Bar drags have been paid around $100 for four songs for more than three decades. A ridiculously low fee according to several artists, who invest large sums in their costumes and in the preparation of their numbers.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Barbada says wages have barely budged in their 17-year career. “At first, I was paid $25 per song at Cabaret Mado on weekends. Today it’s $150 for four songs. My salary has gone up, but a drag starting there can get up to $125. At the Cocktail, it’s $100. »
Considering herself underpaid, Aizysse Baga affirms that Quebec drags invest more than elsewhere. “In the United States and elsewhere in Canada, drags have a lot of tips, which is rare in Quebec. However, there, they change costumes much less than here. »
The popularity of drag shows on television has also raised public expectations. “We want to stand out, but when you wear a $500 suit, it takes a long time to pay back,” reveals Wendy Warhol.
No one is forced to invest so much. But since the competition is high, it’s not necessarily with $25 looks that you will stand out.
Wendy Warhol
The fees are far from the standards of the Union des artistes, which requires at least $150 per performance. “That said, bars have a share of risk, advances RV Metal. Since I have a production box, I understand the issues. They don’t want it to cost them money to produce an evening. »
Nevertheless, the drag king deplores the share to invest in “volunteer” at the start of his career. “There is an unwritten law that to be part of the community, you have to participate in a competition that lasts several weeks without pay. »
What are employers saying?
“The fees have always been small,” says Michel Dorion, co-owner of Le Cocktail bar. I’ve been dragging for 34 years and was making $100 for four songs at the time. »
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Michel Dorion, co-owner of Le Cocktail bar and himself a drag queen
He recalls that his establishment has long presented five evenings of free shows per week. “We were getting flush at the end of the year,” he said. For a few years, the entrance fees have helped him, but only halfway.
It should be greatly increased [les frais d’entrée] to give artists a fee to cover their expenses, but I don’t think bars could keep the same frequency of performances.
Michael Dorion
Michel Dorion is nevertheless considering a salary increase since Cabaret Mado increased its fees. “The drags are not paid enough, argues for her part Mado Lamotte. I raised the salaries a bit recently. And we’ve raised the entrance fee in the past. »
A la carte expenses
If the fees are in question, so are the expenses. Indeed, a drag who works five nights a week will be able to make her costumes profitable and present certain numbers more than once, unlike a colleague who works once a month and wants to change her pace each time. “It’s more profitable for those who work almost daily,” underlines Mado Lamotte.
On the other hand, if a drag invests colossal sums, the return on the investment is more uncertain. “When a drag girl spends $2,000 on a costume because she wants to be the most beautiful, she ends up paying to come to work”, illustrates Mado.
RV Metal reminds us that time is worth money. “When you create your costume, it costs the materials and it takes hours of work. It’s hard to live with it. It’s not for nothing that most drags have another job. »
So why continue?
To learn, tell us the interviewees. “Drags can create in an environment on a regular basis,” replies Michel Dorion. Others speak of a business card. “You can’t just make bars for the money,” says Wendy Warhol. It’s more a way of being seen. It ends up giving us opportunities elsewhere. »
Aizysse Baga agrees. “Working in clubs allows you to stay in the game. I have no choice but to play in bars. This is often where people see me to offer me other contracts. “She takes advantage of mandates outside the clubs to be paid decently. “I was taught never to charge less than $100 per issue in this context. »
Get out of bars
There is general agreement that private contracts can pay off immensely. “That’s why some drags who participated in RuPaul’s Drag Race stop performing in bars, says Barbada. We can do a $1,000 contract that will replace 10 nights in clubs. »
Although she hardly plays them anymore, she does not abandon them. “This is where we show up. I can’t tell people to come see me on show at Jean and Luc’s wedding that I’m hosting. »