The Bridge House Pub in Canning Town London E16 was the premier pub rock venue of the 70’s and the first pub in the world with its own record label.
This pub became a mecca of music, where any new bands wishing to make it into the music industry had to be seen playing there.
U2 played there on their first visit to London from Ireland. Depeche Mode played there for a year, we helped them get a deal with Mute records. Cafe Racers played, they later changed their name to Dire Straits. Paul Young and his band Q-Tips had a residency there for 9 months. Chas and Dave were regulars, recording a double live album there. Iron Maiden played over 35 times with three different singers. Tom Robinson fine tuned 2.4.6.8 while playing there.
A Flock of Seagulls got signed there. Billy Bragg played and won a talent contest there. Steve Marriot on his return from the USA booked a residency, calling the band Blind Drunk. Police were waiting to arrest him before the gig. Charlie Watts and his band Rocket 88 played many times. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards would turn up to support him. Chris Thompson who was lead singer with Manfred Mann’s Earthband formed his own bands Filthy McNasty and Night. Huey Lewis was a regular with his band called Clover. Paul Jones used to come and jam. He got a band together for one gig only. Today 20 years later the Blues Band are still playing. The Police used to ring regularly for a gig, but with a name like that we could not give them a gig in Canning Town. Secret Affair started a mod revival with our Mods Mayday 79 album. We got in the main album charts for the first time. Phil Daniels the actor formed a band and played there, almost caused a riot when he would not put an anorak on. Joe Brown on his arrival said, ‘see all them electricity wires, 20 years ago i put ’em in’. Phyco band Wasted Youth were formed there and became the biggest thing around for a while. Modern Romance presented Terry Murphy with a silver disc for the help he gave them. Rory Gallagher was always sensational when he used to jam with all the guys. Alex Harvey booked a secret gig…
Other regulars included; Ginger Baker, Brian Knight, Jeff Beck, Long John Baldry, Manfred Mann, Lindisfarne, Crawler, Paul Kossoff Band, Jo Ann Kelly and her Band, Tony Mcphee & Groundhogs, Zoot Money, Alexis Korner, Geno Washington, Squeeze, Blow Monkeys, Girls School, Sham 69, The Damned, Cockney Rejects, Glen Matlock, Lena Lovich, The Vibrators, Joan Jett, Uk Subs, Stray Cats, The Skids, Soft Cell, John Cooper Clark, Norman Lovett, Gerry McAvoy, Jackie Lynton, Remus Down Boulevard and Splodgenessabounds.
Also Tom Watkins, Jazz Summers, Chris Wright, Colin Bell, Miles Copland, Micky Most, Tarquin Gotch, Mutt Lange, John Blake, Gary Bushell, Simon Hills and Ged Doherty were regulars looking at new bands.
The landlord and owner of Bridge House records, Terence Murphy will be posting regular memoirs of the place, the bands and the events that happened there. Excerpts from a forthcoming book.
And this is the legendary Bridge House Live Sampler from 1978. Recorded live at a rather famous English pub. The album consists of one full length LP and one 12″ record with 3 tracks on it, and was released in a gatefold sleeve.
You can hear groups like The Roll Ups, Salt (featuring Mick Clarke), Filthy McNasty (a short live band featuring Stevie Lange, Christ Thompson and Geoff Whitehorn, here you can hear their only ones recordings) and The Gary McAvoy Jam (featuring 3 musicians from the Rory Gallagher band).
Another hightlight: Jackie Lynton, a native of Shepperton who is one of the legendary characters of the British rock landscape, who has been around since his residency at Soho’s 2is coffer bar in the late 50s.
I dedicate this entry to all the known and unknown heroes of the British Pub-Rock scene durng the Seventies !
Still alive and well: Jack Lynton with John Coghlan (ex-Status Quo)
Personnel:
The Roll-Ups:
Paul Airey (piano, vocals)
Rick Andreos (drums)
L. Hart Jr. (guitar, vocals)
Jeff Peters (bass, vocals)
Salt:
Mick Clarke (guitar)
Malcolm Hine (slide-guitar)
Stewart McDonald (bass)
Colin Nash (drums)
Stevie Smith (vocals, harmonica)(2)
Filthy McNasty:
Clive Edwards (drums)
Billy Kristian (bass, vocals)
Stevie Lange (vocals, percussion)
Chris Thompson (guitar, vocals)
Mike Walker (keyboards)
Geoff Whitehorn (guitar)
Gerry McAvoy Jam:
Ron Carthy (trumpet)
Rod De’Ath (drums)
Mick Eves (saxophone)
Lou Martin (piano)
Gerry McAvoy (bass, vocals)
Steve Whiteman Waller (guitar, vocals)
Remus Down Boulevard:
Ron Berg (drums)
Gerry Cunningham (bass, vocals)
Dave Edwards (guitar, vocals)
Dennis Stratton (guitar, vocals)
Jackie Lynton’s Happy Days:
Graham Cupcake Cooper (guitar)
Kirk Loader Riddle (bass)
Jackie Lash Lynton (vocals)
Greg Squeak (saxophone, harmonica)
Alan Clint Watkins (drums)
Tracklist:
01. The Roll-Ups: Heroes (Hart Jr.) 5.32
02. Salt: It Hurts Me Too (London) 5.27
03. Salt: Hipshake (James/Moore) 4.26
04. Filthy McNasty: Move Over (Joplin) 5.44
05. Filthy McNasty: Fire Down Below (Seger) 4.20
06. Gerry McAvoy Jam: Walkin In The Sun (Barry) 3.49
07. Remus Down Boulevard: Only For You (Edwards/Stratton) 4.15
08. Filthy McNasty: Can’t Get Next To You (Whitfield/Strong) 4.55
09. The Roll-Ups: Hand Shandy (Hart Jr.) 5.51
10. Jackie Lynton’s Happy Days: You Don’t Have To Pay (Lynton) 10.26
11. Gerry McAvoy Jam: Walkin The Dog (Thomas) 5.04
12. Remus Down Boulevard: Gunrunner (Edwards/Stratton) 4.25
My album is autographed by Mick Clarke
ManyFantasticColors 