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Wigging out: a flamboyant Alice Von Simon hits the friendly dance floor at Lost and Found
Fifties fun: the new club night attracts a well-dressed and friendly crowd
I am going to be completely honest with you and admit that when my editor asked me to review Lost And Found, a new night at Madame JoJo's, I had no idea what rockabilly was. But it must be very cool, I decided, otherwise we wouldn't be featuring it in the Lite, and not wanting to let on I wasn't trendy enough to know about it, I waited until I was off the phone before slyly logging on to Wikipedia.
There must some mistake, I thought, as I read that rockabilly was a mixture of rock'n'roll and hillbilly music invented in the Fifties. What on Earth was cool about that? But the worst was yet to come. "Male rockabilly fans favoured the 'Greaser' look," the article continued, "while the women wore poodle skirts."
Poodle skirts? I nearly choked as I realised I'd agreed to waste an entire Saturday night, listening to hillbilly music in a librarian costume. Still, something didn't ring true - Madame JoJo's is, after all, a cool Soho nightclub with drag queens and stuff, plus my editor had never sent me to anything nerdy before.
A quick scan down the page revealed a section called Rockabilly In The 2000s that proved me right. "Many of today's female rockabilly fans are inspired by bad girl pin-up models of the Fifties, such as Bettie Page," it said. "They often wear animal prints, fishnet stockings, capris or short shorts. Tattoos are popular among both sexes." This was more like it.
"I've always wanted to look like this!" I cried gleefully to my friend Liana the next night as I flagged down a startled cabbie. Dressed in a denim playsuit with eye-wateringly short shorts, a corset, white-blonde wig and more fake tattoos than there was room for on my body, I set the curtains twitching in my quiet street. "Let's go before somebody calls the cops," said long-suffering Liana.
Arriving in Soho, I paid my £8 entry and slipped into Madame JoJo's as nonchalantly as possible. There were no drag queens, but the venue was as louche as ever with its mix of velvet and mirrors. A DJ booth had been set up on the stage and the intimate club was already full of well-dressed partygoers ready to take to the dance floor.
Embarrassingly, nobody else's costume was as flamboyant as mine, but a large glass of wine and the surprisingly catchy music soon helped me to forget that. The crowd helped to put me at my ease, too. I soon found myself receiving compliments from both girls and boys, most of whom, I'll admit, were under the impression that I worked there.
"Let's dance!" shouted Liana happily over the speakers, dragging me into the middle of the dance floor where she was soon whisked off by a handsome beau. Dancing, we discovered, was where the rockabilly came into its own because although you can happily groove to it by yourself, it's perfect for partner action, meaning you get to mingle with the boys. Even better, it has none of the disadvantages of dances like the salsa, which can be a bit sweaty and grindy and where you also look like an idiot if you don't know what you're doing.
Nobody here, it seemed, had any inkling of the official rockabilly moves, meaning we could all bounce happily around in any way we wanted. It was great fun in a school disco sort of way, and the atmosphere was rich with the innocence of a bygone era - until everyone got drunk and started snogging each other, that is.
"I wanted to create a night everyone could enjoy," explained DJ Kab Darge who started the night with recordspinning friend Andy Smith. "A lot of rockabilly nights are snobby with strict dress codes. I didn't want to turn away kids who'd enjoy the night because they couldn't afford to buy a costume or didn't want to." I like his philosophy - why should we have to wear costume if we want to listen to any other music than house or hip hop?
Not that I minded dressing up - though the next day my tattoos wouldn't budge. "Why did I put one on my neck?" I asked Liana. "I don't know," she said dreamily, remembering all the gorgeous boys she'd danced with, " it was a great night though, wasn't it?"
Lost And Found, Madame JoJo's, 8-10 Brewer St, W1 Saturdays, 10pm-3am, £8
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Been many times to this great nightclub that has the best atmosphere, great music and fantastic location right in the heart of Londons famous Soho. The venue has a variety of events, something for everyone, like White Heat for those who like independent music, they are constantly introducing new bands for those who get tired of whats mainstream out there!! Another great night is on Saturdays, Kitsch Cabaret which holds lots of old school music and lots of glitz and glamour. Perfect for hen nights, it's definately a must!! Did I also mention that the decor is amazing? Very vintage art deco 
- Leila, London
The Kitsch Cabaret was not as described sadly. Paid for 12 of my friends for my birthday and was very disappointed. The show is drag but is described as an all female las vegas style show. It was actually
three men dressed in drag putting on a very poor show which none of us were even interested in watching in the end. The best bit of the show was when a drunk started stripping and upstaged the drag!
We were told the music would e rockabilly but we were led to a dance club called an anon. Drinks prices were OK but the 20 is way too expensive for the show. Its a real shame as they have an otherwise lovely venue. When i complained the manager was really rude to me.
- Kat, bristol
Its basically about rhythm, blues, soul and having a great night. The night has attitude, yes.. maybe the girls in the photo aren't dressing rockabilly, but are you going to judge that by two photos and where does it say that you have to dress rockabilly? Have you been yourself?
I go regularly as a student and have never left there disappointed, the music there gets you up and dancing, and the people are so friendly. Its definately a MUST!!!!!
- Laura, London, England
Let's pretend we are into rockabilly shall we! Maybe next time the paper should send someone who has a bit of knowledge about the scene before hand or at least the 50's and Rockabilly/Rock N Roll, not someone who thinks it's all just a bit of a laugh!, and as for the photos please give me a break there's nothing remotely rockabilly about them!
- Judy, Leeds, UK
Strict dress codes?! You can wear what the hell you like at Rockabilly nights and its by far the least snobby music scene around. As long as you're passionate about the music then that's all that matters. When I first started on the Rockin scene roughly 18 months ago I was welcomed with open arms and now feel part of the "family" as it were, having made lots of friends and met loads of great people. These people are just into it because it's a buzz word at the moment. I've been into it since I was a kid and I do it 7 days a week. It's my whole life.
- Eva, Birmingham
What she went to is not a rockabilly club, and the people in there are not rockabillys going by the photo! They seem like a lot of students on a night out, And DJ Kab Darge and Andy Smith do not seem to know what they are talking about as it seems they are just a pair of DJs who happen to have some rock"n"roll tapes. Make your silly comments when you know what it is your talking about!
- Kev, london
Cool is in the heart and not what some journalist tells me. The watering down of anything makes it weak and it looses its quality and feeling. Someone looking for real Rockabilly but finding this club would be so let down. Rockabilly is much more than just a word! Rockabilly is about passion and r-e-a-l cool!
- Paul Culshaw, Farnborough in Hampshire
So when people dress up in clothes that are currently hip aka in fashion - aren't they wearing a costume too? Wasn't your fake tattoos and the like a costume? You seem to be confused.
- Jim, Brighton
Go to you real Rockabilly club, come as you are - you will not find any better crowds, dedicated to music and friendly as long as behave with respect. Anywhere in the world...Rockabilly in London, Paris, Munich - good people who hates POP Music.
- Big El, Munich, Germany
I totally agree with Keith on this, the writer of the above article obviously knows nothing about 50s rockabilly or the scene which is still thriving today! Maybe she should get herself to one of the weekenders such as Hemsby or the rockabilly rave and then she can experience at first hand how exciting and totally cool the music really is! Also rockabilly is a hybrid music form but not from "rock 'n roll" as rock 'n roll was a by product of it anyway, but from white hillbilly, western swing and black blues now I defy anyone to tell me that that aint cool!
- Johnny Gunner, southend on sea essex, england
My dear Alice,
For us rockabilly fans going to a Rockabilly gig or evening is not a fancy dress party. It's a lifestyle. You can easily go in a pair of jeans and a
t-shirt. No one will look at you strangely.
And you don't have to have tattoos if you don't like them.
For us it's the music that we love, the cars of the 50's, the fashion....
and so on.
Go check out a 'live' gig of a great rockabilly band. There are plenty of those in the UK and in the rest of Europe. You might discover and be surprised by the original versions of today's so called 'cool' songs.
- Ingrid, Antwerp (Belgium)
Well i just read this article with interest as I'm a long time fan , lover , addict , DJ in rockabilly music . I have been to Jo Jo's and have had a superb time on every night .
I will however say one thing which is total out of text , us rockabillies are not snobs or care how folk look in our own club nights.Music is about passion , a feeling inside which makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up on end when you hear the first few bars on a song . Sure there are people who care how they look , it's part of British culture just like the Teds in the 50's and the Mods in the 60's. We British are unique in every way with our musical and cultural heritage .
I think that maybe you should come and check out some 'Real' rockabilly clubs and take in the electric and friendly atmosphere with the insane dancing and frantic mix of music.
There is NO other scene like it.
- Keith, London
