The Ultimate Pub crawl!!
My adult life has been defined by three things; Music, travel and drinking in no particular order.
In my previous blogs I have concentrated on gigs we’ve attended recently and the cities where they took place. Of course, every city we have visited has resulted in visits to the various hostelries on offer.
This blog pays homage to some of the best pubs, bars and clubs we have drank (got drunk!) in. Most of the ones I have chosen are because when you visit them you are standing on the shoulders of giants. They may not be your heroes or may not have inspired you but you won’t deny the impact these past patrons have had on our culture. The below photo is from the Winslow Liverpool 4. This pub is directly opposite the main stand of Goodison park, home of my beloved Everton FC. It doesn’t serve the best beer, is murder to get served in but every punter is a fellow Blue………………what more could a man want!! When (if) Everton move to their proposed new stadium at Bramley Dock then, I’m afraid that the Winslow will perish along with the area around Goodison Park which will be a tragedy.
I will start this pub crawl blog in New York City. If you’ve never been to New York then hang your head in shame and book immediately. If you’ve ooh’d and aah’d at Disney or Universal film sets then do yourself a favour and get to Manhattan. Every street, every Diner, every bar will seem familiar. The difference is that they’re real!
We’ll kick off at McSorley’s Old Alehouse in the East Village. Greenwich Village is The best neighbourhood on earth. Yup, better than Haight Asbury, North Beach, Soho, Camden, Venice Beach……..anywhere you care to name. This is where CBGB’s was, where the Fillmore east was, where Andy Warhol had his Factory, where Bob Dylan was discovered, where the Stonewall pub that inspired the riots still is………………my god, I could go on forever. Anyways, back to McSorleys. This pub on E 7th street opened in 1854. Past patrons include Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S Grant and Teddy Roosevelt. President’s aside, cultural drinkers include Woody Guthrie, Hunter S Thompson and Brendan Beehan. Hell, John Lennon also drank a beer or two here . Today, the floors are still covered in sawdust. They serve two types of beers; Light or Dark. Order a beer and it come s in two glasses. The Gents toilets would make the Philharmonic in Liverpool weep in submission they are so clean. There are many regulars and a few tourists. Do yourself a favour and grab a beer in a great neighbourhood in the world’s best city (sorry London).
Next up we’re off to the West Village and The White Horse Tavern. Now this bar drips in history. A haven for writers and artists, Dylan Thomas was a regular. Ol’ Dylan drank his last whiskies in here before returning to the Chelsea hotel and passing away a few days later. Norman Mailer, Hunter S Thompson, Bob Dylan and Jim Morrison were other famous patrons. Jack Kerouac lived across the block and was regularly thrown out. For me, the best story is that this bar inspired the opening line of Mary Hopkins’ ‘Those were the days’…………..’Once upon a time there was a tavern’
Today the White Horse Tavern has a good crowd of regulars, serves good beer and decent food. But it’s the history that draws me in.
The Tavern is located at Hudson and 11th street. If you really want a dose of culture, the building that was used as the apartment in ‘Friends’ is close by at the corner of Bedford and Grove st.
We’re off to the West coast now. San Francisco is our next destination and a pub that my friend Phil introduced me to. Vesuvio is located in North Beach close to the famous City Lights book store. This bar was a favourite haunt of the Beat Generation. Allen Ginsberg, Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Neal Cassady all drank here with my hero Jack Kerouac. Musical luminaries who blew the froth off a beer include Bob Dylan and Jefferson Airplane’s Paul Kantner. Dylan Thomas also got shitcanned in Vesuvio. This bar is a great place to hang out and a place where you feel that you are standing on the shoulders of giants, the mark of a really great bar in my humble opinion. After a few beers I walked to City Lights and bought a copy of Howl by Ginsberg.
San Francisco has many great bars and my second favourite neighbourhood on earth (Haight Asbury). Nowhere in the city has quite the heritage of Vesuvio. A great place to drink a few beers after a hard day foot slogging up and down the cities many hills .
Heading South, a five hour drive takes you to the vast sprawl of Los Angeles. A difficult city to truly love but with enough highlights to keep the hardiest traveller entertained. The first bar I have picked is a rarity for me in that it’s part of a chain. Barney’s Beanery original bar is in West Hollywood, just off Sunset Strip. This is a great place, good beer and good food. Jim Morrison was thrown out of here for pissing on the bar, a plaque now marks the spot! Sadly, Barney’s was also the place where on 4th October 1970 Janis Joplin partied with friends before returning to the Landmark Hotel and dying from an overdose. Janis was a fantastic singer with the most powerful voice I’ve heard. I would love to have met her, to have listened to her stories about growing up in Port Arthur Texas, of moving to Austin, of hanging out with the Grateful Dead at 712 Asbury street and of her time living at the Chelsea hotel in NY. A powerful reminder of the evil of Heroin.
The headline act of Los Angeles bars is on Sunset Strip itself. The Rainbow Bar and Grill is fuckin’ awesome!! This was Lemmy’s local, Led Zeppelin had their own booth, Alice Cooper partied here with the Hollywood Vampires, John Lennon, Keith Moon and Harry Nilsson……………I could go on forever. Just go, immerse yourself in Rock’n’Roll history. The loud, young dudes at the bar might be the next big thing. It’s full of tourists but who cares??? This place makes me feel alive. Next door is the Whiskey a go go . If you’re into Rock music this section of Sunset Strip is Mecca. Don’t leave LA without going to the Rainbow.
Next stop is Texas and the Lakewood Landing in Dallas. Another place that Phil introduced us to. This place is proud of its dive bar tag. It is truly a neighbourhood bar, the sort of place that makes you want to move to the area. The thing that did it for me though was the waitress. Lucille Matthews worked as a bartender at the Lakewood Landing for more than 30 years. And she wasn’t just a drink slinger. Lucille, who once worked for Jack Ruby, was the heart and soul of the place. Plus, she was a downright interesting person who loved Dallas and enjoyed researching the city’s history. Lucille passed away in September 2001 and I am all the richer for meeting such a fascinating, friendly person.
200 miles South of Dallas is the state capital Austin. I’ve drank in many bars in Austin but it’s two clubs I’ve picked as must do’s. The first is the legendary Antone’s. This Blues and R&B club was opened in 1975 by Clifford Antone. It’s original home was on 6th street. There have been several moves over the intervening years, Antone’s is now located on East 5th street close to its original location. Over the years Antone’s has featured gigs by BB King, James Brown, Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Muddy Waters and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I could add many more names to this august list of artists. The first time we visited Antone’s it was located on Guadalupe street. We saw Steve Earle play a fantastic solo set. Support act that night were Charlie and Will Sexton. Charlie has been a member of Bob Dylan’s touring band for many years. I loved the place. By our next visit to Antone’s some years later, the club had moved to West 5th street. This location didn’t have the atmosphere of Guadalupe street but we saw a great show by Trish Murphy. I hope to checkout the latest venue in 2020.
The second club is a South Congress street institution. The Continental Club started out as a swanky supper club, then became Austin’s first burlesque club and later became a working man’s blue collar bar on South Congress that opened every morning at 7am and eventually grew into one of the premier live music venues presenting bands like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Paul Ray and the Cobras, Joe Ely and the Residents. Robert Plant has graced the stage in the Continental club, that must have been some night. We went there to see Toni Price, a regular performer at the club. Unfortunately we missed her set but did see a great show by the Leroi brothers. The punters in here are a laid back and friendly crowd although one of them did get upset when I had my photo teken there, a no no apparently! I look forward to visiting again in 2020.
Heading back east, the crawl hits Tennessee. First stop is on S Main street Memphis. Earnestine and Hazel’s is known as the most haunted bar in America. The building where this bar is housed originated in the late 1800s, when it was built as a church. Then it was a pharmacy and sundry store, and then an old jazz café and brothel before it became a bar, so there’s a lot of unsettled spirits in here. The brothel was upstairs. A fascinating fact about this place is that the Jukebox is allegedly haunted! On Christmas Day 2006, Karen Brownlee, bartender and manager of Earnestine & Hazel’s in Memphis, was discussing the death of “The Godfather of Soul,” James Brown, earlier that morning. As the discussion continued the voice of the recently silenced singer erupted from the jukebox proclaiming, “I feel good!” The shocked employees stared at each other as Brown joyfully crooned, “I got you!” Was the soul singer speaking through the jukebox or was it just a coincidence?
At Earnestine & Hazel’s, the jukebox is known to have a mind of its own. It is known to play according to discussion or sometimes the thoughts of patrons and employees at the bar. Another time a group of friends celebrating a woman’s divorce were greeted by the jukebox blaring Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.” Some time later a paranormal investigator was discussing exorcisms and the jukebox cheekily piped up from the corner with the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” Interestingly, many of the performers of these songs passed across the floors of this most historic dive bar, and some even slept here when Earnestine and Hazel were renting the rooms upstairs. Stories circulate of prostitutes either committing suicide or being murdered upstairs as well. Perhaps that explains the patrons who feel someone grab their hands at the top of the staircase. This feeling is sometimes accompanied by an overwhelming sense of sadness. When in Memphis if you wish to spend some time among the past, stop into Earnestine & Hazel’s, enjoy a Soul Burger, say hello to the sisters, perhaps take the hand of a long-dead prostitute at the top of the stairs, and maybe the jukebox will cheekily pipe up with an appropriate song to accompany your visit. We visited here in 2018. Phil was in Memphis on business so we arranged to meet here. The waitress overhead us talking about the history of the bar and told us to have a look around upstairs. It was genuinely eerie, I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts but this is the closest I have come to being convinced.
Oh, one last thing. The Rolling Stones visited in the sixties when playing a club across the street. Mick Jagger later wrote:
‘I met a gin soaked barroom queen down in Memphis’
Next up is Nashville and a place called 3 Crow bar. The centre of Nashville is a temple of Bacchanalian excess. Main street is a seething mass of partygoers 24/7 with most bars having live music. Bands play both kinds of music………..Country and Western! 3 Crow bar is located in the Five points area in East Nashville. It is a true dive bar, many regulars who congregate to talk, laugh, drink, smoke and watch live sports…………..sounds like heaven eh? East Nashville is a great alternative to the frantic city centre. There are great bars, restaurants and music venues. There are also some great record shops and vintage shops, wine merchants, food shops and many other independent vendors. There are few hotels so Airbnb is your best bet if you want to stay in East Nashville. It is easy to see why so many great musicians move to Nashville when you visit this cool, Bohemian neighbourhood. When in Nashville, make sure you visit RCA studio B. This is where Elvis recorded when he was in town. On the tour when you visit the actual studio where he recorded you are invited to sit down while the guide tells you that when recording, Elvis liked to sing in the dark. The studio lights are dimmed and the original acetate of Are you lonesome tonight is played…………..Truly spine tingling!!!
Before leaving the States we must visit Woodstock in upstate New York. This fantastic little town gave its name to the festival that was actually held some sixty miles away in Bethel Woods. No matter, musical luminaries such as Bob Dylan, The Band, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Paul Butterfield, Van Morrison, Todd Rundgren and Graham Parker have lived here. We loved our visit here in 2017. We often had a beer sat on the porch of the Station bar and Curio. This laid back bar was so relaxing. They served a Cucumber beer which may sound revolting but was actually a great thirst quencher on hot summer days. Our hotel was a couple of hundred yards away so it wasn’t far to stroll home with a smile on our faces.
Flying home to England we must stop in London. A close rival to New York for my favourite city award. There are many bars I love in London, many because I love the beer, or the neighbourhood or the age and history. To narrow it down to just two was hard. It meant excluding the Museum Tavern by the entrance to the British Museum………….too crowded, nearly all tourists but this is where Karl Marx went for a lunchtime pint when he took a break from writing the Communist manifesto in the reading room of said British Museum. I will start in Soho and the Coach and Horses on Greek street. Norman Balon who enjoyed the sobriquet of Britain’s rudest landlord worked there from 1943-2006. It was a favourite watering hole of literary types, artists and actors. Francis Bacon, George Melly, Peter Cook, Keith Waterhouse and Tom Baker were regulars as was writer, journalist and bon viveur Jeffrey Barnard. The latter was a Soho legend. Frequently drunk, when he was too indisposed to file his weekly column to the Spectator magazine his editor left the space blank with just the words ‘Jeffrey Barnard is unwell’ This became the title of an award winning West End play written by Keith Waterhouse detailing a drunken night in the Coach and Horses enjoyed by our eponymous hero. Private Eye magazine hosts weekly lunches in a room upstairs in this bar. Drop in and enjoy a pint of London Pride safe in the knowledge that Mr Balon no longer presides over the bar!
Camden is the next stop and the Hawley Arms. This great little pub was Amy Winehouse’s local. Amy apparently often went behind the bar and did a shift serving drinks long after becoming famous. Other famous patrons have included Pete Doherty, Alex Turner, Kate Moss, Liam Gallagher, Johnny Borrell and Russell Brand. There is a gallery of signed Rock star prints which must be worth a fortune. I love to take a break from foraging in Camden market and enjoy a pint in the Hawley Arms. I remember looking at a Richmond Fontaine poster signed by Willy Vlautin a hero of mine. I saw Willy and his band the Delines earlier this year and got him to sign a poster for me!
I will finish back in Liverpool at my favourite pub The Globe. This small place opposite Central station only claim to fame is holding the inaugural meeting of the Liverpool branch of CAMRA in 1974. This place is so friendly. If you’re looking for cool people, great tunes and a lively atmosphere don’t come in! If you just want to relax and enjoy drinking good beer, listening to great conversations and being served by the best bar staff on earth then head for the Globe. I will be there later this week and I can’t wait.
There are many places that I have missed. Phil took us to a great place called Brutopia in Montreal. In the same city I had breakfast in the diner used every day by Leonard Cohen when he was in his home town. We drank in great bars in Hamburg this year. We visited some great pubs in Whitby but they will have to wait for another time.
I’d love to get recommendations of bars to visit. I hope you get to try out some of the places I have mentioned. Let me know what you think. Cheers!!!