"you’re at a hip party here"

Added Wed 11 May 2011 by T.A.O

As everyone knows, East London’s famous for its modish art-school creatives just as much as its Cockneys these days, and if you’re feeling queasy about the thought of mixing the two then look away now. Okay, maybe it’s not mixing the two but putting on Burlesque and psych rock nights in Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club is almost there.

If you fear the odd bit of exposed flesh or think of anything other than a pint and a bag of chips as a little bit pretentious then this won’t be for you either but when it comes down to it this place shows the way in the evolution of the East-End. You’re hard pressed to call this trad-chic but when the lights are dimmed on a Saturday night and the pink heart glows on stage, you might just forget all those village hall discos of suburbia past and join in with the Jailhouse Rock, one of the regular events here. Dress up if you want, after all this is vintage kingdom round here, or choose not to- there’s no ill will if you don’t and on this visit a pair of old Vans made do as that one piece of authentic jailhouse getup.

So, with a pair of pumps on and nothing in hand you’re just left to fill that void and so to the bar where the decorative draught pumps stand like naughty children and beers and wine are pulled from ice buckets. Cans and bottles it is, and while there’s no value in that, at least you’re at a hip party in Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club.