By Shaikha Rahimi

Joe Black is not your typical post-Drag Race drag artist, and Club Cataclysm shows you exactly why that is. Throughout this hour-and-a-half show his non-conventional ‘less pop princess, more punk cabaret’ artistry took centre stage. Black’s Club Cataclysm embodied all the delights one can experience at an apocalyptic, stand-up comedy drag-cabaret show.

Since the second series of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Black has been embracing his gifted talents and years of experience being a drag artist and musician. He is no stranger to touring – Black has appeared across the UK, Europe, Australia, and the US – and always immersed himself in music. Despite his inactivity in the musical realm since the pandemic, he recently premiered his single Final Curtain which is about nothing really working out in the end – very much aligned with the themes of Club Cataclysm.

Black’s devilish, wicked but somehow still cabaret-esque persona was conspicuous even before he appeared on stage. “Happy Hallowe’en Leicester,” he said as the lights went down to signal the start of the show. He constantly left trails of dark humour in his conversations with the audience. “Boom boom boom, death death death. That’s what sparks joy in me,” he said.

The drag artist’s punk cabaret characteristics never failed to shine through his references. Even though he does not deprive the audience of hilarious RuPaul’s Drag Race and pop culture references, he does it in the most ‘Joe Black’ way possible. Drag lovers have heard queer bangers for the longest time but the cabaret drag genius reinvented the wheel in his take on pop culture by adding a remarkable musical flair.

Club Cataclysm is Black’s interpretation of the current state of the world, and some of it included a satirical take on the cost of living crisis. “No one has any f****** money, so thanks for coming,” he said to the audience. Honesty was a core theme, and Black built a bond with the audience by using that throughout the show. He allowed the audience to let loose and enjoy every second of it just by being quintessentially Joe, and having fun. He really did not have to do much to keep the audience on the edges of their seats, but what seemed like effortless attempts to do so paid off very well.

Complimentary to Black’s aesthetic and branding colours, the gleaming purple and green lighting personified the darkest cabaret apocalyptic visual imagery possible. He also makes an effort of switching up the lighting during his piano ballads. “I’m aware I’m asking for things on the go and you’re probably thinking ‘go f*** yourself’,” he said to the lighting engineer.

The content shifted from the quirky to the sentimental, and Black played the ukulele, piano, and accordion while hitting an impressive variety of vocal octaves. He truly did not rest and neither did the audience (from both eyebrow-raising amusement and knee-slapping laughter). Even when he grabbed a drink with one hand, he played an instrument with the other. 

Club Cataclysm is a delightful show for lovers of drag, cabaret, and anything unconventionally punk. It is great to see Black on stage doing what he does best – taking the tornado of creativity within him and fine-tuning to glorious effect. This is a must-watch show performed by a creative genius with unrivalled talent.

Joe Black’s UK and Ireland tour includes dates in Bath, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham and Portsmouth, and finishes in Brighton on Sunday, November 20. Buy tickets at https://joeblack.seetickets.com/tour/joe-black.