Monster Songs, camp classics and flamingo feathers.
Auckland’s Wintergarden, tucked like a velvet secret beneath The Civic, transformed into a glitter-drenched fever dream on Sunday night as Monster Songs felt like falling down a rabbit hole in six-inch heels.
From the moment the doors opened, we knew subtlety had left the building. Two luminous
Their costumes? Imagine if a casino floor had a baby with a drag brunch and sent it to finishing school. The effect was glorious.
Inside, The Wintergarden shimmered like Gatsby’s parlour. Round tables, low-lit lamps, and a stage dressed for a fever dream. The setup evoked old Hollywood with a touch of queer burlesque, and it couldn’t have been more perfect.
Vocals were all live, no lip-sync in sight. This wasn’t your mum’s drag show, darling.
Highlights included a Rocky Horror staple Over at the Frankenstein Place that oozed Tim Curry energy, and a particularly left-field but captivating take on Radiohead’s Creep, twisted through a lens of mascara and melodrama.
The standout moment? A barbershop quartet rendition of P!nk’s Dear Mr. President, harmonised with jaw-dropping precision.
It was like being handed a politically charged smoothie. Smooth, surprising, and with a zing of sass.
The emotional peak arrived with a slightly pitchy but heartfelt Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, proving that even imperfections can shine when the commitment is real.
It was chaotic. It was fabulous. It was pure cabaret alchemy. By the end, the crowd shot to its feet, delivering a standing ovation like they’d been guzzling bottomless champagne and high on pure spectacle.
Paul Marshall
Photography by Jinki Cambronero