The Troubadour (London)

This article is about the London coffee house and music club - for other uses see Troubadour (disambiguation).

The Troubadour

The Troubadour, 263-267 Old Brompton Road
Location	London, England
Type	Coffee House and Music venue
Genre(s)	Folk
Opened	1954
Owner	Simon Thornhill
Website	http://www.troubadour.co.uk/

The Troubadour at 263-267 Old Brompton Road in Earls Court, established in 1954, is one of the last remaining coffee houses of its era in London, with a club room in the cellar famous as one of the primary venues of the British folk revival in the late 1950s and 1960s. The club was one of several London coffee house venues at which notable musicians played; other such venues included Les Cousins and Bunjies.

Artists

The club has played host to a number of major artists in various stages of their careers. Notable amongst these have been;

• Richard Harris - in early 1956 where he auditioned and rehearsed his own production of the Clifford Odets play 'Winter Journey (The Country Girl)' whilst studying at the then nearby London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). A newspaper review of the time credits the resulting production at the Irving Theatre to 'The Troubadour Experimental Theatre group'
• Charlie Watts - in summer 1961 where he was 'found' by Alexis Korner playing drums in a 'Thelonious Monk style' jazz quartet and recruited to join Blues Incorporated
• Bob Dylan - Christmas 1962, performing under the name Blind Boy Grunt
• Paul Simon - in early 1965
• Jimmy Page - 1975 post Earls Court Arena gig come down session
• Robert Plant - likewise, Led Zeppelin had no official dates at the Troubadour
• Jimi Hendrix - while he lived in London
• Joe Kucera - called "The Sensational Saxophone Joe" while he lived in London 1972/73
• Jesse Ballard - poet, singer ans songwriter from California whil he lived in London 1972/73
• Eric Brunman & Dan Rynehart - founders of the underground rock band No Donuts for Hilda, played here on 29 January 2011 and 4th February 2012
• Alvaro Villanueva - with No Donuts for Hilda on Saturday 29 January 2011 and one of the founding members of 14 Meses de Renta, a Lima based band popular in the early 2000s for its references to popular Latin American culture's influence on the post Sendero Luminoso generation
• Houkago Tea Time, on December 3rd 2011.
• Morrissey- in February 2012

The club is however chiefly associated with folk music. Notable artists appearing under this banner have been;

• Sandy Denny - who was the subject of a 2008 tribute show held at the venue
• Sonja Kristina (latterly of Curved Air) - who played, organised club nights and 'helped out'
• Redd Sullivan & Martin Winsor - who played and organised the earliest recorded folk club evenings
• Martin Carthy - one of the most influential figures in British traditional music and acknowledged influence on Bob Dylan
• Bob Davenport - acknowledged influence on Bob Dylan
• Nigel Denver
• Eric von Schmidt - a curator and performer of traditional music and acknowledged influence on Bob Dylan
• Davey Graham - one of the most influential figures in the 1960s folk music revolution in England
• Tod Lloyd - one of the founding partners (with Joe Boyd in 1967) of Witchseason Productions
• Paul McNeill - who released an album recorded at the venue 'Paul McNeill, Traditionally at the Troubadour' (1968)
• Linda Thompson
• Richard Farina - a figure in the US counterculture and folk rock scene of the early sixties
• Ethan Signer
• Bert Jansch

Many of these acts are captured performing at the venue in the photographs of Alison Chapman McLean.

Behind the Scenes

A key name in the history of the Troubadour is that of Anthea Joseph (1940-1997) who organised many of the folk events at the club and was often credited as 'the Manager' of the venue. It is widely reported that when Bob Dylan arrived in London for the first time he was given no instruction other than that of his mentor Pete Seeger to seek out "Anthea at the Troubadour". In 1968 she joined Witchseason Productions as Joe Boyd's assistant.

Decor and Ambience

• 

  A selection of coffee pots in the front window

• 

  A selection of ephemera inside

Influence

The Troubadour's influence was felt around the U.K.. The Bristol Troubadour Club fulfilled a similar role in the west of England, but with a more bluesy feel.

The Troubadour in Los Angeles was a copy of the London club (it even copied the sign above the door) that opened in 1957 and runs still today. From the beginning it was a much larger venue but with a similar ethos.

Ownership

The Troubadour has had only three sets of proprietors since its opening;

• 1954 to 1972 - Michael Van Bloemen and Sheila Van Bloemen, founders of the venue,
• 1972 to 1998 - Bruce Rogerson,
• 1998 to present - Simon Thornhill and Susie Thornhill.

Recent history

The Troubadour is now a thriving cafe-bar and restaurant and the club continues to host live music and poetry, mainly by performers who, in the club's tradition, write their own material; more recent artists to pass through the club include Jamie T, Jack Peñate, The Dead 60s, Chris Singleton, Paulo Nutini and Morcheeba. The performance space has been doubled in size but is still an intimate venue of just 120 seats. Upstairs, the café itself also continues to thrive.

Notable Visitors

In addition to the numerous musicians and poets who have graced the venue with their performances over the years The Troubadour has always attracted a diverse and interesting crowd seeking refreshment and entertainment.

Sightings amid the merry throng have included;

• Prince William of Wales in April 2009
• Prince Harry of Wales in January 2009,
• Oliver Reed,
• Ken Russell,
• Orlando Bloom,
• Tom Jones

External links

• The Troubadour website
• Classic Cafés