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.

Belle Epoque, 16th March

When you go to as many cabaret/burlesque nights as I have done, you do start to wonder if you’ve seen it all. And then you watch performances such as those I witnessed the other week and you realise that those at the top of their game can still wow you.  I think the difference between the artists who entranced us on the 16th (and I’d put those at Boom Boom in this category as well) and other more run-of the-mill acts is the way they have a bit of a story to their act – the way the music that they perform to complements the moves. It’s choreographed, it’s stirring. There’s attitude. These aren’t just circus acts.

The only disappointing thing about the aerial acrobatics at Belle Epoeue was that there wasn’t more of them! Although I suspected the last act would be at around 11 to ensure those wanting to get the last tube could do so without missing anything, I still would have loved for the entire evening to be peppered by them.

Having said that, the rest of the clientele probably wouldn’t have been so happy. Unlike other vintage nights I’ve been to, this one had a decidedly school disco feel to it. It wasn’t just the music being played, it was the lairiness of the crowd; by 11 pm people were raring to concentrate on the cocktails and champagne, rather than the acts. One girl, out for her birthday, fell over while she was seemingly just standing there, some guy dived through the hoop while we were waiting for the act to start. At the end of the night people were copping off with each other like it was Sixth Form revisited! It was slightly surreal – everyone dressed in a variety of styles from burlesque to vintage to lion tamer, yet all most definitely dressed to the nines, getting down to, at one point, gangster rap, and snogging. I wouldn’t have been at all surprised if Gangnam Style had been played at the end, but I’d left at that point.

It’s not that I didn’t like the music. For the most part I thought they were all pretty good party tunes, designed to get people moving on the dance floor and that they did. There were only one or two selections that were a little too cheesy for my taste. But it was definitely very mainstream, which wasn’t what we were expecting. When we arrived they were playing 50s and 60s sounds – Little Richard, The Kinks, Aretha, and we assumed this was the theme for the rest of the night. Even though it probably wasn’t what the Belle Epoque era was soundtracked to, it was at least retro. But they very quickly moved through the decades to the present day – I appreciated the Jamie XX remix of Rolling in the Deep they dropped.  But we wondered where they would go from there.  The answer was, all over the place! 

I rather enjoyed the DJ’s antics – he was almost a caricature of a DJ, his arms waving all over the place as he conducted us on the dance floor from Song 2 to Skeelo and back again through a variety of mashups.

So, the music was what you could find on any highstreet but I would happily return for the aerial acrobatics. There was 'silk rope' work with a couple practically dancing like ballet together through them. 

There was a duo hoop act, portraying an S & M lesbian relationship. The first act used a bungee harness! 

And there was another 'rope' act, only this time using netting which the performer could tangle himself among. 

And the finale were three girls on bars choreographed to perfection.

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!