This months Bristol internet entertainments magazine 247 has a feature by rock journalist Robin Askew about the city’s former venues. He homes in on 26 venues that no longer exist and we were pleased as punch to discover that at number one it was the Granary!

Robin’s review of the club read “The roll of honour above the entrance to the Granary club at 32 Welsh Back read like a who’s who of prog, metal, classic rock and punk: Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Robert Plant, Judas Priest, Thin Lizzy, Ian Dury, Iron Maiden, Dire Straits, Motorhead, John Cougar, Status Quo, Billy Idol, Def Leppard, The Stranglers . . . More than 1500 bands squeezed on to its tiny stage between 1968 and 1988. Originally run as a jazz club by the late Acker Bilk, the Grade II listed Bristol Byzantine building announced its reincarnation as a rock venue on November 15, 1968, with a gig by the great bluesman Muddy Waters. Its director was legendary local capsizer Tony Bullimore. A grungy, sticky-floored dive, with local bikers serving as ’security’, The Granary couldn’t have been further removed from today’s corporate, elf’n’safety-constrained venues. That’s probably why it remains so widely loved, spawning a book (The Granary Club: The Rock Years, Broadcast Books) and regular old rocker reunions at the Golden Lion on Gloucester Road. Today, the building has been converted into expensive apartments with a fish restaurant on the ground floor.

You will find the complete article at http://www.bristol247.com/channel/news-comment/features/things-you-didnt-know/26-former-bristol-music-venues

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WHO PLAYED AT THE CLUB MOST OFTEN

Based on the number of documented gigs in the Granary book a list has been posted on the Facebook Granary site showing the professional and semi-professional bands that played there most often.

Which professional group was the most popular live at the Granary?
1: QUARTZ - 16 appearances (pictured)
2: SAM APPLE PIE - 14 appearances
3: CLIMAX BLUES BAND - 13 appearances
4: TRAPEZE - 12 appearances
5: STRIFE - 11 appearances
6: LARRY MILLER - 11 appearances

Which semi-professional group was the most popular live at the Granary?
Based on the recorded number of appearances at the club it was
1: BIRTH - 17 appearances
2: CRIMSON EARTH - 16 appearances
3: WISPER - 11 appearances
3: GOOD HABIT - 11 appearances

As many bands that played at short notice as replacements for ones that didn’t turn up or at private parties or during the later years when no records were kept it’s likely that this list is questionable. Colin Bond posted on Facebook “I put STORMTROOPER (1976-1981) forward as one of the bands to have played the Granary most. We did a hell of a lot of private parties, social events and stand ins too, one being filling in at a couple of hours notice for ACDC, that was a fun night, we managed to prevent the disgruntled punters from tearing the place apart, I doubt if they had a refund too!” I added that JACOB MARLEY used to finish their set at the Naval Volunteer and speed around the corner with their gear to replace the non-appearance grouploads of times.

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THE NEXT ROLLICKING GRANARY ROCK EVENT GROWS CLOSER.

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