Adam writes… Come with me on a Musical Pub Crawl*. This occasional series seeks out places for a drink and/or a bite to eat with a bit of musical heritage in the locations. My focus will most often be London, of course, but we may travel a little further afield from time-to-time, too. If you’ve any great pub or bar recommendations of your own, drop me a line using the form below…
*As usual, unless otherwise stated, the reviews on this website are not the results of free tickets or PR invitations. These are real reviews with all drinks and food bought-and-paid-for.
The Bull’s Head, Barnes
1959 was a big year for jazz in England. Ronnie Scott‘s now legendary jazz club was opened in the heart of Chinatown, Soho. And about seven miles along the Thames from Gerrard Street, W1, way out to the not-so-wild west in the sleepy suburb of Barnes, The Bull’s Head started to host jazz gigs, too. The first gig took place in November 1959.
There has been a pub on this spot since at least the 17th Century. Which always makes me wonder… did George Frederich Handel sup here? He resided, after all, with the promoter John James Heidegger at nearby Barn Elms when he first arrived on these shores in 1711. And on a clear day did they have a view of a distant St Paul’s being topped-off in that self-same year?
The present pub dates from 1846 and if there is no longer a view of far Ludgate Hill, it’s still one off the loveliest spots for a pub in all of London. Okay, The Terrace is busy with road traffic but, from inside the pub, I recently spent a wintry Golden Hour by the window with a pleasant pint watching our “dirty old river” (thanks Ray Davies) rolling into the night.
The list of performers to perform here reads as a Who’s Who? of jazz and blues. Ronnie Scott, of course. There’s no show without punch. More recently Jamie Cullum. Also Blossom Dearie, Johnny Dankworth, Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood to name but a few. The great Humphrey Littleton, much-missed jazzer and hangdog wit performed regularly at the Bullshead for more than 40 years.
Taking the Mick?
One of my favourite stories about the old place is the night when one Chris Jagger and his band were playing the venue and Chris‘s big brother, Michael decided to sit in with them. The small crowd couldn’t believe their luck.
The pub today has a lovely bite to eat as well. When we visited an early March 2024, we dined like kings on veggie burgers and chips. There’s an excellent selection of beers and more than half decent wine list too.
And what’s not to love about a pub that has one room dedicated to Marc Bolan and another to Gustav Holst?
Bolan lived and famously died in this neighbourhood. We visit the spot where as many came off the road in 1977 on the Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day tour. Just along The Terrace you can find a blue plaque to Gustav Holst on his former riverside home.
It is said that on the days of the University Boat Race, Holst could be found watching proceedings from the upstairs window with is great friend Ralph Vaughan Williams.
It’s a very fine pub, indeed, whether you’re coming to listen to music in the small 80-capacity venue or simply have a beer and a bite to eat when walking the River Thames. Its location and its warm welcome make it more or less the perfect spot. And what better company could you want than the ghosts of Bolan, Holst and Handel?
For live music at the Bull’s Head, visit tickets.thebullsheadbarnes.com/live-music/categories/all. Find the pub’s website at www.thebullsheadbarnes.com/
We visit Barnes on the Rock’n’Roll Explorer Day tour. For more info on that, click HERE.
