The Ealing Club

London's first R&B venue and where Keith got a taste of gigging

Location: 42A The Broadway, Ealing, W5 2NP

Description: Opening in January 1959, 'The Ealing Club' was situated in a basement below an Aerated Bread Company tea shop, (now an Estate Agent) opposite Ealing Broadway station.

It was reached by descending the narrow steps of the alley that leads to Haven Place, between the tea shop and what at the time was a jeweller's shop.

On 17 March 1962, known as The Ealing Club, it became London's first regular R&B venue with a performance by the seminal Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies band Blues Incorporated.

'The club held only 200 when you packed them all in' Korner recalled, 'and there was only about 100 people in all of London that were into the blues and all of them showed up at the club that first night'.

The club is also noteworthy as the place where on 7 April 1962, Alexis Korner introduced Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to Brian Jones, and the nucleus of The Rolling Stones first came together.

In fact it was here that Keith Richards had one of his first tastes of playing live on stage, after Alexis Korner invited him up on stage to jam.

A Blue Plaque now marks the spot for Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies starting R&B here!