime, Dharma Geddon who has been slaying the whole game lately.  She just gets better and better!  Can we just take a moment to appreciate how talented she is? <pauses and stares off into the distance>

Anyway, speaking of our relationship, we spent our 5-year Anniversary performing at SUCK in Delmonicas!  Who else can say they performed ‘Cartoon Heroes’ by Aqua in drag with their other half on their 5-year Anniversary?  It was also our first time performing that routine, we thought it would be fun to debut a new Alharma/Dharmana/Dharmalanadingdong(?) duet for it.  It certainly was an Anniversary to remember, so much fun.

On the topic of Anniversaries, it was the Mothertucker 1 Year Anniversary show recently and to celebrate the girls plus the extended Mothertucker family (which included myself) got together for a beautiful plant themed photo shoot at Glasgow’s Botanic Gardens to promote the night/show.  We got lots of amazing snaps from Frankie Hunter and video clips from Jason Pickering, which have all been put together for the new Mothertucker Teaser Trailer and promotional images.  It was such a fun day and the show itself in Katie’s Bar was phenomenal.  Dharma and I even won the award for ‘Best Guest Performance’ of the year for our ode to ‘Wicked’ performance of ‘Defying Gravity’.

What else has happened over the last year?  Oh, I walked in the Glasgow Pride parade with Dharma.  I also debuted my first YouTube series, my Dragony Aunt show, ‘Ask Alana’ and may have only recorded 2 episodes, woops!  Don’t worry though, I haven’t forgotten about it.  The World’s questions will still be answered!  Dharma and I have also just uploaded a new episode of ’60 Minute Gayme Over’… last year’s Halloween Special.  We’re not doing so well at uploading these vids, are we?  Just like ‘Ask Alana’ we haven’t forgotten about it and have some fun ideas in the works.  It’s certainly not the last you’ve seen of the infamous adverts!

I tried my hand at judging this year after being approached by gay wrestler extraordinaire, ICW and Discovery Wrestling’s Christopher Saynt to judge the Miss House Of Saynt Pageant in Katie’s Bar and what fun that was!  I think my reputation of being the nice queen may have went out the window after asking the contestants that question!  It was lots of fun though and would love to do it again.  Frans Gender was a worthy winner but, to be honest, the decision was a very difficult one to make as everyone truly slayed the house down boots mama yes gawd!

Above all that I’ve still been performing my wee tooshie off whenever I can.  I think I’ve performed at most events at least once.  I’ve done a few Mothertuckers and SUCKs, including SUCK’s Pride Special alongside special guests Athena and Anna Lies.  I’ve enjoyed performing at the Drag-Opticon in the STUNNING Britannia Panopticon Music Hall and Trigger in its new home of AXM. I even got the wonderful opportunity to open for the amazing Delta Work in Katie’s Bar.  What an amazing experience that was.  Delta was such a lovely and warm human being.  Such a great performer too.

I’ve recently been dabbling into Glasgow’s Cabaret scene which I’m thoroughly enjoying.  You can find Dharma and myself as your regular door whore’s at The Glitter & Grind Revue, an amazing cabaret night full of glitz n’ glamour, created and hosted by Tom Harlow and Kim Khaos in The Polo Lounge.  I’ve also performed at The Big Variety at the Panopticon and AllSorts Cabaret’s first show at their new venue Avante Garde.  I don’t know if you heard, but I also made my acting debut in the Mothertucker Christmas Pantomime ‘A Fistmas Carol’ as Mrs Dribbler and in EK Rep’s production of ‘Ladies Downunder’ in East Kilbride’s Village Theatre which was a hoot!  Boylana loved acting with the ‘Rep back in the day before work commitments got in the way so it was lovely to dip my toe back in, both in drag and out (I played 2 parts don’t you know!  Joe and Koala Bare, an Australian drag queen with an obsession for all things Kylie).

And lastly I’ve tried my hand at hosting a couple of times now.  Still finding my feet a little with that but I’ve hosted a couple of nights at Chalky’s Late Night Cabaret in Chalky’s Late Night Lounge and KLASH in Planet Bar through in Edinburgh plus a cheeky co-host of Trigger back in the Classic Grand days.  But my biggest hosting job was at… DHARMA AND I’S VERY OWN SHOW!!!

Yes, that’s right, very recently Dharma and I were approached by the Gilchrist Postgraduate Club at Glasgow University to host a one off show as part of their Welcome Fortnight to which we were super excited to get involved with.  We called the night ‘Drag 101’ and schooled an audience who may not have ever been to a drag show before and taught them everything they need to know.  We had amazing special guests who totally gagged the children, Lacy Rain, Markee De Saw, The Haus Of Diamond’s Jessica Diamond and Ann Phetimine plus Dharma and myself.  The audience were amazing and the night was a big success.  So much so, Drag 101 may not be the one off show it was originally intended to be.  Watch this space people, lesson 2 may be coming sooner than you think!

Gosh when you think back, it’s really been an action packed year and every bit of it has been just FABULOUS!!!

 How has your drag aesthetic and performances improved in the last year?

 Oh I don’t know.  I’d say my drag aesthetic probably hasn’t changed too much.  But then again if you ask others, they might possibly say it has… for the worse!  I’m still just as clueless when it comes to makeup and still just as disastrous when it comes to fashion sense. <laughs>

I’d probably say my wigs have gotten shorter.  How more queens haven’t embraced the wonder that is a short wig, I’ll never know!  No more hair in the mouth getting in the way of lip syncs and no more hair in the eyes making me walk into things!  Bliss.

Shoulder pads quickly became an Alana standard.  Yup, I’m a shoulder queen!  I love my shoulder pads, the bigger the better!  I wanna give Alexis Carrington and the Golden Girls a run for their money!  And trousers, TROUSERS!  Oh god trousers!  Yeah, I think I’m more of a comfort over style queen.

In terms of my face, with lack of makeup knowledge and skills I tend to keep it quite simple but I am liking it more these days.  So either I’m improving the Alana look or I’m just used to it now.  I’ve tried recently to do a couple more out there looks which have been lots of fun… when they work!

In terms of performances, the first noticeable difference, I’d say, is I’m getting more confident in performing.  It’s taken a while but I’m finding what I can do well and what works for me.  I may not be able to do a death drop but can certainly put my rubber face to good use which is always fun during performances.  Please note my face isn’t actually made of rubber! <laughs>

I’ve maybe taken a bit more of a theatrical route in performing, particularly when at the Drag-Opticon.  That grand stage just asks for something theatrical!  I like to take on a character.  Maybe enjoying acting plays a part in that.  Some of my favourite performances I’ve done involved taking inspiration from different characters.  Roger from ‘American Dad’, Grizabella from ‘Cats’, Gary Coleman and Nicky from ‘Avenue Q’ which has introduced to the world Jimmy The Puppet!  My literal right hand man!  I like to make people smile and hopefully my performances these days are doing that.

Sometimes I do like to change it up a little and slow it down from all the fun characters and do a more dramatic number.  There’s something about a performer who can just stand there and barely move yet still command the whole room’s attention just with a facial expression or a quiver or a lip that just, ooft, makes me queef.  One of my favourite performances I’ve done was my ‘Proud’ performance as I felt it’s the closest I’ve came to achieving that.  Oh, and I still can’t dance to save myself <laughs>

 

 

Have your drag influences changed since we last spoke?

Not really, I’m still inspired by a lot of the same people.  To be honest, anyone with the guts to be themselves, get on out there, looking however they want to look (doesn’t even need to be in a drag sense), get on a stage and perform in front of people inspire me.  It takes proper balls to do any kind of performance piece and anyone who does deserves major respect.

I’m still a bit fangirlish when it comes to the Manchester Queens.  The Family Gorgeous are just absolute legends.  I’ll need to start practicing the puppy dog eyes in case Cheddar and Anna are on the look out to adopt a child! <laughs>

Dharma inspires me every day and always encourages me to push myself creatively and in terms of performance.  In my eyes she’s one of the Top Trumps in the Scottish scene.  Maybe I’m just a little biased.

Lacy Rain is an insane genius, like a mad scientist who creates beautiful Frankenstein performance monsters in her castle.  I can’t really put into words how inspiring she is.  All I could possibly say is go see her perform!  I really miss Lafaunda Cox’s presence on the scene, I hope she comes back soon.  I also missed Charlize De Werk, I’m glad she’s back!  It may be controversial but I like October Fist, leave her alone.  CJ Banks, Frans Gender and Lucy Stewpid really make me laugh.  I’m definitely a House Of Diamond fan too.  I have to say, I’m a bit of an Eli Buck fan, he’s a beautiful young man!  Violet Grace and Demi Decay are FAR too flexible for their own good!

The whole Scottish scene is amazing right now.  The creativity, imagination and talent on show at any night you go to is just unbelievable.  Sometimes our scene may come across as a little rough around the edges in some eyes compared to other more polished scenes (I could be wrong there).  There’s a rawness about our scene that I love and I’d never want to disappear.  You could say there’s a little something in everyone in our scene that I could probably take inspiration from.

Anyone doing drag these days are always going to take some inspiration from a Drag Race queen or 2.  It’s such a huge part of our culture now that it’s hard not to have an opinion on it.  Ru herself is obviously a legend and I’m still drawn to the quirkier, funny and warm queens in any season.

 

What are your thoughts on the new series of Drag Race All Stars?

 Ooooohhh that was an interesting season wasn’t it!  After one or two seasons that maybe didn’t quite have the excitement as some of the others, this just came along with a bang, didn’t it? I thoroughly enjoyed this season.  I always had a soft spot for All Stars so I was excited to hear another was coming along. I was a little disappointed there were no Season 1 queens.  Ongina could have been an awesome return!

I felt for Tatianna.  Being the only queen from her season must’ve been tough, she was the underdog from the start having no one else from her season there.  I thought Morgan McMichaels would have been a fun one to return from her season.  Gotta give her credit, she didn’t let it phase her and she slayed!  ‘The Same Parts’ has went down as one of the most memorable moments in Drag Race herstory!

As much as all the Season 5 queens were legends, I felt it might have been a bit of the Season 5 show.  Only Adore from Season 6?  Possibly one of the most talent filled seasons.  Where was Bendelacreme (all the previous Miss Congenialities were in All Stars Season 1), Milk, Courtney Act etc.  Was sad not to see Willam in there too.  I’ve always liked the idea of giving a first eliminated queen from a season a second chance to prove themselves.  How gag worthy would it have been if Porkchop walked in the door on episode 1?  Kelly Mantle or Tempest Dujour I’ve always thought could have had a bit more to prove.

In terms of the season itself though, it was really entertaining!  It was a shame to see Adore go.  I’ve always liked Adore but I could see why she felt the need to leave.  I would have liked her to stay though to prove she had what it takes and see how far she’d go.  I think she could have went all the way to the final.  She’s such a loved queen.  Alaska killed it in just about every challenge, Katya was amazing as always and Detox too.  Her runway looks though, OMG!  I was a little disappointed in the childish reaction to being in the bottom 2 from Alaska but if you were looking at the stats she was definitely the right winner and in terms of entertainment her, Katya or Alyssa definitely.  Was a tough one to swallow when she went home, both times!  I’d have been happy at Alaska, Katya, Detox or Alyssa winning.

 

What lies ahead for you, Alana?

 There’s actually not too much ahead of me at the moment.  Right now Alana’s living the quiet suburban Stepford Wife lifestyle she was born for.  This doesn’t mean there won’t be plenty more Alana Duvey to come but for now I’m having a little break after being so busy.  You can still see Boylana out and about regularly supporting Dharma and continuing to be her number 1 fan.  There may be 1 or 2 little project ideas running around in my head so watch this space!

 

Where are you performing next?

 Well there’s a certain night with Dharma making a return as mentioned earlier, keep your eyes peeled for that one.  I’ll be on the door for the Glitter & Grind Revue at Polo on Friday 28^th October, this time I’ll be joined by the awesome Bearberry McQueen as Dharma is performing at this one.  There’s also an extra special end of month edition of SUCK at Delmonicas on 30th November.  I don’t know if I can say too much about just yet but I know it could be one of the best!  It’s very exciting.  Apart from that, the diarrhoea is pretty free and I’m loving it.  There’s still a few nights I’ve never performed at which I’d love to get involved with such as The Rabbit Hole, Such A Drag etc through in Edinburgh and I’d like to follow in Dharma’s footsteps by doing a wee turn at one of the AXM Presents nights in Glasgow.  So who knows what lies ahead for me, I’ll be sure to make plenty of noise if I’m booked for any performances in the future, as I always do!

Hate Crime in Scotland

It was a normal Thursday night. I had just finished work and was making my way home. Walking past Central Station I saw a group of guys loitering outside the entrance. As I walked past I heard one of them shout “poof” towards me then the group of guys started to laugh. I continued to walk on, but the incident left me feeling confused. Obviously I wasn’t hurt by the comment, after all it was true, but it left me wondering “what was the point?” The guy merely stated the obvious and left it at that. Did he say it to look tough in front of his friends? Did he say it to take me down a peg or two? His comment certainly wasn’t the precursor to a physical altercation. So why bother? Perhaps I’ll never know.

 

The incident didn’t really bother me but it did made me surprised by my reaction to it. I’ve always considered myself to be an out and VERY proud gay man, willing to stand up for what is right and what is wrong and defend myself and my community against ignorance and closed mindedness. And yet, I did nothing. Was it that I was alone and, had the incident become physical, I wouldn’t have stood a chance in hell of fighting them off? Or was it that the whole thing was so insignificant and pointless that it didn’t warrant a response? Was it a hate crime? After all, I was singled out because of my sexuality and, if I’m honest, a little humiliated by the whole thing. I wanted to know more so I headed to the Police Scotland website for more details. Police Scotland define a hate crime as;

 

“…a crime perceived as being motivated by malice or ill will towards a particular social group on the basis of their actual or presumed sexual orientation, transgender identity, disability, race or religion.”

 

It was the first part of this description that I couldn’t get my head around; “a crime”. In this instance I felt that it wasn’t what would be considered “a crime” and did not warrant police involvement. But it got me thinking, at what point do we as a community draw the line in ignoring this kind of casual homophobia? Furthermore, to what extent is sexual orientation and transgender identity aggravated hate crime a problem in Scotland?

According to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) sexual orientation aggravated hate crime is the second most common type of hate crime in Scotland. The number of charges reported increased by 20% in 2015-16 to 1,020. With the exception of 2014-15, there have been year on year increases in charges reported since the legislation introducing this aggravation came into force in 2010.

“In 2015-16, 30 charges were reported with an aggravation of prejudice relating to transgender identity. This is the highest number of charges reported since the legislation came into force, although the numbers remain very small.” (information obtained from www.news.scotland.gov.uk)

 

A 2015 study carried out by the Equality Network found that almost half of Scottish respondents had experienced or witnessed instances of prejudice or discrimination in the past month. This figure increased to 79% who witnessed or experienced discrimination in the past year, rising to 97% within their lifetimes. The study also found that transgender respondents were more likely to have experienced prejudice or discrimination. One out of seven respondents (14%) had experienced or witnessed an incident in the last 24 hours, almost half (45%) in the last week and 91% in the last year. .” (information obtained via www.westfm.co.uk)

 

Now I really don’t want to bamboozle everyone with statistics, facts and figures here but, for me, the three most important points to take away are;

 

1. In Scotland sexual orientation aggravated hate crime is the second most common type of hate crime
2. Trans people are more likely to have experienced prejudice or discrimination
3. These figures are a mere sample of people who agreed to take part in the study, they do not include everyone within the LGBTQA+ community

 

In this instance, I can’t claim to have experienced hate crime, however, with stats like these it certainly highlights the increasing problem our community continues to face despite the significant legal and social equality we have here in Scotland. So as the out and proud gay man I claim to be I am now using my blog as a platform to encourage every member of our community to take a stand and make their voices heard. If you experience or witness prejudice or discrimination at work, on a night out with friends, in school, wherever, make a stand. Let’s unite as a community and show others that it is NOT ok to be singled out and discriminated against for your sexuality or trans identity. Let’s work with Police Scotland in their quest to eradicate Hate Crime in Scotland.

By Gordon Penman

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‘Gone Home’ Review

I’ve defended for a very long time that video games should be considered as a serious art-form. With the benefits of advancing technology, the video game industry has seen an unbelievable increase in sophistication quality from the days of ‘Super Mario Bros.’ and ‘Sonic The Hedgehog’. What used to be short paragraph storylines only featured in ten page manuals have now evolved into deep cinematic and emotional experiences which are treated just as big as blockbuster cinema releases.

There are a couple of examples I usually give to people in order to dispute the idea that all games are simple shoot-em-ups designed for frat boys and children who really aren’t old enough to digest what’s happening on-screen, ‘Gone Home’ is one of these examples.
Now, ‘Gone Home’ is a special title, I could go on and on about the disturbing abstract symbolism of ‘Silent Hill 2’ and the exhausting emotional blows of ‘The Last of Us’, however, ‘Gone Home’ is a game best experienced when you know as little about the story as possible going into it. I’ll give the basics, just enough to let you know what you’re getting into.

The year is 1995 and you play as Katie Greenbriar, having travelled and studied around Europe for the last year, she is finally ready to return back to her family and tell them all about the time she’s been away. Since she’s been away, Katie’s family have moved into a new mansion in Arbor Hill, Oregon, the mansion is locally known and not for good reasons. Katie arrives home during a stormy night and finds that there’s no one in sight, the lights are off and the only sound present is the hard rain hitting against the windows. The aim of the game is to explore the mansion and find out what’s happened to Katie’s family.

The player can relate to Katie with one very important aspect, she’s never been in this mansion before so there is zero familiarity with the structure and surroundings, creating a very tense and foreboding atmosphere, that’s what this game does best, atmosphere.

You play the game in first-person view, you have complete freedom of camera and this is an intentional design that many contemporary games have taken in order to immerse you as much as possible because at the end of the day, there is no other creative medium that can immerse you as much as video games. You interact by picking up and examining common household objects which help to give an idea into the lives of the Greenbriar family. There are specific objects that are key to the storyline and will help you to unlock more areas of the house to explore.  You’ll also unlock audio diary entries (much like in ‘Bioshock’) read by Katie’s sister Sam who becomes the narrator of the tale. When you enter a specific room or examine a specific object, these audio files will be automatically activated, some cannot be avoided but you can easily miss some important character development if you don’t manage to catch one, so exploration is absolutely necessary, leave no stone unturned. The best thing about this choice to focus on exploration which has had positive comments from most to all critics, is that it truly gives the atmosphere and mansion some character, even just old VHS tapes laying around of X-Files episodes and 1990’s magazines are little details that most games don’t put effort into.

While there is a main storyline present within ‘Gone Home’, by exploring the objects and secrets of the other members of Katie’s family, you’ll begin to uncover sub-plots that aren’t explicity thrown in your face, you can effectively beat the game without diving too deep into these sub-plots but the experience will be weakened by it. They assist in giving you a better understanding of character development when you uncover the audio files which will focus on a specific encounter or comment made by a family member. The true beauty of this game is when you begin to realise how realistic these characters are written and you can apply their failures, loves, conversations and motivations to your own life and the people around you.

This is really all I can say about ‘Gone Home’ without heavily going into spoiler territory and that would honestly ruin the experience for you. The game is quite short however, lasting only about 2-3 hours on your first run through and with a £15.99 currently on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 4 (it’s also on available on the PC gaming application ‘Steam’ so you might get a chance to catch it on one of their many sales), take that into consideration before purchasing. You can always watch a playthrough on YouTube but the best immersion experience is to play it first-hand.

‘Gone Home’ is an exploration into the human psyche, creating a fantastically dark atmosphere while delving into adolecent loves, laughs, tears and tragedies. People have argued that you can’t really classify this as a game and although I disagree because it technically can be classified as a game, I would agree that it’s much more of an experience into humanity than anything else.

By Jozef Hamilton

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