Every night, a debauched affair of revelries and frivolity can be found in the depths of the Raging Bull bar on Lothian Road. Emceed by the self-declared burlesque vixen Viva Lamore, a ceremony dedicated to the Moon Goddess begins. On the night of the August full moon, the Full Moon Cabaret was an appropriate place to be.
Truly a night worthy of the Moon Goddess!
What followed was a noticeably feminine event. Lamore doubles as a priestess as much as a performance artist, knowing the names of every Moon and their significance. Sadly, as the current Moon was a Sturgeon one, Lamore’s explanations of its symbolic importance were somewhat interrupted by audience cheering. Saying 'Sturgeon' in Scotland will have that effect, it seems. No one seemed as keen on the Salmon Moon though.
The Full Moon Cabaret recaptures the magic of 1920s Berlin with a mix of vintage aesthetic and mystical allusion. There’s a magical quality to the show, inspired by Lamore’s priestess-esque qualities and her experiences of the KitKatKlub in Germany. She peoples her show with rebellious artists and punk musicians; the German Feline & Strange band peppering the show throughout the night with a cool, gothic repertoire that defied logic with an ethereal energy. Their backing dancers consisted of Lamore’s own Full Moon Players, whose dances always bordered on the orgiastic. Homo, hetero and bisexual love were all on display. The Full Moon Cabaret is a night of anarchic variety, where no performer is similar.
It’s a night where even blood was drawn, which felt appropriate with Lamore asking if anyone’s cycles were in sync with the full Moon. Magician Ava Beaux performed a delightfully sinister magic show with a needle-through-the-arm trick, which is wonderful in itself because it really is a trick. She does really put a needle through her arm. People were freaking out at the sight of blood, it was brilliant!
There’s always a feeling of acceptance. This is a show where femininity is empowered and celebrated, where homosexuality, bisexuality and heterosexuality coexist freely in an orgiastic artistry. This is not a gentleman’s club with dancing showgirls. This is a night where all body types are welcome, where male and female bodies are laid bare for the performers’ own enjoyment, and the audience’s appreciation. To remove these pretensions for a moment, it’s fun!
The night ends with an especially appropriate tradition: a mooning competition! It was a shame how shy the audience were, however, as they only had two takers. It seems absurd, considering that performers had stripped completely bare just seconds before. The mooning competition has a symbolic significance, including the audience in the show’s defiance against prudishness and body-awkwardness. It’s a reminder of everyone’s similarities, that we all have something to bare. Truly a night worthy of the Moon Goddess!
