What is The Hang Out?
The Hang Out is a monthly evening event (every last Thursday of the Month) celebrating counterculture.
A collaboration between Rebel Reel Cine Club and Bolt Motorcycles, we attract a diverse audience, brought together by a curated collection of images, film, food, drink and music in an easy atmosphere of cultural inquiry and celebration of Rebellion and The Maverick. We strive to find interesting places to do this safely in these difficult times, offering a chance to escape.
The Hang Out started when I walked into Bolt’s motorcycle yard in Stoke Newington and met owner Andrew Almond. From our first conversation The Hang Out began to take shape.
I was looking for a partner who shared my love of counterculture and subcultures to create events. Bolt is London’s maverick (and best) motorcycle shop and garage, creating custom bikes and selling apparel inspired by the subcultures of motorcycling. It also houses Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace Library and Zippo Records.
The Hang Out is a space for people who ride bikes or drive classic cars, and people who don’t (!), to gather together for food, drink and curated content in a stunning setting. The Silver Building, our latest venue, is a former factory with seating under the concrete ramp of the DLR (there’s a sense of Brutalism mixed with a dystopian future as the lights of Canary Wharf and the City form a backdrop glimpsed between slabs of concrete).
With a love of film and years of reading, watching and talking to like-minded people, Rebel Reel Cine Club’s curation of The Hang Out is about more than just film. Our September Hang Out was inspired by the 70s road movie Vanishing Point, and included a short film by John Pearse (co-owner of legendary 60s boutique Granny Takes A Trip and still tailor to almost everyone involved in arts and culture in London), along with denim hunters and photographers Melody and Bryan Kahtava – whose extraordinary discoveries of vintage denim are showcased in Vanishing Dreams of The West. Bolt’s friends Youth Club Archive (see blog post 2) again made a bespoke film of images for the event while Zippo Records DJed.
As well as the cultural curation we secured Brewdog Beers to sponsor everyone’s first drinks (thank you Brewdog!) and Smoke and Bones – the only Halal Texas BBQ in London (anywhere?) – to provide us with their amazing slow-cooked meat (this doesn’t do justice to the taste…). The venue served us with cocktails as well as other drinks (whilst maintaining all anti-Covid safety measures!)
Our next Hang Out is on 29th October - click here and join us! We’d love to see you if you’re open, friendly and would like to celebrate the outsider.
Chris McGill
photos by Sam Simpson Photography