The Blues with Bottle Club was established 30 years ago by Doug Revell, an ardent blues fan, in Sevenoaks, at his local – the Anchor on London Road. Unbelievably, the pub still has the same very supportive landlord and the club continues to offer free blues nights each month.
After Doug’s untimely death in 2005, his family kept the club going as it was his wish, and also that of the club supporters. Over time the club flourished and Doug’s widow, Sue, continued with free blues nights in Sevenoaks as well as different areas.
In 2021, Sue moved to Ramsgate, where daughter Emily now lives, and at the end of that year the new landlords, Kat and Joe, at the Honeysuckle Inn agreed to host the club on a monthly basis. Since then, we have had a monthly blues night on the first Thursday of each month which have proved increasingly popular with audiences and musicians alike! Top blues musicians love to perform in the intimate, cosy setting (with excellent acoustics too!) and especially with a loyal, listening and appreciative audience.
The venue has a very special atmosphere – from the outside, discovering the Honeysuckle is like discovering Narnia – a country cottage style little pub with a rose covered arch, seats outside, backed by woods and accessed via a tiny lane, not to mention the warm welcome.
The free blues nights remain on the first Thursday of each month, from 8pm till 10pm, with a raffle and a special offer on a bottle of wine too...all the musicians are excellent and over the years the club has built a relationship with artists based on trust and respect.
They come from various parts of the country and often are happy to travel distances just to entertain – from Essex, Dorset, London and further – and some are touring from abroad.
The next blues nights at the Honeysuckle are:
- Thursday July 4 – Stompin’ Dave Allen (from Dorset)
- Thursday August 1 – Rag Mama Rag (based in France)
- Thursday September 5 – Roger Hubbard & Richard Studholme (from Hastings)
Further information about upcoming events:
www.blueswithbottleclub.co.uk
Facebook:
Blues with Bottle
Email :
blueswithbottle@gmail.com
We are always grateful for any support, keeping music live and also supporting local pubs.