September 14th, 2009 / Author: Al
From the depths of the Granary Archives some long lost photographs have been unearthed showing the Club’s final DJ Adrian Coleman at work in the disco booth along with the much loved Granary DJ Glenn Daniel. Glenn tragically died from a heart attack several year ago. Glenn took over the disco when Al Read left in 1982 and it was Glenn, Adrian and DJ John Mason who looked after the rock on record through to the last night in 1988.
Glenn Daniel on the left, Adrian Coleman right. The posters advertised BANG WALLACE who played the club on Thursday 27th September 1984.
Adrian on another night with the “Granary Home of Rock” banner on display behind the band’s lighting rig.
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September 14th, 2009 / Author: Al
Have a question filled night and prove you’re a smarty pants (are you smarty or are you pants?) and win prizes.
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July 28th, 2009 / Author: Al
AL plays quizmaster at the PROM
Once every couple of months Al Read is the quizmaster at the Tuesday night pop quiz at the Prom music bar. It’s always a fun night out and I’m sure you’ll enjoy taking part. It’s just £1 each to enter and you can make up a team of up to 6. Identify the music clips, answer the music trivia questions and fill in the title or artist blanks on the quiz sheets. There are cash and goodie prizes (not only for the clever clogs but also for the team that comes last!).
GRANAREUNITED 15 (Fifteeny Meeny Miney Momentous)
Al and Ed invite you to the next Granary reunion evening on Sunday 30th August when original Granary DJs will spoil you with non-stop classic rock just like they did at the Granary Friday night rock discos back in the 70’s and 80’s. Our new home at the Golden Lion will be decorated with Granary memorabilia and both the Granary book and Granary T-shirts will be on sale at special sale prices. Admission is FREE and, as the next day is a Bank Holiday, you’ll have plenty of time to recover!
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July 6th, 2009 / Author: Al
TOPLESS ALL GIRL GROUP PLAY GRANARY SCANDAL
The LADYBIRDS : Thursday 22nd March 1973 : £200
Pop music researcher David Andrews of Weston Super Mare unearthed a picture of the LADYBIRDS, a Swedish cabaret outfit that usually performed without their outfits! In March 1973 they were booked to play a week at the Webbington Country Club just outside Bristol with their short set of current pop songs. They contacted the Granary to ask if they could do a gig at the Gran as they wanted a chance to perform a selection of material of a more rock genre. As they were also happy come on stage in their usual outfits (white leather bikini bottoms only) we thought it would be worth a try (for artistic purposes only). They weren’t musically up to much but no-one seemed to care and the girls were well received. One of the band rewarded the lads in the front row, who had been cheering all the way through the set with a brief full frontal as she whipped off her briefs. She, however, was not so happy about the fact that one of the lads made off with her white leather bikini bottom as a trophy. Upset as it was part of the outfit she needed for her gig the next day at the Webbington something had to be done in a huury. Al was a bit of a dab hand at tailoring having been involved in menswear retailing for some years (the Plastic Dog offices were upstairs from the Park Street shop that Al ran) so overnight, using the remnants of an old white leather jacket, Al made an acceptable replica of the missing brief. The young Ladybird lass was very grateful!!!
No sooner was this article was published, than the following message was entered on the Granary Guest Book by Marianne Dow in the USA: “Your readers might enjoy my article and pix of the Ladybirds Topless All Girl Band @ http://tinyurl.com/ladybirds-band on my Burlesque Babes Blog which is about vintage Burlesque Queens and Strippers from the 1950s and 1960s era.” And then another picture turned up and, this time, in full colour
The LADYBIRDS : Thursday 22nd March 1973 : £200
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June 3rd, 2009 / Author: Al
Gran Fan Aiden Naughton has sourced more photos for us. Blues Band S.A.L.T. appeared 6 times between June 1976 and May 1978 and are pictured here backstage at the club prior to one of their Gran gigs.
Rock band WEAPON played at the club twice, Saturday 10th January 1981 and Saturday 8th August 1981. One picture shows them with Les Pearce who, about this time, had moved up from door man to club manager.
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June 1st, 2009 / Author: Al
Photographs have come to light showing members of “Discipline” at the Granary a few hours before their appearance on Thursday 5th May 1981. This was a warm up gig before their major tour. The band included Robert Fripp ex-King Crimson and Bill Bruford ex-Yes. Three weeks after the Granary gig they changed the name back to King Crimson. Photos show Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford. Our thanks to Gran Fan Aidan Naughton for alerting us to the photographs.
Graffiti includes band names Budgie, Warbeck, Bronz, Lautrec, Hitmen, Sam Apple Pie, Stilettos, Loose Change, Blitz, Abrasive Wheels and Overkill.
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May 17th, 2009 / Author: Al
GRANARY PUNK ON PUNK GLOBE
Those of you who frequented the Granary during the Eighties will remember that punk rock was featured alongside the club’s staple diet of heavy rock. Recently Al was interviewed by “Rotten Jonny” of “Punk Globe” internet magazine who also reviewed the Granary book. Please visit the web site to read both the review and the interview and also take time to explore the many interesting features about punk past and present.
May edition of Punk Globe
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May 8th, 2009 / Author: Al
The BBC TV “Inside Out West”programme that included a feature on the Granary Club Reunited was on BBC ONE in the West on Wednesday 28th January 2009. Our sincere thanks go to Jenny Walmsey (Producer), Derek Catterall (Editor) and Richard Clutterbuck (Cameraman) who did a superb job of capturing the essence of what made the Granary famous and the enjoyment of the club’s reunited events. The feature included rare footage of the Stranglers live at the Granary inNovember 1981, Stackridge live at the Trinity in December 2008 and Plastic Dog founder members Mike Tobin and Ed Newsom recently returning to the Granary to see how it had been transformed into apartments. There was some great footage of everyone at the Granareunited event commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the first Granary rock gig at the Golden Lion in December 2008. DJs Ade Copley and Adrian Coleman are there doing their thing along with many members reminding us that the Granary was the place to be seen back in the ’glory days’. And Al is caught complaining bitterly that he is going to miss the better part of the evening after doing some serious damage to his person in a fall. However, Al had recovered enough a few weeks later to provide the voice-over for the feature.If you missed it go to http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/west/and click on ‘Granary video’. There is also a Granary Gallery with loads of memorable Granary photos and graphics. This is the Granary feature only.You can also go to BBC iplayer and search out BBC One West / Inside Out West / 28th Jan 2009. This will be the whole programme
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May 5th, 2009 / Author: Al
Al and Ed organise GRANAREUNITED events on a regular basis at the Golden Lion in Bishopston, Bristol. The next is on Saturday 20th June.
Admission to these events is free. On display are many Granary Memorabilia showcards. Al Read’s Granary book is on sale as well as the Granary T-shirts. You will always hear many of the classic rock records that were featured at the famous Granary Friday night rock discos.
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