I’ve some exciting news to share with you this week. Well, it’s not really news, rather, a thing. After almost a year since we originally had the idea, I’m proud to say that the music video I shot with Paul Morricone, The Scaramanga Six, and some of Leeds’ finest drag queens, is finally here!

I’ve never embedded a video into GayLeeds.com before, so if the below doesn’t work, click here!

The video, for The Scaramanga Six single Trouble was filmed back in the summer, over two days. We filmed the first part in Mission night club, amongst the bright lights behind the DJ area. The second part was filmed in a studio in Leeds.

Paul originally came to me with the idea almost a year ago. I was performing with Tia Maria at The Viaduct for a Halloween Drag Idol fundraiser, and Paul told me about the song and how he had an idea for a video featuring lots of drag queens in it. I’d known Paul for a while through a mutual friend - he’s an amazing director. If you’re into indie music, you may have head of him -he’s worked with some great bands in the past. He’s also joint front man of The Scaramanga Six, who had recently completed the album Cursed, which contained Trouble.

He e-mailed me the song and the brief and I immediately saw his idea. It’s a raucous, camp, rock&roll number which married perfectly to the idea of a drag performance. As life is, we were both too busy to put anything into motion at that time, so we shelved the idea until we had more time to do it.

That time came around earlier in this year when we revisited the idea. I started to round up drag queens to take part. Some of my favourite queens (who you’ll recognise from Drag Idol) Gisele Batrice, Belle Rouge and Pixie Monrue were all up for the shoot. Bears Aloud were also set to appear but had to pull out due to other commitments.

Each of us created our own routine to the song (which you can see snippets of in the finished video) and performed them separately. The first day of filming was long and laborious, but still very fun! I couldn’t have asked for better people to work with. The whole filming crew (Chris Brearley, Ben Daure, Phil Whitehead and the Morricone brothers) were lovely and accommodating, and the girls were hilarious to work with.

The second shoot was also really fun. In a studio we performed to camera and had to fake fight. It was a little awkward at first, not wanting to hurt each other, but eventually we all got into it. Belle did especially, picking me up, spinning me round and body slamming me to the floor! I was left in bruises, but I suppose I deserved it for ripping her wig off.

After filming the video went into editing and post production. I had a rough cut of the video in my inbox for about two months before it was released over the weekend. It was such a struggle not to show anyone and it killed me waiting! But the finished result is, well, you can see for yourself. It’s more than I ever thought it would be. I’m so proud of it. Thanks to everyone who worked on the project, and I hope you enjoy it!

You want trouble?