The Blitz Party

Whether you have a good Saturday night  is down to a lot of factors: outfit, energy levels, friend turnout and only then, once  the fiddly matter of personal variables has passed the test, does the significance of where you go come into play.

Of course there are nights that are so novel that even a lone zombie in a mu mu could find themselves chatting excitably with their neighbour. In my experience these nights are themed and costumed. Like their more extreme sibling, the masked orgy, costume parties are an invitation to leave your normal, over-baked identity at the door.

The Blitz Party, set in 1941 in an air raid shelter, was rife with opportunities for role-playing. Within minutes of entering the vast warehouse, I was cross-questioning a chap in civvies about why he wasn’t part of the war effort. Not everyone was so unpatriotic and it wasn’t long before an RAF pilot, with an impressive stuck-on handlebar-moustache, was ranting about bombing the hell out of Gerry.

The array and consistency of costumes amused and delighted. Everywhere you looked Allied uniforms weaved whilst red lips and tea dresses swarmed around them. Could wartime Britain really have been that bad when everyone looked so fetching? I’m sure the history books exaggerate.

Authenticity didn’t end with the stellar efforts of east London thrill-seekers. The bar’s dugout position was secured with some craftily-positioned sandbags and the drinks menu was printed on drab brown Ration Books. Of course, the Forties just aren’t the Forties without some aural entertainment, and  Ta Mere and Twin & Tonic played for the jiving pleasure of all.

The final thing that has to be mentioned is the extreme case of ‘bloody niceness’ that permeated the giant yet intimate space. Ladies took over the Gents but, manners of the day must have seeped in, for give or take the odd ‘here here!’ there were no objections. As I peered into a mirror not meant for my sex, a beautiful lady casually handed over her lippy claiming it would last for two hours, which it did.

I wouldn’t recommend attending one of these minus the entry ticket of looking the part but, when it comes to the other  jenga blocks usually associated with the Fun structure, you can throw caution to the wind.

The next Blitz Party will take place on Saturday 13 March at:

Village Underground
54 Holywell Lane
Old Street
EC2A 3PQ