What was The Bag O’Nails?
The Bag O’Nails pub was one of the most important venues in Swinging Sixties Soho, where revellers gathered after dark to hear the next big thing, the next band or solo artist who was about to hit the big time.
Where did the name Bag O’Nails come from?
The pub opened in 1965 on Kingly Street, a stone’s throw from Regent Street. The origin of the name is debated. Either it's a reference to carpenter’s who worked in the area, or a cockney corruption of bacchanal meaning a drunken celebration. Certainly the later seems appropriate.
Who drank at the Bag O’Nails Pub?
Whilst most bars in London in the 60s were for wealthy sophisticates, The Bag O’Nails was a rock n roll watering hole for earthier types, complete with a back room for smoking “pot” and a different band playing each night. Generally the punters who attended were not there to listen to the music though, but chose it as a place to hang out with people in the music business, and maybe spot a celeb.
And the celebs certainly came. Soon it was attracting some of the biggest names of the era, such as Georgie Fame, The Who, The Animals, and Tom Jones. It was even a regular haunt of The Beatles, Paul McCartney’s favourite place to eat and unwind after a long day in the studio.
When did Jimi Hendrix play at the Bag O’Nails Pub?
In 1966, shortly after settling in London, Jimi Hendrix played his first gig in London at the Bag O'Nails with his brand new band, The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Word had already spread about his prestigious talents and a star studded crowd turned up to watch, supposedly including John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, Mick Jagger and Pete Townshend. The following year Paul McCartney met his future wife Linda Eastman in in the Bag O’Nails, when both went to see Georgieb Fame and the Blue Flames perform.
When did the Bag O’Nails close?
The Bag O'Nails closed as a music venue in 1968, and the site has been taken over by various different businesses in the intervening years, most recently a private members' club in 2013. As of 2024, the building is empty and awaiting new proprietors.
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