The best of Blitz 2012

I had the opportunity to attend some great events and interview tons of fabulous people this year! Some RuPaul’s Drag Race bitches, Shangela and Sharon Needles; Canadian musician Rufus Wainwright; and one of my idols, Boy George. Here are some of the highlights of Blitz & Shitz 2012:

The Drag Race girls!

Raziel Reid with Shangela backstage at Celebrities Nightclub for Vancouver’s Next Drag Superstar Competition. Photo and video by Jonathan Schmidtgall.

One of my favourite nights of the year was seeing Madonna live during her MDNA tour at Rogers Arena. When it all comes down to it, I’m a big ol’ Madonna queen. You would be, too, if you tried to kill yourself and found Madonna. Check out my review of the show here!

Raziel Reid at the MDNA tour. Photo by Victor Bearpark.

Meeting Amanda Lepore was a thrill. There is something undeniably alluring about her. Her skin is so white and smooth, when she stepped into the room, I couldn’t help but think how she is otherworldly. And I want to be a part of that world!

 

The best of 2012 came to me at the very end of the year, when I got the opportunity to interview Boy George. He’s the original pretty boy and a defining figure in both pop culture and gay history. When I called him in London for our interview with his DJ partner, Marc Vedo, he was gracious and articulate. I definitely found the new age of Boy George inspirational.

I also got to interview him on film backstage at Celebrities before he took the DJ decks. It was, without a doubt, my most thrilling moment of the year. It’s not every day you get to meet a legend. The video will be up on xtra.ca soon!

Happy new year!

Keep Reading

The cast of All Stars 11

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 11’ is a second chance for the bracket format. Will it work this time around?

Early enthusiasm for the Tournament of All Stars last season was dampened by the back half of the season, raising the question of whether this format is viable in the long term
A flaming torch

‘Survivor’ helped me climb a volcano

Instead of training for a gruelling day-long hike, I listened to podcasts about my favourite TV show. It paid off
Michaela Coel and Anne Hathaway

‘Mother Mary’ nails how devastating a first lesbian breakup can be

In A24’s new pop star drama, Anne Hathaway captures the physicality of a tormented ex-lover aching for answers—and deliverance
The cover of Afternoon Hours of a Hermit; Patrick Cottrell

In ‘Afternoon Hours of a Hermit,’ Patrick Cottrell writes a protagonist who does everything wrong—again

The pseudo-sequel to Cottrell’s acclaimed first novel brilliantly retraces old ground
Advertisement