Everyman Bistro on Sundays 1982-1989

The Proprietors, The Bands, The Posters, The Staff, The People

The Beginning with Hope Hall 1964

The ‘Almost’ Blues at Hope Hall (1964/65) & The Lawnmower  at The Everyman (1982/89)

The Bohemian Bluesman

In 1964 as a ‘Bluesman’ living in the ‘Village’  the epicentre of Art, Music and Theatre, Hope Hall especially, The Bistro became the central meeting and eating place for the like minded away from the usual watering holes of Ye Cracke, O’Connor’s and the Philharmonic pub. 

A place to discuss, digest and plan the more avant-garde and anti establishment projects in all subjects from love and death to peace and war and a groovy place to pick up members of the opposite sex referred to as ‘chicks’ in the vocabulary of the time when everythin’ was

‘great, groovy and cool!’ 

It was during this time that I met Adrian Henri the Beat Poet and Artist and started working on combining the spoken word

with the rhythmic beat of Rhythm & Blues.

The ‘Almost’ Blues

My band The ‘Almost’ Blues played their first of many gigs at Hope Hall starting on Saturday 22nd August 1964 including supporting Blues Legend Alexis Korner under the heading ‘London Comes to Liverpool’.  His band included guests such as Long John Baldry (vocals),

Reg Dwight (Elton) on piano and Rod the Mod (Stewart) on vocals and Dick Hextall Smith on saxes.

The reputation of  The ‘Almost’ Blues along with that of the Roadrunners appealed to the art fraternity especially as they were the only bands at that time dedicated to the less well known black American Bluesmen.  Mike Hart (Roadrunners) and myself were Ray Charles fanatics at that time,

so much so that I used to ‘sag-off’ from Art School on Wednesday afternoons to listen to the new R&B releases that

Brian Epstein and Pete Brown of NEMS had put aside for me.

"Regards the article attached to The Everyman Bistro website about "Blues at Hope Hall". The first Blues Band to play the space was The Roadrunners led by Mike Hart. This was before the Bistro in what became known as The Third Room"...Dave 'Roadrunners' Boyce.
 The Village

All my creative life seems to centre around ‘The Village’ (Hope Street) as it remains the area most frequented by artists, musicians, poets, wordsmiths and theatrical producers.  A place with a vibrant atmosphere full of animated discussion even though it does not seem quite as hedonistic as the 1960’s it still remains the place to meet.  Strangely enough my sons are drawn to this area with my eldest, Adrian completing his artistic education at Liverpool Art College before moving onto Central St Martins and now my younger son Eddy was attending Liverpool Community College studying Music and Art before teaching at Penny Lane Music School!

Hope Hall Theatre

One of my most enjoyable and memorable ‘theatrical’ performances was supplying the trumpet work for the actor miming to my playing in John Osborne’s ‘Look back in Anger’.  I remained hidden behind a screen during the performance.  Once again I remained hidden behind some stage scenery during my performance with Roger McGough, John Gorman and  Mike McCartney on The Grimm’s Tour.  

That most definitely was not the case during my musical accompaniment  with Beat Poet and Contemporary Artist, Adrian Henri.

The late Mr Henri became a close personal friend and confidant and I feel privileged to be amongst those musicians who have made a contribution to his work and especially having been asked to play solo muted trumpet at his funeral service held at Liverpool’s Anglican Cathedral.  

I chose one of his favourite blues pieces ‘St James Infirmary Blues’.

The Everyman Bistro 1982 to 1989

Only a few people know that I used to work behind the bar at the Everyman when I was a student at the Liverpool Matthay School of Music and one of the many jobs that I had was to make the hummus and I must say that this dish still produced at the Bistro is the best I've ever tasted in Liverpool.

I started putting live music on the Bistro after many of the bands using Square One Studios complained about the lack of venues in Liverpool where the bands could play their own music, a venue that was not dictated to by the bar take!  This proved difficult at first because there was no financial support so I had to charge admission to guarantee that the bands received something for their efforts. Some people even complained about the minimum charge of 75p on the door so that the only band that I could get to play for the first few months was The Lawnmower.

Fortunately we had built up quite a following and the word soon spread that Sunday nights at the Everyman Bistro was a joyous occasion.

On the first Monday of every month I used to distribute the posters all around Liverpool and on the University campus and Halls of Residence in Mosley Hill and in some cases every week.

The Proprietors

The proprietors Paddy Byrne and Dave Scott were very supportive and the most unlikely but likeable restaurateurs one could imagine and it pleases me to see them doing so well and continuing with their wonderful menus served in a place with a creative ambience.

The Bands

The gigs used to take place in the main area to the left of the main stairwell when looking from the bar area with some of the tables and chairs

being removed to accommodate the bands equipment.

Everyman Bistro Bands 1982 - 1989

Adrian Henri, Art Confusion, Animated Classics, Apologies for Innocence, ‘A’ Team, Andy Smart, Balcony (Yorkie), Bamboo, Bamboo Fringe,

Bad to the Bone, Beach Bastards, Blues News, Bingo Brothers (Jack Roberts), Blue Nose B, Brenda & the Beachballs, Bob, Bob, Bob & Bob,

Box of Toys, Brass Hoppers, Came Under Mayne, Can’t Do, Carboni Brothers, Cathedral, Cherry Boys, Crickey it’s the Cromptons,

Craig Charles, Carl Chase, Crawl,  Davinci’s, Dalek I Love You, Eat at Joes, English McCoy, 58 Kiss, Fishcake Shake, Heaven Tonite,

 Frightened by Strangers, Gone to Earth, Grown Up Strange, Hard Work, Head Over Heals, Hell Hounds, Heroes, High Five, Fragile Friends,

 Holding Section, In Dangerous Rhythm, Jane Alexander, Jegsy Dodd & the Sons of Harry Cross,  Karl Terry,

The La’s, Laughin’ Freemen, Lawnmower, Levi Tafari, Leroy Cooper, Lilac Trumpets, Lions of Winter, Love Look Away, Malchix, Mama Hill, Mask of Bizarro, Melotones, Mick Hucknall, Ministry of Love, Naffi Sandwich, No Exit, One Last Fight, Old As the Hills Brothers, Onset, Orchard, Outer Limits, Personal Column, Private Jack (Jack Roberts), John Sessions,Persuaders, Poland, Push Button Pony, Push Push,

Rebels Without Applause, Reverb Brothers, River St Band, Roy Jenkins, Slippers, Space Station Alpha, St Vitus Dance,

Stepping Razor, Stuck For A God,Snake Davis, Sounds of Ebony, 16 Tambourines (Steve Roberts), 

Supercharge, Tim Whittaker, Touch-Connie Lush, Two’s A Crowd-Phil Jones, Tarzanz Milkmen,

Vernons, Wizards of Twiddly, War Office, Western Promise, When In Rome, X-Ray Ears, Yes Sir!

If I have missed anyone from the list above please contact me at groovin.records@virgin.net

The Posters

The Staff

The People, Musicians, Actors, Poets & Artists

If you have any interesting photos of your time at the Everyman Bistro on Sundays

please email them to me for consideration of inclusion at groovin.records@virgin.net

Please make the files small around 65 Kbps and my apologies if I have not included everyone as we did not possess mobile phone /cameras in the 1980's

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