• NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from Blues Scene about music & art.

Kings of the Castle: Drive-By Truckers and American Aquarium Rule The Castle Theatre

September 22, 2023

GA-20 Jumps Into High Voltage Performance Mode in Chicago

September 22, 2023

Exclusive: Chris Yakopcic Premieres Video for ‘Gotta Get Goodbye Somehow’ From ‘Live at the Hidden Gem’

September 21, 2023

Exclusive Album Premiere: Louis Michot Conveys Dreamlike Imagery on ‘Rêve du Troubadour’

September 20, 2023
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram Vimeo
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
  • NEWS
  • REVIEWS
  • INTERVIEWS
  • EVENTS
  • VIDEOS
Advertise
American Blues SceneAmerican Blues Scene
Home»News»Darwen UK Gets New Blues Club
News

Darwen UK Gets New Blues Club

JD NashBy JD NashAugust 11, 2017Updated:April 10, 2020No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email VKontakte WhatsApp
Big House Blues Bar & Grill Sign Laura O'Neill
Photo: Laura O'Neill
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email
Big House Owners - Laura O'Neill Lancahsire Telegraph
Photo: Laura O’Neill

Darwen is a quintessential British town in the center of Lancashire County. It’s home to the Jubilee Tower, and an Andrew Carnegie commissioned library. The Beatles once played there, back in 1963. The town also has its own music school, and is home to one of the oldest brass bands in the country.

Now, a decidedly American influence has emerged. The Big House Blues Bar & Grill opened for business on August 4th. The building began life as an historic Catholic Club, built in the 1920s. Having closed three years ago, it was purchased by two blues loving business partners. Eddie Valentine, and Sam Cooper purchased the aging edifice in November, 2015, with one thought in mind. They wanted a blues club.

Cooper, now 57, claims, “It’s a life’s dream this place, ever since I was in my teens.” The owners have decreed that it is a true blues bar, playing nothing but blues music.

Outside, the blue colored sign sports an image of Robert Johnson. Perhaps a nod to the man, who legend holds, made a deal with the devil. Could be a sly nod to the main road through the town, A666, which runs North to Blackburn, and South to Bolton. Either way, there’s no mistaking Cooper and Valentine’s intent.

The acclaimed blues, and R&B band, The Stumble, performed on opening night. Keep in mind, that this is the band Lazy Lester wanted to bring back to the States with him. They are also “one of the strongest live acts that the genre can boast in the UK,” according to several blues press outlets. That’s how you open a new club.

The Stumble - Alan Partington
The Stumble – Alan Partington

The building has been given a complete facelift, and the club is bright, shiny, and clean. Perhaps not what one would expect who may be used to the more primitive surroundings of a Southern juke joint, but the requisite photos, instruments, and signage are on display. A large black on white sign above the bar bears the mythic, and anonymous quote, “The blues been here since time began. Since the first lyin’ woman met the first cheatin’ man.”

The bar plans to be open Thursdays – Sundays, with a menu that includes burgers, chicken, and ribs. Visitors to the Big House, will also be entertained with live music every night they’re open.

Paying proper homage to the origins of the genre, the Big House will undoubtedly become the watering hole of choice, for blues loving Brits.

Big House Blues Bar on Facebook

Big House Blues Bar Darwen UK New Blues Club The Stumble
Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email WhatsApp
Previous ArticleWalter Trout Says ‘We’re All in This Together’
Next Article Low Society’s ‘Sanctified’ is a Modern Blues Masterpiece
JD Nash

JD Nash is the former host of Blues Influence on WREN radio and current editor-in-chief of American Blues Scene.

Related Posts

New VizzTone Artist Mathias Lattin Previews Upcoming Album with ‘Lose Some Weight’

September 18, 2023

Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite’s Grammy®-winning ‘Get Up!’ Returns to Vinyl

September 15, 2023

Folk Americana Roots Hall of Fame Announces Inaugural Class – Gordon Lightfoot, John Prine, Pete Seeger, and Woody Guthrie Among Inductees

September 14, 2023

Cat Power to Release ‘Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert’

September 14, 2023

Comments are closed.

Advertisment
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Videos
  • About

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.