250712 Butt Hole Cabaret (4)

Gore Whore & Ms Mutineer: Backstage at The Butterfly Club

I’ve been trying to learn from my past shoots, so this time I made sure I was early. When I arrived, Jack (aka 6 Inches Uncut) was mid-makeup, so we caught up while he transformed. Not long after, Ms Mutineer arrived.

I hadn’t worked with her before, but she was warm and completely open to the project. She came in mostly ready,  just needing a few finishing touches and then to get into costume. That costume, by the way, was a lot: bright, sparkling, colourful, and definitely a two-person job to get on. Honestly, I was glad I saw it before she hit the stage. Sometimes looks that vibrant can be a bit overstimulating to photograph on the fly, and seeing it early gave me a chance to mentally prepare.

The show was set to start at 8:30, and by 8 I realised I hadn’t seen Gore Whore yet. I asked Jack, and he said, “Don’t worry, Gore Whore has a tendency to just arrive ready to go, right on time.” Which, to be fair, is much better than being late. But when it’s someone I haven’t worked with before, I like having a moment to build a bit of rapport. Still, they walked in basically stage-ready, and before I knew it, it was showtime.

There’s something I love about the backstage vibe at The Butterfly Club. The camaraderie, the encouragement, the mix of personalities that somehow all make space for each other. It always feels like a safe and supportive space, even when the performers couldn’t be more different.

It was a good turnout, and I was especially happy to photograph Gore Whore. They’d reached out when I was looking for performers early in the project, but one of my ideas hadn’t worked out at the time. So this shoot felt like closing a little loop.

Reflection

• What worked: Arriving early gave me time to settle in and build connection with the performers before the show.

• What didn’t: I struggled with my camera settings during the shoot. Not a total write-off, but definitely not my best work.

• What’s next: Be more mindful about checking and setting up my camera properly before the show. Review previous settings used in the space to give myself a better starting point.