***WARNING***
This review is not for the feint of heart!
In what once was a seedy Soho strip club, the Raymond Revue Bar, there is now a derivative of the oh-so-popular New York club, The Box.
Now, I had heard from many friends about this place, but I really did not know if I would like it, love it or hate it. However, I really was not prepared for the spectacle that I experienced on my trip here. I knew that there would be some nudity involved and something a little different. However, without putting too many spoilers into this review, some of the things I experienced here were overwhelming.
I saw -
More nudity than I can even articulate on this upstanding website.
A physically disabled man strip off everything. Including his prosthetic arms.
Numerous transvestites of all shapes and sizes. When an attractive girl casually grabbed me for a kiss at one point... I did scrutinize her in a moment of paranoia before I reciprocated!
I even came eye to eye (if you can call it that) with one blonde girl performer's body features, that are most probably best reserved for her partner, while she suspended herself upside-down in front of me from ropes, a few feet away from my seat.
The drinks here are astoundingly expensive. But I was not astounded. What do you expect in such a place? I was actually more than happy to be paying £14 for a Grey Goose & Coke or Maker's & Coke. I was not charged any admission fee, so I think that is all fair, considering the standards of the place and the quantity of performances that they offer. Perhaps this is a little unfair on those who do choose to drink, versus those who do not choose to drink.
One thing that I did not like about the evening, was that I was presented with a certain "gentleman's" arrogance when trying to get past him in a crowd. I do hate the odious behaviour that can be exhibited when some big-shot decides to pay a few grand for a table and fill it with girls that he is trying to impress. And then act like a bully to other people.
I was trying to make my way through the crowd to get to the bathroom. I waited for what seemed like a bladder-testing eternity for the act to end. The next person that I was greeted with was the aforementioned gentleman who was taking up all of the space in the gangway . As you do in a busy club, I said "Excuse me." Nothing. I put my left hand on his shoulder and said "Excuse me" as I went to go by him.
He did not give way at all and turned to me and snapped "DO NOT TOUCH ME"!
I said to him, "Excuse me, I would like to get by."
He snapped back with "I said do not touch me!"
I replied "I asked you nicely and you ignored me."
"I said do not touch me! GET YOUR HAND OFF ME!!!"
At this point, I decided to keep my hand exactly where it was on his shoulder and say to him in a very calm, level voice "I only want to get by, please move out the way."
At this point he continued his mantra of "Get your hand off me!"
I turned to the staff member that was stood next to me and asked "What is the problem with this guy?"
With a shrug of the shoulder from the staff member, I turned back to the Insane Path Blocker. At which point he shoved me. So I shoved him back. Hard. Falling over his own feet, he fell on his table, taking the drinks out with him.
I did not bother to turn back... I needed the bathroom too badly! I did notice that the staff member enjoyed a laugh though. When I did get back down to the main room, he and his entourage of women (ladies of the night?) had gone. Nothing. Maybe it was an Only Fools and Horses "Drink up Trig, we're leaving!" moment or perhaps the staff member turfed them out onto the street?
Back to the action, the rest of the evening went with such a melee of fun and spectacle, that before I knew it, my accomplice for the evening and I were sharing a cab home at dawn.
Most probably the most intense night I will ever have in London. Worth saving for my 300th Yelp review. read more