Favourite Venue

[alandaly]

Top Venues in London in the mid 60s
The Scene
The Ram Jam Club
The Manor House

[s0ul45]

Was that the Ram Jam club in Brixton alandaly?

I remember sitting outside in a car intending to go in, but most of us were pretty young and when we saw no other white faces going in we bottled it. Must confess I thought it was a ska club.

Been to the manor House a few times. That the one on Seven Sisters Rd. What about the Bluesroom in Edmonton and another club I can't remember in Wood Green?

[alandaly]

The Manor House was actually in Wood Green. The late Mike Raven was the resident DJ and sold rare imports during his break!

The Ram Jam was in Brixton. It catered for Soul, Blues and Reggae fans. Sometimes I was the only white boy in there but I think that helped me get adopted and "looked after" if somebody wanted to stick a screwdriver in me! The best act I ever saw there (and I saw Solomon Burke!) was a band called Rupert's Rik N' Beckers. Sometimes I tipped up on a Blues night by mistake and got to see John Mayall, Ginger Baker, Graham Bond and Zoot Money - wanted to slash my wrists!

[ashley]

Anyone know of club called Bag o Nails, think it was off Tottenham Court Road - was a little young and........out of it then!

[afcgotsoul]

I left London in 66 but used to flit between the Scene and La Discotheque all-nighters with the same uv pen mark on my hand. My uncle worked in the pub across Wardour from La D so I used to get to him before he closed to set me up with ciggies.
Spent a lot of time in the Flamingo, like the RamJam - pretty black (Ronnie Jones, Herbie Goines, Geno Washington, Jimmy James, Georgie Fame) and went to the Marquee quite a bit too. I saw Solomon Burke as well - crown, throne, ermine, sweat, but unfortunately no real repertoire. As I remember he sang Stupidity and Everybody ... 2 or 3 times each - and went.
Used to go to Klook's Kleek in West Hampstead too - saw Sugar Pie there - but for meeting girls it was always your "local" dance hall - and that was the Starlite in Greenford (not that local to me actually - but packed with girls and with a future NS artist (apparently) James Royal as resident. The Railway in Harrow was good too (the High Numbers played there (to become the Who)) and they played Tamla (Miracles/MarthaR&TVandellas) - but most everywhere was live music - and most of that live music was blues&R&B based.
Oh and the Crawdaddy too.

I too was adopted - by 3 black lads from Harlesden. Helped a lot.

But Alan wasn't Reggae long into the future then ?
Blue Beat, Ska, Rock Steady, Lover's Rock, Reggae is my feel for the order of things.

Back to the point - I think it is the Scene too - but I don't remember too much of those nights.

Soulmanash - there was a club on TCR called the Plughole (everybody's going down the plughole).

All this is pre 66.

Post 66.
When the Catacombs opened (late 67/68 ?) there was nowhere else to be - until my wife said I had to grow up (late 69).
I quite liked the Night Owl in Leicester too.
And although I went up to the Wheel (Whitworth St. site) on many occasions they never let me in once - for whatever reason.

[alandaly]

AFC, I used Reggae as a generic term rather like I include Tamla in soul. Rock Steady & Ska were the predominate brands as I recall but such a limited school of music seems to have generated so many branches - even now, Trinidad & Tobago has Soca and rows with Eddy Grant over his RingBang. My pea brain struggles with the detail!

Record nights at the big Dance Halls were also good in the 60s - The Empire, Leicester Sq
The Tottenham Royal
The Lyceum in the Strand

I'd forgotten Kooks. Three very minor South London venues were
Cheeky Petes in Richmond
The Bull at Sheene
The Pontiac in Putney

Only went to the Crawdaddy after it moved to Richmond Rugby Club. Saw Sonny Boy Williamson there - harmonicas up the nstrils made for a turgid sound.

[afcgotsoul]

Forgot Tottenham - but then again it's in my nature.

On the subject of Sonny Boy Williamson. I think the name has been used for generations but I suspect the one you saw was the same one I saw at the Marquee. He had a suit in quarters of brown and black mohair, a bowler hat and a harmonica in every pocket. I went into his dressing room - there was just enough room with all the JD - and he signed the back of my card with his signature S-B-W - that was it.
We could only find a red pen to do it with and he thought it was blood.

I actually nicked loads of blank Marquee cards out of the back of an ambulance that Graham Bond used. It was outside Ginger Baker's in the street opposite mine in Neasden. Sold them on.

And of course you're right about the records at the dance hall venues.

I suppose the Starlite would have been considered a mod place. On a Friday night it seemed that all of the audience that had been at Ready Steady Go were there. Made for some interesting nights since Wembley/Harlesden lads believed they "owned" it.

[ashley]

Thanx afc - loved the Bob Brady pun - ;D

Sure there was a club called Bag o' Nails tho - ah well must be an age thing

[s0ul45]

Tottenham Royal, remember it fondly. Always loads of soul and ska.

Actually Brian much closer to Bruce Grove or Seven Sisters than White Hart Lane.

[afcgotsoul]

I always thought Tottenham were closer to Bruce Forsyth - but funnier.
But then who isn't ?

[pejko]

admin said:

I could not make my mind up either so I used my vote for Cleethorpes.

I remember walking up to the pier and feeling the vibration 50/100yds away as soon as you stepped on the boards.

Also that walk along the seafront in the night from the Pier to Winter Gardens and back again. sweating like crazy and then being cut to ribbons by the sea breeze. The chip butties and lollies were an almost compulsory part of the night.

Many a time I went on my scooter and picked up Kev Thomas in Louth one winter in the snow and he had a short sleeved Ben Sherman on, they don't make guys like that now do they ? Got the scooter pinched one night and took 2 days to find it minus a few bits, that took the shine off taking it again.

I was picked up most weeks by Mary & Colin Chapman who I owe a huge debt to for the free lifts, I think many of us owe them big time for their contribution to the music on the east coast.

[pejko]

mojo club sheffield
wheel manchester
torch stoke
they were all very inivitive and unique for there time,wigan was a pale and poor copy to us oldies who remember the top two on my list,alsso add the attic doncaster.

[ashley]

What was that club in Gleadless called?
Think Stringfellow had it b4 Mojo?
Rough but gr8 music, pavement was allus cold tho - too young to get in BUT made all 3 Wheels!!!
3 wheels - yeah
1. Twisted(manchester)
2. Broken (retford)
3.Detroit (rotherham)

Wudda been '68ish I reckon

[caveman]

Back in the day i loved the old Lincoln Drill Hall nighter cracking venue and hot dogs to die for, "well at 3am i would eat anything".

[ashley]

U sure you'd eat "anything" Pete ?

[ooorickooo]

Jewas how old are you lot? and why no mention of
Rudies Scarboro
Hospital Club Hull
Vikings Goole
Central Leeds
Cats Wiskers Meanwood

Rick

[topcatnumpty1]

My Cellar is a gud venue--Requests played strait away---free booze--42 top attendance so far ---20 on the dancefloor --music from
Sonny Boy Williamson (1956-) to Mario Biondi (2007)
Ask anyone who,s been --generally run about 4 a year
from 1 a.m. to about 7.30.
Regards
Tony C.

[ashley]

And I bet the one at the end of the season will be a rayt belter m8 ;D

[janjones]

caveman said:

Back in the day i loved the old Lincoln Drill Hall nighter cracking venue

Yeah it was great.We used to go on the train and have to hang around for a midnight start. Never missed it. Do you remember the glass in the ceilings ? Didn't we look a bunch of beauts at 6am all sweaty, when the light came in. Also worth a mention was Rotherham Clifton Hall, they were good nighters too. Hmm I could go on so I will.. Derby assembly rooms, Leeds Central, Notts Palais. Lets face it we have been damn lucky haven't we. . . proud to have had Cleethorpes Winter Gardens on my doorstep though.

[flamingembers1]

Bradford Queens hall was a good venue in the 90's also Tony's empress ballroom good sounds all round in those 2 but Wigan as aa 16 yr old was it for me sigh.........