If a dirty, grimy but riotous evening in the east is what you're hankering, stumbling into On The Rocks is no crying shame.

The Venue
As the old Shoreditch crowd seem to be migrating further into Dalston and Bethnal Green, On The Rocks is a scuffed up diamond found via a doorway on the Kingsland Road. Stepping under the neon pink sign and venturing down the stairs, the hustle and bustle of East London disappears and you’re met with a particularly unglamorous music venue, with a singular lonely disco ball hanging from the ceiling.

You can’t miss the stage, confirming its place in the ranks as a live music venue, and rest assured this is the kind of place that opts out of air conditioning. As with anywhere in London, space is of a premium, and On The Rocks is no exception.

The Atmosphere
A dirty but thoroughly enjoyable night is had by all at On The Rocks, not least because of the unashamed charm of this pokey dungeon tucked just out of sight.

Depending on the night, you'll witness a host of spectacularly glitzy East End folk. Feathers, Mickey Mouse ears, and hours of hard work go into dressing for the occasion, so make sure you don’t leave home without your American Apparel silver catsuit. As long as you adhere to the house rules and stick to good, clean, sequined fun, no trouble will brew - you are never far from the steely glare of a bouncer. This doesn’t deter the merriment to be had by the On The Rocks regulars, and a shimmy to a song soon clears up any misunderstandings.

The Music
On The Rocks provides a space for live music - of late it has seen performances from The Bays and Gucci Soundsystem. However, it truly caters for its die hard fans that venture into the glare of the disco ball; to welcome in the weekend, On The Rocks has the pleasure of hosting Trailer Trash on a Friday evening, described as a ‘sleazy rave box that pounds out nasty electro booty shake’ with resident DJs including Hannah Holland and regular acts Kitsune, Zombie Disco Squad, and the wonderfully named We’re Not Cool (a bitter irony surely) taking to the decks.

If you choose to do the double whammy and head here on a Saturday you can expect to hear anything from funk and ska to soul and reggae with something everyone can hum along to. The night is Coast to Coast with DJ Cello heading up the operation; he has resided here for over six years and is well and truly imbedded in the history of the club.

The Drink
The cocktails are not the kind the Sex and the City ladies would be seen wielding, but you can be happy in the knowledge that you won’t get a knock to the back of the head with a glass – the drinks, which incidentally are very reasonably priced, come in plastic cups. Opting for a generous measure of spirit and mixer is generally the best bet, with a tin of Red Stripe coming in as a close second. On most nights, the selection of liquor takes a back seat as drinking subtracts time from throwing out moves on the dancefloor.

The Last Word
On The Rocks is the venue to go to for good, clean - or rather dirty - fun, so pop along under the pink neon sign and go with old shoes and an open mind.

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