The Blitz Party, 8th June

My second taste of Bourne & Hollingsworth last weekend was their Blitz party on the Saturday. I have wanted to go to one of these for probably years. At least 'a' year anyway. They're normally monthly at the end of the month but they had a D-Day special on, in the Suffolk Street Arches, where I have been previously for a Krankbrother rave.

As with all these B & H events, dressing in period costume (or as close as possible) is mandatory, and as ever, all attendants were impressive in their efforts. I bought a dress especially for it and attempted some fairly successful victory rolls which actually lasted the night.

The venue was perfect - the night ranged across about six arches and was exactly the sort of thing you picture people in the Blitz having to brave - concrete tunnels with uneven flooring and even the odd puddle. They had a couple of full size war jeeps in the tunnels which you were encouraged to climb in for pictures. 

We wandered past a couple of hair and makeup spots for those who hadn't managed to get the look they wanted at home. And then we made our way to the bar. Which was packed. It probably took 20  minutes for us all to get served. We took our drinks and explored what else was on. That was, of course, when we discovered the five other bars deeper into the arches that were absolutely empty!

So, there were two different arches with two different bands, one of which was tucked a bit further into the tunnels. There was also a 'bunker' which was much darker than the rest of the venue, and had crappy cots lining the walls. There was also an alarm you could ring on the way in and out. Definitely a fun little spot if you needed a break from the revelry in the main halls and wanted that extra air raid feel. This had a bar from which you could order only beers or the Victory brew. That was one hell of a potent cocktail! And it was one of the cheapest! I thought at first I wouldn't like it as it had a tea flavour in it but that wasn't, thankfully, discernible. It mostly just tasted of gin! And it was in a massive tin mug, no dainty sips needed for this one to make it last, although gulps were rather hard to swallow due to its strength. 

Fancy a brew? 

Our intention was to watch a bit of both bands, but we ended up sticking around in the same space to watch just the one band. I think plenty of people made the same mistake we had and congregated around the first bar, where there was also a stage instead of exploring further. So much as i would have liked to take a look at the second band, it was just so crowded there that there wasn't much point.

Our band were excellent anyway so I'm not complaining. And there were some fabulous dancers really going for it in front of the stage. I did put some of my novice swing steps to use so wasn't completely intimidated off the dance floor. And watching these guys who knew what they were doing was a lot of fun. I wasn't sure if they were part of the entertainment or just guests who knew their stuff. Having said that, they did take up rather a lot of room with all their spins and twirls, and people would stop dancing to watch them which was kind of annoying when you just wanted to dance yourself. 

The music from the live band and in between sets was big band, swing and jazz - after they'd finished it moved on a decade or so and started playing rock n roll, which is always fun.

In some ways there wasn't as much to this night as there was to Prohibition or Belle Epoque night. A couple of bands but no other entertainment really unless you count getting your hair done. But the atmosphere was brilliant, the venue was fantastic and the bands were great. I really enjoyed it though I wonder if I would have loved it as much if it took place in Village Underground as it so often does.

Coming up...November 2012

I haven’t done this before, but I might just make it a regular thing if I like it. A lot of the time I go to things on my list at relatively short notice, or only one thing at a time, so giving any forewarning or a ‘coming up’ wouldn’t make much sense. But it so happens that I know I’m going to cross a few things off the list in the next few weeks...

 London Remixed Festival 

If you’ve read my posts on Rumpus and White Mischief and like the sound of them, then I reckon this is for you. It’s a bit of a global end-of-festival minifestival, taking place as it does over three venues in Shoreditch. One wristband gets you entry to all three. Firstly, the venues they’ve picked have a great reputation for delivering fun and/or culturally rich experiences – Rich Mix, Village Undergroud and the Bedroom Bar. 

The lineup, if you like this sort of thing, also looks excellent. I have only seen a few of the acts so far, but that’s what I like about it – I like to see something new. It also helps that Cut a Shine will be there and they’re also on my List. 

So yes, we have the likes of Gypsy Hill performing as part of the Polka Tent at Bedroom Bar who I have seen before and highly rate–. Fun, make-you-want to jig music. And Perhaps Contraption who I’ve also seen and loved are in the Acoustic Boutique upstairs at Rich Mix. Then, on the other end of the spectrum we’ve got African inspired beats downstairs at Rich Mix in the African Rootmaster, and Latin music in the Latin Quarter at Village Underground, and somewhere in between the folks from Cut a Shine are doing their hoedown thing, again, in the Polka Tent. There’s something like 30 different acts on over the course of the night – something for everyone (if you like your music slightly alternative and global). Global Local, the people behind this new festival have also contributed to lineups at festivals such as Bestival, Shangri La at Glastonbury, Lovebox, Secret Garden, Wilderness, and the Big Chill and are the people behind White Mink, so you’re in safe hands. You can see why this night is highly anticipated by me, and at £13 quite a bargain. Obviously I will be reviewing it once I’ve been so stay tuned for that. 

For the full lineup and more info, click the link http://londonremixedfestival.com/  

Supperclub 

Also coming up soon will be my first supper club. It took me a while to decide to even put on one my List, but really, it had to be done. After reading a post by the London Foodie on a night he went to hosted by Two Hungry Girls, and completely drooling over all aspects of the menu, I brought them to the attention of my boyfriend and he promptly booked them for a bespoke private birthday meal. Does a supperclub count if it doesn’t include the bit where you mingle and dine with strangers? You can probably guess my answer to this – Yes. Again, come back for the verdict. 

https://www.facebook.com/TwoHungryGirls?sk=wall&filter=12 

The Blitz Party 

Many’s the month that has passed and I have longed to go to the Blitz Party. I have either had plans, or they have sold out far too quickly for me to get my hands on a ticket. But finally the planets have aligned and I am both free on the 17th and have bought a ticket so it looks like I’ll be able to get my ‘air-raid’ on. These parties transport you back to the era of wartime England with the drinks, fashion and music that entails. Stop by to see if it lives up to my expectations. I went to the B & H Prohibition night, and while I liked it, I didn’t LOVE it. I think these ones are more popular, so we will see what I make of it.

The Blitz Party

Prohibition, 23rd Jun

Prohibition is a night run by Bourne & Hollingsworth who are supremos when it comes to alternative nightlife. As the name suggests, a night at Prohibition is a night that takes you back in time to the roaring 20s when alcohol was on the downlow and flappers were in their ascendant. They are incredibly popular and always sell out in advance. Doors to the secret location (revealed a couple of weeks prior) open at 8, entertainment starts at about 9 and the doors to the ‘speakeasy’ close at 2, which means that it’s quite a short night by most other clubs’ standards. It also means that you don’t want to make the mistake of drinking elsewhere until 11 and then turning up as you will have missed a lot of the action.

People are not only encouraged to dress in period costume, but you are told that entry without making an effort (ie avoid jeans and sneakers) isn’t allowed. The organisers probably don’t have to worry too much that anyone is going to take their chances with the dress code though, as the people who go clearly enjoy making an effort. It’s a great period of time to dress for - sexy, shimmering dresses and fun, feathery head gear for the ladies; pinstripes and flattering waistcoats for the gents.

This time the event was held in the glamorous Bloomsbury Ballroom. We arrived at about 9:30 and put our coats away. There was a trio playing in the hallway, and two rooms. 

One room had the main stage and dance area, with a bar. The second was showing silent movies (think Charlie Chaplin), had tables and chairs and also the gambling pit where you could try your hand at blackjack. Upon entry you were presented with a fake $100 bill which you then cashed in with the croupier for chips to gamble with. At least, that is the idea. Me and my party must have arrived at the wrong time as we didn’t get offered any money to gamble with, fake or not. I don’t really think this would have been a problem had we insisted on participating – it’s all about joining in and having fun. 

Cocktails and bottles of beer were the order of the day for drinks. Innocuous books were placed nonchalantly at the bar, but when 
you opened the first page, you could see the short cocktail menu. There were four or five to choose from, all priced at normal bar cocktail prices - ie £7.50. Except for the ‘signature’ cocktail at 
£8.00 - the Gatsby - which, along with one other, was served in teacups. Well, you don't want the feds busting in and sussing
you've got moonshine on the go! 

About an hour after we got in, the live entertainment in the main room started. I didn't dance as much as I'd hoped to this - I was too often waiting at the bar for our cocktails - the downside of having mainly cocktails to choose from is that they take longer to prepare, leading to longer queues leading to feeling like I’d missed out on some of the night. Just can’t resist the illicit booze! The Gatsby, incidentally I found very sweet and preferred the gin fizzes overall.

When the band were done DJs took up the reins to keep you going until the place closed, playing retro sounds right up to the 50s and 60s and by this point everyone was getting down and cutting a shine in the main room. The second room remained quieter, for those who needed a respite and to rest their feet, or who preferred the sophistication of dancing with Lady Luck on the blackjack table.

I thought Prohibition was fun and I’m glad I went. If I were to rate it out of ten, it would probably lose a couple of stars, though I can’t put my finger on why. I think, perhaps, that the Ballroom was a bit too big for the number of people. It’s nice not to be overcrowded, but a little intimacy helps build atmosphere. I will definitely try out some of their other nights as soon as I can though, such as the Blitz party, and the one I particularly like the sound of – the Belle Epoch. Bustier ahoy!