It was nearly the end of the long Easter weekend. Sunday night running onto the Bank Holiday Monday and we had been invited for Sunday lunch and Dinner at Catherine’s parents in South Shields. We decided to stop over the night as it meant I could have a glass of wine. I’m not usually much of a drinker, but I like the occasional glass of wine and I don’t agree with drink driving at all. The events that unfurled from here on were a rollercoaster of exuberance, which will never be forgotten!
Cat’s Mam: Should we go to the Can Can Bar tonight?
Me: The Kang Kang bar??
Cat’s Mam: Can Can.
Cat’s Dad: Der der ditty ditty, der der ditty ditty, der der ditty ditty…
Me: Ahh Can Can.
A new cabaret bar had recently opened at the town end of Ocean Road. Not totally convinced I searched Facebook to find out more information.
Can Can Bar
The Facebook page had photos of a drag queen, feather girls (not sure the real name for them) and emphasised Cabaret. I like going out and one of the things I love is theming. If everything pulls together, it can really make a night. Theming has to start from the moment you see the place to the moment you leave.
Me: I’ll see if I can reserve a table
I facebooked the venue to reserve a table for three. Cat, her Mam and myself. Can Can, promptly responded and asked the relevant questions and we were booked in for a 7 pm start. Reserving a table was free and there wasn’t an entrance fee to pay either.
Showtime
As we got closer to the venue we followed a hen do into the bar. We were greeted by a topless waiter, who had trousers and a collar and clearly forgot to wear his shirt. A man in a bright suit (similar to Chris Evans in Don’t forget your Toothbrush) and a clipboard showed us to our table. It was a Booth in this highly themed show bar. If I’d been to Las Vegas, the comparison would be factual, but as I haven’t… It felt like a Las Vegas show bar.
I went to the bar where all the bar girls were wearing 1950s style red and white spotted dresses. As the only one at the bar, I was served straight away. It was quiet as it had only just opened for the night. We’d decided to try out the House white wine, which was only £6.95 per bottle. I paid with a tenner and got £3 change and an apology for not having any 5p coins.
As Can Can started to fill up it had a really good feeling to it. The DJ was a Drag Queen who walked over to us to see if we wanted to join into the Karaoke. We declined, but singers with an ability to sing were given the chance to enter South Shields Idol for their talents.
As we politely sipped (read as glugged) our drinks at the table (possibly as we’d reserved online), a waitress approached the table with a silver plate and 3 glasses of sparkling wine. We were on the list for a free glass of fizz and some shooters. Not that we usually do this, but we had Apple Sourz on top of the fizz and white wine. The atmosphere in the venue warmed up even more.
Several trips back and forth to the bar for £6.95 white wine and apologies for no 5p coins followed.
DJ: Will you welcome on stage Trixie Blue!
Cabaret acts started to perform periodically on the stage, which included a four-piece dance troop and a burlesque artist. The stage was next to the DJ booth and wasn’t the easiest to see from the booth seats we were in.
Before long, it was time to head home… with a Chicken Kebab, Chips, a variety of sauces, a stain across my shirt, an audible laugh every 12 steps and a bad head.
Can Can didn’t disappoint in terms of a night out in South Shields. We had an amazing night, even if we all wrote off the next day. It’s not that often we get a night out without the kids, to which Catherine’s Dad did a fantastic job of looking after them. I’m sure there’ll be a next time at Can Can Bar, South Shields, but I may be slightly more reserved!
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