"Being Bad Never Felt So Good"

“Being Bad Never Felt So Good”

Life has a funny way of guiding us to new and amazing things. I had never planned to watch any form of performance the day I set out with Amna to the Tate Britain, and yet somehow the performance found us. It was a Tuesday and class had been canceled due to a professor being ill. That morning I knew I wanted to go to the Tate Britain because I had never been there and because I wanted to prepare some notes for a future assignment. By the time we were out the door the sun had set and we were famished. We decided on Indian, and since we were so close to the Brixton area we figured we would be able to find some better Indian food there. Off we went across Vauxhall Bridge to South London. We walked into the city and made sure to keep our eyes open for anything appealing. After finding a suitable meal we made our way back towards the Vauxhall tube station. 

On our way back we saw a pub, a local gay pub, and I proclaimed we stop for a break. We entered a packed pub, tables placed around the space, and we were lucky enough to find a spot. We sat down and had a pleasant conversation and soon readied ourselves to leave. 
That was when the lights dimmed over the venue and spotlights emerged facing the stage. Out from behind a curtain came this woman with a deep bellowing voice welcoming the crowd to a very special event, we were about to witness Vauxhall Royal Tavern’s Bar Wotever night, a night of performances brought to the people of the area, for the people of the area. As an individual who self-identifies himself as gay, I was overjoyed to have stumbled upon this queer performance event, something completely unplanned and thoroughly exciting. 

Amna and I had no idea what to expect. The announcer then told the audience that we were to watch a cabaret performance from a well-known American cabaret performer, Sabrina Chap. The audience was asked to show their support for this performer, and soon enough she emerged from behind the stage, and sat in front of a keyboard, ready to play the piano, ready for her performance, well, almost ready. She first buttered the audience up with a few jokes, letting us know a bit more about herself and her own identification with the queer Diaspora. Soon she starts to play a tune, and as she begins to hit the notes on the piano she continues to talk, prepping us for her song, telling us stories. Song after song, story after story, the audience and I were pulled in by this songstress. She had sass, energy, humor, and catchy tunes to go along with all of it. This was an unexpected joy for me, I could not wipe the grin off my face as I listened to her stories and her songs, it was an adventure all enjoyed within the comfort of my seat.