Festival Review: Chrstine and The Queens - Meltdown Festival - Southbank Centre, London 18/06/2023
Christine and the Queens headline Meltdown Festival 2023 in his rock opera show by transcending music itself. The show is based on the Aids drama “Angels in America'' by Tony Kushner and Redcar’s performance was unparalleled. A dramatic, beautiful soul-bearing performance from Christine and the Queens that will leave us all remembering it for years to come!
This is it! Christine and the Queens Meltdown festival has come to its finale, his headline show. To warm up the crowd we are deliciously treated to Trans Filth and Joy - a troup showcasing trans talent and a celebration of trans art, filled with drag kings, women and gender non-conforming performances. Hosted by an incredible performer in sparkly pink fishnets serenading the crowd about drinking piss, she introduces the next act called, “The Bollywitch”.
The Bollywitch used influences from South Asia and danced beautifully and powerfully across the stage. The next performer is the founder of Trans Filth and Joy - Kate O’Donnell. They brought lots of laughter and joy to the stage filled with jiggling breasts and solidarity, “No nipples, no us”. They brought the audience to cheer and clap for trans people and celebrate the differences we all have but collectively were better as a community.
We had a Lip-sync assassin and high-energy dancing from Cira the drag king, described as Black and gender fluid. Followed by Wet Mess, a scary but endearing performance that reminded me if the Joker did drag, surprising and fun! The audience loved every act, laughing and joining in with support and love.
The group Trans Filth and Joy ended their set with signs, “Reform Trans Health Care.. Trans Liberation Now … Black Trans Lives Matter .. Trans People Are Magic!” A powerful message that is ever more important now than ever.
The stage is set. Everyone rushes back to their seats.
Statues of angels dotted the stage supported by wooden staircases and a platform across the stage. The whole concert hall is filled to the brim, the atmosphere electric. I can feel the anticipation in the room, everyone has been waiting all week for this performance from Christine and the Queens.
Lights go down.
It is pitch black.
We hear the band start to play and we hear Redcar sing before we see him. The lights are like thunder and on one of the stairs is Christine and the Queens singing Overture. He is dressed in a tailored all-black waistcoat and trousers, poised, confident proclaiming, “Everything is glorious”, and he is right. This is glorious.
After the first song, Christine and the Queens goes straight into spoken word poetry which goes straight into, “Flowery Days”. Beautifully sung, his voice is so strong while he dances with intention across the stage. I feel like I’m at the theatre, the art and the passion every second. His movement is fluid and sharp with purpose.
A beam of light in the upper corner of the stage where we see a man praying, feels biblical and holy. A deep blue backlight covers the praying man while he calls out to God. Christine and the Queens sing softly as blue laser pans down over the audience and the praying man, the energy of the show has taken a turn now. I can feel the character frustration from Christine and the Queens now, a change which the show is taking us into. He drags a chair across the stage with purpose and dances with it while singing.
Every song is followed by beautifully spoken words, being encapsulated in water and my favourite line, “Fighting inside the pride of flowers”. This powerful poem is being said while Christine and the Queens takes off his waistcoat revealing his chest in the spotlight. A powerful image and moment that was so compelling, I was drawn to tears. “Full of Life” blares out and we are all glued to our spots in awe of Redcar.
Christine and the Queens are walking up the aisle of the concert hall now singing, he is now wearing an armoured arm as he sings and he talks about his blood spilling onto the battlefield. The passion emanating from him is unparalleled, from writhing on the floor to his movements, this is a world-class act and high art. He is singing through his latest album, “Paranoia, Angels, True Love.” A key album that has helped him into transformation and find love within himself.
The performance is breathtaking from hard rock breakdowns and flowers being thrown, to passionate crying out from Christine and the Queens to God. He has conversations with God throughout the show, using his band as props for God.
“Start the Ritual!” He proclaims as he runs around the stage tormented by his own soul.
The spotlight is only on Christine and the Queens as his experimental “Track 10” comes on, an electro-rock odyssey which we are firmly on the journey for. Christine and the Queens are electrified on stage, his performance stronger than ever before. He is adorned with angel wings and a big beautiful red skirt and black coat for the finale. Screaming and shouting out in pain and frustration to Saint Michael and triumphantly falling down while singing onto the platform. The audience is in awe and amazement at the sight, this show is like nothing I have ever seen.
I felt like I was watching the inner workings of someone’s soul, the pain, frustration and transformation. The enormous wall of sound from the band and Redcar was immaculate, his voice soaring high above the audience and into the heavens so God could hear his pleas in every breakdown, every pore and every beat from the drum kit. Christine and the Queens have such a strong, powerful presence I absolutely marvelled at his stagecraft and honesty on stage in front of so many people to witness his pain.
I had to keep picking my jaw up from the floor with astonishment at the performance and music I have just witnessed. The rawness of Christine and the Queens bearing his soul on the stage for us was the greatest finale to any festival I have ever seen and I cannot wait to see where Christine and the Queens go next. All I can say is thank you for your art!
Meltdown Festival has been a triumphant success, showcasing so much incredible art and talent throughout the whole week. Thank you Christine and the Queens for your music and for showing us that music has no limits and no bounds.
Words by Hannah Kane
Photography credit: Victor Frankowski (Provided by Southbank)
