Miss Katherine takes afternoon tea to chat with Perth Pride’s Kieran Bycroft about his alter ego Electra, that fabulous drag personality of the late 1990’s and early naughties, to discuss what was Electra’s style, her drag sisters, favourite colour and why he killed her, while consuming slices of fruit flan and copious amounts of English Breakfast Tea.
Miss Katherine: Welcome to my parlour darling! How are you?
Kieran: I am fabulous, well fed and very relaxed!
Miss K: I have to ask you, who killed Electra?
K: I did! Drag was not something I always wanted to do, it was literally something I saw people doing and thought ‘oh do me, and lets see how that goes’ and I did promise myself from the very beginning that if it did become a chore for me I would stop. It took me about 18 months to stop because it was my main source of income and it did take time to become a presentable man again after shaving eyebrows and that sort of stuff, so yes, I, Kieran, killed Electra, and Kieran is quite proud of it too! Ha ha!
Miss K: Ha ha-ha, How did you first get into drag?
K: I started doing drag when I was about 18, through mutual friends. We all started hanging around a little bit and I was just fascinated by them getting ready one weekend and then I said do me next weekend, do me, and then it became a little bit infectious. My first show was at Connections for a talent quest, in the final heat I had a wardrobe malfunction and something hung out from the side of my underwear, it was hilariously embarrassing – but I still won! To this day people who were there still comment and remember that event.
Miss K: Darling I think you should be proud it could be seen from the back of the club! Did you have a drag mother?
K: I never felt like I had a drag mother, I felt more like I had drag sisters who reared me, like I was from a drag orphanage.. my big sisters were Glamourpuss and Phoenix.
Miss K: How would you have explained your drag style?
K: A bit rock chick at first I guess, I started off being very angry rock chick, because that was the big thing in the late nineties. Angst-driven music was huge then and I just thought it was different to what everyone else was doing but it was music I related to at the time, but then I evolved into a bit of a princess. I have always been a bit of a Kylie Minogue fan. Towards the end I loved doing Kylie, it was more feminine, more pink, I loved wearing pink..
Miss K: Most memorable drag moment?
K: Well aside from having a nut hanging out, I would have to say doing ‘Horny’ for the 1997 or 1998 Pride show at the Gasworks on Wellington Street. It’s on Facebook thanks to Kerry – the film is hideous quality but enough bring back the memories. It was just me on ten-foot high scaffolding on a huge stage and 14 back up back up dancers doing ‘Horny’ I have never felt so glamorous in my life!
Miss K: What was it like being a part of the Pride Committee?
K: Doing drag was a way of being connected with the entire community and entertaining the community and doing Pride has been another way of doing that – just giving a bit of yourself to the community. I never did drag for the money it was always to do what I could where I could. If ever I was needed by Tim Brown from Connections or Pride I was always there for them, because they have always been there for us. So my persona was a bit of a bitch but I did have a bit of a soft heart.
Miss K: Yes most bitches do…Do you have any advice for the young drag babies hoping to make drag a career?
K: Try and find something that makes you different and makes you stand out, other than just being a c*nt and be good to each other and try and help each other out by sharing your ideas and then you will grow.
Miss K: Do you have a favourite saying?
K: Another older sister -well she is more of a half sister was a lady named Brooke and all of my favourite sayings come from her- and Glamourpuss of course, she is quite the witty one, but Brookie used say in the roughest most masculine voice she could muster… ‘Put it in me you bastard!’ to this day I always pull that one out when I am a bit drunk!
Katherine Wolfgramme
