The 100 Club on London’s Oxford Street is one of the country’s most iconic venues. It has been hosting live music since 1942 when it went under the name of, The Feldman Jazz Club. It was renamed The 100 Club in 1964 playing host to most of the bands that were starting to cut their respective teeth in the music business.
Words: Stephen Harrison Pictures: Allan McKay
Nowadays, on a Tuesday night, it is a Blues night featuring some amazing artists, and this night was to be no exception. Stephen Stanley is the guy behind these Tuesday Blues events, and he very kindly invited me down to see how things were. There were three bands that evening, Fran Pegg, Backbone Blues Band, and last but by no means least, Full House, the original Frankie Miller band.
As I entered the room, Fran Pegg had just started her set. A four-piece ensemble immediately caught my attention. From the soulful, blues vocals of Fran, to the tight-as-hell musicians, these guys whipped up a blues storm. From the first song, Where In The World, they were simply magnificent. A relatively young band, but what a band they are turning into. Great musicians, one and all, with a singer with a vocal to die for. I predict big things for these people. You read it here first.
The next band to take to the iconic stage was Backbone Blues Band, a five-piece band that hails from Reading. If you like boogie woogie blues so that you can shake what your mamma gave you, then these cats will be right up your musical alley. Kicking off their set with, Running Out Of Time, the band performed as if their very lives depended on it. Tony Seaman, lead vocals and guitar is the epitome of what a blues singer should be, cool, but with a head for delivering vocals and playing rhythm guitar, keeping the band rollin’ and rockin’ throughout the set. This, for me, is what the blues is all about, a melting pot of songs, some sad, some soulful, and some downright dirty. Their latest album, Old New Borrowed Blues is available now. I urge you to get a copy.
The headliners for the evening, Full House finished what was an amazing night of blues music. Having been the backing band for the Scottish blues/blues rock artist for many years, produced some of the finest blues/blues rock, that I’ve heard in many a year. The six-piece band is phenomenal to watch, high-energy, and able to deliver stunning tunes one after another, with seemingly minimal effort. Gregor, lead vocals sent the hairs on the back of my neck with every tune, without a doubt, one of the greatest soul voices that I’ve had the pleasure to be in the company of. This is the first time that I’ve seen this band performing live, I sincerely hope that it is not the last. The evening ended with crowd participation in the classic, Darlin’ A truly magnificent evening of the finest blues.
