Joey Arias

The main event for my day in London, August 8th, was to finally see the New York cabaret artist Joey Arias perform his Billie Holiday act as an invited guest at Antony Hegarty's Southbank Meltdown.

I first witnessed his mannered impersonation of the black american jazz singer a long time ago, during one music segment of GaytimeTV on BBC2 (early 90s?) - Good Morning Heartache was the song and his delivery was spot on and SPOOKY.

So, twenty years (and then some) down the line, I'm no longer the young guy getting a buzz from having gay topics broadcast on national tv, I'm fifty-something, drunk on two (or three) large glasses of white wine, and I'm sat in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, with Lou Reed and Kim Cattrall almost breathing down my neck in the row behind me (stop looking back at them).

The lights go down after Antony takes his seat in my row (stop looking over at him) and the trio of drums, piano and upright bass stir us up for Joey's arrival on stage.  He walks on in a black, extremely close-fitting fish-tailed gown - a more statuesque figure I've never seen - a gives a bravura performance.  Well worth the wait.  The only concession to more modern material is to include The Beatles(!), but he excels in reviving the Lady in Satin's back catalogue.

He got a very warm reception.  Obviously some queens got a bit out of hand shouting how much they love him, but then - who hasn't done that?

Joey Arias has pedigree, there is no doubt when you see him perform.  He even has, in the past, sung back up vocals for David Bowie - in the company of Klaus Nomi, no less.  Unfortunately the entire Saturday Night Live performance has disappeared from YouTube and we're left with this snippet.