The Bullfrog Blues Club now meet monthly at the The NBE CSA Club in Onlsow Road, Southsea, PO5 2NH. Se ourVenue Page

Check the listings page to see whose on next. Check the artists section for information and / or pictures of the various bands and solo blues acts that have played at the club.

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A Brief History

The first Barking Spider gig ever was on 17th March 2000, when J.R. promoted his own band AN SEISIUN for a St.. Patrick's day celebration on South Parade Pier, Southsea.This was followed (somewhat ambitiously!) by promoting top Irish band ALTAN on June 9th, which was their only U.K. gig on a tour that included Ireland and Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles! After just scraping by financially with this gig, J.R. decided to run folk and blues gigs roughly once a month on the Pier.

The first blues gig was at on 25th August 2000, when CHRIS FARLOWE appeared. This was followed by apearances by THE YARDBIRDS (April 2001) and THE PRODUCERS (May 2001)

However, J.R. decided Barking Spider could promote blues on a more regualr basis at a different venue just down the road from the Pier - the "Frog On The Front" at The Pyramids Centre. The first event was in December 2000, when AYNSLEY LISTER performed one of his first ever solo gigs.

The Bullfrog Blues Club was started in March 2001 at "The Frog On The Front" bar, to fill a gap after Richard Wedd retired from The R.M.A Tavern in Cromwell Road, a pub which had been long established as the home traditional home of the Portsmouth Blues. Initially The Bullfrog featured local bands with occasional guests.

The following local bands played at The Frog On The Front... WORKERS PLAYTIME, THE RHYTHM KINGS, APICELLA, TONY FARINHA & LAURIE McVAY, BURNT ICE, POWER OF THREE, LAST ORDERS, STEP ON THE GAS, THE POKERS, THE BIG EASY and THE CRISIS BLUES BAND.

Guests included MO INDIGO, BEN ANDREWS and DAVE & HARRY (from THE PRODUCERS)

However, for a variety of reasons it was soon found that the choice of venue was far from ideal, and The Bullfrog Blues Club moved to its new home in The Albert Bar of South Parade Pier, in July 2001 , where it still operates from at least once as week.

Here's a full list of who's appeared there so far.... AYNSLEY LISTER (solo and with the band), DR. BLUE, THE BIG EASY, WORKER'S PLAYTIME, WHITE KNUCKLE BLUES BAND, KENT DUCHAINE, BURNT ICE, RHINO MEN, APICELLA, CLAUDE BOURBON, SONNY BLACK & GEORGE PEARSON, KING ROLLO, THE RHYTHM KINGS, DR. FEELGOOD, CANNED HEAT, BIG TIM'S BIG BOX OF BLUES TRICKS, THE BILL THOMAS BAND, REET PETITE & GONE, BOB HALL, EARL GAINES & AL GARNER, MO INDIGO, THE POKERS, STEP ON THE GAS, BILLY C.FARLOW, CLARK ST. BLUES BAND, AMOR, CHRIS SMITHER, GWYN ASHTON (solo & with the band), LAST ORDERS, CHRIS JAGGER, THE EXPLORERS, ADRIAN BYRON BURNS, TIM ROYCE, RONNIE TURNER & JOHN F.WANDS, GUY DAVIS, DICK WARDELL, HERSHEY & THE 12 BARS, PAUL LAMB AND THE KINGSNAKES, PERRY FOSTER, SCOTT McKEOWN BAND, LARRY MILLER BAND, MO THOMAS, POWER OF THREE, SUGARLAND SLIM, TOMMY ALLEN'S TRAFFICKER, BIG BILL MORGANFIELD, JOHN CRAMPTON, THE PETE HARRIS BAND, KING EARL BOOGIE BAND, SPENCER BOHREN, DICK WARDELL, TONY FARINHA & LAURIE McVAY, PETE LEIGH & THE UNION, RECONSIDER, IF 6 WAS 9, SKYNNY LENNARD, GUY TORTORA, THIS WAY UP, MICHAEL MESSER & ED GENNIS, MEMO GONZALES & THE BLUESCASTERS, THE JUKE JOINTS, HELEN WATSON, LITTLE TOBY WALKER, MARCUS MALONE, THE JIVE ACES, GEOFF MULDAUR, SWAMP THINGS, DERRIN NAEUNDORF & DAVE DOWNING, CADILLAC KINGS, IAN SEIGAL BEN ANDREWS, DEBORAH BONHAM BAND, THE MUSTANGS, DICK TAYLOR'S BLUES MUTHAS, ANDY BROAD, ERROL LINTON BLUES VIBE, DANNY BRYANT'S REDEYE BLUES BAND, THE WATCHMAN, EDDIE MARTIN, MICK DOWNS BAND, STEVE DANIELS, JOHN CRAMPTON and SPIKEDRIVERS.

Barking Spider also ran a couple of blues gigs (STEWART CARR & DENIS REEVE BAKER, KING ROLLO) at The City Bar in the town centre, but in early 2003 moved back to The R.M.A. Tavern for occasional nights of blues.

So far the following have appeared at The R.M.A., music nights are now held in the front bar. SONS OF THE DELTA, ANDY BROAD, DEN REEVE BAKER, TWO TAMALES, MARCUS BANCROFT, STRINGYBARK McDOWELL, APICELLA.,STEP ON THE GAS (Acoustic duo), KING ROLLO, THE CONTINENTALS, SKYNNY LENNARD FLISS DOWLING & ANDY FLITCROFT, MAJIK CAT and SONNY BLACK & GEORGE PEARSON.

Barking Spider also organised the Roots weekend at the Isle Of Wight Festivals in 2002 and 2003, which led to appearances by GWYN ASHTON BAND, KING ROLLO, THE RHYTHM KINGS, HOT TAMALES, J.C. & ANGELINA GRIMSHAW , CLAUDE BOURBON & THE BIG EASY in 2003 and KELLY JOE PHELPS and ANDY BROAD in 2003.

Also in 2003 Barking Spider took on the task of organising the bands at Titchfield's "Blues At The Abbey" - THE HOLMES BROS, AMOR & RECONSIDER ensured that this was the first sell out "Blues In The Abbey" in the event's long history..