SS Atlantica, 28th May

I have been wanting to go to SS Atlantica for yonks – probably since I set up my Meetup group four years ago, but as it’s a once-a-year deal, getting to it proved tricky. I always seemed to have plans by the time they released the date. Not so this year.

So on a balmy evening we dressed in our finest evening wear and boarded the SS Atlantica for a jaunt along the Thames or two. We sipped champagne and enjoyed the views, and then spent some time in the belly of the boat drinking in the live hot jazz and taking part in illicit gambling. Which was all very fun. But this entertainment was short lived and soon it was general drinking and dancing and I must admit, we got a little bored by it. At midnight the boat docked to let people off who wished to disembark early (the night finished at 2 am) and most of my crowd agreed we should have got off at that point rather than go another lap onboard. While being on the Thames is always nice, I’m not sure it was worth the slightly elevated price compared to other B & H events, and I don’t think I’ll bother with it next year.

Sprited Sermons, 24th November

You get a lot of bang for your buck at these Spirited Sermons – and I mean that both in terms of drink but also activity and education. Every fortnight they pick a spirit and a specialty brand and for £25 you can learn about the origins of that brand, have a chance to make (and then drink) a cocktail using that brand, and also get a tasting session if that spirit.

The one I went to was a Japanese whiskey sermon looking at the Nikka brand. We were given the backstory of the founder and, after already having had two of the three cocktails included in the price, we had tasters of the four types of whiskey they make, starting with grain and moving to the pure malts. Apparently Masataka Taketsuru was determined to make real whiskey, not a Japanese bastardisation of it (basically coloured sake) and had travelled all the way to Scotland, almost 100 years ago, to learn how to do it right. His creativity was stifled somewhat when he went back and tried to put his knowledge to work at Settsu Shuzo. So eventually he left to found his own distillery.  All of the whiskeys (apart from the grain) we drank were blended – originally looked down on by whiskey aficionados, it is now being appreciated for the complexity it can offer. We sipped, and allowed the first taste to singe our tongues while they accustomed to the strong liquor. The second sip was smooth as you like and each whiskey tasted more delicious than the last. Portions were very generous.

By the time it came to making a cocktail, I had drunk ALL the whiskey (through the ingenious move of taking along a friend who didn’t really like it) so even though I’ve had a few cocktail making sessions in the past I chose to make an easy one that didn’t involve anything but stirring. That was a little sweet for my liking, having green tea as an ingredient but still drinkable. My friend and I still had one more cocktail on the list to make up our full complement so we retired to our table cluttered with about five different cocktails to finish them off at a leisurely pace.

I love whiskey so this was a nigh-on perfect evening for me. I would highly recommend looking out for a night where they focus on your particular poison, though it would also be a good excuse to discover something new. Even my non-whiskey loving friend appreciated some of what she drank!

Below and Hidden, 5th November

Below and Hidden is the new mini club from Bourne & Hollingsworth that feels like your partying in someone’s house – except that the walls are all sparkly and awesome. It’s quite a contrast to the almost prim and proper upstairs, it most definitely designed as a den of iniquity with nights not even starting until a bit later in the evening and going on until 2 am. It definitely had the feel of an Arabian parlour, though the decor was actually very Medieval. We were treated to a condensed version of what they wanted the place to be like.

So, lights were fairly low in the first place, but dipped even further when the LEDs came on and the disco was ramped up. They had a short cocktail list, and plan to change the specials on offer on a monthly basis. Of course we had to try almost all of them and the one I was most pleasantly surprised by was the Peacock Suite. I normally avoid lavender but here it was used very judiciously. All the ingredients (kaffir lime, white wine and gin as well) combined to be more than the sum of their parts – it was hard to pick out the individual tastes but they melded together to create something incredibly pleasing on the tongue. And I loved the peacock feather garnish!

To be fair, every cocktail was a winner though. The Diamond days, mixing tequila with vermouths and fortified wine was quite a knockout. 

I attended their launch and hadn’t realized food would be on offer so we had stuffed ourselves with truffled chips at The Bowler beforehand. But the food they provided looked so good we managed to squeeze in some of that as well. 

As the night wore on the party vibes didn’t flag and by 11 pm everyone still there was up and dancing. I loved the intimate feel of this place. If you went along you could quickly make friends with everyone in the room and it would also be just the right size for hiring out for an occasion (if they do that). It also feels like a secret – when we left and emerged into the ordinary upstairs and ended up chatting to people, they were like ‘where have you even come from’, we just suddenly seemed to appear from nowhere. And I enjoyed that too.

Alternative Nightlife June-July 2015

I keep saying I’ll start doing more posts which give a heads up on upcoming events and then I get so behind on my actual blog posts I don’t! But here’s another stab at it.

Basically, here’s a bit of a rundown of what’s coming up on my Meetup over the next month, so if you fancy coming along, do feel free!

First up this weekend we’re heading to Paperworks which has been the year-long pop-up outside space brought to you by Corsica Studios. They have DJs and food and it’s sounded fun so we’re going on its final weekend!

Next weekend is a big one – it’s Antichrist’s 11^th birthday July 3rd so we’re going along to that. This is only my third Antichrist, and, even though it wasn’t hugely busy last time, I had a really good night and I expect it to be even better on its birthday. My first visit coincided with such an occasion and I loved it.

Then, the next night (the 4th), a complete change of pace. Bourne and Hollingsworth, the supremos in themed party nights (Blitz, Prohibition) have a new one! This time we’re only going back as far as the 90s, with Playback. This feels a little too recent in my mind to make a theme around it but if anyone can do it, B & H can! They’re promising the finest music of the era, some live acts, décor harking back to the 90s and drinks inspired by the colour/tackiness of the time as well (frozen daquiris and wibbles anyone?)! Dress up in your finest denim and fringerie and come along!

In fact, the Meetup are back in Bourne & Hollingsworth’s presence the weekend after that as well, when we attend the Chap Olympiad. Nothing but the silliest/most refined sports to be enjoyed from this event – things like moustache wrestling or, of course umbrella jousting. Spiffing!

And then I’m rounding off the month with another dip into the kinky side of life – my first Camden Crunch. As I haven’t been before I don’t know what exactly to expect – it’s a more laid back, casual event than other fetish nights as it’s not a proper clubnight, more of a get together party. But I’m sure it will be full of the lovely folk I’ve come to expect from these sorts of things.

In between all these weekend shenanigans, we’ve got some immersive theatre to get to at The Jetty again. We really enjoyed The Boy who Climbed out of his Face from Shunt there last year and hope that Zebedee Productions can put the shipping containers to equally good use with Heartbreak Hotel. And there’s some silly fun to be had as Last Man Standing Quiz is back on the 1^st of July! All the fun of a pub quiz without the pressure to actually know anything!

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.

The Fourth Wall, 7th June

I had quite the Bourne & Hollingsworth weekend. 

Firstly, on Friday I went to their roving bar 'The Fourth Wall'. This is a replica of their bricks and mortar establishment in Rathbone Place, which pops up in all different places. If you are on their mailing list, you are emailed a couple of days in advance of them popping up and given a clue as to its whereabouts. So, on Wednesday when I got an email written in semaphore, I decoded it to give an address and booked me and my friends in.

Now, I knew that B & H were doing a summer-long affair called Kitchen Party which promises good food, drinks and happenings, and also the Fourth Wall as its bar, but I didn't realise that it was the same Fourth Wall bar (i.e. I thought there would be one at Kitchen party and another which travelled). I must admit I was a little disappointed when I turned up and it was the one at Kitchen Party, as it rather rendered the clues pointless when anyone can look up where Kitchen Party is residing over the summer. And, also, unlike other Fourth Walls, this one is clearly there for quite the long haul.

Makeshift walls

Perhaps that is why it wasn't very busy at all. Most of the other drinkers there seemed to just be having pre-dinner drinks before heading into the dining area which made the Kitchen part of the party. Or maybe the semaphore was just too much effort for most to bother decoding.
As it got a bit later and the diners drifted into the sit-down section, the bar was rather quiet. I do like a bar where you can sit down and hear yourselves talk over the din of fellow drinkers but I do also like there to be some fellow drinkers.

Still, quite enjoyable, and it did deliver the 'granny chic' I had promised to my friends, in its chintzy wallpaper, faded and peeling at the edges. They also had one cocktail that was served in a teacup which I had looked forward to having but it did have a tea element in it which put me off. So I didn't. Instead I had one served in a cute little jam pot.

Margarinha

I had several cocktails which were all quite nice. I made sure to have the famed Re-Bourne cocktail as my first. It was light and refreshing, constituting of gin, lime juice and elderflower, topped with lemonade but it didn't make me sit up and take notice. The Rose 75 - rose and raspberry syrup mixed with gin, lemon juice and topped with bubbly was more interesting. At first sip it tasted like Turkish delight but in a nice way, and as the cocktail matured this became quite subtle. Very nice and different to any other cocktail I've had. For my third and final drink I had the margarinha which was also a tasty cross between a margarita and a caipirinha. My favourite was definitely the Rose 75 though.

Admittedly, they didn't have the showmanship or inventiveness of some other cocktail places I've been to (Opium or Purl for example) but then again, you don't always want that from a cocktail. Sometimes you just want something straightforward and reasonably priced to sip at (these were all £7.50-£8.00 compared to £10-£12 at other cocktail joints). Stephen's complaint, as ever, was that they were so small and he is right - you have to be very judicious with your sips to make the ones served in martini-esque glasses last. 

A 'rose' between two thorns - the Lychee cocktail
and the Hollingsworth Fizz

They had a DJ set up in the corner where we were seated, playing some hip hop and smooth soul. Very appropriate for background lounge music but up-tempo enough to be good music to get you going if this was only your first stop on a night out. I recognised the DJ as the same guy who'd been incredibly enthusiastic at the first Belle Epoque night I went to and he was no less into his music this time either.

I got there a little later than my friends and apparently there was just one weird thing that happened. I'd made a booking for four you see, and when they got there they were ushered towards a table which was clearly only big enough for two. When Stephen explained we weren't going to fit, the hostess said that we didn't all need to sit at the table together. Stephen rather disagreed and managed to get us a table where we could all sit at the same time. Bit of an odd approach to reservations and seating!

I'm glad I've crossed the Fourth Wall off my list but I doubt I'll be making a repeat visit - I'll just stick to their themed parties, which often serve similar drinks - The Gatsby makes an appearance at Prohibition, and a version of the Re-Bourne was on offer at the Blitz party.

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!