Ping pongs

Clearly, all it takes is an original theme and a lot of alcohol to make something the 'in thing' nowadays. Take Ping Bar for example. It took a small and dim lit Earls Court shop, added some table tennis tables and alcohol, and created one of London's most popular weekend spots.

After all, you'd think people fighting to get into the place at 8.30pm on a Saturday night would be because Harry Styles was playing beer pong inside. However, even if 1D's heart-throb was indeed having "a game of Beirut" in the bar, the only thing fellow Pinger's would be going crazy over, is the thought that they'd be the next in line to take aim and throw a table tennis ball into some cups of beer on the other side of the room.

Like I said... simple idea+ booze = shit hot venue.

So, with that in mind, when we ventured down last Saturday night for Lady Singdog and G-Chainz's joint Birthday celebrations, I was excited to see what all the hype was about. 

That's right...chocolate mutha f*ckin pizzas

We arrived pretty promptly (8.30pm) and it was already heaving inside. We walked past people biting into their freshly cooked chocolate pizzas, head nodded through a crowd of party goers who were dancing to old school tunes, before finally reaching the bar to purchase some tasty but slightly overpriced drinks (it cost me c£10 for a double and a mixer)...I was already getting excited about writing my blog about the place.

Probably taken on a Monday afternoon at Ping Bar...when it's closed.

Nonetheless, this joyous feeling was short lived. Turned out the ping pong tables were so busy that even though we were a group of 30 people, arrived on time and had an area especially reserved for us, our first game started at 11pm...Pretty cheeky considering that was kind of the reason why our hosts wanted to have their bash there in the first place.

Despite quite literally being stopped from getting into the swing of things, we still managed to fill those 2 and half hours with copious amounts of boozing, and therefore all had a ruddy good time. Put it this way, we were so drunk by 11pm that even being barged out the way by an adrenaline/steroid pumped bouncer (because he wanted to chuck out the "riff raff" drunks in the corner) was perfectly acceptable...  

Of course, that was until we realised this particular ruffian was actually the Birthday Boy, G-Chainz. Turned out he got so excited that we were finally able to play beer pong, he threw some beer over himself like the true G he is. Even Lady Singdog's attempt to defuse the situation, by giving the SS officer-turned-bouncer her puppy eyes were in vain. To be fair though, the c*nt had a point: throwing beer over yourself and a ping pong table is a serious no-no in a late night FREAKIN beer pong bar...

So, what are my final thoughts on Ping Bar I hear you ask?

Well, I had a hilarious night out with my mates but the ping ponged. However, that was more than made up by the amusing fact that the bouncers all had the same surname...shame I was too drunk to remember what that was, but I think it began with a D and ended with an ickhead.

Bounce- ah, that's better.

Having said all that, I think Ping is more a case of poor execution as opposed to a bad concept... I hear from friends that Bounce is much better: Taller ceilings; more space and equally decent music. Rumour has it you manage to get a game of table tennis in as well...

If you would rather make up your own mind about Ping, here's the website:

http://www.weloveping.com/#home


1luv,

Finey

x

p.s. Happy Birthday Lady Singdog and G-Chainz

The Future of Cinema

There we were, four friends getting slung into a prison cell on a Saturday night whilst being told to 'shut the f**k up' by the incredibly intimidating prison guards. I stood there, shocked at how scared I was. After all, this isn't a situation a boy like me is used to finding himself in.

Fortunately, I wasn't being locked down in a real life prison cell...I was in the middle of one of Future Cinema's simply legendary productions, which a group of us decided to partake in at the weekend.

With Secret Cinema and Future Shorts as well, Future Cinema is gaining cult following

For those of you who haven't heard of Future Cinema, they are an Experiential Events Company who put on live and interactive productions of popular films, which you (the audience) participate in, before finishing the evening off with a cinematic viewing of the chosen project.

They are well known for their Secret Cinema events, as well as their Future Cinema productions (the only difference being you don't know which film you are going to experience with the former). 

        Not quite how I felt when we left our Shawshank prison...

In our case, we knew what it was going to be...IMDB's number 1 film of all time, The Shawshank Redemption. So the pressure for the company to transport you back into the  scary world of Shawshank prison, without scaring you so much that you couldn't enjoy yourself must have been immense.


Nonetheless, I have to say the team behind the event came up trumps. Without wanting to give too much away, the night kicked off with a court hearing, followed by a 1940s bus ride to our converted prison adventure. With hundreds of method actors playing fellow prisoners and prison guards, and so many things to do and see, the following few hours of your 'life' in prison was completely unique from the other guests of the event.

The prison guards weren't the friendliest of people

At the end of the evening, all prisoners were marched into the auditorium in single file, where we watched the iconic film (with impressively crystal clear sound and picture quality) our evening was based around.

Its not cheap at c£45pp, but every single one of us came out thinking we had received serious value for money.

The next Future Cinema event (Casablanca) will be completely different but presumably equally epic.

I've already bought my ticket...if you want to join the cinematic revolution, you can get yours at:

http://futurecinema.co.uk/tickets.html

1luv,

Finey

x

A Ginger in a Line

It was my special lady's birthday (otherwise known as Teapot) and I knew a trip down to the local curry house wouldn't quite cut it. 

So, having read a review about a new, up and coming secret dinner party called 'Gingerline', I booked two tickets, praying that I hadn't made the wrong decision.

A couple weeks later on a cold Thursday evening, Teapot and I set off, excited and nervous about the fact that we literally had NO IDEA what we were getting ourselves in for (even though we'd read up about previous parties Gingerline parties are renowned to constantly reinvent themselves so you never know which one you are going to)


So, getting off at the appropriate station, we followed some mysterious illuminous markings on the floor and reached our destination for the evening. 

When we arrived, the nerves once again kicked in...after all, I was meant to be taking out my darling Teapot to a what I believed would be a Birthday extravoganza. However, at that point we found ourselves standing with about 20 or so fellow 'Gingerliners' down a dark back street, behind a row of random shops in the middle of nowhere.

Thankfully, this was the last time that I felt so concerned...

Soon enough, a door opened and we were guided through a candle lit underground tunnel into some kind of 1970's Burlesque French Casino completely covered from top to bottom in gold...

We were handed a delicious cocktail, and once everyone was seated, officially greeted by our eccentric hostess for the evening (right). 

Add caption

A load of cocktails, intro's to our fellow diners, 4 glorious courses, and a load of hilarious Casino style dinner party games later (including spin the wheel of fortune, and a serenade from an erotic waiter/waitress), and Teapot and I found ourselves bang smack in the middle of what Time Out calls "the most riotous, otherworldy experience you have ever had the good luck to attend".

This was surely highlighted no greater than during my toilet visit...which turned out to be a journey into some kind of neon painted porn shop that was falling into the Abyss.

The toilets: serious WTF factor

So, would I recommend Gingerline? Absolutely. However, unless you are particularly keen to meet new people, I would strongly suggest going with a group of mates. Nothing at all against the really lovely girls we spent our evening with, but being forced to introduce yourself to a bunch of strangers when you are sobre is always a bit awkward ...especially when you're doing it in an underground Burlesque French Casino in the middle of London suburbia.

Check out the website on:

http://www.gingerline.info/index.html

1luv,

Finey

x

A Bit of Midweek Inspiration

There I was, bored at work and looking for any excuse to have fun

It came in the form of an group email from a very dear friend who had suddenly been blessed with an absolute gem of a gift. The email stated the following:

Subject: Re: Ushers
To:XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
From: XXXXXXXXXXXX
Date: Sun, 20 Jul 2012 10:23:44 +0000

Hi Guys,

Good news! Get your thinking hats on.

Our good friend XXXXXXX is on his honeymoon with his new wifey. But whilst they are enjoying the mexican sun we have a ripe opportunity to hit him where it hurts. 

He has left me his flat keys to "check in and see if everything is ok" whilst he is gone so let me know some ideas 

X



And so, within about 5 minutes we came up with a plan:

Blow up as many balloons as it is necessary to fill his entire bathroom (leaving of course water balloons on the floor for him to step in), and tin foil every single piece of HIS belongings in his bedroom (not wanting to upset his Mrs too much we left hers unscathed)

It took 4 hours, 5 rolls of tin foil and 800 balloons but in the end we did it...

Best Thursday night out I've had in a long time

1luv

Finey

x

Finey in Wonderland

We heard about it through the grapevine...apparently there was a non profit fancy dress party under London Bridge called Wonderland, whereby all money raised would contribute towards rebuilding Gambian schools for underprivileged kids...

So basically, for next to nothing (tickets were £8 each) not only was I going to an Alice in Wonderland themed party, but

1. I was allowed to look like a tit in fancy dress
2. I was ordered to do so in the name of charity

Nice.

I went with a few mates, and we all decided it would be fitting to glitter our entire faces and where farm animal noses (a duck, chicken, rabbit and pig to me more specific) so that we could fit in... 

The party was being held in a huge orange bricked building you would never know existed because it was underneath some train tracks, 200 yard down the road from Cable Nightclub. 

As we entered, it felt like we had fallen down the rabbit hole (apologies)...Brushing past human sized panda's and fairies we walked down a green lit corridor before entering the first room (the smaller of the two)...

It was some kind of fantastical hippy influenced tent...we had to crouch down and avoid the hanging dolls, tie died sheets, and army camoflage covering to reach the bar, had a couple shots and then enclosed ourselves in some kind of spider mesh whilst Reeps One (UK Beatboxing Champion) proceeded to 'spit' some beats on top of some crazy Hip Hop mixes.

Reeps One at work

Festivally jolly, we then walked into the main dance room, where there were two things that struck me...the first was a lady who had covered herself in fairy lights and was doing the robot dance on a pedastool on her own...the other, which was by far the showcase piece of the event, was the DJ booth, which as you can see from the picture below, was FUCKING MENTAL.

The DJ Booth=Immense

Another couple drinks later and we were on the dance floor raving to all sorts of hilarious dubstep remixes of classic pop songs like Britney Spears 'Crazy' and the Nolans 'In the Mood for Dancing'.

After speaking to some people there, this Wonderland gig wasn't even one of their better ones...which speaks volumes as we still had an outrageous night.

If you like the sound of it, check out their website on:

http://www.wonderlandfestival.co.uk/index.php?page=home 


1luv,

finey

x