A star drag performer and DJ in her native Cork City who is related to one of the world’s most iconic drag performers and is the headmistress of Ireland’s first and biggest drag house, Candy Warhol brings the Luck of the Irish to NYC this St. Patrick’s Day Weekend!
Thotyssey: Candy, hello! Thanks for chatting with us all the way from Ireland! Can you tell us a bit about where you are now exactly, and what were you doing right before you started answering these questions?
Candy Warhol: Dia Dhuit Darlings! I am currently home in bed, my two dogs snoozing beside me, preparing sets for several DJ gigs I have over the next few days.
Speaking of DJ sets, Lady Gaga’s Mayhem has either dropped by now, or will any minute! Have the Cork City Monsters been hotly anticipating this as much as us?
It’s currently 11pm here, so we are one hour away from a gay frenzy! I am hosting a Lady Gaga night tomorrow in Cork City, and we are all very excited!
St. Patrick’s Day is coming up. I’ve always heard that it’s much more of a low-key religious day in Ireland, while in America it is known for drinking and partying! Is that the case?
Not at all! It’s a massive party here too, with St. Patrick’s Day parades in every town (Dublin is the biggest with over 100,000 tourists visiting each year) that are televised. We have a lot of queer club nights and drag shows over St. Patrick’s weekend now too; and while I’m sure churches are full, it’s more of a celebration of all things Irish rather than just religion.
I was wondering if you could tell us a bit about yourself… What was it like growing up in the part of Ireland you’re from, and what were your early interests?
I grew up in the South of Ireland, in Cork City. It’s a lovely city which has now come a long way, but as a child it was quite isolating. I attended an all boys Catholic school, and was always an eccentric introvert with a passion for art, music and movies. I would collect Wizard of Oz memorabilia, and sketched witches and fairy tale characters growing up. In my teens I was music obsessed, and through watching shows like America’s Next Top Model and Project Runway I saw an out through studying fashion. When I was eighteen, I started studying fine art and fashion and also began working at a gay bar… both of which really brought me out of my shell.
I’m from a generation that worshipped U2, Sinead O’Connor and The Cranberries, but lots of the next generation queens I know would say B*witched was their favorite Irish band, lol! Were they your girls, too?
Sinead O’Connor and Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries) are legends here, and I often perform and play their tracks. B*Witched are forever iconic to us, and I’ve worked with them twice over the years. My main girls growing up were Irish/UK groups Girls Aloud (Nadine Coyle is an Irish icon), Sugababes and The Saturdays.
How did you discover drag and then ultimately become a queen yourself, and what was Ireland’s drag scene like when you entered it? Also, how has it evolved over time?
I discovered drag through my uncle Danny La Rue, who was an international drag legend. My dad brought me to see one of his tours when I was young, and it was absolutely incredible. I’m honoured to be carrying the torch and feel so proud of him. I was also raised on movies like To Wong Foo and Priscilla, so the glitter was definitely in the blood.
Around 2009 I began creating characters for a college performance art project; they ranged from a football player to a doll come to life, and the doll was far more fun to dress up as! Around that time I had some experience running events, and decided to rent a club for my own college party. I dressed as the doll, called myself Candy Warhol (after the iconic Candy Darling) and gave myself my first gig! The club was impressed, and booked me to come back the next month… and then I never stopped working.
The drag scene here has evolved so much in Ireland over the last decade due to social media and Drag Race. It has its pros and cons, just like every scene–but for the most part, it’s all for the good.
How might you describe your style of drag today, regarding aesthetics and performing style?
At heart I am a comedy queen, best known for my hosting and comedic lip syncs. But I also love fantasy, horror and Irish culture, so that all comes to play too. My aesthetics have changed so much over the last fifteen years! I began as a real gothic club kid and over the years developed a more refined, glamorous aesthetic… but with all of those references as mentioned. That’s the exciting thing about drag–if you love it and are open to it, you’re always learning and growing.
Drag Race UK, of course, is huge. Do you have any aspirations of being in that work room one day?
I haven’t had a big interest in it for a few years now. I have a lot of friends who have been on it, and I’m sure I will have a lot more. I enjoy watching it, and some of the recent seasons of America and The UK have been great, but those early days when it was more cult were magic. I’ve been encouraged to audition a few times, but right now I feel very focused on my own projects. But who knows, UK Season 20?
You head a huge drag house / brand, Mockie Ah!
Yes! I’m the producer and host of Mockie Ah!, which is Ireland’s first and biggest Drag Haus.” Mockie Ah” is Cork slang for “make-believe,” and while we are based here, we have Haus members across Ireland and the UK–so we tour a lot. I started the Haus almost eight years ago, as there were no real performance spaces here and we needed a queer space. It’s grown so much, and we’ve gone from small dive bars to regular theatre shows, big club shows, drag brunches, tours… and we’ve had several television specials. I’m very proud of the group, and excited for next year!
Right now we have a really tight group, and behind the scenes we all take care of each other, kill each other and really play off one another. Two of the queens I travel with the most, Mia Gold and Richard Joke, are an absolute riot; the three of us are often seen driving through the Irish countryside to gigs and blaring Very Delta while we cackle away.
You’re also a stage writer whose work appeared in the Dublin Fringe Festival! What can you tell us about some of the things you’ve written, and their inspirations?
My debut play, The Wind That Shakes The Wig, is a surreal take on my life when I lived in London and missed home. I’m visited by an angel who takes me on a journey to discover my queer connection to Ireland. I love Irish pop culture and Irish folklore, so I tend to draw from both of them in my writing. I’ve just been given funding from Cork City Council to develop a new play, which I am very excited about!
We’re in pretty dark times here in the US, thanks to you-know-who and a growing national hostility towards drag, trans folks and queer people in general. Also, news of how poorly drag legend Heklina’s death investigation was handled by the British police hinted that homophobia still looms large there, too. Does the Irish queer community face similar pushback these days?
It’s absolutely appalling, and my heart goes out to all the LGBTQIA community in the US–especially the Trans community, who must be protected and supported by everyone right now. Homophobia, Transphobia and bigotry have always existed… but in so many countries, Ireland included, we were coming leaps and bounds in a positive direction. We’ve had protests at some of our Prides and have a small but loud group of extremists who have been targeting libraries, similar to the US. It can feel extremely overwhelming seeing everything unfold right now–and while I don’t have the answers, it’s really important for all of us within our own community to come together and support each other right now, so we can be stronger than ever.
What have your prior experiences performing in New York been like?
I hosted several gigs in Brooklyn last year (Mary’s Bar and Ginger’s Bar). I also opened for Catherine Cohen at Club Cumming last year, which was so much fun. It was my first time doing standup comedy–and she then asked me to open for her in Dublin, which was wild. I grew up studying legendary New York queens like Lady Bunny and Coco Peru. Icons. I’ve met and interviewed NYC queens like Bob the Drag Queen, Monét X Change and Miz Cracker for my podcast and absolutely adore Thorgy Thor. I’d love to hear some local recommendations so I could check them out!
You’ll be serving DJ sets on St. Patrick’s Weekend right here in New York’s Brooklyn! On Friday you’ll be at the new Loafers Cocktail Bar, and Saturday you’ll be turning the party out at Ginger’s Bar. What can the folks expect from these shows, and will you be making any more stops here?
I’m so excited for these gigs! You can expect lots of house, disco, pop classics with some Irish classics thrown in. I also absolutely love meeting new people, so I will be mingling and taking photos with all the Brooklyn Babes. I’m staying for a few weeks, and while I’d love to do some drag shows (all of my gigs so far have been solo!) I’m treating the rest as a little vacation. I’ve booked tickets to see lots of Broadway shows, and will probably be shopping and partying a lot! But I plan on spending more time in NYC… so please send me any suggestions of queens and venues you might like to see me at, and who knows!
What else is coming up for you, and where / how can global fans enjoy and support you?
I have a new podcast coming out very soon, with some very exciting queens–including Chappell Roan, which I can’t wait for people to hear! The rest of the year I will be working on a new theatre show, DJ gigs and shows with my Drag Haus. I would love to do more gigs in the US and plan on spending next Summer in NYC, so hopefully you will be seeing more of me. Until then, you can follow me on Instagram and TikTok.
Finally: what is the most essential item in your drag bag, cosmetic or otherwise?
My flash drive with music… and (when in NYC) edibles, of course!
Happy St. Paddy’s Weekend, Candy!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Candy Warhol’s upcoming area appearances, and follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and LinkTree.
Thotyssey 