Double R Club.

I am a bit tardy reviewing this as I actually went to it last month! This is undoubtably one of the most entertaining cabaret nights taking place in London at the moment. And I am not only saying this because I really like the organisers (even though I do!). Again something to tempt me away from my native South London and much loved Soho to Bethnal Green Working Men's Club.

The Double R Club is, despite it's moniker, nothing directly to do with the Kray Brothers, although they may have known the area and may have enjoyed the evening. Rather the inspiration is taken from the strange twilight world of David Lynch's film ouvre, although arguably the look is more Blue Velvet than Elephant Man. However one of it's co-founders, the entertaining Rose Thorne has a burlesque act featuring the latter character, in a sense. Moreover some of the acts are dark in a music hall sense rather than in that strange American gothic vein seen in films such as Mulholland Drive.

Your host for the evening: Benjamin Louche.

Your host, and the paraffin glue that holds the night together is host Benjamin Louche, effectively channelling Dean Stockwell via Mark Almond with a nice line in obscenity. He introduces, performs and links the cabaret acts with panache, exhorting the audience to sing 'Lollipop, Lollipop', reading creepy poems and enthusiastically promoting the catchphrase 'so f*****g suave'. He works hard as this evening is particularly good value as the cabaret does not consist of a few girls tassel twirling and one singer but enough performances to fill two halves.

H P Lovebox croons..

I was particularly taken by the evening's crooner, Mr H P Lovebox, joining us from the tentacled slimy deeps to sing amongst other tunes, 'I want to do bad things to you' and 'Dance with me' although I am quite sure the latter deviated in lyrics considerably from the original. Great fun for lovers of the old creepy Misogynist demon fiddler himself. Another unique act involved a birdman lip synching in a curiously engaging way. The only time a cabaret act has resulted in having to fish pine nuts from my..ahem..decolletage. Othe acts included a singer, a couple of burlesque performers and a fire eater.

A birdman warbles....

There are a number of arch cabaret evenings in London at the moment. This one is notable for it's unexpected combination of conviviality and gothicism. Rose wanders around dispensing her (delicious) home made mini-doughnuts, Emerald Fontaine mans a booth dispensing coffee cherry cocktails and glittery biscuits to attendees. During the interval those who found a knitted doughnut (Rose can knit literally anything) under their seat were inveigled into climbing the stage to take part in a doughnut- eating contest. The audience are a mix, some are there as Lynch fans (as decent scores in the Lynchian quiz revealed), some as cabaret fans and others just for the atmosphere. The tables were booked largely by regulars even though this club has only taken place for a few months. The next one is the night after this missive, but they happen monthly. Should a night of dark mayhem, camp giggles and sweet things appeal it is a highly recommended way to spend an evening.

http://www.myspace.com/thedoublerclub

Enchanted Ed Wood some photographs by Red Legs...

Halloween at the Fox...

A few choice pictures for Halloween, not naming names .. they know who they are! The Fox in Shoreditch looked suitably Autumnal. Full of bits of twig and leafiness, I had visions of Fleur heading to her local park wearing a burglar's mask and wielding seccateurs.  I was informed that the exuberant English country side adorning the window ledges was actually sourced from the...English countryside. There were also naturally jack-o-lanterns and other such things and the Tim Burton Ed Wood Biopic was shwing on the noctovision.  The bar staff looked very elegant in rather severe black cocktail dresses and the treats for early birds were absinthe toffee apples and jellies which I suspect were alcoholic. Well Torquil Arbuthnot was eating one despite the beard vs jelly dilemma.  The cocktails were themed but Red Legs stuck to cranberry juice, vodka and bubbly.

The vintagey crowd meant that there were rather a lot of spiv/40's and 50's stuff, the lindy hop crowd not being known for their imaginative approach to clothing. Exceptions included Lost Soul and his splendid fez, a rather convincing dead pin-up, some voodoo loungers of the old school and a gentleman of the steampunk persuasion who was doing beastly things to a stuffed rabbit. The rabbit got its own back in the loos when its tormentor had to negotiate the rabbit and a long apron in order to relieve himself. Not that I was in the gents loos...for once.

Music wise there was some traditional stuff at the beginning, Addams family theme and such like which is essential. The band, the Sax Pastilles played two storming sets but really orientated to the jivers and lindy-hoppers, and the energetic amongst those. I must admit though I really hankered for some Siouxsie and Sisters, is this the first Halloween I have had without hearing 'This Corrosion'?

The performances were popular, or rather sounded popular, the popularity of the event meant that unless you were quick you couldn't get into see the acts due to the enthusiastic crowd but it is a new club and the organisers will be able to gauge things really well next time. Didn't worry me in the least apart from missing Rose Thorne's performance, proper cabaret burlesque with dramatic verve and wit.  Naked ladies and tassels are a bit passe IMO, but cabaret never loses it's appeal. We did catch Emerald Fontaine walking on the bar with a snake.  The serpent in question seemed quite cheerful, but one of my friends was not so impressed, convinced that it had it's snakey eyes on her! and to be honest maybe it did.

All in all a good evening, made by the efforts of the stirling organisers but most of all by the friendliness of the crowd.  Pleasant clubbable people is the thing most hard to find at night in London.  People don't have to be uber stylish, trendy, every word an aphorism as long as they are pleasant and interesting and yes, just a bit insane.  The next event has a 'hula' theme so expect grass skirts and hawaii shirts to take over Shoreditch!