Bio: Dirrty Harry Interview: Eerie Rose Photographs: Film shots by @ambergod3 and VHS stills by @asherlloyd

Dirrty Harry is a 27 year old artist and performer born and raised in South East London. His work combines elements of camp, D.I.Y, pop culture and trash for truly unique viewing pleasure. He shat out POMP! In February 2024, a new alternative cabaret blending likeminded experimental drag things, performance artists and creatives for a truly unique and splendid display. All shows have been a sell out success and the 4th instalment awaits you on the 20th of September.

pomp! is camp, it’s chaos, it’s a cacaphony of extreme visuals and sound - what are your main inspirations behind the show, and why did you feel compelled to start it?

It’s weird because I didn’t really realise a lot of my inspirations and references we’re stuff that’s been in my head for so long - arcades and fairgrounds from sea-side towns I’d go to as a kid, pantomimes I’d go and see with my Nan in Catford at Christmas time. I’ve just always had an adoration for trash, tacky, bright, bold - I just love the madness. As I got older this became loving things like John Waters movies and Divine and performance artists like Paul McCarthy. I just really wanted to start something that celebrates really strange, unconventional artists who are so good and unique at what they do, and have them blow the audience's mind with their creativity.

Did you expect it to become such a cult classic? I attended my first POMP! recently and truly, we’d never miss one now. It feels candid yet rehearsed, a balance between supportive scratch night but also really high quality performances and serious enjoyment from attendees. What’s your secret?

Thank you so much. I had a feeling people would enjoy it once they saw it, but word has spread pretty quickly and it’s doing quite well and I couldn’t be prouder. I just love the idea that people come and see these artists and laugh, are shocked or just have an amazing time. Those strong reactions are important to me. I spend a lot of time looking for people to be in it - I really try to find people who blur the lines between performance art, cabaret, and drag. People with really mad ideas who love experimenting, form characters, just the weirder the better. I love it. And everyone I've worked with is so great at what they do, it can’t go wrong.

Could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your personal work, and how that led into doing POMP!?

I went to art school and studied sculpture but really quickly got bored by everything around me and by 2nd year I was just dancing on webcams in wigs and screaming country songs into a mic in my crits and most of my peers, definitely my seniors just had no idea what to do about it. But I felt what I was doing was valid, so I started doing some performances around but I really wanted to do something of my own so I could really create the world and visual language. But I think art can be fun, that’s a big thing of what I wanted to do with POMP!, break down some of the weird seriousness that can plague art environments.

What sort of artists do you want to spotlight through POMP!’s lineups? Do you have a specific focus in terms of their type of work, or their identities?

Anyone experimental, strange, funny, creepy, chaotic, D.I.Y, camp. Working class and queer. Anyone bold and weird, fresh and exciting are perfect for POMP!

Tell us more about the venue - it’s always held in the same place, what is it that makes you choose the old nuns head?

I had the idea budding for a while and where I work at the Old Nun’s Head it felt only right to keep it at home, and Allie, the mother of the Nun’s couldn’t have been more supportive and helpful in the early stages right through up to now. We’ve also worked hard on making it such a queer, creative safe space for South London hosting POMP! Works perfectly - the audiences are always so queer, open minded and down for a good time which definitely contributes to the magic of it all.

What can we expect from this fourth POMP!

Bubbles. Confetti. Human sized puppets. Denim. Fruit. Costume. Laughs, gasps and guffaws. Screaming and clapping and yassing. Terrible singing from me but I literally can’t stop at this point.

What’s next for your work in general, and where would you like to go with POMP! In the future?!

I just wanna expand it and work it into loads of different things in loads of different ways, make it really multiplatform and experiment with loads of different stuff with it. I have some really exciting bits of this vein in the works that I can’t wait to splat everywhere so watch this space.

GET YOUR TICKETS TO POMP! 4 on 20th September HERE!

Cabaret of Chaos: POMP!