Sophisticated Boom! Boom! October 2004
Club night hosted by the Actionettes at the Water Rats, Kings Cross, London
urban75 report: part 1 - part 2
The Actionettes have been running their monthly club nights at the Water Rats theatre/pub since moving from The Garage, Islington in March 2003.
Each night has a special theme with loving tributes being paid to music greats such as Phil Spector, the Shangri-Las, Elvis, Dusty Springfield and Ike & Tina Turner.
The October event was billed as a 'Las Vegas Special', so the urban75 donned tuxedos and headed north....
![Stage view, The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action15.jpg)
The Water Rats is fine, old school music venue, featuring a large front bar with huge street-facing windows and a good sized backroom stage.
In time-honoured fashion, the entry fee is paid to someone sitting on a wobbly stool by the door who slaps a smudged stamp on your hand in return.
Inside the pub, a large blackboard advertises a selection of sandwiches, croissants and other tasty goods but once the sun goes down, there's only booze on offer. Which is fine by me.
![Casino, The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action16.jpg)
Two Actionettes man the roulette wheel. It has to be said that some doubts were expressed about their actual knowledge of the game, but seeing as I won free tickets to a club night I wasn't complaining.
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action17.jpg)
Nicola (aka 'Roulette') was hard at work selling Actionette badges from her cinema-style 'mobile tuck shop'.
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action18.jpg)
Gold lamé jacket sporting, club compere Sonnie Mann works the crowd up to a frenzy with his flamboyant introductions. Let the show begin!
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action19.jpg)
Actionettes in, err, action. Their first set saw the girls dancing to songs like 'Viva Las Vegas' and 'I Want You to be my Baby'.
![Emma Wilkinson at The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action21.jpg)
'Stars in Your Eyes' winner Emma Wilkinson delivers a fabulous rendition of a Dusty Springfield classic to an appreciative crowd.
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action22.jpg)
Dusty and a selection of Actionettes performing.
![Miss High Leg Kick, The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action23.jpg)
Miss High Leg Kick is brought on stage in style by the Action Men.
![Miss High Leg Kick, The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action24.jpg)
Miss High Leg Kick in action!
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action29.jpg)
Actionettes back on stage, dancing to upbeat 60s leg-shakers like Rubbernecking and Bossa Nova Baby.
![The Actionettes Las Vegas Special, Water Rats, Kings Cross, London, 16th October, 2004](images/action20.jpg)
I'd brought along my man-sized new Nikon D70 camera and after much bewildered button pushing and knob-twirling managed to get the hang of the thing. Here I used a long exposure to capture movement and sparkle!
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