Joey Arias is a New York icon, a performance artist and cabaret singer who was partner to Klaus Nomi and hung out with Bowie. Until this coming Saturday 12th the audiences of London have a rare chance to see him perform in person at the intimate Soho Theatre Downstairs cabaret basement. Arranged around tables, with Jonny Woo and Myra Dubois amongst the assembled, we awaited Joey’s UK show with baited breath last week.
Appearing first as an elegant ebony silhouette through a silk screen, Joey emerged in the finest of burlesque sartorial style, a revealing lingerie number that swished and breathed around his fine figure. Aided only by his personal pianist, a handsome Australian who Arias and his manager picked up on tour down under last year. Joey then launched into a breathtaking first song, channelling his renowned Billie Holliday impresario.
I’ll be honest here; at first I thought he was miming. The sound quality was so good, the pitch so perfect, that I imagined it must be a backing track he was synching to. However, when some latecomers scurried into the room and Arias broke off singing to growl in a good-natured way ‘hurry up and sit the fuck down, motherfuckers’, one realised it was all for real.
Which was the beginning of quite the wonderful journey down in the dark Soho Downstairs. Arias serenaded us songs that showed off the astounding versatility of his voice, and told stories of the New York gay legends, the drugs and the lovers which held us all spellbound. Perhaps sometimes he may have forgotten a line or two in a song but the consummate performer held it together well, as lesser artists wouldn’t have been able to achieve.
When he walked through the audience crooning and speaking to his guests, we got a very engaged idea of his character, and you could see why one man there claimed to have been at every one of Joey Arias’ UK shows for thirty-seven years. Joey smiled at him like a long-lost lover and kissed him upon the lips. Till next time, Joey, and may it be soon..
• Soho Theatre Downstairs, 21 Dean Street, Soho, W1D 3NE. Running until Saturday 12th October. 9.30pm.
