Post by Jazz on Dec 31, 2010 18:54:22 GMT 1
Does anyone remember the jazz clubs of Newcastle in the 60's & 70's? I was a regular visitor to these establishments & there is relatively little information/photos etc about them.
The clubs I'm thinking about are the Downbeat in Carliol Square (housed in what I believe was part of the old prison), the "old" New Orleans in Melbourne Street....a rather "run down" converted terrace house & the "new" New Orleans in Forth Street (now an upmarket Indian restaurant). One unusual venue was the Muscle Inn built into one of the arches of the railway bridge over Dean Street. Muscle Inn was also used by bodybuilders hence, I suppose the name?! I don't think the bodybuilding went on at the same time as the jazz!
At Whitley Bay there was the Rex Hotel Jazz Club on Sunday nights. This was a room above the road which runs under the hotel.....now a private flat. There were several other venues including of course the Club Agogo, Newcastle & also, at the top of North Parade in Whitley Bay, was another similarly named place (it used to be a theatre or cinema). The 4X Jazz Club in the Plaza (burnt down) in Tynemouth was another place to frequent although it wasn't one of my regular haunts.
Any thoughts, memories etc of these long gone clubs?
The clubs I'm thinking about are the Downbeat in Carliol Square (housed in what I believe was part of the old prison), the "old" New Orleans in Melbourne Street....a rather "run down" converted terrace house & the "new" New Orleans in Forth Street (now an upmarket Indian restaurant). One unusual venue was the Muscle Inn built into one of the arches of the railway bridge over Dean Street. Muscle Inn was also used by bodybuilders hence, I suppose the name?! I don't think the bodybuilding went on at the same time as the jazz!
At Whitley Bay there was the Rex Hotel Jazz Club on Sunday nights. This was a room above the road which runs under the hotel.....now a private flat. There were several other venues including of course the Club Agogo, Newcastle & also, at the top of North Parade in Whitley Bay, was another similarly named place (it used to be a theatre or cinema). The 4X Jazz Club in the Plaza (burnt down) in Tynemouth was another place to frequent although it wasn't one of my regular haunts.
Any thoughts, memories etc of these long gone clubs?