Modernist Society

Saturday, 21 February 2015

The Pretty Things: Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky - Classic Rock celebrates their 50 years of R&B

http://classicrock.teamrock.com/reviews/2015-02-20/the-pretty-things-bouquets-from-a-cloudy-sky

Historic music site where the Rolling Stones formed could be torn down by developers

Campaigners are desperate to save The Ealing Club which they see as being the birth place of British rhythm and blues and a missed opportunity for music tourism.

The club where the Rolling Stones "cut their teeth" will be torn down to make way for a pedestrian route, if the plans submitted by a developer are approved.

Campaigners are desperate to save The Ealing Club, which they see as being the birth place of British rhythm and blues and a missed opportunity for music tourism.

It was at the Ealing Club that Keith Richards and Mick Jagger met Brian Jones, giving birth to the Rolling Stones.

However, developers Benson Elliot and their development managers Londonewcastle have released plans - currently out for consultation - which show that The Ealing Club will be demolished and turned into a walkway.

A spokeswoman for Ealing Council said: “I can confirm that the Red Room doesn’t have any listed or protected status. As you know, a blue plaque does not confer any protected status.”

Alistair Young, Secretary For The Ealing Club Community Interest Company, said: “This is the only venue in the UK which can claim to match Liverpool’s Cavern Club in terms of its importance to the history of British music. Today the site of this historic venue is threatened by property developers.

“Throughout 1962 the Rolling Stones ‘cut their teeth’ at the Ealing Blues Club, eventually forming the legendary line-up of Mick, Keith, Brian, Bill, Ian and Charlie and playing here together for the first time in January 1963.

“It was the home of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated and Eric Burdon (The Animals), Manfred Mann, Rod Stewart, and The Who all played at The Ealing Club.”

Cultural significance

Keith Richards is quoted as saying: “Cyril Davies and Alexis Korner got a club going, the weekly spot at the Ealing Jazz Club, where Rhythm and Blues freaks could conglomerate. Without them there might have been nothing.”

James Ketchell, Chief Executive and Founder of Music Heritage UK, said: “The fact that the building is not listed, nor has been given any protected status, is exactly the point! If the local council and its elected representatives are not promoting the area’s heritage and preserving locations of cultural significance, then who will?

"There is a huge opportunity to be grabbed in terms of developing music heritage tourism if the council can see beyond the promise of a quick return from a property developer.”

A spokesman from Londonewcastle said: “We recognise that the borough has a significant musical heritage and the original Ealing Club venue on Haven Place was an important part of that. We have met the Ealing Club community group to discuss their proposals for the site and there is an ongoing dialogue, out of which we hope to arrive at a way to recognise what the current blue plaque, placed there by fans, represents.

“The new accessible and welcoming town centre pedestrian route we are proposing between the station and The Broadway means it is not possible to keep the current building that houses the Red Room club in its basement.”

Property investors Benson and Elliot bought a large swathe of Ealing town centre in 2012 and have since completed the transformation of the former Arcadia Shopping Centre into 1-8 The Broadway.

Information about the consultation can be requested via info@9-42TheBroadway.com or freephone 0800 881 5430. All consultation materials will be published on www.9-42TheBroadway.com from January 29. A planning application will be submitted in the Spring.

"Andy Capp" in Spain remembers Exeter's Scooter gang of the late 50s/early 60s

The recent story about Exeter’s old Exeter Yokels Scooter Club has prompted happy memories from sunny Spain.

They come from Pete Webber, who has lived in Spain for the past ten years - and has the Echo sent over and always buys one on his trips back to his old home.

Pete said: “I am an ardent reader of your Nostalgia page – and how excited I was to see the piece from Janet Lucas about the old Exeter Yokels Scooter Club.

“Within the Club I was known as Andy Capp due to the characters Andy & Flo Capp that I’d painted on my wind-screen and always wearing a "flat cap" (helmets were not an essential in those days).

“The photograph used in the story was really interesting. On the left in the photograph is John Foster Hall, the founder of the Club in (I think) 1957.

"His pillion passenger his Diane “Dinky” Mansell who he eventually married in the early '60s.

To their left is me (without flat cap) and if you look carefully you can see the Andy & Flo on my wind-screen. Next, and partially hidden, is Herbie Lloyd who was a co-founder.

“Janet was slightly incorrect as it was me, not Herbie, who was involved in the crash in Torquay on October 16th 1960, which laid me up in hospital for seven weeks with a smashed knee-cap and fractured thigh.

“Janet was correct about Herbie though, he rode a Vespa and was quite a mad-cap on it, invariably having crashes at rallies and gymkhanas we attended.

“Others I recognise in the photograph are Mike Smith, Derrick & Hazel, Mike “Little Jim” James, Trevor Stevens and (possibly) George Parsons.

“I too remember Helen but cannot recognise her in the photograph. Prior to joining the Club I had been a Teddy Boy for a few years but became a Mod when I discovered the El Zamba and it’s diverse selection of music on the juke-box.

“I worked there part-time for a while along with John, “Dinky” and the owner Arthur, who was a gentle-giant with a large ginger beard. We supplied customers with great expresso coffees and fabulous Danish open sandwiches.”

Friday, 20 February 2015

The Scene follow up their excellent new EP (Detour) with a gig in SW15 on 28th February

Etta James, The Teenage Wallflower featured on u-Discover

http://www.udiscovermusic.com/etta-james-teenage-wallflower

March of the Mods at the Zephyr Lounge reports the Leamington Spa Courier

Paul Weller tribute band The Modfathers will be among the headline acts at a marathon fundraising gig for the Teenage Cancer Trust in Leamington on Sunday March 8.

They will be joined by the likes of the Heavy Sol Band, The Duckworths, The Revolvers, The Get Go ,and the Samuel Rodgers Band for March of the Mods at the Zephyr Lounge from noon to 11.30pm.

DJs will include Nick Topsy Turvey, John Thornicroft, Jaymokid, Howard Jones and Je Suis Natalie.

There will also be special guests.

Formed in 2012, March of the Mods is a group of like-minded people organising and hosting fundraising events throughout the month of March and who love all things related to The Mod Scene.

www.marchofthemods.com