Xchange Hotel

With the leap into home video Kevin Attwood and  Troll Doll Kerrie Le Gore conceived a drag version of the popular TV show “Burke’s Backyard”. This was “Le Gore’s Back Yard. This show was to establish the Xchange as THE drag destination in Melbourne.

Before long the Xchange had shows running almost every night, and it’s own roster of stars which presented 3 person shows in an apparently shifting cast of drag queens shuffling to sit on top of the tree. There was little competition from other venues, although ‘gay nights’ were popping up all over with the film ‘Priscilla’ film getting everyone excited about drag again. 

The main competition was from 3 Faces venue, just a few doors down, and the well worn path from the Xchange to 3 Faces just up the road, provided non-stop drag for 2-3 hours as the shows between the two venues fought for their audience, with shows staggered across the 10pm to 1 am spots.

When the Xchange closed for the night, the destination became 3 Faces and an innovative drag presentation at 3a.m. by Zoe Knox who put together one off musical drag dance events which appeared without announcement, dazzled the audiences, and just as quickly the DJ blended out of the show, leaving the audience dazzled.  These shows were impressive and copied across Melbourne. However the secret to drag show success is putting on the Queens the audience likes,with the songs they like, wrapped up in a quirky presentation that brings the audience back week after week to see ‘new’ developments. 

When we were Showbags at the Greyhound, it was almost Karaoke drag – with the sound of the audience singing along. We’d often hear them over the top of the foldback speakers on stage.

‘Faces’ had the costume budgets, but the Xchange had the equivalent of a TV studio and it’s own wall of stars. The drag scene separated into so-called A and B grade drag stars. A small stable of stars assembled trio drag shows almost by blueprint with heavy input from Kevin Attwood, the Xchange producer who added extra depth to shows with imaginative video inserts and ‘credit’ sequences. One particularly memorable show title sequence ended with a drag queen parachuting onto Commercial Road to arrive for her show. 

Despite all this, the shows and audiences were tired. An economic downturn had reduced costume budgets to pennies, and it was common to see a collection of ‘Dotti’ dresses from their cheap party wear discount lines, masquerading as drag  costumes, and without adornement. No extra feathers or sequins just the frippery of 16 year olds party dresses, straight from the shop, stretched on to drag queen frames.

But 3 Faces was ahead of the game when they put on an extraordinary show on a Friday night which was an inspiration to a new crop of drag queens. The show was New Wigs on the Block.