INTERVIEW: Drag DJ and resident queen, Amy LaQueefa spills on teaming up with Baga Chipz and the guy worth waiting for over a jar of beetroot in Waitrose....
"He makes me hotter than July!"
Ladies and gentleman, theys and thems, welcome to the Brighton & Hove residents' community corner series celebrating our city’s bold drag artists and boundary breaking performers!
I wanted to create a series that goes beyond the glam with our legendary and local queer performers so we can all get to know them more because like Lady Gaga said on ARTPOP, "Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura?" so erm, why not?!
This week, we’re joined by drag DJ and resident queen, AMY LAQUEEFA. If this is only the first interview of this centrestage series that you've stumbled across and you want to catch up on the others don't panic! You can catch up HERE. Next week I'll be yakking with DJ and producer, Jack McNamara but it's all eyes on Amy right now so let's dive in head first!🤿🌊
DALEYPOP: Hey Amy hows your day going so far?!
AMY LAQUEEFA: Hiya Love! My day is going rapidly but good thank you, the days keep going by so fast! DALEYPOP: For anyone meeting Amy LaQueefa for the first time, how would you describe your drag persona in three words and how different is she from the real you?
AMY LAQUEEFA: Brassy, sassy and arsehole, the difference out of drag we shall swap the words brassy and sassy for unhinged and disheveled, we'll keep the last word!
DALEYPOP: What pronouns do you go by in and out of drag?
AMY LAQUEEFA: In drag I go with she/her, out of drag, he/him, but I don't really mind. I'm pretty easy going when it comes to pronouns, call me what you like! DALEYPOP: Where did the inspiration come from for the name Amy LaQueefa?
AMY LAQUEEFA: I was working at Tesco on the deli counter when I started doing drag, so all of us in the canteen on a break would look at ideas for names. I loved Amy Winehouse (and still do) so we went with Amy.
Then for the last name we were looking at things I thought would be camp, and sort of a play on words for a drag name.
Someone was talking about queefing, which is a term used to describe a fanny fart.
I nearly died laughing so chose LaQueefa! Amy the fanny fart doesn't really have the same impact. DALEYPOP: Who's your crush of the day?
AMY LAQUEEFA: I have an unhealthy obsession with Jonathan Bailey at the minute. He makes me hotter than July! Apparently he lives locally too.
I will be patient and wait for him to lock eyes with me over a jar of beetroot in Waitrose.
DALEYPOP: What was the last thing you Googled?
AMY LAQUEEFA: It literally says..."Iceland near me." I wanted a pavlova really bad. In the West Midlands where I'm from, Iceland shops are ten-a-penny, the nearest one to me is in Hove and I recently discovered, I don't like that one. So one popping up on London Road or St James's Street would be lovely! DALEYPOP: Drag can be glamorous, political, silly, emotional and sometimes all at once. What side of drag do you feel most drawn to?
AMY LAQUEEFA: It has to be complete silliness for me, I really enjoy watching people like Bailey J Mills and DWNN, because it's pure camp chaos! When it comes to my shows I try to bring a bit of that in too, I try being glamorous and emotional but I always end up looking like a slag.
DALEYPOP: Is there a performance moment you’ve had on stage that still makes you laugh (or gives you the ick) when you think about it?
AMY LAQUEEFA: Picture this....it's the last day of Brighton Pride 2025, I'd had a vodka in my hand 90% of the weekend, about to go on stage at the street party in full glam. 5 minutes prior to the street party performance I found a bright pink flamingo costume at the Queen's Arms. Marsha Mallow dared me to wear it. Everybody prior to my slot had smashed out showstoppers with the live brass band. I came on with a BBC Proms backing track to Sam Smith's I'm not the only one, dressed as a flamingo. It brought the house down so, whether it was good or bad, the important thing is we had fun!
DALEYPOP: How long have you been doing drag for and have you always wanted this career since you were a kid?
AMY LAQUEEFA: I've been doing drag now for 12 years this year!
When I was a kid my grandma used to work for Jaguar cars and take me off to all the car events from the age of 5. I had an unhealthy obsession with the Spice Girls too.
The career path was either car designer or pop star, I chose the latter!
DALEYPOP: What’s one misconception people often have about you?
AMY LAQUEEFA: I have a lot of drunk people often mistake me for Marsha Mallow or Tonya Kneez, we are completely different people! Also people think I'm really nice and approachable when actually I'm horrible and just want them to leave me alone! Only joking. I just want to be the queen of people's hearts, like Princess Diana.
DALEYPOP: What does your drag look like off stage? Are you someone who switches off the moment the wig comes off or does Amy influence your everyday life too?
AMY LAQUEEFA: Honestly, It's nice being able to take off your bra after a long day and relax, watch shit telly, go on trips and stuff like that when the wig comes off. But my personality and sense of humour is pretty much the same when I'm in drag, so it stays with me regardless. After a long week though I do like to have a bit of down time so I turn into a hermit and don't leave the sofa. Amy would have none of that!
DALEYPOP: Brighton is full of amazing food spots, are there any restaurants you swear by or love recommending?
AMY LAQUEEFA: OH MY GOD YES! My cousin Pops has lived here for years with her other half Kieran, and we absolutely love Casa Don Carlos in the lanes. It's only a little restaurant, but it's family run, the food is outstanding, the staff are lovely and the atmosphere is magic. Honestly it is some of the best tapas we've ever had. 10's 10's 10's across the board darling!
DALEYPOP: What's the most outrageous purchase you've made in the name of drag, and was it worth it?
AMY LAQUEEFA: Most of the things I get for drag are usually acquired, or stolen really and I'm very conservative in what I do get. I bought a few bubble machines for a giggle but that's pretty boring, so I'm just going to lie and say that I bought a live seal to do tricks with at shows and it wasn't worth it because it stank of pilchards and shat everywhere! (the seal, not me).
DALEYPOP: What’s next for Amy LaQueefa then? Any big ambitions, wild dreams or upcoming projects we should be excited about?
AMY LAQUEEFA: Ambitions for Amy LaQueefa would be a cameo in a soap like Coronation Street, Eastenders, or 24 hours in A&E.
I've had a chat with Baga Chipz about doing some shows with her on a tour that might be coming up, I won't say what exactly but the venues are camp as tits!
We've got a few prides in this year, big ones include: Birmingham Pride, Cymru/Wales, and of course Brighton Pride! Don't Tell Mama at Butlins in Bognor, and I'll be returning to The Yumbo in Gran Canaria to do a slot at Ricky's Cabaret Bar later on in 2026!
Other than that you can find Amy at my residencies at Charles Street Tap most Fridays, Thursdays at The Two Brewers in Clapham, and once a month at Via in Manchester! Come and see me!
Comments ()