The Troubadour at 263–267 Old Brompton Road in Earls Court, established in 1954, is one of the last remaining coffee houses of its era in London and although it has expanded over the years to incorporate the two buildings either side the original, the original coffee house remains relatively unchanged since its opening, with the cellar venue renowned as one of the primary venues of the British folk revival in the late 1950s and 1960s. Other notable coffee house venues of the time which hosted musicians of note included Les Cousins and Bunjies, both of which have since closed leaving the Troubadour as one of the last venues where it is still possible to experience something close to what it was like.
Artists
The club has played host to a number of major artists in various stages of their careers. Notable among these have been:
Richard Harris – in early 1956 where he auditioned and rehearsed his own production of the Clifford Odets play Winter Journey while studying at the then nearby London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. A newspaper review of the time credits the resulting production at the Irving Theatre to "The Troubadour Experimental Theatre group".
The club is, however, chiefly associated with folk music. Notable artists appearing under this banner have been:
Sandy Denny – who was the subject of a 2008 tribute show held at the venue.
Sonja Kristina – who played, organised club nights and helped out
Robin Hall – later regular on BBC Tonight programme
Sandy Paton – visiting American, subsequently prominent in US folk music scene
Michael Grosvenor Myer – later folk music critic on The Times, The Guardian, and Folk Review
Martin Carthy – one of the most influential figures in British traditional music and acknowledged influence on Dylan
Eric von Schmidt – a curator and performer of traditional music and acknowledged influence on Dylan
Davey Graham – one of the most influential figures in the 1960s folk music revolution in England
Linda Thompson
Richard Farina – a figure in the US counterculture and folk rock scene of the early 1960s
Bert Jansch
Roberto Diana – in 2014 and July 2017
Mark Abis
The Spinners
Pentangle
Many of these acts are captured performing at the venue in the photographs of Alison Chapman McLean.
Behind the scenes
A key name in the history of the Troubadour is that of Anthea Joseph, who organised many of the folk events at the club and was often credited as "the Manager" of the venue. It was inspired by the traditional role a troubadour held in the High Middle Ages as a herald and story teller. It is widely reported that when Bob Dylan arrived in London for the first time he was given no instruction other than that of his mentor Pete Seeger to seek out "Anthea at the Troubadour". In 1968, she joined Witchseason Productions as Joe Boyd's assistant. During Bruce Rogerson's ownership of the Troubadour it had not been used as a music venue for some years, so he asked The Flynn Brothers to manage some music evenings in the downstairs cellar, thereby making it a music club again. The Flynn Brothers revived the folk music scene there by bringing back notable artists such as Martin Carthy, John Renbourn, Davey Graham and Bert Jansch.
Decor and ambience
Influence
The Troubadour's influence was felt around the UK. The Bristol Troubadour Club fulfilled a similar role in the west of England, but with a more bluesy feel. The Troubadour in Los Angeles was a copy of the London club that opened in 1957 and runs still today. From the beginning it was a much larger venue but with a similar ethos.
Ownership
The Troubadour has had four proprietors since its opening:
1954–72, Michael Van Bloemen and Sheila Van Bloemen, founders of the venue
1972–98, Bruce Rogerson
1998–2015, Simon Thornhill and Susie Thornhill.
2015–present, Giles McNamee
Recent history
The Troubadour is now a café-bar, restaurant and club hosting live music, comedy, poetry and theatre, mainly by performers who, in the club's tradition, write their own material; more recent artists to pass through the club include Florence Welch, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Jamie T, Gak Jonze, Jack Peñate, The Dead 60s, Surianne, Chris Singleton, Paolo Nutini, Greta Bellamacina and Morcheeba. The performance space has been doubled in size but is still an intimate venue with a capacity of 136. Upstairs, the café focuses on traditional 'comfort' food. In addition, the venue also has an art gallery, wine barfunction room, two one-bedroom apartments and a 'secret' garden dining area. In 2015, the venue passed to the ownership of Giles McNamee.
