Chocolate Boxx Vs Charlie Love | Rumble

What do you get when you take two super hot performers, let them shake their stuff and show you what they got, and then throw a bunch of random challenges and improvised chaos at them in front of an adoring and loose crowd?

It’s Rumble, baby! The game show like no other.

Rumble is a monthly, game show-esque night of fun and debauchery brought to you by local producer, photographer, and person who makes things happen, Joel Devereux.  

Haven’t heard of Rumble? Where have you been? This is the little game show that could. A night of performance shaken and stirred in all the best ways that’s been running monthly for three and a half years and counting. And it just gets better with age having recently picked up best regular event at this year’s Queens Ball. Punters keep coming back month after month for the shenanigans and it always sells out. And nestled in The Outpost Bar, one of the Valley’s hidden gems, makes it all very Kit Kat Klub in all the right ways.

What makes Rumble stand out from the other regular events around town is that it pits two performers from different worlds against each other across three rounds of epic battles of sparkle and stupidity.  One month you’ll get a drag artist versus a cabaret star, another, a burlesque talent versus a comedian. It’s always an awesome mash-ups of performers that you would rarely see on stage together elsewhere. And they’re always supported by at least two other stellar artists. What more could you want from a night out?

If you’re not already sold, let me give you the typical Rumble Rundown.

Round 1 starts with the performers in their comfort zone, showcasing a signature act that’s guaranteed to warm up the crowd. Round 2 is where it get interesting, with the performers pitted against each other in a challenge with a twist. Think, who can stack a cups the highest or assemble some flatpack Ikea furniture. Round 3 is an improvised performance inspired by a song and a prop they must choose from a small list on offer, with the winner of round two picking first. Then it’s up to the audience to choose the winner.

This month, COVID got into the ring with our two combatants and threatened to shut down the July event, but not even border closures of quarantine can stop the beast that is Rumble. When contender and Drag Race Down Under star, Jojo Zaho and regular host Tina Bikkie couldn’t make it into Queensland at the last minute, the Rumble team called in some favours and were able to sub in some awesome local talents.

The happiest little go-go dancer / polestress, Charlie Love, stepped up to compete against local drag legend and former Ms First Nations, Chocolate Boxx. Both had won Rumble before, so we knew it was going to be epic. The terminally delightful Clara Cupcakes took on the all-important duties of host / referee. Backing them up were talented burlesque siren, Fortuna Maxima and the mighty femme / drag Hip-Hop dance crew Thicc Shake, with DJ Enn on the decks and Citrine Velvetine as the much maligned stage hand.

Phew, talk about exposition overload. Time to get into this month’s epic battle.

Let’s get ready to Rumble!

A suitably toasted and sold out audience welcomed referee for the night, Clara Cupcakes, as she stepped into the ring to get us ready for the night. If you haven’t seen Clara before, think Kristen Schaal mixed with Ben Delacreme, and painted by Trixie Matel. She’s an absolute natural on stage and the perfect host for the night; the right mix of shadey, dirty and charming; I can’t wait to see more of her. Before explaining the rules, she provides a fitting lip-sync tribute to regular host Tina Bikkie, stuck in quarantine down south. There was Celine Dion. There was an effigy of Tina. It was art.

With the audience suitably warm, it was time for battle.

Round 1 … fight!

First up, the contenders get to show us what they got. Charlie Love takes the stage first with burlesque flavoured dance routine to Rhianna’s Skin. He was all legs, stomping down the stage and climbing all over a chair in some impressive platform boots, seducing us all as he sheds all his layers. Chocolate Boxx followed with a crowd-pleasing high-energy lip sync. At one point she seems to defy gravity, before slamming her pussy on the stage to riotous applause.

Points for the serve from both sides. It’s any one’s game at the end of round 1.

Thicc Shake Crew welcomed the audience back from the break with a down and dirty lip-sync of Beyonce’s Formation, showing exactly why they’ve taken Brisbane by storm. No other local lip syncers compare to their mix of hip hop, pop’n’lock and ferocity. Shout out to relatively new Thicc Shaker Brandi Cootch for matching the levels of local legends Crimson Coco and Evangeline Yen.

Round 2 … fight?

Next up is the Rumble physical challenge and tonight was a true test of problem solving, dexterity and tenacity. The competitors had to transfer a mix of lollies from one plate to another using only chopsticks in the quickest time possible. Or in three minutes, because the crowd was thirsty and easily distracted. Charlie Boxx showed his dexterity, destroying Chocolate Boxx in half the time.

As the winner, Charlie got to choose his ‘inspiration’ for the final round’s performance. The songs, all on with a Western Theme. The props, a mix of cowboy and kid’s party. Charlie chose Lil Nas X’s Old Town Road and a nerf gun and Chocolate Boxx chose Kasey Chamber’s Pony and a set of party hats and they rushed off stage to figure out how to entertain us demanding hordes in less than 15 minutes.

Fortuna Maxima brought us back from the break with a gorgeous, intricate fan routine that you couldn’t take your eyes off. And then she flipped it and reversed it and we all went wild. Be sure that you’ll be in for a feast for the eyes if you ever see this belle perform.

Round 3 … umm, what?

First up, Charlie Love gave us an ode to the forgotten victims of the Melbourne Cup. Those poor hopeful souls, who only want to perform for their owners, who get taken down that old town road and don’t come back. It was poignant tale of lost innocence. Were there tears? I’ll never tell.

Chocolate Boxx tells us a similar tale of innocence taken too soon. A little girl who wanted a party, and maybe a pony, but no one came. All that preparation and anticipation left a child scarred. You might call what we saw a tantrum, I call it a fair expression of childhood trauma. Pout and let it out, baby!

After that beautifully random chaos, in true Thunderdome style it was over to the ravenous audience to choose the winner.

And the crowd goes wild.

And the winner is …

Charlie Love gets his fair share of the clap, but the crowd gives their biggest love to Miss Chocolate Boxx. And her prize? The tiniest, most sought after trophy in the biz.

And we’re all spent.

What a night! I don’t know what I’ve just seen, but I loved the glorious, messy, high-energy, big-hearted,  random stupid fun of it all. I will be back again for sure.

Rumble team, how do I get an annual pass, please and thank you?

Whether you’ve been day drinking away your weekend or your gearing up for a massive night in the clubs, Rumble is the best way to start or end your Sunday. Always guaranteed to be fresh, chaotic and overflowing with the talents of our town.

So what are you waiting for, Meanjin? Get your tickets and choose your contender for the August showdown now.

The next Rumble will be 15 August, 2021 and pits drag diva Gayleen Tuckwood against burlesque royalty  Sin Salute. Supported by Clara Cupcakes, Leah Shelton, Evalyn Eatdith and DJ Enn. It will sell out, so don’t say we didn’t warn you.  

All images by Joel Devereux.