12 Bar Club

Infobox music venue
name = 12 Bar Club


caption = The 12 Bar Club logo on the main stage
location = Camden, London
type =
genres =
years_active = — present
capacity =
owner =
promotions =
website = [http://www.12barclub.com/ www.12barclub.com] The 12 Bar Club is one of the smallest live music venues in London, England. It is located in Denmark Street, aka "Tin Pan Alley". Music includes blues, country music, folk, pop, rock and acoustic sets.

The club's building was originally constructed in 1635 as a stable. It was later converted into a forge for the St. Giles area that was used until World War I. The fireplace from the forge is still visible at the rear of the stage and regularly houses the performers' guitar amplifiers. The building then became a carpenter's shop until shortly after World War II, when it was converted into store rooms.

During the 1980s, the building housed "The Forge Folk & Blues Club", founded by Andy Preston of Andy's Guitar Workshop. It was originally a social club and music venue for the staff at the guitar centre who used the original forge area at the back as an amplifier workshop - dust-sheets would be thrown over the amplifiers in the evening before the entertainment began. In 1994, the club was expanded and renamed the 12 Bar Club. More recently, offices and a restaurant have been added.

Notable performances

Bands such as Cud and Rhatigan (fronted by the Irish singer songwriter Suzanne Rhatigan) have played at the club. Roddy Frame of Aztec Camera has played at the 12 Bar Club, [ cite web|url=http://www.aboutlastnight.org.uk/RFrame12BarClub%20Feb%2003.htm |title=Roddy Frame - 12 Bar Club |accessdate=2008-07-07 |date=2003-02-05 ] and Robyn Hitchcock played many gigs there over several summers. [ cite web|url=http://www.worldsurface.com/browse/place.asp?placeid=103534 |title=Club: 12 Bar Club Reviews |accessdate=2008-07-07 |date=2002-01-30 |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20030829002847/http://www.worldsurface.com/browse/place.asp?placeid=103534 |archivedate=2003-08-29 ]

Ray Wylie Hubbard, Lloyd Maines, Jeff Buckley, Monkish, The Libertines, Andy White, Jamie T, Ben Meldrum and Terri Hendrix have also performed at the venue. [ cite web|url=http://www.iowrock.net/vapourtrails/pages/venues/getvenues.asp?VenueID=18&Country=UK |title=Vapour Trails: 12 Bar Club |accessdate=2008-07-07 |last=Plumbley |first=Mike |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20040501183032/http://www.iowrock.net/vapourtrails/pages/venues/getvenues.asp?VenueID=18&Country=UK |archivedate=2004-05-01 ]

Awards

It was awarded "Live music Venue of the Year '95/'96" by Time Out magazine.

References

External links

* [http://www.12barclub.com/ 12 Bar Club website]