British Blues – Early British Blues Clubs – Manor House Pub

‘Harringay Bluesville R&B Club’ at the Manor House Pub, London

Here are details ofthe ‘Harringay Bluesville R&B Club’ at the Manor House Club which featured in the early British blues Scene, including the artists and bands that performed there and some details on ‘whatever happened to …’, plus readers memories of attending the club. Please note this page is currently being developed and will be updated soon.

History of the Harringay Bluesville R&B Club

“From Jimi Hendrix to The Rolling Stones – memories of The Manor House pub” – article from the Hackney Gazette, August 2017

Artists and Bands

The Harringay Bluesville R&B Cub … hosted artists such as Cream, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Long John Baldry and his Hoochie Coochie Men, Rod Stewart (then nicknamed ‘Rod the Mod’), John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Fairport Convention, Fleetwood Mac, Jeff Beck, the Spencer Davis Group, Graham Bond and Zoot Money.

Source: Extract from Wikipedia

Memorabilia

Memorabilia from the Harringay Bluesville R&B Club, including gig posters.

Thanks to Glenn Dunford for the poster image.

Memories

Manor House Pub sign

“The Manor House Blues Club or Harringay R&B Bluesville as it was sometimes known, was a dusty room above the Manor House Pub just across from Finsbury Park, next to Manor House tube station. A few wooden chairs you could drag over to the stage, otherwise standing only. Nanda and Ron Lesley booked a procession of amazing artists. John Lee Hooker, Jimmy Reed, The Animals, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Them (with Van Morrison), Jeff Beck Group with Rod Stewart on vocals, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers with guitarist Eric Clapton, followed by the incredible Peter Green – it was jaw droppingly good. To be able to see someone like John Lee Hooker, born in America’s deep south and that I only knew from hard-searched-for-records, playing in a club a bus ride away, was unbelievable”.

Source: Islington Faces Blog

“Back in the 60’s my friend Sandra and I would never miss Friday night at the Manor House. 3 tube trains across London from the East End and a long queue to get in but well worth it. Sometimes we were lucky to get a lift back from some friends in Brentwood who dropped us off on their way home. Eric Clapton a regular there, the great John Mayall and the Animals. Even lucky enough to see my hero John Lee Hooker. Many of them would pop downstairs to the pub for a drink and a chat in the break. Just a room above a pub but the atmosphere was electric. So many happy memories. For me this club was a follow on from the Scene club in Piccadilly as many of the crowd that frequented the Scene changed to the Manor House. Also in those days ‘Ready, Steady, Go’ was a good programme to watch with a lot of us who went to the Scene managing to get into the show.

Those were the days!”

– Linda Foleros (Jordan in those days)

If you have memories of Bluesville R&B Club at the Manor House Pub and would like to share them here, please email alan@earlyblues.com .