How Geelong queens are “changing the narrative” in country pubs

Heavyweights in Geelong’s entertainment industry have weighed in on the drag phenomenon sweeping regional towns and how Geelong’s scene first got started.

When Australian drag icon Philmah Bocks first performed in Geelong six years ago, she couldn’t have anticipated the reception she’d receive.

The talented queen first headed to the region with partner-in-crime Art Simone at the behest of Andy Pobjoy and Aaron Skinner, who were interested in setting up a regular performances in Geelong.

Once restricted to metropolitan LGBTQ+ community bars, shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race and popular talents like Australian Courtney Act have brought drag into the mainstream in recent years.

Those early crowds, Philmah says, were incredibly eager.

“It was off the hook,” she said.

“The anticipation behind having drag coming down here was really high. I remember some nights Aaron had to hold audiences back.”

Drag Queen Philmah Bocks. Picture: CHRIS PAVLICH PHOTOGRAPHY

Drawn to the regions because of their pacing and increasing work, the talented producer and costume designer set up shop in Little Malop St four years ago, and has since created wigs for superstars like Katy Perry.

“As the workshop picks up and I perform less, I’ve seen a lot of the community step into the drag roles and a lot of younger queens have popped up in the regions,” Philmah said.

“It’s been wonderful to see the younger queens getting the work as well.

Outside of regular venues, drag has become a fixture at local hens parties and even corporate events.

“I’ve worked from Little Malop St in full drag and not once received an ounce of homophobia,” she said.

“I think it’s also a testament to how far drag has come, and the understanding people have of it. “It’s not just in the clubs anymore, it’s on the TV and in corporate.”

Philmah says her team are planning another regional drag festival in the state’s north, to be launched next month.

“When we first started working down here, people thought the quality might drop. If anything, we kept the quality very high because we didn’t want to lower any standards,” she said.

There were people in Melbourne who asked why we were going down here, but when queens come to work with us they just think this place is off the hook!”

FORPiano Bar’s Andy Pobjoy and Aaron Skinner, bringing drag to Geelong started as a big experiment.

“We had these Sunday nights spare, and at the time no one was doing any kind of drag in Geelong,” Skinner told the Addy.

“In the beginning it was difficult to find performers, but through a mutual contact we got in touch with Art Simone and Philmah Bocks.”

Initially a monthly show, queens were performing weekly within six months due to high demand.

“It wasn’t very glamorous in the beginning,” Pobjoy said.

“We had to build a very small stage, and it was barely big enough for the queens to stand next to each other in their costumes. It was a bit like performing on a bus.”

Flash forward a few years and Piano Bar has taken its performers across the state.

Picture of Andy Pobjoy and Staff from The Piano Bar supporting vaccination. with from left Erica Parsons, Aaron Skinner, Art Simone, Andy Pobjoy and George Saykao. Picture: Mark Wilson

“We’ve expanded into these places because it’s a sign these towns are opening up and growing up.”

Regular venues include Bendigo, Ballarat and Colac and a new pop-up on the cards in Werribee.

The venues have also hosted international drag talent, a first in regional Victoria.

The pair said their venues were for everyone, regardless of your walk of life, who wanted to come and enjoy quality live performances.

“It’s spreading a fabulous, glittery message,” Skinner said. “There have been many times where parents have come to Andy or I to say thank you because their son or daughter has a safe space to come and be in.”

Pobjoy said even after so many years, out of town visitors were still surprised to see a prominent drag venue in Geelong’s city centre.

Drag Queen Ivana Kabab. Source: Supplied

“All the time we have people visiting from places like Brisbane or Sydney who say, what’s a venue like this doing in Geelong?”

A country pub outside Colac has been packed to the rafters whenever its popular annual drag show rolls into town.

The Ti Tree Hotel in Warrion will host its fourth annual drag night on April 8.

The evening was set up by Colac local Rick Bowen and his partner, who bought the pub seven years ago and wanted to try something new.

In 2014, Colac – 14km north of Warrion – was labelled the most homophobic city in Australia after gay comedian Joel Creasey said he was threatened, abused and chased after a gig.

“I’d wanted to host drag shows at the pub,” Mr Bowen said. “My partner and I have been to quite a few shows and we wanted to trial them in the area.

Owner Rick Bowen pours a beer at the Ti Tree Hotel in Warrion. Picture: Stephen Harman

Bowen, who grew up in Colac before spending 18 years in Geelong, said the difference in attitudes toward local LGBTQ+ people and performances was stark.

“We love the atmosphere of the show,” Mr Bowen said.

“Colac has had quite a bad reputation for this sort of thing in the past, but it’s about changing the narrative. Everyone who comes to the show enjoys it and is very supportive.”

Bringing three talented city queens to the country is no mean feat, and Bowen himself joins in the fun by opening the show each year.

“The queens knew it was totally different to their usual clientele,” he said.

“They were a little wary at the start, but once they realised how supportive and interactive people were, word got around.”

The night of fun forms part of Geelong’s Rainbow Festival, running from April 9-10.

“It’s all about giving people a safe space, and letting them know that everyone will be accepted here,” he said.

Mr Bowen said this year’s talent includes Honey Montana, Barbra Quicksand and Jezebel.

Despite the years of fun, this might be the act’s last hurrah as Bowen and his partner prepare to lease out the pub before heading to a new venture in South Australia.

While some queens have made the move to the regions, other talent was born and bred locally.

Portarlington-raised diva Ivana Kabab was part of bringing the early Warrion shows to life, and it’s one of her favourite country gigs to date.

“The punters were so much fun,” she said. “I don’t think people from the country take themselves too seriously.

“You can make fun of them or have a joke without them getting too offended.”

Ivana echoes Bocks’ statement, and says the influence of shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race on the wider public’s understanding of drag has been stark.

“Because of Drag Race, a lot of opportunities opened up and people were very intrigued,” she said.

Drag Queen Ivana Kabab. Source: Supplied

“In people’s eyes we weren’t these dirty, hypersexualised people anymore, and we’re finally being recognised as performers and artists.”

Having performed for 16 years, Ivana said she most often works at events in the city.

“As an 18-year-old I went to my first gay bar, saw drag queens and fell in love,” she said. “I did it one night for a bit of fun, and the rest is history.”

Having travelled the road to making drag her full-time job, her advice to up and coming performers from regional areas is simple:

“It’s a tough road to travel,” she said. “And there’s a lot of hard work to do, but don’t give up. You do you, boo.”

Originally published as How Geelong queens are “changing the narrative” in country pubs