Reminiscent of what could have been a wartime air shelter, this weekend saw Shoreditch play host to The Blitz Party. You may frown upon hearing the name of the event and possibly think it slightly disrespectful of the 1940’s London bombings by the Luftwaffe. One thing is quite clear upon entering the event, and that is the celebration of life and another era. The Blitz party brings sophistication with a nostalgic glance at the past and its attempts at joviality.
I can only imagine that the Second World War wasn’t all glam and glitz, but what The Blitz Party makes evident is that even in times of struggle there was a strong British morale that never got lost. The Village Underground venue is hidden away on a street in Shoreditch, being marked by subtle sandbags outside the entrance. It’s quite clear this is the right venue as you could see a gathering of people that look like they don’t belong in the 21st century. Tweed waist coats, hats, army officers, naval officers and ladies in A-line dresses with red lipstick and quaffed hair were congregated outside.
Red lighting climbed up the raw brick walls and into every crevice in the interior surface of the venue. The high-walls are masked with black-out curtains and upon them were hung posters boosting British morale. What makes the venue is the swing dance hall and live music stage, especially the stocking-clad ladies and soldiers swing dancing all over the place. You can see a lot of whizzing feet, hear the heart-felt laughter and lose yourself in the headiness of the moment.
Behind the bar there were dapper bartenders dressed in waistcoats with silver tights and an ability to mix some delicious cocktails. Bourne and Hollingsworth have done a wonderful job providing the hearty British ale and champagne. If you want to truly indulge in the giddiness of the moment go for one of the many gin based cocktails on the menu. Keeping with the theme the menus are designed as ration books. The Raspberry Collings included shaken up gin and raspberries with sugar and sharp citrus. The cocktails are served long and short, plus there’s a slight theme of citrusy flavours taking a hold of the menu. For something a little different there was the rum based Mary Pickford, including Golden Rum shaken with pineapple and pomegranate.
The bar itself was lit up by spot-lighting, as was the main stage. Sandbags were placed around strategically to create a distinct space for the bar. As the theme was quite clear it wasn’t a shock that the drinks were served in mugs as well as glasses, adding an extra touch of authenticity. The Blitz Party pulled out all the stops, including boosting morale with posters, using a projector on the wall to portray important images, lighting in the form of simple light bulbs hanging from the high arches, and even providing hair stylists to perfect your quaffed hair.
This was a night that allowed people to let their hair down, their legs to flay around to swing music and for a look-back at what British strength encompassed.
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