After winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, releasing two albums, and hosting the Trixie and Katya Show, drag queen superstar Trixie Mattel brings her live show back to the O2 Academy Leeds. “You can expect virtuosic guitar-playing and hair that touches the sky. I want people to come away from the show thinking ‘you were up there’” Trixie said, when asked what fans could expect from the show.

The Skinny Legend tour is sure to delight, with Mattel bringing her trademark wit and musical charm. But what exactly is a skinny legend? “Being a skinny legend is more of a mindset or a persona than a number on a scale. You can be a skinny legend with any body type. It’s about dressing for your shape, it’s about confidence and honestly, it’s about being verified on Twitter!”

“We love to keep very in touch with the local performers when we’re on tour and I always try to go to a local show if I can.[…] I think the queens in the UK are really great performers as they’re really balls to the wall.”

“I always love coming to the UK. As long as there’s strong wifi and slightly Americanised food, I’m happy! I’m really looking forward to coming back to Leeds.” Mattel seems to love the UK, and judging from the audiences, we seem to love her back. “I’ve never been to Cork though so I’m looking forward to that.” If you’re lucky, you might even find her in Leeds’ gay district catching a show at the Viaduct Showbar; “We love to keep very in touch with the local performers when we’re on tour and I always try to go to a local show if I can.[…] I think the queens in the UK are really great performers as they’re really balls to the wall.”

Beyond the tour, Mattel has another exciting project in the works. In her own words, “nobody uses and abuses makeup like drag queens – if I can’t get blackout drunk and fall off stage in it, then it’s not worth it.” So it only makes sense that she’s launching her own cosmetics line later this year. “I previously worked as a makeup artist for five years so I’ve always been very interested in the technical side. I’ve been heavily involved in every step from working in the lab to choosing the packaging.”

Photo via Trixie Mattel

Mikhail Hanafi