Listen to this article:After becoming a phenomenon in the UK, Bongo’s Bingo has now made its US debut in New York City.
The “bingo rave” offers fans an experience like no other and Bongo’s Bingo made its debut in the States earlier this month at Racket NYC in Manhattan. In true Bongo’s Bingo style, the show began with two cross-dressing dancers, named Horny Heidi and Slutty Susie, who quickly got to work warming up the crowd with dancing that left little to be imagined.
Horny Heidi comes from North Wales and according to her biography, she is Bongo’s Bingo’s only dancer with German heritage, which “obviously means she loves a good sausage”. She is said to particularly like Reggae and Dancehall music and is one of Jonny Bongo’s favourite dancers. Slutty Susie is likely to be a new addition to the team, as her biography is not yet online.
We have met you more than once with the unique party approach of Bongo’s Bingo, which reimagines the game for the 21st century.
Once the warm-up act is over, the party is in full swing and the bingo games begin. Even the prizes are different at Bongo’s Bingo and range from slightly strange to absolute must-have. Competition was apparently fierce at the debut event, especially when it came to the life-size cutout of Harry Styles that was on offer.
The numbers are rapidly called and many have described the experience as a bit of a mad blur. However, all agree that every moment is full of joy and fun. In keeping with bingo tradition, the number calling is also performative, with each number accompanied by its own joke.
It was reported that some of the jokes were lost on the American audience, but these are sure to be reassessed before the next show. Otherwise, it was generally agreed that the humour, including the inevitable number 69 jokes, transcended borders. Furthermore, the American audience reportedly particularly enjoyed shouting “Oi oi! Cheeky Cheeky!” for the number 6.
The debut event also included everyone doing the Macarena, some Disney karaoke, a country hoedown, and Bongo’s Bingo’s famous dance-offs as players competed for prizes, such as a disco ball helmet and a Henry Hoover. Other prizes included a wavy inflatable tube man and $500 cash.
On Bongo’s Bingo website, it says that following the sellout US debut, they are taking a short break. However, given how well the event was received and the reviews left online, it seems certain that the break really will be short and that US bingo players will have many more opportunities to enjoy Bongo’s Bingo.
Across the other side of the pond, UK fans of Bongo’s Bingo don’t have to wait at all. There are new dates being released all the time and July’s were just published. There are dates right across the UK in July including in Birmingham, Bournemouth, Brighton, Coventry, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hull, Leamington Spa, Leeds, Leicester, Lincoln, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Norwich, Nottingham, Preston, Rochester, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Stoke on Trent, Swindon, Wigan and Wolverhampton.
The number of events, of course, varies by city. If you’re a bingo fan in London or Liverpool, you could potentially go to eight Bongo’s Bingo nights in July! However, those in places such as Bournemouth, Hull, and Nottingham will have to travel if one event per month is not enough.
There are, of course, many more dates scheduled across the rest of May and June, including Country Specials taking place at 28 locations.
Based upon the reception received by Bongo’s Bingo in New York earlier this month, it may not be long before Jonny Bongo’s unique style infects American bingo players and the company launches an equally busy event schedule across the Atlantic.
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