ChillOut to the Max

ChillOut spokesperson and occasional drag queen Max Primmer shares his passion for Australia’s No. 1 Rural Gay Festival with Andrew Shaw.

So, Max – you do drag for ChillOut?
I’m not an entertainer, but I like to get dressed up and I’ve done it every year. I’ve done drag on and off, not as a professional but just as my own personal thing, going to the balls around Melbourne, private dinner parties, things like that. I like getting dressed up and becoming a different person for that period of time.

What sort of reaction do you get from the local residents?
People get a big kick out of it and most of the local people are the ones who line the streets on the Sunday morning to see the parade and a lot of them come out to the park. The local people handle it very, very, very well and a lot of people get excited about the whole weekend because they know it’s going to be a good weekend with a lot of people in town.

The festival’s put the region on the map hasn’t it?
Most people would know where Daylesford is because of ChillOut; most people would come here to try the spas and the basic quiet lifestyle, but ChillOut is the one that brings people to town mostly.

Paul Capsis is headlining Carnival Day, that’s a coup.
Paul’s been here before and done a couple of shows at The Palais and he’s quite happy to come back. When we got the call to say he was ready to appear it was a great coup for us, he draws a very big crowd.

The Palais is a star attraction in itself.
Yes, it was built in the 1920s as a dance hall. It’s been through some changes since then – it’s been a movie theatre. It’s got one of the only original floating dance floors in Victoria. It actually moves when you walk or dance on it. The effect is that it creates a special place to dance on, I think it’s sprung from underneath – it gives you a feeling of lightness and movement.

Who else is on at The Palais?
We’ve got Dolly Diamond on the Saturday night with her More Than A Woman show, with dinner and show or show only. You can ring up The Palais and book that. The ticket price includes a donation to the State Emergency Service, which is the organisation we are donating to this year. We’ve got the opening party at the Town Hall on the Friday night, then Sunday night is the dance party, which always sells out.

What’s you fave part of ChillOut?
The day at the park on Sunday is always one of the best days – that’s where the tug of war is, that’s where the dog show is; all the stalls are there, and there are 40 or 50 stalls there this year and still more coming in. People can come up here and spend the weekend doing nothing, if they want. Or they can spend it doing a whole lot of things. There’s the golf tournament in Hepburn Springs, it’s an absolutely beautiful golf course. Then there’s the day at the Kyneton Races as well.

What’s the accommodation like up there?
I would suggest if anyone’s out there wanting to stay here that they better get their little bottoms into gear, because a lot of people do book it from year to year. The accommodation can get very short on. But a lot of people do just come up for Sunday, spend the day and go home again.

Book your tickets to the Opening Night Party other events and get accommodation tips by going to: chilloutfestival.com.au

There will be a shuttle bus operating throughout the weekend between all the ChillOut locations, including the Kyneton Races.