Camp And Furnace Bongos Bingo

Halloween night at Bongos bingo in Liverpool. Halloween night at Bongos bingo in Liverpool.
Baltic Triangle venue Camp wants exclusive rights to hold Bongo's Bingo events on Merseyside, and has demanded a share of profit from Shua Ltd – the firm run by Mr Lacey and his colleague, Joshua Burke.

Jonny Bongo has hit out at Camp and Furnace for claiming to own the Bongo's Bingo brand by saying it had 'nothing' to do with its development - and that seeing the venue advertise its own events. A fierce court battle has begun over the right to stage Bongo's Bingo, a hugely popular event first launched at Camp and Furnace in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle. The venue has taken legal action against Jonathan Lacey - otherwise known as 'Jonny Bongo' - and his firm Shua Ltd after the event was taken 'on the road'. A spokesperson for Camp and Furnace, who have a sign outside their Greenland Street Venue saying “The Home of Bongo's Bingo”, said: “Camp and Furnace, and our staff, invented, developed and financed the Bongo’s Bingo brand from it's very first outing. It has remained and remains the regular home of Bongo’s Bingo.

This post has been written by the lovely Laura – a fellow Liverpool food and drink writer. Check her out on Instagram @myfoodiejourney_.

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With the roaring success of Bongo’s Bingo meaning that the event is now known worldwide and getting tickets to the event is like that of a Glastonbury sale, everybody who’s anybody knows about Bongo’s Bingo. But if you don’t, it’s essentially a game of bingo, and then some. Think ridiculous prizes (Coco Pops, Henry Hoovers, you name it, it’s happened), lots and lots of booze, 90’s remixes, a tonne of confetti and even cash winnings at your fingertips.

Normally a night time event, last week, Jonny Bongo appealed to all the brunch lovers of Liverpool and beyond for a midday game of brunch style Bingo, with Camp n Furnace supplying the venue (and Prosecco) and the fantastic Delifonseca providing the food. We were lucky enough to be invited down to the very first of its kind, to see if Bongo really did know how to brunch.

If you’ve ever attended a Bongo’s Bingo night time event, you’ll be familiar with the Camp n Furnace long table set up,with Bongo on the stage at the front. The Brunch was done very much in the same way, with diners seated in rows and each group provided with an afternoon tea style table arrangement of mini pastries, personalised Bongo’s Bingo crispy cakes and even super gooey brownie style cake pops.

Mini avocado bruschettas, cream cheese bagels and pieces of super tasty frittata were set up on a slate and of course, each diner had a Prosecco glass ready for re-fill. As well as the food on the table, the lovely guys at Delifonseca were also handing out mini chutney-filled sausage butties and tiny bacon rolls.

Once we were all fed and significantly watered (Prosecco was free-flowing for the first hour) Johnny Bongo took to the stage to set the crowd up for the chaos that was to follow. Each guest had been handed a bingo booklet on arrival, along with felt tip pen and a unique cash draw ticket, so we were set up for the game. But first, in true Bongo’s style, we sang along to Hymns, and belted out ‘Like a Prayer’ as a stain glass window appeared on the projector screen.

In honour of Sunday, apparently. Before the bingo had even started, we were already covered in multi-coloured confetti with hoarse voices from singing (shouting) out of tune. It was now time to play bingo.

There were prizes up for grabs for every single line, double line and full house, with some of the most memorable and sought after being a cardboard cut out of miss queen Gemma Collins, a FULL set of Disney Princesses, a box of beloved Coco Pops and everyone’s favourite electrical appliance – the one and only Henry Hoover *cue dramatic music and over-exaggerated bows of adoration. Whilst Jonny Bongo is well known for his top class entertainment, it couldn’t be done without his helpers whose dance moves and stage outfits are pretty unforgettable, let’s just say that.

After the Bingo was played, cash prizes were drawn (£1000 anybody?!), tables were stood on and nobody could see straight, it was time for guest DJ Anton Powers to make an appearance and play us out until 5.30 (pm) after which we would ‘form a giant conga, bounce down to Matthew Street and take off all our clothes’ according to Johnny Bongo.

It’s clear that Bongo’s Bingo really is an event like no other, with Scousers proud to call their home the place where it all began. Jonny Lacey has proved he can transform a nighttime rave into a boozy brunch with just as much, if not more fun and outrageous antics involved. Here’s to the next Bongo’s Bingo brunch, if you’re quick you might get a ticket!

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