YAS Podcast: Vampiress #155 Transcript
In this episode of YAS Podcast, host Princess Marx, along with producer AM Davies, delve into the multifaceted life of their guest, Vampiress, a featured performer, dominatrix, and former ballet dancer turned circus artist. Vampiress shares her journey from ballet training in Russia to becoming a touring performance artist known for her fiery shows. She discusses the emotional toll of her work, the critical importance of aftercare in domme sessions, and the misconceptions about the adult industry. The conversation also touches on the differences between lifestyle and professional dommes, the evolution of financial domination (findom), and the need for better representation and support for sex workers. The episode concludes with Vampiress sharing her future aspirations and a heartfelt message on the importance of community support and empathy in the industry.
*This transcript was auto-generated and may contain minor errors.* *This transcript was auto-generated and may contain minor errors.* Begin transcript after opening credits.
Marx: Hi everyone. My name is Princess Marx and I will be your host today on YAS Podcast. Thank you for being here with us. Before we get into today’s episode, I wanted to remind you that YAS Podcast is produced by YAS Work, a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing public perception through media. If you love our podcast, please consider donating donations like yours.
Keep this project going. Head to yaswork.org/donate. Yeah, our producer today is AMD.
AM: Hey, so excited to be here today. Hello, Marx. excited.
Marx: Hi, and our guest. Is Vampiress a featured performer,
Vamp: Hi everyone.
Marx: Hi. Hi. She’s a featured
performer, dominatrix, former ballet dancer in Russia, and later a circus artist.[00:02:00]
She’s also done go-go dancing camming, sugaring, and
dabbled in porn. Vampiress is currently a touring artist and has been winning almost every performance competion she enters Welcome to the pod Vamp.
AM: It’s
true. Thank you. I appreciate the intro. Yes. I’m so excited that you’re here. I’m so excited that we’re all here together today and it’s, yeah, I know Vamp and I actually are local friends.
We, yeah, she lives close by and I got to see her perform Friday night at Exxxotica.
Marx: How was that?
AM: It, it was intense. Like they- Vamp,, like I, I’m sure you know, but in the beginning they were like, before you came on stage, they were pushing everybody back. Yeah. And, and um, my partner was like, oh, it’s probably ’cause like.
She’s gonna splatter blood all over the place, right?
Vamp: No, that was the second day.
AM: Okay. And then we’re like, oh no, it’s because of the fire. Like Marx. She came out and like [00:03:00] literally set the stage on fire. It was the raddest thing.
Vamp: That one is my biggest show. My claim to fame. Yeah.
AM: Yeah. How did you even figure that out, that you’re like, I need to set stages on fire?
Vamp: So I’ve always been a pier performer. Me and my brother used to spin as children, like my parents, uh, were burners back in the day. They would, went to Burning man. My mom was a Burning Man at regional. So we’re always at those events. So me and my brother used to perform at Burning Man and Aphasia and shit like that.
Uh, super fun, like crazy big fire. So it’s always been a family trade, I guess. And there was a day in which I got asked to do the stripper Olympics and I was driving home from Tennessee, I think from Christmas and was like having a mental breakdown of like, what the hell am I doing? There’s no way that I’m at that level yet.
Right. The Mad [00:04:00] Max movie came out and um, I’m always compared to that actor, that main actor, everyone’s like, you look just like her. And I was like, well, mad Max is kind of like part of my childhood. So I kind of built a show like Mad Max feel, but with the vamp signature, right? Um, and it kind of just grew from there.
I called my brother. I was like, listen, we’re gonna start training some old school pyrotechnic shit that we used to do when we’re kids. Get your ass over here so I don’t light myself on fire. And I went to Louisiana and I did it, and I won the whole thing.
AM: Amazing.
Marx: That’s crazy.
So, wait, let me, yeah. Take this opportunity to say, so are you Russian or did you simply dance in Russia?
Simply dance in Russia.
Vamp: I have
some Russian in me. I’m kind of a mutt as far as like my,
um. My eight generations go. I’m like part Hispanic, part chairman, part Russian, um, all the things. Um, and I trained [00:05:00] in Russia for a long time. I was Russian trained by, um, Russian coaches when I was a young girl up until I was a professional ballet dancer.
Um, tore through my hip flexors, ended my ballet career, um, and then came back home, got a degree in dance and was like, we’re gonna keep pushing.
Marx: That’s insane. You are like a super on top of being a super legit, I don’t know how to say it….alt- alternative performer. You’re also a super legit classical
performer like dance-
Vamp: yes. I used to be a very classical girl.
Marx: Um, okay, so from reading your bio before the recording, I thought maybe you were born in Russia, but you went and trained in Russia. Very, very cool.
Vamp: Yes.
Marx: Um. I have so many questions. Do you mind if we take a little detour
Vamp: Yeah.
Marx: Into your personal life?
Vamp: Of course.
Marx: Okay.
How did you go from being born and living in the us Uh, with burner parents to ending up studying ballet in Russia?
Vamp: Um, so, [00:06:00] uh, Russia and that kind of correlated hand in hand. Um, so I started ballet when I was really, really young, like before I could even walk. Um, I had a birth defect, uh, which we now know was a, a bigger issue for me.
I was born with, uh, hyper pronation in my ankles. Um, and at the time when I was born, they’re like, Hey, there’s this surgery that we can do and we’re, we’d have to break your daughter’s ankles and reconstruct them. And at the time, because I was born in 99, the surgery was not. A hundred percent great, right?
Like there is a pretty high risk factor of like me not being able to walk again because I’m a growing girl and all this stuff. And we went to another doctor, my mom did, and they found out, um, that if I did ballet, that I might be able to strengthen my ankles enough to hold my joints in place properly.
[00:07:00] So that’s what my mom did. She threw me in ballet. I was on point by the time I was nine. Um, and just kept going through that route. Um, when I would go back and forth and would train, like I had Russian trainers here in the US and Russian trainers in Russia, and we’d go back and forth. So it was a little bit of like both worlds were happening at once.
My ballet training definitely became, came first. Um, and, uh, later on in my life that we found out that I actually have ehlers danlos syndrome, some hypermobile in all my joints, which is why I was born that way. So it was kind of, it was a lot as a child, but uh, it trained me well.
Marx: Wow. You,
I mean, if that’s not a lemon still lemonade situation, I don’t know.
Vamp: Right.
Marx: That’s amazing. So instead of doing the invasive surgery, you ju you guys chose sort of to do the more rehabilitative approach and it turned out so great for you [00:08:00] actually. Um, yeah.
Vamp: And it ended up making my career.
Marx: Yeah. Wow. So impressive. You’ve also worked in
Vamp: Good
job mom, right?
Marx: Good
choice. I mean, how considerate of a choice for her.
Vamp: Yeah.
Marx: I was gonna say you’ve also worked in almost every corner of the adult industry. Go-Go dancing, stripping, sugaring, camming, fetish. Um, if you were to look back, what do you think set you
on that path and what’s part, what parts of your journey of that journey shaped you the most as a domme?
Vamp: I think, um, it’s kind of like a sad story actually.
Um, more than anything. Um. I was in some really bad domestic, uh, situations and sexual abuse situations and all that stuff. Um, and that kind of set me in a path of like realizing that a lot of like, I guess vanilla people [00:09:00] don’t understand that, um, or like we’re kind of trained, even young girls are trained like, Hey, you grow up, you get married.
You kind of just deal with the shit you deal with, whatever the dynamic you’re in. Because that’s kind of just what we’re taught. And as I was going through all that and with my ex, um, and a lot of SA and. A lot of really bad things happened. I realized I turned to the kink community, um, because I had the flip side to SA instead of drawing inward and like not wanting any intimacy, I was the exact opposite.
I needed intimacy to feel okay, um, because I was just such a predominant thing in my life. Um, so I reached out and got on FetLife and. Realize that there’s a whole community of people that can offer so much more than [00:10:00] just that, um, play dynamic. It can offer, uh, rehabilitation, mental stability after an SA situation, and an abuse situation like that.
Um, and I kind of fell in love with the industry in that regard as like a sub to a lot of dommes. Um, I realized after that that like. Sub role is really not my, uh, want. That is not me. I was kind of forced into that role by the people I was with, and I kind of came into my own self and my own power, uh, via the dominatrix industry.
And, um, it was all, um, non-professional at the time. And as time went on, like I became more professional with everything, um, and became more mainstream. I worked in some dungeons before a lot of them shut down here in Pennsylvania ’cause of COVID. [00:11:00] And then I did cam work, sugar babying, like it all just kinda flowed into one another.
So it was just kind of like my saving grace after, um, a really bad situation.
Marx: That’s really crazy and cool. Like, and you know, I think all the research tells us that, um, kink is like a healthy way to communicate about sexuality and the people who you, that more people should have access to that as, um, like conservative
Vamp: hundred percent.
Marx: Um, do you, did you feel that being a sub informed how you later behaved as a dom, both professionally and in the lifestyle? And did you feel that it taught you something?
Vamp: Yes, it did. Um, so I belonged to a lot of like different types of dominatrixes and doms in general. Um, and I realized very [00:12:00] quickly that some.
People who claim that they are a dom aren’t necessarily true doms that are there to care for you, right? They are just, they tend to be power hungry people that can, are looking to harm others. Like there is that side to kink that I realized very quickly, early on, um, and I realized that some of these people would demand like this respect without the trust, right?
They demand this power dynamic without any care. Um, and I learned how important aftercare was, um, and whatever that may look like for that individual. Sometimes, um, the subs may need just to sit in the corner with a blanket and they don’t wanna be touched or talked to. Others really need to be coddled and loved and reassured after a session, understanding the drop in dopamine and serotonin and the necess need [00:13:00] for check-ins.
Even few days after to a week after sessions are absolutely necessary. So that really helped me inform my, um, way of going about being a domme is like that care that’s needed for everybody and it looks different from everyone, but, um, taking the time to ask them what they need is very important.
Marx: Do you think there is a difference in terms of, um how much aftercare is both expected and needed in between like the lifestyle community and the pro community? Do you find a difference in terms of what subs need? Like,
Vamp: yeah, I do. Um, it sometimes in the professional community, um, it tends to be very transactional. Um, like you’re there to shoot the content, right?
And then that’s it. Or they’re [00:14:00] there to pay you for that session in the dungeon and then like your time’s up. Like it’s very, um. Yeah, the best way I could explain it’s transactional versus like the kink community that’s more personal based, uh, tends to be a little bit more, uh, intimate, right? There’s a little bit more time for aftercare.
I mean, most dommes in the domme, like if you’re working in a dungeon, a lot time for aftercare, but there isn’t always that. Time or space to do like a few days after check-ins, right? You’re buying a service, whereas building, you’re still building in a relationship, but it’s still a service.
Marx: And did you find that there was, um, a difference also between professional and lifestyle players in terms of how often, um, doms were more power hungry rather than kind of holistic in their approach [00:15:00] to, to being a domme? Like is there a difference between
Vamp: Yeah,
Marx: yeah.
Vamp: I definitely find that more of the lifestyle people tend to be, uh, where we run into a lot of that power hungry dynamics of like, they don’t under, they aren’t educated, not necessarily, they don’t understand, they’re not educated in the nuances and the like effect it can have on many people, right? Um, a lot of the professionals have been doing this for years. They’ve seen a lot. They know when somebody is overstimulated and like are about to break down or can’t or done sessioning. Like they, you can see the body language, even if they’re gagged or like, not in a way that they can actually tell you or show you like you just feel the shift in the room. You can see the body languages change and I feel, I find that a lot of professional [00:16:00] dommes are more keen into that rather than lifestyle players, which I have met some really good lifestyle players, but a lot of those people are used to the small group that they’re used to playing with.
So yeah, they might be keyed into those people, but when playing with a new partner or like trying to get into outward dynamics. Um, it, it’s harder to tell.
Marx: Yeah.
AM: Yeah. I didn’t wanna interrupt. I was trying to be respectful.
Vamp: Yes, please ask.
AM: Um, okay, so you both are dommes. Um, I’m not, I have never, ever, ever done that and I, I’ve always admired it, but I’ve never, and I’m listening to you to talk and I feel like you Marx, you know, what vamp is saying, like, you know, right.
’cause you both have done this. And I’m like, okay. What is, what do you mean by lifestyle? I think I know what you mean, but what do you mean by that? And then also, um, like for people who don’t [00:17:00] understand dominatrix who have this view, right? That, because this is what happens to the majority of population, is they see things in movies and tv and they think that they know what they’re, they’re thinking about, but they don’t really know.
Right. And so I’m hearing, and I’ve kind of learned through kink and dominatrix from being in the sex work industry that there is care that goes into it. There is thoughtfulness and that there is like, and that consent is like one of the biggest pillars of importance in the community. What would you say?
So it’s twofold. Twofold. Explain lifestyle to me and what the difference is. And then also what would you say to like, people who don’t understand dominatrix, who have learned from the movies, like what is an like one really important thing that for them to understand? And know.
Vamp: Do you wanna
touch on that?
Marx?
Marx: Oh, I thought the question was for you.
AM: It’s for both of you, I guess. So like, you can both kind of answer go back and forth.
Marx: Well, why don’t you go first, Vamp?, it’s, this interview is about you. So, [00:18:00] yeah.
Vamp: Okay. Um, so lifestyle is, um, people who are in the kink community, like, um, and just enjoying it as like personal, um, playtime..
AM: Mm-hmm.
Vamp: Uh, there’s a lot of great platforms for that. Like FetLife, they have munches and stuff where a lot of the community gets involved. Um, but it’s more, um, it’s almost like the same difference between like mainstream porn and, um, people who just film content for fun personally.
AM: Okay.
Vamp: Right.
AM: Sure. Yeah. Okay.
Vamp: Like there’s a big difference.
AM: Yeah.
Vamp: Um, and. So that’s kind of the difference between that is people that are like, I enjoy this dynamic. I enjoy the, the ideology behind.
AM: Okay.
Vamp: And I enjoy playing in that versus doing it professionally. Whether you’re working in a dungeon or shooting. Um.
Mainstream [00:19:00] porn with the king community.
AM: Got it.
Vamp: Et cetera.
AM: Thank you.
Um, and then what was the other question?
Yeah, so like, what would we say? ’cause I’m, I’m hearing you express so much about care. Um, even like, you know, af like a, a few days and a week after, and I don’t think that, that the public like main, like vanilla, like civilian people.
Understand like that that is a thing, right? Like I think, I think vanilla people think like you show up at dominatrix, like beats the shit outta you. They’re super mean to you and then you leave. Right? But that’s not how it is, is it? Right?
Vamp: No, definitely not.
AM: Yeah. So if you could like succinctly say. What, what it means to you and, and your clients, like in just a short, like two to 3 cent, two to three to four sentence thing, like,
Vamp: yeah.
Um, so in general, like it’s a power dynamic, right? It’s the release of an exchange of power [00:20:00] in most cases. Um, it’s about surrendering yourself, um, to another person’s care. More than anything else. Um, removing yourself from decision fatigue, um, removing yourself from the need to, um, be the person in demand all the time.
AM: Yeah,
Vamp: it kind of, the role of a do in most cases is to care and take weight from our subs.
AM: That’s really cool. Thank you.
That was really powerful.
Marx: And isn’t that counter to what most people, that’s so the opposite of what most people expect. Right,
Vamp: exactly.
Marx: I, I do. You know, obviously people come in with their, both in a lifestyle and professionally people come in with their kinks and a really intense physical like corporal impact scene, like where you’re beating someone may very well be followed by a very intense, nurturing time if [00:21:00] that’s what that person requires.
Some people don’t want that and that’s totally okay. But many people do because they’ve just been through this like super intense physical ordeal. Um, and although they enjoy that in a masochistic way, they still are human beings, right? And so they need to be held a little bit afterwards. Um, and you’re right, AM I think most people don’t know that unless they’re in, in the thing.
AM: Right. Yeah. And I’ve heard be through my friends and through people I know I’ve heard these types of conversations that I think that most people don’t really get to hear, you know, ’cause they just see what’s been filtered to them through mainstream media or just scrolling really quickly. Like there’s, um, like fin domming.
Has seemed to be trending on social media, you know, and so we see that, and I, I understand inherently that fin domme is very different than. Originate original dominatrix style, you know, but [00:22:00] because findom has been like, just really pushed through the algorithms lately, and I, I see it and I’m like, it’s kind of funny to me.
But I’m also like, this isn’t only how it is though. And I wonder if people who don’t know how to think critically are like, you know, well, that’s how it is and it’s not, and I’m, it’s just so touching, hearing what you’re, you’re saying about how your sessions go.
Vamp: I’m glad. Um, also, like findomming has been around for a while.
Um, it just, it’s become monetized and it’s kind of become something a little different thanks to mainstream media and, um. Just the way our world is right now. Um, originally it was again to remove decision fatigue of people who are always dealing with their finances. People who are like, I cannot budget.
I, I can’t figure out how to manage my money. And they would go to their findommes and we would be like, [00:23:00] this is your allotted amount that you’re allowed to spend this week on X, Y, and Z. And that was what we provide. We provided services to help, um, manage money. And yeah, there is that like cool power dynamic, um, that I guess has been more capitalized on in the regards of like, oh, well this is for me, this is for you.
But the like, baseline, the origination of all that was like, I am providing you a service, but I’m also removing the like weight of you having to deal with your finances. Um, so it’s become a little bit of something different like to media, mainstream media and, um, this, uh, regard for like, need of power. Um, I find that frequently upcoming in our world is this need for a power dynamic.
It’s always a pissing contest. [00:24:00] Um, and it’s kind of sad. It really is, and it’s opening up a lot of doors for a lot of very dangerous situations for people who are unfamiliar or don’t know the signs. I’ve had a lot of people come to me who have been severely hurt and financially, physically, et cetera, by people who like claim to be dominatrixes or um, findommes, and they’re just there to take advantage of people.
Marx: We could do a whole episode just on findomming, I think. Yeah, we could. That’s really interesting. Um, one of my longest n-, whatever, one of the, one of my original mentors, the person who actually really got me into this, is Princess Callie and one of the biggest classes she teaches. She’s an educator also she on ethical findom.
Um, and I think the version of findom that you see, and from my perspective, I think mostly in social media, I don’t really see it on like the news. Occasionally you see it in, in movies and [00:25:00] stuff, but either way, the sort of most like boiled down version you see is this like extreme humiliation, like super, um, disparate power dynamic.
But you know, Callie really talks a lot about, um, the various, kind of like what you mentioned, right? Like removing decision fatigue and. Giving someone a budget, um, having someone like not worry about that part of their life. And if you are doing extreme humiliation, how to do it ethically. Right. How to negotiate all the stuff.
Vamp: Exactly.
Marx: Um, so yeah, we, you know, as usual and what we get in mainstream representations of kink is always super, super
Vamp: extreme
Marx: and poorly dis like portrayed and all that stuff. And in reality it’s so much more complex. Always. Um. And usually a lot more ethical, although not always.
Vamp: Yeah,
I agree.
We wanted to give thanks to New Moon Network for awarding YAS Work a micro grant for the year of 2025. New Moon [00:26:00] Network is focused on advancing the equity, human rights, and welfare of people in the sex trades. With a special focus on women and LGBTQ plus individuals. You can find out more about New Moon’s work at newmoonnetwork.org.
Marx: as a domme, how do you think about power exchange beyond the playroom and your art and your advocacy in your day-to-day life?
Vamp: Um, I think of it as, uh, like I said earlier, explaining how I got into it. It’s like the way that I walk the world, um, more so than anything. Um, and I, um. In my everyday life, it’s same, same thing. Like I’m always willing to give somebody help, right? Whether it be a fellow dancer or just some random person.
If I can make their lives a little bit easier or just bring a little bit of sparkle, whether it’s me complimenting their dress [00:27:00] and just bringing a little bit of joy, um, is kind of how I carry it, I guess. Um, because I know what it’s like to be at the bottom of the barrel. I know what it’s like to walk around every day and be like, I hate myself.
I hate everything about this world, and I don’t wanna be here anymore. And it was the dommes, it was the sex workers in my life who like, grabbed me by the face. Like, pick that chin up, don’t stop. You have what it takes and you gotta keep pushing. So for me, at least walking around in my everyday life, it’s to provide that to others because it was given to me as gifts.
Marx: Beautiful. Um,
I’m gonna just.
Jump around a little
Vamp: more. Yeah, we could jump around everywhere. I’m okay with that.
Marx: Um, you’ve mentioned how much of this work is misunderstood or glamorized. What do you think are some of the biggest misconceptions people have about the adult industry?
Vamp: Uh, [00:28:00] which part?
Because
there’s a, which part of the adult industry.
Right.
Um, so as far as featuring goes, I guess, um, like featuring is, um, like a lot of people see us. I as like, oh my God, you get to travel, you get to uh, go to all these new places and it’s so much fun, right? Don’t get me wrong. It is. But, uh, what people don’t see past that glamorized like, oh, I just won this and I was just at this event and I’m at this hotel, is they don’t see the tears after they don’t see me alone in a dressing room, packing up my stuff by myself and not knowing how I’m gonna get home because, oh yeah, the shuttle just left. And, um, the event isn’t coordinated correctly and there’s no communication. They don’t see the sides of like years and [00:29:00] of training that goes into making who I am now. People look at me in the future world and I’m like, oh, you’ve only been doing this for a year and a half, two years, like, and you’re crushing it.
They didn’t see my entire childhood training to this point. They don’t see the days and weeks we spend and months curating. Financially like investing in our shows, um, huffing glue because I forgot to open a window while putting rhinestones on my costume and having a massive migraine, right? Like it’s those things.
And same with domme work, like it’s, um, they don’t see the, uh, weight that we take from other people because I am a firm believer in energy is never destroyed. It is transferred. So we are taking that energy into ourselves. We are taking the energy of our audience [00:30:00] onto ourselves. There’s just a lot of things that us in the industry take on, whether we’re receiving another person physically through pornographic content, or we’re taking on emotional distress from other colleagues.
All a lot and it’s a lot emotionally, it’s a lot mentally, and to keep a face all the time smiling, even though your world’s crashing apart, whether it’s personal life, uh, badly, uh, coordinated events that are like really messing you up and screwing you over like. We have to keep that face. And if you drop it like it is publicized and it can also turn very dark very quickly.
’cause people take it to the extremes. So, um, I think that’s the hardest part is, you know, we’re expect, we’re all expected is like withhold [00:31:00] just such a ironclad face and it’s not a lot of representation to what goes in behind it. ’cause when you look online, all these girls are like, I made a thousand dollars at the strip club.
Like even like basic house dancing. These, like, it’s become a really mainstream thing on, uh, social media of like, oh, I’m just gonna become a midnight ballerina. And they glorify the crap out of it. And they don’t talk about, oh, I was just sexually harassed in the back room and grabbed and paid $0 or like.
There’s none of that conversation going on in the mainstream media, and it’s what is causing a lot of young, unknowing, fresh faces to get taken advantage of very heavily in this industry. And my belief, at least, I know it’s kind of controversial.
Marx: I mean, I think it’s important to acknowledge the realities of your work, right?
While also still [00:32:00] acknowledging that people can choose that, you know, people do choose that work every day, not people can.
Vamp: Exactly.
Marx: I’m with you that like, it’s not for the, uh, it’s not for the naive. Right. Um, right. Can you just explain, so I am, I’m, I’m like you two. I am not a stripper. And so I, through, for various reasons, I know what featuring is, but in case someone doesn’t know, can you explain what that is?
Vamp: Um, sure. Uh, so featuring is, um, being a showgirl version of a stripper, right? We, um, like strippers or dancers, um, are always performing on stages, right? They do perform special events and we’re always performing nonstop at our local club, and we pay house fees to be there, right? That’s a house girl you’re paying to be there.
You’re paying your dues to the club. Featuring is where the clubs pay [00:33:00] you to come in and entertain. Um, some of us put on like full curated themed shows. Some of us just are dancers who are very well known and very good at what we do and are paid to be there. Uh, so those are like, that’s like the most basic difference is house dancers pay to work.
Features are paid to, paid to be there and show up
doing that.
AM: Yeah.
And there’s,
there’s also a, that’s where porn, porn stars and strippers, strip clubs and featuring overlap because the porn stars go on tour and dance. Um, and some of them are like incredible and some are like, I’m just here to you know, showcase my celebrity status.
Right. And so it’s, it’s like this mix, but it’s always like the porn stars coming on stage to feature was always so much fun. ’cause [00:34:00] they just do the most wild shit on stage. Um, and it would bring in a lot of different customers too. So that’s where like porn and stripping overlaps is specifically features.
Like, I’ve been in so many clubs where Stormy Daniels was in the dressing room. And like if I had known back then that she’d be a household name now, right?
I would’ve been
like,
Vamp: Like if only
AM: let’s be friends.
But even then, she was so famous I wouldn’t have even, and that that was another thing is. When I was working in the clubs in LA, like we didn’t like go up to them.
Like they had their own separate, you know, um, we would only really approach them if they seemed approachable or came over to us. But there, it’s a very like, um, very, uh, pedestal type, pedestal type thing. Yeah.
Vamp: That is a conversation that we’re having a lot, uh, as features is how we interact with our house girls.
I personally will either involve them with my show or check in with them. [00:35:00] Different features, interact with, uh, house girls differently.
AM: Yeah.
Vamp: And same with the porn stars. Porn stars are features or can be features. That kind of hierarchy is the same. Also, uh, in the porn industry, you have content creators who do porn technically, but they’re creating their own.
And then you have mainstream porn stars, and that’s like a different bracket entirely like to call, uh, I don’t even call myself a porn star like I am by no means a porn star, like that title holds weight and like is so much work put in just like, um, a girl who wins a pole competition, that’s house girl should not be calling themselves a feature because there’s so much more that goes into being a feature than just winning a competition like.
So yes, it’s a payment, but it’s also the amount of work that goes into those things to earn that [00:36:00] title.
Marx: Thank you for explaining that. That is actually stuff I was not about of um, yeah. If departure was Stormy Daniels approachable?
AM: She was pretty cool. Yeah, she was pretty cool. I mean, she was busy, you know?
Yeah. And so like I, and understanding busy, you know, like on those nights where you have like five regulars there at once and you’re like, she was like,
Vamp: oh my God.
AM: Yeah. Yeah. And so she was just busy ’cause she was such a star, but she was very, she was always very cool. She was one of the very cool ones. A lot of them were pretty cool, but like, they were just so busy, you know?
And, and we were busy and so it wasn’t, and we weren’t starstruck by them, but they had to be like really coming up to us to be like, okay, we’re gonna chat with you. ’cause we just didn’t wanna interrupt their work. I think it was a also like a level of respect. Like they have so much to do and I’m busy.
’cause they’re always on the weekends too. Right. And that’s when we’re the busiest also, you know? But there was always like a lot of respect both ways, even though there [00:37:00] wasn’t like a check-in, which I think Vamp that. That’s really nice that you do a check-in because, um. You know, on some of those weekends, the customers are there to see the famous feature, the famous porn star.
Right? Right. And so you go up and you’re like, um, you wanna dance? And they’re like, oh, I’m waiting for so and so, you know, they’re, they’re waiting to have their moment, you know, with the, with the feature. And so it’s nice to check in.
Vamp: Yeah, I like to check in mainly ’cause like, um, our rates are different for dances too.
AM: Yeah.
Vamp: So a lot of the time like we’ll be like, hey, like if you’re trying to sell a dance, come up to me like we’ll talk, you know? Um, ’cause a lot of the time I’ll go to like customers like, oh, this is my rate. And they’re like, why are you so much more expensive? I’m like, oh baby. ’cause I’m a feature. But if I’m outta your price range, please meet her. She’s been working all night. She’s gonna take good care of you. Like. Yeah. And it provides this really nice dynamic [00:38:00] between the house dancers and the features. ’cause I’m able to help them out and when somebody’s there to see me and I might not recognize them ’cause I have like 20 million things going on.
I’m prepping for my show. I’m doing X, Y, and Z. The girls will come up to me and be like, Hey, so and so really wants to see you. You should go, go over there. And I can do the same for them. So it. It just brings this camaraderie of like dynamics to the club. That’s really nice.
AM: Yeah.
Vamp: Yeah. Especially ’cause like, I don’t know where I’m at half the time, like I’m, I’m in this new state.
I’ve never been here, I’ve never been to this club. Like, so having the house girls on my side like actually really helps me. I feel like it helps me more than it helps them in most cases. ’cause it’s like, I don’t know what’s happening. I’m in a brand new place, brand new club. So.
AM: Yeah, I featured in Mexico once and I didn’t know how,
Vamp: my
Vamp: goodness
AM: to speak Spanish yet, and I wanted to communicate with the house dancers and I couldn’t.
So what I would do is when I would walk [00:39:00] past them when they were in groups, I would just walk past ’em, like with my head down a little bit and kind of acknowledge them like this, to let them know like, I know I’m in your house. And I respect you. And so like, that was the best way I could communicate to them that like, this is, you know, like, ’cause is Mexico.
And you know, I feel like in the, in the States it’s like, it’s a little different. But, uh, there was that language barrier and like Yeah. So that, so I totally get it. You’re, you wanna communicate and let them know like, I’m, I’m on your side. Yeah,
Vamp: yeah. I’m not trying to take butter outta your mouth.
AM: Right, right, right.
Marx: That’s really nice to hear that the camaraderie goes both ways. Like maybe not always, but sounds like a lot of the time. That’s super cool. So, um, vamp you are, it sounds like you’re touring nonstop into November or, or just, or have you just finished?
Vamp: I’m touring nonstop until November. Yeah, so a few more and into November even. I’ll be touring nonstop [00:40:00] until November 9th. And then November 10th I get double knee surgery, so I’ll be out for a little bit
Marx: 25 years old and already have
double knee surgery.
Vamp: Yep.
Marx: You know what, actually I do have one question that we didn’t get to. Um, I’m really curious about your background in, in circus. Um. And into. Circus starts. Can you talk a little bit more about what you did? I’m assuming ariel, but who knows?
Vamp: Yeah, so I went to, uh, a school called Circadian. It was the first US accredited school for circus education.
Um, I was the third ever class. I had to drop out my first year and then re-apply the second year due to the abuse situation that I was in. Um. But yeah, uh, I learned everything, circus , I was what was called a multidisciplinary, um, student. So I, uh, specialized in contact juggling, um, aerials and contortion.
Marx: Wait, what is, but I learned contact, juggling. [00:41:00]
Vamp: Okay, so this is gonna, this is a whole tangent. Uh, contact juggling is, um, most people call it fushigi, right? They think of the fushigis, right? Uh, fun fact, uh, Michael Motion was the one who developed, uh, contact juggling. It’s with glass orbs, and you’re rolling ’em through your body.
Uh, of famous or most infamous version is, um, when you see, uh, David Bowie in Labyrinth doing that, that was actually Michael Motion behind David Bowie doing all those tricks. Um, but fushigi actually stole the idea from Michael Motion, started making the orbs with the, um, silver inserts in them so they wouldn’t light things on fire for children.
And then they marketed it to the public and didn’t give Michael Motion anything. Um,
Yeah. Basically it was an acrylic ball with a, um, metallic ball put [00:42:00] inside.
Traditional, um, traditional contact juggling is made with just pure acrylic, um, orbs that you’ll like flow with your hands. You juggle in between. So you, so that was like my specialties
Marx: and aerial and contortions.
Vamp: Contortion, yes. But I learned everything. I, uh, had we woke up in the morning, we would usually take a mile run.
That was our morning warmup. And then we were in, uh, physical classes all day. I took tumbling, I took tramp wall. I did, um all the aerials. I learned, uh, balance, which included unicycle and tight wire walking. Um, we learned a juggle. I like, part of our curriculum was we had to juggle three objects and it had to be, uh, balls, rings and uh, clubs.
And that was just part of our curriculum. We had to take, uh, physical theater, we had to take dance like, so I kind of did [00:43:00] everything in the circus tops um wheelhouse ’cause that was part of my curriculum. And we also learned how to do like backstage things. That’s why um, if you see me at Exxxotica, like at the end of Exotica, you’ll see me go from like, I am performance, hotty, vamp to like throwing on some cover rolls and breaking shit down.
’cause I’m part of the crew too.
Marx: That’s
super, super cool. Um, I am, for various reasons, a big fan of clowning. Um,
Vamp: yeah, clowning is so much
fun.
Marx: Yeah.
Vamp: Buffoonery is my favorite,
Marx: and clowning is such a history and, and, and so, I mean, we could do a whole nother episode on that, but
Vamp: Yeah.
Marx: I won’t go down off that tangent.
Um, what do you hope for the next chapter of your career once you recover from the surgery?
Vamp: Um, so I guess the next chapter is, uh, going into the showgirl divisions and competing amongst, uh [00:44:00] showgirls ’cause I’m no longer a newcomer ’cause I’ve won a lot of the newcomer divisions. Um, so that’s the first step is to step into the showgirl divisions and see how I fare up.
And then I guess like the future, future, I would ideally like to own my own club one day, um, and be able to provide a better environment um, for the girls that work for me, um, I feel like there needs to be more female owned clubs in the world. Um, but yeah, that’s kind of where I’m at and if not, not owning the own my own club immediately, then at least being a house mom when my body finally breaks and I’m not able to perform anymore, so I’m at least able to take care of the girls.
Marx: It’s really, you’re really very impressive. I mean, you’re only 25 years old and you’ve done. So many things. It’s crazy. Um,
Vamp: I
didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, so you did everything. [00:45:00] I did everything.
Marx: Um, how can fans, peers, and the community support you, whether it’s your tour, your surgery, or your further, uh, future projects?
Excuse me.
Vamp: Um, the best way to support me, at least for the surgery. I do have a GoFundMe out right now to help pay for, uh, the expenses in regards to that. ’cause unfortunately, for a lot of people in the industry, we don’t have insurance. That’s something that a lot of the public doesn’t realize. Like getting private insurance is really difficult for a lot of us, uh, sex workers, both male and female.
So I do have that out. And then as far as support goes throughout. Anything is just, uh, follow me on my socials, come to a show, let me know what you think of my work. And of course, always tip your girls and your men, your entertainers, your bartenders, all the industry people. That’s the best way you can help is just be kind and uh, make sure you show your gratitude.
And not only praise, but um, [00:46:00] cash. ’cause that’s our business, right?
Marx: Compliments are worthless. Give us money.
Vamp: Yeah. Yeah. That’s the funniest thing is like when you’re, um, I see this a lot with my male performers too, unfortunately, is um, I feel like they don’t get a lot of representation either. Um, ’cause it’s kind of like understood more so with men of like, oh, I’m paying for your time.
Here’s money compensation. But like, even in Exxxotica, um, there’s this dynamic with male entertainers in which, oh, well you’re the guy. So I don’t have to pay you. Um, and that’s not the, that’s not the case at all. Like they’re also entertainers and so it’s a blanket terminology tip. Your entertainers tip, your bartenders tip, your service workers.
We work hard for you, you know,
AM: totally.
Marx: Uh, in closing, what’s one message you’d like listeners, uh, whether they’re inside or outside the industry to take away from your story?
Vamp: I
think [00:47:00] the biggest thing that I’d like people to take away from my story is. Do your research on anything you go into, uh, whether that be anything in the sex work industry or just fun, play with a new domme.
Do your research. Make sure you’re safe. Make sure you’re educated and know what you’re getting into. Ask all the questions. Ask ’em until you’re annoying. You’re not annoying. You’re thorough. And don’t be afraid to say no. And of course give gratitude where it’s due. Give props to where they’re due, like congratulate, and also name drop the people you were inspired from.
And continue to support us by tipping us and loving us
Marx: Words to live by. That’s beautiful.
AM: I swear you’re trying to make me cry today.
Vamp: I’m not trying to make cry.
AM: Swear. You are!
Vamp: I mean, not to. I’m like, this is, this is love for me. Just love us. Just love us. You know?[00:48:00]
AM: Thank you.
Marx: Thank you so much. V this was such a fun interview. I wish we had way more time ’cause a AMD prepared so many more questions. I have so many more questions for you, but. Always leave him wanting more. Right.
AM: Exactly.
Vamp: Yes. And worst case scenario, like I’ll be around for a little bit, I’ll not be doing anything during recovery.
AM: Yeah.
Vamp: So if you guys want me back, I have more time on my hands coming up soon.
AM: Thank you.
Marx: AMD, do you wanna take us out?
AM: Yeah. Um, thank you so much Vamp for being here with us. And Marks, this is your first episode with Yes. Podcasts. And you must have been practicing on another podcast somewhere because you’re amazing and this was awesome. Um, yeah. And we really hope that our audience shows love to both Vamp and Marx. Um, do those follows. We’re gonna put links for all of your follows for both of you, um, with the information that goes with this episode. And, um, please don’t forget to donate. This is a really difficult time for [00:49:00] nonprofits, specifically sex worker nonprofits.
Um. We are being forgotten about, we are being left behind. Uh, and so we have, for our org specifically, we have decided that it is up to the community to help keep us here, um, because we have been trying, uh, with corporations and that’s not going so great just to be real, like I’m being real. So, um, yes, please consider donating.
That’s yaswork.org/donate and also visit our store. We’ve got this cute little umbrella beanie out for the fall slash winter. Thank you. This is just the first one that came. Yes. I just, it just came in the mail today. It’s so perfect. It came right before I was, it was like an hour before we were meeting, and I was like, let’s go check the mail Rigby, and like, it’s my dog, and there it was.
So.
Thank you. Um, yeah. And thanks so much for everyone for tuning in and listening, and we will see you next time.
Bye.