Remembering Folk Clubs in the 60's-70's

kenneth · Post by **kenneth** » Fri 14 Aug, 2009 7:19 pm

There used to be so many folk clubs in Leeds when I was in my late teens and early 20's in fact I played residencies and gigs in many of them. I think my introduction to the Leeds folk scene was a Thursday night at the Club Memphis which had the use of a room upstairs in, I think The Golden Lion at the junction of Beeston Road and Elland road. And if my memory serves me correctly the quest that evening was the late Alex Campbell. The Club Memphis was run by Johnny Wall and after that moved to different venues including the RAOB Club off North Street and The Irish Centre on York Rad. They also ran a Monday night sing around club at the Union Tavern on Meadow Lane. The Adelphi near Leeds Bridge hosted a regular club on Sunday night upstairs run by Bob & Hazel Spray. I played a residency there for quite a long time. The there was The George IV on Kirkstall Road rum by Bob & Carol Pegg which was a very traditional club that did not encourage accompanied singing in fact, if you were not a regular and turned up with a guitar you were viewed with great suspicion. The Whip in Hurst's Yard hosted another sing around club as did a pub on Boar Lane near the Trinity Church. The second oldest folk Club in the country after the Topic in Bradford is of course the Grove on Back Row hosted by Brian Senior and Jeff Woods. The Grove was also the home of the famous Holbeck Moor Mummers. The Grove still runs and for a long time has also hosted a Bluegrass Club which I used to pay at on a regular basis. I almost forgot I set up a club at The Prince of Wales near Swinegate which we called the Folkus

Hannibal69 · Post by **Hannibal69** » Fri 14 Aug, 2009 11:28 pm

kenneth wrote: There used to be so many folk clubs in Leeds when I was in my late teens and early 20's in fact I played residencies and gigs in many of them. I think my introduction to the Leeds folk scene was a Thursday night at the Club Memphis which had the use of a room upstairs in, I think The Golden Lion at the junction of Beeston Road and Elland road. And if my memory serves me correctly the quest that evening was the late Alex Campbell. The Club Memphis was run by Johnny Wall and after that moved to different venues including the RAOB Club off North Street and The Irish Centre on York Rad. They also ran a Monday night sing around club at the Union Tavern on Meadow Lane. The Adelphi near Leeds Bridge hosted a regular club on Sunday night upstairs run by Bob & Hazel Spray. I played a residency there for quite a long time. The there was The George IV on Kirkstall Road rum by Bob & Carol Pegg which was a very traditional club that did not encourage accompanied singing in fact, if you were not a regular and turned up with a guitar you were viewed with great suspicion. The Whip in Hurst's Yard hosted another sing around club as did a pub on Boar Lane near the Trinity Church. The second oldest folk Club in the country after the Topic in Bradford is of course the Grove on Back Row hosted by Brian Senior and Jeff Woods. The Grove was also the home of the famous Holbeck Moor Mummers. The Grove still runs and for a long time has also hosted a Bluegrass Club which I used to pay at on a regular basis. I almost forgot I set up a club at The Prince of Wales near Swinegate which we called the Folkus Hi kenneth,Sorry, can't really help you on folk clubs in Leeds at that time, but I do remember going to a folk club in Bradford in the mid to late 80's.I think it was called the "Star" or maybe the "Starr"??? Saw a group called "Strawhead" there. They did alot of "interpretations" of 17th/18th/19th songs/ballads/poems etc. A load of us who were into English Civil War reenactment went along to see them, only the very bravest, or alternately, the most stupid of us, it full civil war kit!!! Walking back through Bradford, p*ssed, lost and dressed as a 17th century Cromwellian musketeer!!! Ohhh the folly of youth!!! LOL.

kenneth · Post by **kenneth** » Sat 15 Aug, 2009 12:40 am

The Star is the pub were the Topic Folk Club operates out of and The Topic is the oldest Folk Club in the UK. I think it precedes The Grove by about a month. I like your story of the folly of youth it is so good to have had times like those. I believe they make us what we are today. Still on Folk Clubs, do you remember The Harrogate Folk Club. It use to operate out of The West Park Inn on the stray

Hannibal69 · Post by **Hannibal69** » Sat 15 Aug, 2009 2:14 am

kenneth wrote: The Star is the pub were the Topic Folk Club operates out of and The Topic is the oldest Folk Club in the UK. I think it precedes The Grove by about a month. I like your story of the folly of youth it is so good to have had times like those. I believe they make us what we are today. Still on Folk Clubs, do you remember The Harrogate Folk Club. It use to operate out of The West Park Inn on the stray Sorry Ken, don't know that one. I'm really more of a Blues/pub-rock type myself, but being somewhat eclectic in my tastes and preferring live music, played by real musicians, to most of the cr*p that has been in the charts for the past 20 years or so, I've sampled most genres of live music over the years, not to mention sampling the various ales at said venues!!! LOL. I do remember, vaguely, or should that blurrily??? once going to a folk club in Harrogate, back in the 90's, called "The Friday 13th Club"!!! Sounded more like a Heavy Metal joint to me, but it really was a folk club.Sorry I couldn't be of more help, all the best,Han.

kenneth · Post by **kenneth** » Sat 15 Aug, 2009 7:58 pm

Regarding blues. I used to play with a guy occasionally called Dave Speight in and around Leeds. He was a great finger picking style accoustic country blues guitarist. I seem to remember playing at The Packhorse on Woodhouse Lane where I think they held a blues club. I once saw Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee in concert at the University Union in the late 60's

Hannibal69 · Post by **Hannibal69** » Sat 15 Aug, 2009 9:26 pm

kenneth wrote: Regarding blues. I used to play with a guy occasionally called Dave Speight in and around Leeds. He was a great finger picking style accoustic country blues guitarist. I seem to remember playing at The Packhorse on Woodhouse Lane where I think they held a blues club. I once saw Sonny Terry and Brownie Magee in concert at the University Union in the late 60's Hi Ken,Old Dave is still going strong, he was at The Owl in Rodley the other week and he's due to play the Colne R&B Festival in a couple of weeks.Cheers,Han.

kenneth · Post by **kenneth** » Sat 15 Aug, 2009 11:08 pm

That is really interesting. If you see him give him my regards and remind him about making his playing debut at my club The Folkus Club at The Prince of Wales in the late 60's- it's a small world

Hannibal69 · Post by **Hannibal69** » Sun 16 Aug, 2009 1:58 am

kenneth wrote: That is really interesting. If you see him give him my regards and remind him about making his playing debut at my club The Folkus Club at The Prince of Wales in the late 60's- it's a small world Cheers Ken,I'd be more than happy to pass on your regards to him the next time I see Dave. As I was only just born in 69, he'll probably wonder how the hell I know all about this stuff about those days!!! LOL All the best mate,Han.

kenneth · Post by **kenneth** » Sun 16 Aug, 2009 2:09 am

Hannibal69 wrote: kenneth wrote: That is really interesting. If you see him give him my regards and remind him about making his playing debut at my club The Folkus Club at The Prince of Wales in the late 60's- it's a small world Cheers Ken,I'd be more than happy to pass on your regards to him the next time I see Dave. As I was only just born in 69, he'll probably wonder how the hell I know all about this stuff about those days!!! LOL All the best mate,Han. He might have to trawl through his memory but he might just remember. And thank you

Hannibal69 · Post by **Hannibal69** » Sun 16 Aug, 2009 2:54 am

kenneth wrote: Hannibal69 wrote: kenneth wrote: That is really interesting. If you see him give him my regards and remind him about making his playing debut at my club The Folkus Club at The Prince of Wales in the late 60's- it's a small world Cheers Ken,I'd be more than happy to pass on your regards to him the next time I see Dave. As I was only just born in 69, he'll probably wonder how the hell I know all about this stuff about those days!!! LOL All the best mate,Han. He might have to trawl through his memory but he might just remember. And thank you Cheers Ken,both Dave's memory and his playing style are still pretty sharp, well, I mean, at least for his age that is, (and the milage)!!! LOL. Seriously though, he is the first to admin that his fingers are that little bit slower than they were back in the day. But then again, let me be the first to admin that I cannot even begin to hold so much as a candle to him when it comes to any aspect of finger picking, and even on the electric slide, where, at least in my own private world, I like to think that I possess some modicum of talent, he has definitely been there, done that, and forgotten more about it than I will ever know.All the best mate,Han.