The Bamboo Club Bristol
File under: Pilgrimage
In the southwest of England, situated along the River Avon is the port city of Bristol. At the heart of this unique city lies Portland Square, a beautiful park of flat land that connects to the grounds of St. Paul’s Church. At the southeast corner of the square is St. Pauls street, named after the famous church just up the block. Today if you walk down St. Pauls street between Wilson and Orange streets, you will find a rather long row of red brick town homes, going all the way down the street. At first glance, nothing on the street seems very remarkable. However, if you follow the numbers on the houses, to number 7, a small round blue plaque can be seen attached to the red brick. From 1966 to 1977 this was the home of the Bamboo Club. The plaque reads, “The home of ska, reggae, and blue beat. Created by Lalel and Tony Bullimore. Bob Marley, Ben E. King, Desmond Dekker, Percy Sledge, and Jimmy Cliff played here.”
In 1972, Bob Marley had arrived in England from Sweden where he had been working with the singer Johnny Nash. Born in America, Nash along with Danny Sims, a music producer, publisher and promoter, went to Jamaica in the mid 60’s. Sims quickly signed Bob to write some songs for Johnny Nash and record and album with his band, the Wailers. This was Marley’s first international publishing and recording contract. In 1967 one of the songs that Bob wrote was the now famous “Stir it Up” which Nash recorded in 1972 and released on his album, "“ I can see clearly now”. The title track of that album would become Nash’s biggest hit of his career. Bob Marley and Wailers would later record and release the song on the album Catch a Fire.
That same year Tony Bullimore, the owner of the Bamboo Club sought out Johnny Nash and Bob Marley and booked them to perform at the Bamboo. Nash was the headliner and Marley was the opening act. This was the first time Bob had ever performed in England. The club was packed. The word traveled through the streets of Bristol. People heard about this young Jamaican singer. That night, Bob Marley and The Wailers took the stage. The crowd saw something that was electrifying. Bob had completely upstaged Johnny Nash. The audience went crazy for Bob Marley and Wailers. This would mark the beginning of a massive trajectory for Marley.
A year later Bob Marley and the Wailers would return to the Bamboo Club. This time the club was sold out with hundreds of people outside the club trying to get a ticket. At the same time, the club’s owner’s received a call saying there was a bomb in the club. Tony Bullimore went backstage and told Bob that the police were on their way because of a bomb threat. Fearing that there would be a riot if he didn’t perform, Bob came out and greeted the audience. Bob told the crowd he would sing, but that they would all need to leave so the police could inspect the club. After assuring the crowd that he would perform once they got the go ahead from the cops. Outside another two hundred or so people ended up mixing with the ticketed crowd. After the cops inspected the venue and gave the okay, the large crowd made their way back into the club, only the audience had swelled to a few hundred more people than was originally in the room. Packed to the gills, the Wailers took to the stage, the guitars and drums kicked in, and like a spirt, Bob, emerged onto the stage, the toms kicked in first followed by the guitars and the organ, the rhythm slow crept over the audience. Bob stepped to the microphone, “Stir it up; little darlin’, stir it up. Come on baby. Come on and stir it up: little darlin' stir it up. O-oh…. “
Those that were lucky enough to be there on the very special night in Bristol still talk about it has if it was a life changing event. Life before Bob Marley and life after seeing Bob Marley. Those shows would become part of the legend of Bob. Many other artists including Ben E. King, Desmond Dekker, Percy Sledge, Gregory Issacs, and Jimmy Cliff would also perform at the Bamboo Club. Sadly in 1977, a few days before the Sex Pistols were supposed to perform at the club, a fire swept though the club burning everything down, including many rare photographs. While it was the end of era, its memory still lives on. To this day the Bamboo Club's legacy is an important part of the city’s rich history.
At Layover Goods, we salute the Bamboo Club and the people of Bristol. Long may you run.
Layover Goods
| S | M | L | XL | 2XL | 3XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width, in | 18.00 | 20.00 | 22.00 | 24.00 | 26.00 | 28.00 |
| Length, in | 28.00 | 29.00 | 30.00 | 31.00 | 32.00 | 33.00 |
| Sleeve length, in | 8.90 | 9.20 | 9.50 | 9.70 | 10.00 | 10.40 |
This classic unisex jersey short sleeve tee fits like a well-loved favorite. Soft cotton and quality print make users fall in love with it over and over again. These t-shirts have-ribbed knit collars to bolster shaping. The shoulders have taping for better fit over time. Dual side seams hold the garment's shape for longer. .: 100% Airlume combed and ringspun cotton (fiber content may vary for different colors)
.: Light fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²))
.: Retail fit
.: Tear away label
.: Runs true to size
