Zoo Zoo, 24th May

I've been to the Blues Kitchen before, for after work drinks and dinner and really liked it. But I wondered how it would work for a proper late club night of sorts such as Zoo Zoo.

Zoo Zoo is a night from the lovely people behind Mousetrap and all things 60s soul, groove, funk and R 'n' B to name just a few - the New Untouchables. I really enjoyed Mousetrap in its dinky cellar club but was looking forward to some old school music in a slightly bigger, slicker setting.

We got there at about nine, and the place was certainly lively. But it was lively in that kind of after works, sit-down meal kind of way. All the booths were full of people eating and I suspected a lot of people were there just because it was a bar near their workplace rather than for the entertainment.

Promised for the evening were two live bands, one at 10, one at midnight, with 60s R 'n' B, Soul and Garage played in between. As ten o'clock swung around the place was so busy I didn't even notice when the first band started playing. Everywhere was packed and it required a valiant effort to get down to where the stage and audience were. I think I managed to get to the edge towards the end of the set. The music was good and had certainly been good in the background, although the singer left a little to be desired. 

The after-work crowd began to thin, or perhaps everyone was just worried about getting the last tube home. Far from lessening the atmosphere I think this actually helped; there was room to breathe - and dance. Close to midnight as promised the second band took the stage and they were amazing! They had the crowd eating out of their hands. What a voice that singer had. Powerful, soulful... stunning. They were a 7-piece - singer, two guitarists, drummer, keyboard player and trumpeter and trombonist. 

So caught up in the atmosphere was I (and the lovely frozen margaritas were probably taking effect) that I didn't really register exact songs. I think I remember singing along to I Just Want to Make Love to You while at the bar. And I think the band did a pretty excellent rendition of Think. And I'm reliably informed that Son of a Preacher Man was also played. 

No one was ready for them to finish when they did and we bayed for an encore, which we were duly given. 

It was exactly what me and my friends had all wanted from the night - 60s music that we knew, loved and could shake our asses to!

So, despite the slow start, I had an excellent time and would definitely go again, though I might go somewhere cheaper for drinks first!

Coming up in May...

I have been going to lots of things lately and have a bit of a backlog of things to blog about. Not only that but I've got a few things coming up which I'm going to which I'm excited to blog about.

So, stay tuned for posts on Land of Kings, the Well and Bucket, Punch and Judy covention and Happiness Forgets which I went to in the last week or so.

In the next few weeks I'm going to The Miller's opening. And I'm very much looking forward to Limbo at the London Wonderground. I was sent a press release about this (it doesn't happen often!) and some photos so let me share some of that with you now (there's also a trailer on my To Do Page):

Presented in the magnificent 1920s inspired Spiegeltent, LIMBO is full of cult couture from a cast of international performers. The festival itself is the perfect place to relax and enjoy London. It offers beer tents, sideshows, live events and fairground rides – a piece of 1950s Coney Island right in the heart of the capital. Music will be a dominating force of the production with New York’s Sxip Shirey composing exclusive music for the show with his ecstatic melodies, irreverent electric-acoustic noise and playful, sexy beats. He will be joined by musicians Grant Arthur and Mick Stuart.

Welcome to an exotic illogical world, where peculiar characters wait on the edge of false awakening. With the whisper of spirits and domination, illusion, suspension; LIMBO is boundless.

It's from the people who did Cantina last year, which I didn't manage to get to but I know people who did and they said it was amazing so I am sure this will be too!

I'm also looking forward to Zoo Zoo at the Blues Kitchen, which only happens twice a year. I've really been enjoying nights that play old school RnB and northern soul and this looks like one of the titans of the scene. I went to Mousetrap by the New Untouchables and had a whale of a time so have similar high hopes for this. I've been to the venue before and really like it so it should be a good'un.

And this Saturday will be my very first Tweat Up and I think I've picked the most amazing one to make my first as it centres around tacos and Mexican is my favourite cuisine. It will be such a chore to have to eat ten different tacos from different traders and vote on them all. Oh and to have to have two complimentary drinks as well. Fingers crossed it isn't too overcrowded or too rainy...

I'm also going to Field Day and the Hand and Flowers but I won't be blogging about those. Need to give myself a break sometimes. I'm sure I'll put some photos and comments on my Facebook page though so check that out (it's new!).