A new video showing drag queens completely loosing it at a fast food joint in Reykjavík has just been posted online.
In the video members of Drag-Súgur can been seen going berserk at Aktu Taktu (Drive and grab), throwing food at employees. However, it’s all part of the story-line of a new music video to a single called Psycho, by rap band Cyber. The first one from the band’s album Horror which will be released on October 13th.
Cyber is a rap band of three girls who are all also members of the rap group Reykjavíkurdætur (Daugthers of Reykjavík), they are: Jóhanna Rakel a.k.a Junior Cheese/ YNG NICK/ yo new stepmom, Salka Valsdóttir a.k.a BleacchPistol/ SICK ROMA, and Þurðíður Kristín Kristleifsdóttir a.k.a DJ SURA <3. Their first album will be launched next month and according to Jóhanna Rakel they were all in unison when it came to chosing the actors of their video for the single Psycho.
“The action of the video takes place in the fast food joint Aktu Taktu, which is my and Salka’s favorite restaurant. We go there about 5-6 times every week so we wanted to make a video to a song who is faintly about that obsession and how crazy we all are. In the video Salka and I are working at Aktu Taktu and we are appalling employees. When we were planning the action of the video we asked ourselves which group of customers we would most like to serve and we both answered in unison: Drag-Súgur! Because there is nothing more awesome in this world than drag queens.”
“When we were planning the …video we asked ourselves which group of customers we would most like to serve and … answered: Drag-Súgur! Because there is nothing more awesome in this world than drag queens.”
Asked why they are of that opinion Jóhanna Rakel is quick to answer. “We just think drag is such a perfect and beautiful form of art and we want to see more of it in main stream entertainment. And as they say; if you want things to change you have to change them yourself.”
But do they plan on working more with the artists from Drag-Súgur?
“I hope so,” Jóhanna Rakel says enthusiastically. “But I don’t know if they will be willing to work with us again after we forced them into full drag at 8.30 in the morning! But I really hope we can work with them again.”
The drag queens who star in the video are: Gógó Starr, Jenny Purr, Drama Tík, Ouija Bordel and Deff Starr. We asked Gógó Starr why they agreed to take part in this project.
“We are all great fans of Reykjavíkur dætur (The daughters of Reykjavík) so we really wanted this collaboration to work out. And how fierce is it to see drag queens in a rap video,” says Gógó. “It was originally Jenny Purr’s idea but we were all eager to take part.”
It seems to be in these days to use drag queens in main stream media, like when you starred in Gló’s advertising video. Do you have any explanation for why this is happening now?
“I think it goes hand in hand with increasing popularity of drag in Iceland. It owes a great dept to the reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race which has put drag queens in the homes of people all around the world. And we see the consequences of that clearly in increased demand for drag shows, in the word of mouth about the shows and the dedicated following of all the incredible drag artists that work here in Iceland.
It’s also worth it to point out that drag artists have through the years been very visible in the campaign for the rights of queer people and I think many artists are excited to work with drag artists so they can celebrate diversity with us.”
Jóhanna Rakel is thrilled to have worked with you but she is afraid that you will never want to work with Cyber again as they did force you into full drag at 8.30 in morning. Was that hard?
Gógó laughs. “Well, it’s a bit early to make one self up in full drag, yes. It’s often a three-hour process, even more. Then there is the fact that daylight and drag are not necessarily the best combo. There is a good reason why we choose to perform on softly lit stages in the middle of the night. But we made the effort for the girls in Cyber and I can honestly say that this was the must fun I have had filming a music video, ever. So totally worth it!”
“… drag artists have through the years been very visible in the campaign for the rights of queer people and I think many artists are excited to work with drag artists so they can celebrate diversity with us.”
And then you are set for taking over Europe with Iceland’s burlesque queen Margrét Erla Maack a.k.a. Miss Mokki. When does your tour start?
“Yes, exactly. Margrét and I aim for a tour of Europe next summer, when she has finished dancing in The Rocky Horror Show at theater Borgarleikhúsið (the Reykjavík City Theater). That will be an exciting collaboration of drag and cabaret, where we will go all over Europe in search of sticky cabaret places and sweaty stages wherever we can find them. It’s gonna be a great collaboration and hopefully we will make Iceland proud.”
The album HORROR will be launched on October 13th. So stay tuned for that, people.
