Opened by brothers Rik and John Gunnell in January 1966, the Ram Jam Club (named after Geno Washington’s Ram Jam Band) was situated on the Brixton High Road. The famous venue hosted most of the top UK acts of the 1960s as well as visiting US blues and soul artists. I have started to compile a gig list and would welcome any additions in the comment below.
1966
3 March – The Spencer Davis Group
4 March – Graham Bond Organisation
6 March – The Gass
10 March – The Who
12 March – The Peter B’s and Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
18 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
24 March – The Peter B’s and Wilson Pickett
31 March – The Peter B’s, Don Covay and The League of Gentlemen
2 April – The Peter B’s, Arthur Alexander, The Jimmy Brown Sound, The Shevelles
9 April – The Peter B’s and Gary Farr & The T-Bones
14 April – The Peter B’s and The Vibrations
16 April – The Peter B’s and The Gass
21 April – The Peter B’s, Lee Dorsey and The League of Gentlemen
7 May – The Shotgun Express and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
21 May – The Shotgun Express
2 June – The Steampacket
3 June – The Gass
4 June – Cliff Bennett & The Rebel Rousers and Amboy Jukes
9 June – The Yardbirds (cancelled)
10 June – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
18 June – The Shotgun Express
24 June – The Moody Blues
5 August – O’Hara’s Playboys
6 August – The Gass
12 August – The Ferris Wheel
13 August – Dave Anthony’s Moods and Rik ‘N’ Beckers
14 August – Amboy Jukes
18 August – Alan Price Set
19 August – The Skatallites
19-20 August – The Shotgun Express
20 August – Shell Shock Show
21 August – Amboy Jukes
25 August – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
26 August – Mark Barry
26 August – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
27 August – Cream
27 August – The Ferris Wheel
28 August – Amboy Jukes
29 August – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
1 September – The Spencer Davis Group
3 September – The VIPs
8 September – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
9 September – The Carl Douglas Set
10 September – Amboy Jukes
17 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
11 September – Blues Healers
18 September – Otis Redding
3 November – Cream
11 November – The Sound Casters
12 November – The Soul Vendors
13 November – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
17 November – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
6 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
9 December – The Action
10 December – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers and Jimi Hendrix Experience
11 December – Bobby Hebb and Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
13 December – Rupert’s Rick ‘N’ Beckers Show
25 December – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (afternoon and evening)
1967
1 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
7 January – The Eyes of Blue
13 January – The Shotgun Express
27 January – Geno Washington & The Ram Jam Band
28 January – Cream
29 January – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
31 January – The Fireballs
3 February – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
4 February – Jimi Hendrix Experience and The All Night Workers
5 February – Amboy Jukes
17 February – Ronnie Jones & The Blue Jays and The All Night Workers
11 March – Zoot Money & The Big Roll Band
17 March – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
18 March – Chris Farlowe & The Thunderbirds
19 March – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
24 March – Julian Covey & The Machine
25 March – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
27 March – The All Night Workers
31 March – The Urchins
1 April – The Artwoods and Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
2 April – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
7 April – The Main Line
8 April – The Eyes of Blue and Rick ‘N’ Beckers
9 April – Herbie Goins & The Nightimers
13 April – Mary Wells & The Playboys
14 April – The Shevelles
15 April – The Pretty Things and The All Night Workers
16 April – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
21 April – Julian Covey & The Machine
22 April – Felder’s Orioles and The Main Line
23 April – Nina Simone
28 April – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
29 April – Shevelles and The Gass
30 April – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede (may not have happened)
6 May – Julian Covey & The Machine and The All Night Workers
2 June – Nat Cole Show
3 June – Cream, Impact Blues and Mad Movies
4 June – Lucas and The Mike Cotton Sound
5 June – Duke Lee Sound
9 June – Nat Cole Show
10 June – John Lee Hooker, John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, Savoy Blues Band and Mad Movies
11 June – Jimmy James & The Vagabonds
12 June – Duke Lee Sound
16 June – Nat Cole Show
17 June – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede, The Soul Meeting Band, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
18 June – The Gass
19 June – Duke Lee Sound
23 June – Nat Cole Show
24 June – Felder’s Orioles, The Chiffons & Rhythm and Blues Inc, Duke Lee Sound and Mad Movies
25 June – Ronnie Jones & The Q Set
26 June – Duke Lee Sound
1 July – John Lee Hooker, The All Night Workers, Savoy Brown Blues Band and Duke Lee Sound
15 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede with Mad Movies
16 July – Joyce Bond Show
22 July – Georgie Fame
29 July – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
4 August – The Wages of Sin
2 September – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers
9 September – Fleetwood Mac
7 October – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
1968
24 March 1968 – Carl Douglas & The Big Stampede
Most of the gigs were sourced from Melody Maker and gig posters. Thanks to Tony Webb for use of the club posters and to Ken Baxter for some Carl Douglas gigs from his contracts. Thanks also to Bruno Ceriotti and Mick Capewell for providing dates.
Copyright © Nick Warburton, 2014. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without prior permission from the author.
The post The Ram Jam Club, Brixton appeared first on Garage Hangover.