"I googled drag queen name generator, and the third one that came up was Snow White Trash. I’ve never changed it."
Welcome to the Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating the city’s bold drag artists and boundary breaking performers. I wanted to create a space that goes beyond the glam, where we get to know the real people behind the fabulous personas.
This week, we’re joined by the UK’s saxiest drag queen herself: Snow White Trash!
If you’re just tuning in, be sure to catch up with the sensational Mary O’Kart and the legendary Joe Black from previous weeks. And don’t forget to come back next week for next week’s guest: the Bearded Broad of Brighton, the fabulous Ruffles.
But today, it’s all eyes on Snow White Trash so let’s dive in head first!
Hello, I’m Snow White Trash! She/her in drag, him/he out of drag.
I started drag in 2014 when I randomly entered a competition in London at Madame Jojo’s hosted by the legendary Dusty O. I went on to place second in that competition and then had my first ever paid gig at The Black Cap in Camden. Both these venues are sadly no longer but they were London drag cabaret institutions and I’m lucky to have started my career there at a time before RuPaul’s Drag Race arrived in the UK.
That first year saw me go on to perform on the main stage at Trafalgar Square for London Pride. The drag scene at that time was manic, fun, dirty, and I loved it.
Well, I was 17 on my way to Manchester in my friend’s beat up old Renault Clio. I had fake ID and to make the bouncers less likely to question the photo I decided to go in drag! In the car up we realised I didn’t have a drag name so I got out my BlackBerry(!) and pressed the little world button to bring up the internet. I googled drag queen name generator, and the third one that came up was Snow White Trash. I’ve never changed it.
Good! Drag is meant to be counter culture. Drag should make you a little uncomfortable. I am not a drag queen to be a role model, I am a drag queen to challenge people’s thinking, but ultimately to entertain people. We are not curing cancer; we’re forgetting about life’s atrocities for an hour and having a giggle.
I find that Brighton has a fantastic variety of venues in such a small footprint. Each bar has its own personality and you can hop from place to place and experience something different. We’re a small seaside town full of queer joy, camp, and silliness.
Brighton is where you come to be entertained. But that is not to say that we don't do our bit. Every venue does so much for our local community and charities.
I myself ran the Brighton Marathon this April in drag to raise money for The Sussex Beacon, and the World Aids Day Memorial Vigil in The New Steine Gardens every year is an important and moving event in the yearly calendar.
My style is traditional glamour, mixed with a touch of prosecco mum on a night out (read trash)! I sew probably 5% of my wardrobe, with this increasing more and more, but I’m a busy working woman who can’t spend every day behind the sewing machine! I’ve got gigs to do.
I started playing the saxophone when I was 15/16 after I had done my Grade 8 clarinet at school and my teacher suggested learning it. I played sax a couple times in the drag competition when I started but it wasn’t until a few years later that I properly incorporated it into my act.
When I worked out that I could “sing” through the sax, and that this gave the crowd the crowd the freedom to sing their hearts out along with me, this enabled me to explore more music and avenues of uniting a crowd during a show.
I’m still working on new way to use my saxophone in my act and hopefully this continues to develop throughout my career.
The Bedford Tavern is my spiritual home. I don’t know why but I can do a three hour completely insane bonkers musical bingo there, and then sing a musical theatre song and have the audience listening so intently you can hear a pin drop. The landlord Adam has created a real special community in that pub and it’s a joy to perform there and alternate the weekly bingo with Ruffles.
Brighton queens I adore, the list could go on and on but I’ll name a few: Rose Garden, Dave Lynn, Portia, Ruffles, Drag With No Name, Amy LaQueefa, Sally Vate, Alfie Ordinary, Billie Gold, Ophelia Payne, Boogaloo Stu. Honourable mention to Mrs Moore!
Drag is for everyone; the stage is not. BUT, if you want to do it, just do it!
Enter a competition and have fun. Remember to support the bars which put on drag and give life to our community all year round. Be nice to everyone, learn your craft, and have a point of view but be open to changing it. Drag is hard work and expensive!
ME!
Ooh it's probably, Shadow Of A Man by Lady Gaga.
I post my shows on my Instagram every month, so check my socials (HERE) for where I am week to week. When you come to a Snow White Trash show you get power house vocals, singalong saxophone hits, and load of laughter thrown in for good measure.
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