What Happens When You Cross Princess Chelsea and Twin Peaks?

On Saturday night, Princess Chelsea and The Civic Wintergarden hosted hundreds of Aucklanders dressed as Twin Peaks characters at their Midwinter Ball of intrigue and entertainment.

The idea for a Twin Peaks-themed ball first came to the art-pop artist – aka Chelsea Nikkel – when she thought of the red velvet and furnishings of The Civic.

The ’90s mystery-drama has amassed a cult following of those entranced by director David Lynch’s world of warped reality over the years, and inside the Wintergarden, those in attendance were dressed to the nines in tribute to the beloved series.

Credit: Isabella Rose Young

The Midwinter Ball was a multi-sensory experience of smoke, lasers, customised cocktails, karaoke, photography, and, of course, music.

Running throughout the night was a mockup section of The Black Lodge, where patrons could be snapped by a photographer while they lounged upon black chairs, nestled beside a marble statue.

At the bar, two special cocktails were on offer: one inspired by cherry pie and the other an espresso-based martini, presumably inspired by Agent Cooper’s love for coffee.

I bumped into Diane Evans’ alter ego, a young Audrey Horne, and Heidi the waitress, who were equally delighted for the main act.

“Chelsea’s music is so gorgeous and sweet with a great edge. It’s very like Twin Peaks. She’s really drawn a great bow to the sweet and sleepy town with the evil undertones. It’s a gorgeous collision,” one said. 

Credit: Isabella Rose Young

Local trio Half Hexagon opened with synthy textures that ventured into ghostly moods, before Princess Chelsea and her band The Dream Warriors gave us a new escape. 

Chelsea was recognisable in her trench coat as Agent Dale Cooper. The talented collection of musicians beside her commonly swapped instruments, filling out the stage with enormous presence as lasers cut bodily shapes atop the mountains depicted on the backdrop.

Chelsea covered some of the Twin Peaks soundtrack including songs from American singer Julee Cruise, which suited incredibly well because the two women share such delicate and ethereal vocals. Respected saxophonist Lucas Fritsch (Mammalien) joined too, sometimes playing the clarinet in eerie ways.

Like The Black Lodge, Auckland’s Wintergarden is a shapeshifting space: it’s at times a space for officers, cabaret watchers, clubbers, and tearoom drinkers. Dressed in various looks, those in the crowd truly committed to their parts. 

“I feel very sweet and a little tart,” grinned a woman dressed as a gigantic slice of cherry pie.

Her friend was adorned as a forest with a puppet owl perched on their shoulder. The forest leaned in to warn me of the predator and to not forget where I was.

“Owls are not what they seem.”

Credit: Isabella Rose Young

Two other attendees had stitched together owl masks made of soft felt. One of them was a man clothed in a Soft Bait shirt who loved the appeal of New Zealand music as much as Twin Peaks.

“It’s just genre-free isn’t it? It’s got drama, comedy, musical. It’s got something for everyone,” he said. 

I could see that adults who grew up in the ’90s took a lot from the occasion.

“It’s not hard to appreciate the creativity that’s gone on. I’m so pleased to see all the characters and their representations,” the cherry pie woman said with a smile.

Credit: Isabella Rose Young

“Special Agent” and karaoke liaison for the night, Matthew Crawley, came as Mike, the one-armed man.

Crawley was heartily surprised by the confidence of some people who had pre-signed up for the karaoke lottery which ended the evening.

A man “emulated” the supreme stage energy of Australian performer Nick Cave. “[He] just stormed around the whole venue with his wireless screaming… putting on a real punk rock show,” Crawley said.

A heavily tattooed woman sang Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, sharing with Crawley that she’d flown in all the way from Wellington to be a “karaoke star.”

Local musician Priya Sami (Bub, Dateline) joined in on the sing-along. I spotted her in the front row sharing a moment with Chelsea as the leader of the evening strutted on stage.

“My only regret was that we couldn’t party longer because there were lots of people excited to sing,” Crawley told Rolling Stone AU/NZ.

Credit: Isabella Rose Young

In the midst of winter, gig attendance can hit yearly lows. However, the Midwinter Ball managed to pull Aucklanders away from their toasty hearths to the warm drapes and rich furnishings of the Wintergarden.

Gabrielle, a 50-year-old fan of Princess Chelsea, confessed that she tended not to go out as much as she used to.

“It’s fantastic seeing everybody having fun. I enjoy indie music and [Princess Chelsea is] a local act. I prefer small venues, intimate crowds where you can connect with people… at the soul of things.”

When asked about the capacity of The Civic’s lesser-known underground venue, Gabrielle’s face lit up.

“It’s theatrical, it’s stunning, it has ambience, it has character! Who wants to go to a stadium to listen to a big rocker when you can go somewhere like the big dance halls, you know?”

The Wintergarden will host many, many more incredible events, but it will never host something like the mesmerising Princess Chelsea and Twin Peaks crossover again.

Princess Chelsea’s Midwinter Ball comes to Theatre Royal in New Plymouth on Saturday, August 10th. Tickets are available now here.