In Swinging Sixties London, when you got fed up with the Ad-Lib (what with Lennon freaking out because people were smoking joints in there) and couldn’t be bothered to trawl all the way down Picadilly to the Scotch of St. James (about, oh…a mile away), you walked five minutes (or had the chauffeur drive you) to the Bag O’Nails. Situated at 9 Kingly Street, it’s less than 100 feet from Regent Street, one of London’s busiest streets, yet so invisible it might as well be miles away.
It was one of The Beatles' favourite places in 1967-68. Beatles assistant Mal Evans said in his book, “Ended up smashed in Bag O'Nails with Paul and Neil. Quite a number of people attached themselves, oh that it would happen to me...freak out time baby for Mal”.
On 15 May, 1967, Paul McCartney met New York photographer Linda Eastman for the first time.
Jimi Hendrix joined the roster of celebrated performers who held the stage when he played his second British show here in late September 1966. It was a promotional bash for The Experience, financed by manager Chas Chandler selling five of his six guitars. “Britain is really groovy,” Jimi announced afterward, just a week into his first visit to the country.
Bag O’Nails, 9 Kingly Street, London W1B 5PH
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Interesting, thank you. I walk along Kingly Street quite often. I'll keep an eye out next time. You're right about it being 'so invisible'. When I first started going there I'd wander around and around trying to find it.
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Thanks! The Jimi- nothing like a bit of Jimi on a Monday....
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Do I gather correctly that the Bag O' Nails, however improbably, still exists? If so, who hangs out there now?
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great post as usual!
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ivy - today it's a private member's club called Mirandas. So nobody famous, but no doubt wealthy. So far, of the four clubs I've seen and/or posted on, all are still operational as clubs. Which is pretty remarkable considering how little else is still the same.
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Not to mention the normal shelf life for clubs. I don't think there's a single place where I used to go in Manhattan in the early '80s that's still extant.
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Right-o, mate. Another evocative post. Any idea where the amazing video clip was shot?
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Spike, judging by the audience I'm guessing France or Italy. It looks like a TV show rather than a gig - maybe why Hendrix is doing all the stunts. (There's video of them at the Olympia, Paris in early 1967 and the band aren't doing any of the 'do you believe this?' laughs and looks.)