The Bag O'Nails

The Bag O'Nails
The Bag
The Bag O'Nails Club in its second incarnation as a private members' club, 2017
Map
AddressKingly Street
London, W1
United Kingdom
Coordinates51°30′44″N 0°08′20″W / 51.512361°N 0.13889°W / 51.512361; -0.13889
Public transitLondon Underground Oxford Circus; Piccadilly Circus
TypePrivate members nightclub, live music venue
Capacity100
Opened1965 (1965)
Closed1968 (1968) (re-opened 2013)

The Bag O'Nails was a live music club and meeting place for musicians in the 1960s and situated at 9 Kingly Street, Soho, London, England.[1]

Doorway plaque commemorating Jimi Hendrix's performance at the venue

Bands and other musicians who played and socialised there included Georgie Fame, Jimi Hendrix, Bobby Tench, The Gass[2] and Eric Burdon.[3] The venue also hosted an early gig by the Jimi Hendrix Experience,[4] and others who frequented the venue include Tom Jones, the Who and the Animals.[5]

After the Beatles' recording sessions in London, their roadie Mal Evans, personal assistant Neil Aspinall and Paul McCartney would eat at The Bag O'Nails[6] and it was one of their favourite venues.[7] McCartney met his future wife Linda Eastman at the club on 15 May 1967;[4] Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues met his future wife Ann Marie Guirron there as well.[8] Another event is recorded in Mal Evans's memoirs: "January 19 and 20: I ended up drunk in The Bag O'Nails with McCartney and Aspinall".[9] Mireille Strasser met Peter Noone (Herman's Hermits) at The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1967. They married on November 5, 1968.

The Bag O'Nails re-opened as a private members' club in March 2013,[10] before closing in 2018.[11] It is now the site of a members' club called The Court.[11]

  1. ^ Roby, Steven (2010). Becoming Jimi Hendrix: From Southern Crossroads to Psychedelic London, The Untold Story of A Musical Genius. Da Capo Press. p. 178. ISBN 978-0-306-81910-0.
  2. ^ Warburton, Nick. "British rock music from the mid 60s onwards. Mike Pigott/Gass". thestrangebrew.co.uk. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  3. ^ Leslie, Fran (October 2009). Interview with Bobby Tench, founder member Gass. Blues In Britain. p. 18 Vol 1 issue 94.
  4. ^ a b "The Bag O'Nails". bbc.co.uk. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 16 November 2006.
  5. ^ Vickers, Graham (2010). Rock music landmarks of London (E-book). omnibus.com. ISBN 9780857123091. Retrieved 28 November 2014.
  6. ^ "Abracadabra!". bbc.co.uk. 13 May 2003. Retrieved 11 June 2006.
  7. ^ Miles, Barry. Many Years From Now. Vintage (1998). p. 141.
  8. ^ JUSTIN HAYWARD-THIS IS YOUR LIFE-BBC 1-10.MAR.1997, archived from the original on 15 March 2017, retrieved 26 June 2021
  9. ^ Evan, Mal. "Mal Evans' Diaries". beatlesnumber9.com. Retrieved 23 February 2007.
  10. ^ Hasted, Nick (22 February 2013). "'A social club for The Beatles': return to rock'n'roll clubland". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 28 December 2014.
  11. ^ a b "Inside the Court, Soho's newest private member's club, with founder Harry Mead". www.spearswms.com. Retrieved 17 October 2019.