Adore Delano: A Pizza Me, Glee Club, Birmingham - review
Crowds wound around Birmingham's Glee Club last night as eager drag fans queued to see RuPaul's Drag Race star Adore Delano - party!
Brought to the city by Holy T and sponsored by Jinjer, Dragged Up and The Powder Room, the room was adorned with Adore-themed backdrops for photo opportunities, the stage was opulently dressed in flowers, and meet and greet ticket holders were even treated to free pizza before the show commence - no expense was spared in setting the mood for the evening.
The 29-year-old singer/songwriter and television personality, created by Mexican-American artist Daniel Noriega, was in the city with their first solo show A Pizza Me, featuring live music, personal anecdotes, and a question and answer session with the audience.
First up to warm the crowd however, was Dublin queen Victoria Secret. Dancing to the stage from the back of the room, the energetic queen dazzled with a precise and animated lip sync routine to Robin S' Show Me Love.
Inviting the crowd to raise a toast and smell her tights while soaring through a comedy routine covering everything from her love life to touring for three months, Greggs and Drag Race UK, Victoria successfully set the atmosphere for the evening - and it was a lively one.
She ended her opening act with a lip sync routine to Ariana Grande's thank u, next that she wowed Birmingham fans with earlier this year during her support slot for Trixie Mattel's Skinny Legend show.
Though on a smaller stage now, the queen perfectly adapted the number to suit the room and had the whole crowd in hysterics by the end of her set.
Screams erupted from the crowd as Adore strode onto the stage in striking a red and green check suit and chain-covered black bralet. Her grunge-inspired outfit perfectly matched her stunning vocals as she treated the room to an acoustic rendition of Britney Spears' Piece of Me.
And with each track she continued to demonstrate her superb voice in excellent form. She performed pieces of her own work in the form of My Address Is Hollywood and I Adore You, as well as a series of heartfelt covers including Radiohead's Creep and Amy Winehouse hit Back To Black.
The star stunned as she hit each high and low note, demonstrating the jaw-dropping vocal range that saw her reach the semi-finals of American Idol in 2008.
The queen had an effortless and instant rapport with the crowd that added to the intimate feel of the show. Adore told personal anecdotes about each song and it's inspiration, and interacted with the crowd with ease between each live song.
A question and answer session in the middle of the show added to the familiar tone of the evening, as the queen answered queries put forward by the audience, covering everything from her friendship with fellow Drag Race star Bianca Del Rio, through to whether she prefers drag to singing and what famous musician she'd like to collaborate with.
No matter how personal the question, Adore never paused and graced her fans with honest answers delivered in her signature no-holds-barred, unfiltered fashion that is equal parts personable and hilarious.
Ending on awe-inspiring performances of I Adore U and Spice Girls hit Viva Forever, Adore ended the show on an electric high that saw the queen receive a standing ovation from the crowd.
Packed full of superb songs and comedic yet poignant anecdotes - Adore Delano's A Pizza Me is a show that cannot be missed.
I hope she brings the party back to Birmingham soon.