Celebrating Ealing's Rock Heritage

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Plans underway for major celebration and campaigning for a blue plaque

The Ealing Rock/Blues Club (The Ealing Club) is a community group led by Robert Salmons (aka Robert Hokum) the Artistic director of the Ealing Blues Festival and Alistair Young - who writes for Ealing Today below:

Set up in February this year, our objective is to highlight the Rock and Blues heritage of Ealing, so that it can be celebrated into the future and provide benefits for the Ealing area’s venues and its festivals.

On the 17th March 2012, we intend to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, beginning Blues nights at the Ealing Club, opposite Ealing Broadway station.

Alexis Korner, who is cited by many as being the founder of British Guitar Blues, sought a club that would allow guitar amplification and chose the small venue in Ealing, on the recommendation of his first vocalist, Art Wood (brother of Rolling Stone, Ronnie Wood).

The 17th March 1962, Ealing marked the beginning of “The British Rhythm and Blues Boom of the 1960’s”. A musical movement that would create bands such as The Rolling Stones, Manfred Mann, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers, The Who, the Yardbirds and the supergroup, Cream featuring Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce.

To fund our proprietary Blue Plaque, we held three very successful nights of live music at the Red Room (formerly known as the Ealing Club or Ealing Jazz Club). This featured contemporaries of the Rolling Stones such as Ali McKenzie (The Birds) and Don Craine (The Downliners Sect). To finalise funding, we will be holding three nights of live music on the 22/23/24 of November, whose highlight will be the Blues Tribute Night featuring veterans, Doc Stenson and Norrie Burnett, who both played alongside key members of Blues Incorporated.

The Ealing Club Blue Plaque Campaign has been encouraged recently, thanks to
BBC6 who re-aired a 1973 programme that featured interviews with Mick Jagger who
discussed his times at the Ealing club, learning to overcome nerves when singing in public.

On 22nd October 2011, the Saturday Telegraph also featured an extract from Boris Johnson’s book, stating the importance of Rock music in cultural terms and centred on the contribution of his hero, Keith Richards. This extract also mentioned, the Ealing Club.

“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”

Perhaps, this activity will help the council to celebrate the Blues as part of the Cultural Olympiad, next summer and help boost Ealing’s cultural outlook into the future.

The Ealing Club Blue Plaque Gigs
To raise the final funds for the Ealing Club plaque, we have managed to put together three nights of music, featuring many musicians who realise the importance of the venue and are offering their time and input to help celebrate it.
 
22nd November:
The Hubcaps - Blues Covers and Original Material, with a very accomplished Harmonica Player at the helm.
The Bolaji Blues Band - Searing Blues Guitar will be on offer from this local band, who are rapidly sealing a reputation for their interpretation, of well known blues classics.
Brace Yourself - Following their brushes with Banksy in their former guise as Exit through the Gift Shop, this band entertained and went down a storm at their last Ealing Club Fringe performance. Guitar covers of 70′s/80′s 90′s and 00′s classics.
 
23rd November:
Live music on Wednesday, will have a tinge of Jazz with the band Fallen Heroes, who have already graced the Liverpool Jazz Festival and Ronnie Scotts. Cyril Davies may not have approved of the brass section but maybe Alexis would have given it a go.
The night will be hosted by Swamprock Dj’s Carol Lateman and Nigel Bewley. Sure to be lively, upbeat and of the highest quality. http://thefallenheroes.com/
 
24th November:
The Blues Tribute night on Thursday will serve up the Blues ……Robert Hokum/Guvnors, Norrie Burnett (British Blues pioneer who even played with Cyril Davies) Doc Stenson (Singer, Guitar and Harmonica player, who played with Alexis Korner and entertained audiences at the July Ealing Fringe Gigs) with Ramon Goose and Geoff Garbow

8th November 2011