Brunning's BB's Blues Club

[michelej1]

From This is Local London, October 21, 2005

HEADLINE: Bob’s still singing the blues

BYLINE: David Tilley

BODY:
Every day I have the blues" sang BB King and thanks to one of his biggest admirers blues fans in Colliers Wood can get their fix too.

BB's Blues Club one of the area's best kept secrets was started by Bob Brunning himself a man of good musical pedigree having been a founder member of Fleetwood Mac 38 years ago.

The club started at the King's Head in Colliers Wood High Street before moving to current location GJs where it has been for the last three years.

"BB is the best by far says Bob, an enthusiasm for the great man that got him as far as a personal invite and audience with King at the opening of his club in New York.

Sharing Bob's love of blues are the BB's regulars who turn out for a rollicking evening of live music every Sunday.

However, the club is now to undergo a change of direction and run a series of acoustic nights.

A misunderstanding over a booking led to a singer showing up at the club minus his band but the resulting acoustic show was electrifying even without amps.

It's going to be a bit of an experiment but I hope people will keep supporting us said Bob.

He also took into account the recent success of the acoustic session which was a highlight of this year's Abbeyfest, which he helps organise.

In fact, Bob's band and local favourites the De Luxe Blues Band, chose to play their final gig there at the 2004 festival.

I'm known for my hatred of rehearsals but we made seven albums and I really wanted to put all the time and energy into the band but I couldn't really explains Bob.

We had a lovely send-off at the festival though.

"Lots of people came and we invited old members of the band."

Bob has also been busy delving into the treasured history of another club sifting through the stuff of legends to compile a book on London's famous 100 Club.

The club kept diaries going back to the 50s which he is using as a source of research along with old copies of Melody Maker.

BB's Blues Club features the best British and American blues bands around and can be found between 8.30pm and 10.30pm every Sunday at GJs 62 High Street Colliers Wood.

[michelej1]

This is Local London, January 12, 2001 11:10:

Remember Fleetwood Mac before the packed stadia and the lighter-waving fans? Bass player Bob Brunning does he was in the line-up when they played their first gig.

Bob, 57, from Colliers Wood, says hes been dining out for years on the fact he was with the Mac, albeit for three months, way back in 1967.

But there is much more to the ex-teacher than his brief moment in the spotlight he is a childrens author, has his own group the De Luxe Blues Band and has just started his second blues club.

Bob casts his mind back to the 7th Windsor Jazz and Blues Festival, now the Reading Festival, when he was part of the original Peter Green led line-up.

I knew I was not going to be a permanent member because Peter Green wanted John McVie in the band but he got cold feet because he was earning a good living with John Mayalls band. I was more than delighted to get into it, he said.

John McVie joined and I got what was a promotion at the time to blues band Savoy Brown. Fleetwood Mac went on to become 39 times more popular, but at the time it looked like Savoy Brown could be massive.

Bob started his musical life supporting a certain Tony Blackburn in Bournemouth before Blackburn became a celebrity DJ.

The grandfather gave up the life of a full-time bluesman to teach, but has been playing in various line-ups and has just recorded his 43rd album.

I never strayed from the music business. Ive always played with bands all the way through my teaching career. Ive played with Charlie Watts and supported the legendary Chuck Berry in Amsterdam, said Bob.

Chuck has a reputation of treating backing musicians badly and not wanting them to be paid but we had a great time. We would have paid to play with him.

Creating an alternative music scene in his neighbourhood, Colliers Wood, is also an ongoing labour of love for Bob, who in November started the new BBs Acoustic Blues Club, which runs every Thursday night in the William Morris pub.

My other blues club in the Colourhouse Theatre has been going for four years every Sunday. I wanted to provide a venue for this sort of music because there is such a dearth of that locally, says Bob.

Bob has remained friends with guitar legend Green, who was seriously ill with schizophrenia but is now back doing what he likes best wielding his axe.

Hes doing fine now. Really everyone was very unhappy that he had this mystery illness. Ive asked him down to the club several times but so far hes yet to come, he adds.

Gospel

Bob is also preaching the rock gospel, as part of the National Curriculum, to a whole new generation of young music fans who would probably only normally listen to boy bands and pop music. Having written one set of books about music which sold 120,000 copies, he is now preparing another set of six, with subjects including punk, blues and country.

After more than 30 years in the business, music is still very much at the centre of Bobs world.

[David]

I like Bob because he has never sounded bitter about the way Fleetwood Mac all panned out. Plus, he has always taken an interest in the band & its history, & he has had a lot of communication with the fans. Finally, he has kept up with music & performing, & has always taken pleasure in it.

Bob, you are a class act.

[michelej1]

I like Bob because he has never sounded bitter about the way Fleetwood Mac all panned out.

And I think the fact that he knew he was just a placeholder from the beginning helped prepare him to move on to other things easily, without regret, once John came round.

Michele