Did you know you can listen to samples and then buy CDs from some of these great artists simply by clicking here? 
Thank you for your interest in The Bottleneck Blues Club &
our World Class blues nightsI formed the club to provide a local venue for enthusiasts of real blues with the intention of offering music of World Class pedigree at fair prices in a relaxed night-club atmosphere where good food and drink could be enjoyed as well as offering the opportunity to meet like minded people. We now run three gigs a month to offer you the best live music venues in The South (The Roffen, Rochester & The Jazz & Blues Cafe, Maidstone).
I'm an old blueser myself having formed my first band back in the early 60's with the late, great, Tony "Duster" Bennett. We played at Eel Pie Island, The Jazz Barge & numerous pubs around Richmond & Twickenham & were privileged to meet and jam with such historic figures as Long John Baldry, Cyril Davies, Champion Jack Dupree, Dave Brock, Peter Green, Alexis Korner & Vic Flick. I wanted to bring back some of the magic of those days and to avoid the hassle of driving up to London to catch the really good acts The Bottleneck Blues Club was born with the first Kent Festival of the Blues in 1996 in Rochester, Kent. We've come a long way since then & enjoyed some amazing gigs.
You don't have to become a member by the way, it's cheaper to get in and you get discounts off things like CD's & T-shirts but it's not mandatory although your subscriptions do help to keep the club going. (The stamps alone, for the newsletter, now cost over £150 per month!) I vow to present only the best acts available. I do not stage "pub blues" and usually I have a top acoustic artist followed by an international quality Chicago, Texas or West Coast band. Most of our nights are double headline nights and have featured:-
Eugene "Hideaway" Bridges from Louisiana Big Joe Turner's Memphis Blues Caravan, yes from Memphis,
Tennessee Detroit John Idan from er..........Detroit Angela Brown & Taka Boom from Chicago Bobby Mack from Texas, The Producers, Sonny Black & The Dukes, Errol Linton, Wes Weston's Bluesonics, Root Jackson, Big Joe Louis & many more fine urban blues bands from Europe & The States.Plus some exceptional acoustic & rural blues performers such as :-
Eric Bibb, Steve James, Gordon Smith, John Pearson, Bert
Jansch, Adrian Burns, Catfish Keith, Geoff Achison, Ben Andrews & Hans Theessink.You may not recognise some of these names but believe me these guys (& girls) are the new generation of blues virtuosi, carrying the torch for Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Big Bill Broonzy, Son House, Skip James and all the other great legends of the past. I can't dig these old boys up, so trust me, I only book acts that I consider outstanding and I pride myself in running one of the most respected Blues/Roots Clubs in Britain. In the next few months we have an amazing bill of USA & British blues artistes. Come and see for yourself, (at either Rochester or Maidstone), tape Eastenders and expose yourself to the risk of a good night out and remember what Willie Dixon said:-
"If
you don't love the blues you got a hole in your soul!"
We now hold gigs the last Tues of the month @ Rochester & a mid month Fri or Sat @ Maidstone but check first. If you like live music, you'll love The Bottleneck.
Hope to see you soon John Adams
