Words: Callie Petch
“If you’re not dancing, you’re thinking too much!” is the line which most sticks out from BIG WETT’s headline show at Manchester’s YES club. Sure, roughly three minutes after that decree, she proceeds to helicopter a dildo with their mouth to gigantic crowd cheers, an act I’ve never seen at a live music show before and will naturally cause events either side to be tied to it in memory. But the sentiment pre-dildo is maybe the most direct summation of the BIG WETT ethos, both live and on record. Big, bratty, explicit, a freaky id flying loud and proud, with little regard for good taste or social politeness. Music for bad bitches, hypersexual disasters, and people who think it’s just really fun to yell profanity over cartoonish 90s Eurodance beats. One listen to any BIG WETT song, even just 30 seconds, is enough to clearly know whether the entire project is for you or not.
Take her most recent release, lead single from upcoming second EP “HOLD UP UR BODY.” The lyrics, snottily delivered like an Aussie Uffie, are just repeated insistences that, if you wanna party, you should “fuck [her] body” and that “if you can, then you should, yeah you make me feel good.” The music, meanwhile, locates the exact middle-ground between Kesha’s “Blow,” in the twisted siren-like vocal screw which blares throughout, and the soundtrack to a 90s CBBC gameshow. A solid 80 to 90% of you reading those sentences will have already decided that this sounds like absolute hell and are now in the process of clicking away from the article altogether. Honestly, fair. BIG WETT is defiantly not for everyone. Akin to The Dare, she’s bringing back the trashiness, the horniness, and the dumb fun to a music scene and general culture which, to be real, has been far too reserved and sexless for far too long.
Not that it’s an entirely intentional mission. Throughout our pre-show chat, BIG WETT – which is a pseudonym and, like Chappell Roan, she’d rather keep their personal identity private – is quick to stress that she doesn’t want to overthink the project more than making silly music as a way to help people forget about the shit world for a bit. Us both being neurodivergent queers having a conversation, overthinking a project whose music involves extolling the virtues of a “big bad boy” with a “dick so big, he couldn’t get it through the front door” to the rhythm of Toni Basil’s “Mickey” nonetheless comes quite naturally to us. But when BIG WETT takes the stage an hour after we part, sunnies on and plastic devil horns rocking, it all comes back to the id once again. The innate joy of asking a hot girl who got that thing to “sit on my face and ride it” over PlayStation 1 Ridge Racer beats. The simple gut feeling, dependent on individual preference, of whether this is all too much in a bad way, or whether this is all too much in a good way.
As I approach the existentially terrifying cusp of turning 30, plus growing more comfortable with being openly queer and non-binary rather than holding parts of myself back, I find that I’m very much in the latter category. That I like my pop big and silly and a little obnoxious and, more than anything else, freed of the constraints of shame. They’re not in the least bit similar in any other way, but that kind of attitude was what drew me to 100 gecs. BIG WETT’s fellow Aussies Confidence Man have become one of the UK’s big cult-pop groups, and one of my favourite acts working today, from following a similar maximalist cheese ethos – Reggie Goodchild of Con Man was actually a key collaborator in BIG WETT’s early days, a partnership she’s paid back by contributing the song “Breakbeat” to Con Man’s upcoming major label debut, 3 AM (LA LA LA).
I’m not alone in finding a great release in this sort of dance-pop. Near the end of our talk, BIG WETT tells me of how, at her Bristol show the night before, a fan came up to them and confessed that they’d been going through a tough depressive spell of late, only to have forgotten all about that mental weight during the 40-minute set. Which brings me back to that mid-show line “if you’re not dancing, you’re thinking too much.” Braggadocio from an OTT stage character designed to get the energy up? Sure. But it’s also maybe the best argument for the power of letting yourself go to fun-ass dance music you can come up with. Life sucks. But for three minutes, at least you have the number one pussy in the club.
Photo by Callie Petch.
The following interview, held on the 5th of July, has been lightly edited for flow.
How are you doing?
Have a bit of a headache cos I was partying last night til about 5am, but nothing a beer can’t fix, as they say!
You started BIG WETT in lockdown?
In Melbourne, lockdown was almost a full year – 345 days – and over that time I just slowly lost my mind more and more. Reggie, my boyfriend at the time, had a bunch of dirtier beats he was showing me that didn’t fit his work in Confidence Man. I told him “I just wanna sing ‘dick’ and ‘fuck’ over these as many times as possible!” And that’s how BIG WETT got created.
I started off in a band writing love songs. But I’ve found it’s so much fun writing with no limits on what you can say or how you can express yourself! It’s weirdly freeing. Instead of trying to take yourself too seriously, it’s about how you can take yourself silly. I think people have really resonated with that mindset cos of the current climate. Everyone’s feeling a bit shit and the music is a good way to just forget about all that for a bit. That’s the purpose I serve and I don’t want to overthink it more than that. If people take anything more from the music than that, that’s fine but I’m mainly just here to have fun and help others have fun. It started by me being drunk and wanting to shout “DICK!” which is authentic, in a way.
Perhaps this is overthinking, but maybe the music and response to it is a reaction to our very sexless cultural climate right now? Everyone’s hot but nobody’s horny. I feel like we need more art about letting our freak flags fly.
Exactly! Being able to express yourself sexually through music is a bit of an icebreaker. Keeping your emotions and feelings inside has never helped anyone. I’m a big encourager of expressing ourselves, so long as we’re not hurting anyone. Find the people who fuck with what you’re doing and roll with that.
As I’ve become more comfortable in my queerness and non-binary self, I have also found that it’s exhausting and boring to hold yourself back. It’s way more exciting to just be honest with yourself and open with others…
Totally! I don’t know why more people aren’t gayer! It’s so much fun and expands your horizons. Whenever someone’s like “I’m not gay,” I go “it’d be cooler if you were, though! Think how much more fun we’d have!” *laughs* But I do acknowledge that it’s a sliding scale and everyone’s got differing levels of comfortableness and openness. For all the brashness, it’s very important to me to create a safe space, because I know not everyone has those at home or with friends.
Yeah, I’ve noticed at more queer-friendly gigs that I’m not second-guessing myself as much as I do in cis/hetero-primary spaces as the fear isn’t so prevalent…
Since you’re not having to keep hiding a part of yourself cos you don’t know how the other person is gonna react.
I went to HOMOBLOC for the first time last year…
Oh, how was it?
It was great! I went with a friend, she let me borrow her dress and helped femme me up. On the way there, I was more than a bit nervous from being on public transport at a time where trans hate is high… But then I walked inside and it was like some kind of weight lifted!
We need more spaces like that, and not just for us queers! I think that’s a shame about being heterosexual. Queer people… We created these spaces ourselves out of intent because we don’t feel safe outside. I think all of the straight people who don’t feel comfortable or safe should have spaces like that too. Which is why I say “it’d be cooler if you were gay” because then they could find a community and truly express themselves without fear, without judgement.
A safe space to yell about having the “number one pussy in the club!”
Last night I was in Bristol, and that show was fucking insane. Every word of “EAT MY ASS,” even the “shit, cunt, cocksucker, motherfucker, BIIIIITCH” part, they were screaming! I went downstairs after the show and a guy working there told me “I couldn’t see your show, but I could hear it cos everyone was so loud!” I loved that because it’s so freeing to just yell something so absurd and have it not mean anything.
Afterwards, I went downstairs and had some drinks with people who came to the show. Close to a hundred people just sat outside drinking and we all felt like friends. “I don’t know anyone here, yet weirdly it feels like we’re all friends.” This icebreaker thing of inappropriate music that everyone’s on the inside of and so now are connected through.
Have you been finding that response at all your shows, or is it a more recent phenomenon?
I think the bigger that the project gets, the more it will happen as more people see the freedom in it. That said, I’ve had those sorts of reactions since even the very first show. I’d only put “EAT MY ASS” on Soundcloud, it wasn’t even on Spotify, and people were screaming the words. Even for songs that aren’t released, I make sure to start with the chorus so that, when it comes back around, the audience can sing along since they already know the lyrics. I think that helps. But mainly I think people just love feeling uncool, y’know? Let’s normalise that!
You mentioned putting “EAT MY ASS” up on Soundcloud and then, almost immediately, you had labels banging down your door. How did it feel to get a response like that for a song you did sort of as a lark?
I wrote it drunk, I uploaded it drunk! *laughs* From the moment I released that song, it’s piqued a lot of interest. I don’t even know where BIG WETT is going to go and how it’s going to develop. I think that’s sort of the fun thing and why people are interested, cos it could go in any direction.
Like how “BAGS” begins on that trumpet intro before abruptly swerving into a video game beat that feels like a sample…
It’s weirdly nostalgic! Other people have said it reminds them of Crash Bandicoot…
Exactly!
It also makes me think of Grand Theft Auto, very brash and abrasive, 90s hip hop but also dance-inspired. I’m 33 and I feel so old. Last night, I went to afters in Bristol and I was literally the oldest person there by six years. *cackles* All these 19-year-olds going “Wow, you’re so cool!” and I’m like “Really? I figured I’m cool for my age, but cool to 19-year-olds? I’ll take it!” *laughs*
That makes me feel a little better. I turn 30 in a few months and it’s been terrifying me. Friends tell me it’s just a number and doesn’t mean anything, which is evidently true, but…
Hey, I started music at 30. Turning 30 is a big deal for everyone, but I think society tells us that. There’s so much outside noise that goes on with something like this or being queer or being a woman or being over 30… But that’s all stuff other people have prescribed upon us. My 30s have been the best years of my life. I’ve had good times and I’ve had shit times, and I can confidently say that my 30s have been incredible. Welcome to the club for a few months’ time, you’re gonna love it!
We accidentally got on a personal tangent there…
Oh, I love a tangent, don’t worry!
But going back to when you said that “BAGS” was “brash” and reminds you of the 90s, I got a lot of Eurodance in your music which could also be brash and unconcerned with good taste. It feels like more pop music should be outright fun like that subgenre…
Totally! It’s obnoxious, over-the-top, because it’s not serious! Doing something ironically OTT with gusto. It’s important to not take yourself too seriously because everyone has so many feelings about everything, which we should but not all the time. It can be bad for your mental health to care a lot sometimes. You know what I mean?
It’s FUCKING EXHAUSTING!
It is FUCKING EXHAUSTING! I think we should sometimes give ourselves permission to not care for a second. We all have guilt associated with that, but if we don’t take care of our own mental health, then nothing will change because we’ll all be too fucking depressed and stressed to do anything about anything. So let’s hit a pinger and dance! *laughs*
So, the persona of BIG WETT is you but amped up to a degree…
I like to say it’s Me but dialed to 69%. She definitely exists inside of me, but I think people are multi-dimensional. At the start, I would say “oh, yeah, it’s 100% Me” but then people would take that the wrong way. Thinking I’m some kind of supervillain/anti-hero kinda thing when I’m actually a nice sweet person underneath; respecting the duality of the self. People can be good and bad at the same time, silly and serious at the same time, and there’s a space for both.
But it’s definitely a bit of a character. I put on the sunglasses and I’m not myself. I can go in and out of it, and I encourage everyone to play around with that sort of thing. Put sunnies on and act a little wild! Wear dresses, zip high heels up, cake in make-up, however you choose to express it! Doing so unlocks a part of yourself to be more free!
How do you feel the persona and the music has grown or changed over time?
I actually like it more now it’s a defined character because I feel like I connect more with people who like my music on a different level. They resonate with the character, which is super important and fun cos it allows other people to safely express themselves alongside the insanity of BIG WETT. That’s been really fun to play up. I’ve only been doing it for three years, but I think I used to take that personality into my day-to-day life which isn’t very healthy or appropriate. Now I pick and choose the moments where I slide into character. But I had to learn that from offending a lot of people along the way, even though that’s half the fun. I’m not doing so through malicious intent, but also get used to hearing the word “dick.” Grow up!
It’s just a body part!
And if we were less weird about it, maybe there would be less sex crimes! Talk more openly about sex and everyone gets more comfortable with it!
My sex ed in school amounted to one VHS tape back in Year 5 and that was pretty much it. We didn’t even do the ‘condom on the banana’ bit!
I didn’t do that either! I went to a really Christian school and my sex ed involved us, in Year 10, signing a form saying we wouldn’t have sex before marriage. I refused and got a week’s worth of detention plus a visit to the principal’s office for a stern talking to! Nothing against people who save themselves for marriage, but don’t push that on people who don’t agree! It’s the same as fundamentalism in any form. People should be allowed to make their own decisions.
For all the talk we’ve been having about BIG WETT being brash and obnoxious, your [then-]current single, “SHE GOT THAT THING,” is much softer than everything else so far…
It is!
…with those synth beds washing along like deep house Ibiza…
It’s very melodic.
Is that you pushing yourself to see how far BIG WETT can go sonically whilst still retaining that core identity?
I still want to be true to the original idea – the lyrics are “sit on my face and ride it,” after all. But when I wrote that song, I was struck by how it sounded like me yet also didn’t sound like me. I really like trying new hats on, experimenting with different genres. It was an experiment to write “SHE GOT THAT THING.” Releasing it we knew was going to attract different listeners that maybe wouldn’t listen to my music, since it’s normally so explicit with big beats and big lyrics. Whereas this is more mellow…
Like, lure them in and then it’s too late to turn back!
And it’s done its job! In the new EP, there are other softer moments as well. There are some songs which sound like original BIG WETT, such as “TOP OF THE CLASS” which is about dick-sucking school. So, they’re still there, the character is still there, but I’m trying to beef it out more. Originally, I was fixated on how people loved the unhingedness, but also you can be unhinged in a very discreet way. *laughs* It doesn’t always have to involve screaming in someone’s face!
I was going to ask before you mentioned what the next steps were, like with a new EP…
It’s in the mixing stages! We have two “SHE GOT THAT THING” remixes. It was supposed to be one, but CeCe Disco, a very good friend of mine from back in Australia, did a bootleg mix and had the best time doing it, so we’re putting that out too. Both remixes are done by girls! It’s nice to collab since a solo project can be lonely and isolating, in a way. The first song off the EP, “HOLD UP UR BODY,” comes out in August.
For the end of English Summer and the start of Aussie Summer!
I’m gonna go back for Aussie Summer and then I’ll be back here in November. This is my second home.
You mentioned being a solo act can feel a bit lonely? How’s it been opening up to more outside voices?
I love writing with other people. I will never pass up an opportunity to write with somebody even if I don’t think our musical styles align. I’m always interested to get in the studio because everyone works differently and that makes it a learning experience. Doing so really helps get the creative juices flowing and be more inspired. For me, getting more ears on something and vibing is the most important part of writing. I’ve written with so many people and a lot of those works won’t be released, but that’s not the point. The point is to have fun.
The last EP, I was doing a lot of the styling, pitches, and film clips myself with Reggie. But that’s a lot to take on. There’s a lot more admin in music than people realise; a thousand emails for one single thing. I found it was taking away the spark and my enjoyment of music. For this new EP, I’m outsourcing a bit. I’ve got a creative director now. The overall grand idea will still come down to me, but the little details I don’t need to worry about as much. I’ve given myself the allowance of time and energy to focus on the music, live show, and connecting with people. People don’t connect with the emails we send behind the scenes. My job should be to create music that people love and the character that people love. So, I’m really excited for the next EP. It’s gonna be so sick to just be like “yes, yes, no, no, I want this, I want that!” A bit more freeing instead of having to get hung up on the boring shit.
And not be so utterly exhausted from being up til 5am working on that stuff.
I’m neurodivergent. I’m fucking terrible with emails. Freaks me out! I have to be in a mindset where I’m all “I am looking at my emails now” and put my Email Hat on. It doesn’t come easy to me, little mundane things. If it doesn’t interest me, I struggle to do it as I’m sure any neurodivergent person knows! If you don’t have a passion for it, it’s just not fucking gonna work. You can’t force it. I’m on a journey right now exploring my neurodivergence and I think it’s really important to learn those lessons. Work with your strengths, not your weaknesses. For me, if I work with my weakness and I suck, then I hate myself. So why would I do that? Why wouldn’t I work with my strengths?
Talking about that just now has made me click that there’s a fair bit of neurodivergence in the character and music.
Totally. Even just putting on the sunnies, hiding my eyes. You ever seen the movie Big Daddy with Adam Sandler? The kid he adopts who wears sunglasses because he has social anxiety. It’s not where the idea came from, but it is reminiscent of that. If I had to look people in the eyes, I wouldn’t be on-stage. Y’know what I mean?
I have a similar trick where, if I’m talking to someone I don’t properly know or aren’t fully comfortable with, I’ll look over my glasses at them so I’m technically making eye contact but not feeling that autistic anxiousness from making clear eye contact.
It’s funny, cos I never realised how neurodivergent I am until I started doing music and BIG WETT. How much it’s baked into the character wasn’t intentional, that’s just how I am! I love how it lets me talk about neurodivergence and normalise it because so many people have no idea. Everyone’s a bit fucking weird. Well, all my friends are, anyway. *laughs*
“HOLD UP UR BODY” is out now via Play It Again Sam. She is touring the UK in November. You can read the dates and find links to tickets below.
2nd November – Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
7th November – Headrow House, Leeds
8th November – EartH, London (supporting COBRAH)
