Angel Cupcakes aka Jamie Weir, is one of the most phenomenal drag artists, and will be once again performing at the Rainbow on the Plains Festival this November in Hay. If you have never been or it’s been a while, you need to seriously consider going.

The artistry, effort, talent and entertainment value are second to none. The aims and thought processes behind the Rainbow on the Plains Festival are inclusivity, and making everyone welcome, which is everything I hold dear about the world.

At 11 years old, Jamie discovered something magical on television that would change his life forever. Watching the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, he was captivated by a contestant named Shannel, a fabulous Las Vegas showgirl whose transformative artistry sparked a passion that would define his future.

“I found out that they were all men and I was like, seriously?” recalls the 29-year-old Newcastle native, now known to audiences as Angel Cupcakes. “I think it was the transformation aspect about it that really gravitated to me.” For a young boy who loved performing but struggled with insecurity, drag offered something profound: permission to be himself.

As a child, Jamie performed through music and piano, but always felt held back by his insecurities.

“Drag kind of helped me have that performance mask,” Jamie explained. “It gave me the confidence to actually show an extension of who I really was.” It's not about hiding, he emphasises, but rather about the physicality of transformation, changing your face so you don't look like yourself, allowing you to present the world with a more complete version of who you truly are.

“It gives you freedom,” he said simply. What makes Jamie's story particularly heartwarming is the unwavering support from an unexpected source.

While his mother initially worried about his safety, her concerns shaped by memories of the AIDS pandemic and violence against LGBTQ+ people in the 1980s, his father became his biggest champion.

“Dad has been a bricklayer for almost 40 years,” Jamie shared with evident affection. “He was absolutely supportive of it. At the beginning of my drag career, he actually helped me get into drag, physically helped me do up my corset, drove me to all my gigs.” His father’s simple philosophy helped the entire family embrace Jamie’s passion “Why should we be worried about him doing this?

"He’s not hurting anyone. It makes him happy. It’s bringing joy to other people as well.”

his reversal of typical family dynamics, where fathers often struggle whilst mothers readily accept their children's drag careers, has given Jamie a unique appreciation for his family’s support.

Today, his mother delights in sharing her wardrobe with him (they’re the same clothing size, though Jamie’s size 10 women’s shoes are several sizes too large for her). Both sisters proudly show off the difference between their brother and their ‘drag sister,’ playfully jealous that he looks better in makeup and walks better in heels than they do. Jamie’s creative instincts emerged early.

“I was a very artsy fartsy type of kid. I love drawing, painting, being very creative with my hands,” he recalled. When he saw people doing makeup, watching brushes being used like painting tools, he was instantly hooked, though he didn't initially realise these were makeup products rather than face paints. His early experimentation involved sneaking into his mum and sister’s makeup collections, perhaps borrowing a few products along the way.

When he discovered at 15 that makeup artistry was an actual paying profession, his path became clear. Jamie enrolled at TAFE to study beauty therapy during his HSC, dreaming of doing makeup on cruise ships. However, being the only male not just in his class but in the entire beauty therapy department proved challenging. “There was a lot of drama and mentally I couldn’t take it anymore. So I dropped out,” he admitted. Despite leaving before completing his diploma, he earned his certificate and considers it a valuable foundation.

Within a year, he secured his first job with an Australian cosmetics brand, followed by a remarkable seven-and-a-half-year journey with Napoleon Perdis. His work expanded far beyond counter makeovers, he styled clients for formals, weddings, fundraising balls, Halloween, Christmas parties, and New Year’s Eve. He worked backstage at fashion shows, conducted product launches with influencers, and eventually taught master classes at the academy, helping develop coursework for aspiring makeup artists.

“There’s a lot of years of skills behind these hands,” he said with justified pride. “I have 11 years now.”

Through his extensive experience, Jamie has developed insights into why makeup can feel so intimidating, particularly for women who didn't grow up in the age of beauty tutorials. He’s observed a common mentality: because they’re not professionals, many women believe their makeup will never look professional, so they don't invest the time in practice or skill development. “It is a skill. It takes time,” Jamie explains patiently. “Sometimes it will take people a shorter time to learn how to do their own makeup. Some will take a couple of months, even a year.

But it’s something that you do need to put in time if you want to get better at it.” He notes that younger generations have a distinct advantage. “Since my generation, the transition between millennials and Gen Z, we’ve had YouTube beauty gurus, then Instagram, then TikTok.

They have a lot of exposure to sources to learn makeup and product knowledge, which is amazing. “But it also makes it harder for older generations to get that motivation to actually learn the skill.”

For those feeling overwhelmed, Jamie suggests taking a few paid lessons from a professional, an investment that can build both skill and confidence. Today, Jamie runs his own wig business as a sole trader, styling custom pieces for performers across Australia, from drag queens to pinup girls and burlesque dancers seeking vintage styles for the stage.

He takes commissions, maintains a small collection of colours in stock, and revamps wigs sent to him by clients. Combined with photo shoots, event makeup, and drag performances, his entire professional life orbits the art form that captured his imagination as a child.

Currently, he’s preparing for his upcoming appearance at the Rainbow on the Plains Festival, organising costumes and perfecting his routine.

The financial reality of drag is substantial. “Most of us have custom style hair, costumes, not to mention all the layers of tights, padding, the makeup itself,” Jamie explained. “We wear a month’s worth of makeup in one bloody night, let's be honest.

And then if we have any props, it all adds up.” In Newcastle, finding appropriately paid gigs can be challenging, with some venues trying to undercharge performers.

Jamie often works with the burlesque scene instead, f inding it refreshingly different from the mainstream gay scene. As a ‘palette cleanser’ in burlesque shows, he performs fully clothed, “otherwise I'm going to take up all the time in the show,” he jokes about the ordeal of removing a corset, providing variety for audiences between the more revealing acts.

Despite years of experience, Jamie still gets nervous before every show, and he wouldn’t have it any other way. His friend JoJo Zaho, who competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under, articulated what Jamie feels.

“If I’m not getting nervous before a show, that tells me that I need to stop and move on. “If I’m not nervous, I’m not caring about it,” Jamie explained. “I need to care about this for me to have a passion and deliver my best.” Next month Jamie returns to the Rainbow on the Plains Festival in Hay for his third consecutive year.

It all began when festival chairman Will Miller discovered Jamie’s Tina Turner transformation video on TikTok during the COVID lockdowns. Though they lost contact before that first festival, Will reached out again immediately afterwards. “Hey, can we have you next year?”

The trek from Newcastle is substantial, two and a half hours by train to Sydney, an hour and a half flight to Griffith, then an hour and a half drive to Hay with committee member Brandon Burns.

It’s a long day of travelling, but Jamie finds it worthwhile for what he considers such a beautiful event, a beautiful weekend. He appreciates that flying allows him to multitask, handling admin, reading, listening to music, rather than arriving exhausted from driving. And exhaustion is the last thing he needs, as he launches straight into performing on Friday after arriving Thursday night, attending the cheerleaders event at South Hay to catch up with the committee before the chaos begins.

In previous years, the festival requested celebrity impersonations; Tina Turner and Shania Twain his first year, Dolly Parton the second.

This year is different, they’ve requested a very special type of performance, inspired by an old American pageant queen’s YouTube video. “It’s going to be tricky to pull off,” Jamie admitted, “but I do have my ways of executing it.” The performance will blend old school with new school music, requiring perfect timing to succeed.

While he’s keeping the details under wraps, one thing is certain, Jamie will bring the same dedication and joy that has defined his journey from insecure child to confident artist. “I just want to be fabulous, bring a good vibe,” he said. But those who know Angel Cupcakes understand that fabulous isn’t something Jamie needs to strive for, it’s simply who he is, and who he’s always been, waiting for the right moment to shine. Angel Cupcakes will perform at the Rainbow on the Plains Festival in Hay this November. For more information about the festival, visit their website or social media pages.