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209:. According to the band's washboard player John Pilgrim, they secured the residency after Whyton entered the 2i's when it started raining during a set the band were playing on the back of a lorry nearby during the Soho Fair. Within a couple of weeks the band's performances at the venue had begun to attract a large following through word of mouth. It soon won a clientele attracted because of its
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musicians and would often record them rehearsing on a
Grundig Tape recorder. A door at the back led to the manager's office, and a narrow stairway led down to a "dismal and dark cellar about the size of a large bedroom, lit by a couple of weak bulbs. At one end was the small 18-inch stage made of milk crates with planks on top of them. There was just one microphone, left over from the
480:, Bart was responsible for painting the cellar, decorating it with a "black ceiling, large, stylised eyes on the walls, and cubist shapes behind the small stage platform". Bruce Welch has stated that parts of Bart's artwork were retrieved by himself and Bart when they were removed during building work in the 1990s.
40:
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The coffee bar allowed standing room for about 20 people, and had a serving counter with an espresso coffee machine, orange juice dispenser, and sandwich display case. The coffee bar was run by Jon
Vickers-Jones who was the assistant manager. He would help with setting up the stage area for the
499:, before the end of 1956, although it soon closed due to intimidation by organised crime. The 2i's closed in 1970. It later became the Dome Café Bar and then the Boulevard Bar. The site then became The House of Ho, a modern Vietnamese restaurant owned by chef
189:, Lincoln's interest in the property was initially less to do with the coffee bar and more to do with the storeys above it, which provided temporary accommodation for foreign wrestlers whom Lincoln and Hunter were promoting.
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I'd gone on a rite of passage to the 2i's café to listen to skiffle groups, sipping frothy coffee out of transparent cups and hanging around in the hope of spotting Tommy Steele."
559:. The film also featured a recreation of the coffee bar, albeit much more spacious than in real life, and also featured Tom Littlewood playing a judo instructor. During the 1980s
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The coffee bar was immortalised in Wee Willie Harris' song "Rockin’ At The 2i’s", and by Tommy Steele in "Two Eyes", a song recorded for the soundtrack of the film
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for
Koschmider. During their time in Hamburg the band worked with Tony Sheridan, who had performed at the 2i's, and later recruited another 2i's veteran,
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The name of the 2i's derived from earlier owners, brothers
Freddie and Bakhtyar (Buck) Irani, who ran the venue until 1955. It was then taken over by
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club in
Hamburg, visited the 2i's to recruit British rock'n'roll musicians to play at his venue: these included Derry and the Seniors, whose manager
457:, were where "Soho hipsters swelter and suffocate for it... and... generally the musicians were paid with coffee and cokes". Evans later started the
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and professional wrestler known as Rebel Ray Hunter. They opened it as a coffee bar on 22 April 1956. Tom
Littlewood, previously its doorman and a
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The basement of the coffee bar had live music; the acts made use of a small, 18-inch-high stage. Lincoln and Hunter started putting on
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247:, and some speakers up on the wall." The stage area can very briefly be seen in Rank Studio's 1959 episode "Coffee Bar", from their
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was unveiled at the site of the 2i's Coffee Bar to commemorate its existence, and to celebrate 50 years of
British rock and roll.
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music, and for a time became "the most famous music venue in
England," and attracted talent spotters and music promoters such as
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to be broadcast from the 2i's, with Tommy Steele as host. The broadcast is particularly notable for launching the career of
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mentions "the 2i's Cafe", "That's where Tommy Steele would play", in the song "Rory and the
Hurricanes" on his 2015 album
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worked there as waiters, whilst Wee Willie Harris worked as a cleaner and waiter and musician and future member of
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later reported that as a youth he had regularly attended the bar (in close proximity to his mother's
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became the last band to play in the 2i's basement when they filmed a music video there directed by
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in the cellar of her family home, which played an important role in the early development of
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Several recording stars were discovered at, or performed at, the 2i's coffee bar, including
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market stall) and had once witnessed an unsuccessful audition by
Richard at the venue.
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instructor, became its manager in 1958. According to Brian Gregg, former bassist for
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was also the Beatles' first manager, and who also arranged for the latter band to
503:. From July 2016 the site has been the Soho Poppies Fish & Chips restaurant.
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1048:"The 2i's and the birth of British rock - Record Collector Magazine"
1024:. Government of the United Kingdom. 10 November 2004. Archived from
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The 2i's rapid success led to the opening of a second branch at 44
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music culture in the late 1950s, and several major stars including
567:, who also recreated the 2i's for the opening scene of his film
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mentions the café in his memoir of Francis Bacon : "As a
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was new to the UK, and the 2i's Coffee Bar and, nearby venue,
417:. Notable non-musical names among the 2i's clientele included
226:
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Former buildings and structures in the City of Westminster
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The 2i's was the inspiration for the establishment of the
253:, available on Network DVD, in a clip featuring future
225:. In November 1957 Good arranged for an episode of the
365:, Paul Gadd (later to be known as Paul Raven and then
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Reportage Special: 2is legendary 50s Soho coffee bar
543:, to fill in for Ringo Starr on an Australian tour.
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495:, in what had been a folk and skiffle club run by
1022:"Westminster City Council – Green Plaques Scheme"
701:Incorrect notation in Musicstorytellers reference
173:known as "Dr Death", and Ray Hunter, a wrestling
1123:Confessions of a Sixties Drummer by Carlo Little
737:2 I's Coffee bar, The Birthplace of British Rock
476:Jet Harris worked behind the bar. According to
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647:& The Cabin Boys (early 1958 – early 1959)
629:Les Hobeaux Skiffle Group (summer – late 1957)
681:& the Playboys (early 1959 – summer 1960)
8:
1065:(First U.S. ed.). New York. p. 4.
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635:& The Dene Aces (late 1957 – early 1959)
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1063:Francis Bacon in your blood : a memoir
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1118:2 I's Coffee Bar UK Studios by Joe Moretti
1093:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
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838:"The 2i's and the birth of British rock"
669:& The Vipers (May 1958 – early 1959)
152:were first discovered performing there.
866:"Keith Kelly – Biography & History"
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201:groups; the first resident group were
948:. London: Omnibus Press. p. 19.
946:Peter Grant: The Man Who Led Zeppelin
7:
970:"THE HISTORY OF THE 2i's COFFEE BAR"
925:Skiffle: The Definitive Inside Story
891:"Kent MusicBiz – Musicians – People"
1061:Peppiatt, Michael (December 2015).
714:Musicstorytellers: People With 2i’s
626:The Soho Skiffle Group (late 1956)
25:
1175:1970 disestablishments in England
998:. Houseofho.co.uk. Archived from
1195:Coffeehouses and cafés in London
71:
1170:1956 establishments in England
1:
1190:Former music venues in London
684:The Jury (1961 – summer 1962)
183:Johnny Kidd & the Pirates
27:Coffee bar in London, England
739:. Retrieved 25 October 2013
716:. Retrieved 24 October 2013
441:According to an article in
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749:Glinert, Ed (July 2004).
46:
37:
641:(late 1957 – early 1959)
615:The Vipers Skiffle Group
546:On 18 September 2006, a
381:(as the Most Brothers),
303:Brian 'Licorice' Locking
592:Postcards from Paradise
257:drummer Brian Bennett.
1180:Music venues in London
799:"A Cellarful Of Noise"
556:The Tommy Steele Story
161:Founding and ownership
944:Welch, Chris (2002).
914:Monday, 15 April 1957
752:The London Compendium
663:(early – summer 1958)
623:(July–September 1956)
617:(July–September 1956)
411:Derry and the Seniors
171:professional wrestler
1146:51.51250°N 0.13278°W
1028:on 19 September 2008
653:(early – April 1958)
339:Screaming Lord Sutch
275:Vipers Skiffle Group
18:2i's Coffee Bar
1142: /
468:and music producer
34:
1151:51.51250; -0.13278
1002:on 8 November 2014
570:Absolute Beginners
513:Casbah Coffee Club
459:Angus Steak Houses
407:Kris Kristofferson
130:Old Compton Street
55:Old Compton Street
1072:978-1-63286-344-7
974:Musicstorytellers
755:. Penguin Books.
527:, manager of the
451:The Cat's Whisker
371:Ritchie Blackmore
315:Wee Willie Harris
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232:Six-Five Special
169:, an Australian
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431:Francis Bacon
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1000:the original
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978:. Retrieved
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895:. Retrieved
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873:. Retrieved
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848:. Retrieved
841:
809:. Retrieved
802:
766:. Retrieved
751:
744:
697:
679:Vince Taylor
667:Wally Whyton
661:The Drifters
621:Tommy Steele
597:
590:
585:
575:
568:
554:
552:
548:green plaque
545:
541:Jimmie Nicol
529:Kaiserkeller
510:
490:
484:'s manager,
482:Led Zeppelin
463:
442:
440:
415:Georgie Fame
391:Vince Taylor
375:Alex Wharton
367:Gary Glitter
331:The Tornados
327:Clem Cattini
319:Carlo Little
271:Tommy Steele
264:
250:Look at Life
248:
241:
230:
219:Larry Parnes
207:Wally Whyton
196:
187:The Tornados
167:Paul Lincoln
164:
146:Tommy Steele
121:
119:
87:Paul Lincoln
29:
1149: /
1032:22 December
1006:21 December
980:21 December
897:21 December
875:15 December
850:7 September
811:6 September
768:21 December
673:Vince Eager
645:Colin Hicks
587:Ringo Starr
523:. In 1960,
521:the Beatles
501:Bobby Chinn
497:John Hasted
486:Peter Grant
474:The Shadows
470:Mickie Most
466:Lionel Bart
464:Songwriter
455:Peter Evans
403:Michael Cox
395:Duffy Power
387:Joe Moretti
379:Mickie Most
363:Johnny Kidd
351:Russ Sainty
347:Keith Kelly
307:Vince Eager
295:Tony Meehan
287:Bruce Welch
283:Hank Marvin
211:rock'n'roll
126:coffeehouse
97:Coffeehouse
1164:Categories
1134:51°30′45″N
689:References
633:Terry Dene
577:Marc Bolan
419:Diana Dors
359:Albert Lee
311:Terry Dene
299:Jet Harris
237:Adam Faith
203:the Vipers
1089:cite book
1081:899332393
517:Mona Best
335:Eden Kane
323:Joe Brown
223:Don Arden
215:Jack Good
1137:0°7′58″W
870:AllMusic
603:teenager
245:Boer War
193:Features
175:promoter
58:London,
51:Location
447:skiffle
255:Shadows
199:skiffle
156:History
138:skiffle
1079:
1069:
952:
931:
759:
659:&
507:Legacy
273:, The
128:at 59
124:was a
111:Closed
103:Opened
912:Time,
83:Owner
1095:link
1077:OCLC
1067:ISBN
1034:2012
1008:2014
982:2014
950:ISBN
929:ISBN
899:2014
877:2018
852:2021
813:2021
770:2014
757:ISBN
443:Time
429:and
413:and
221:and
185:and
179:judo
148:and
140:and
134:Soho
120:The
114:1970
106:1956
93:Type
369:),
333:),
229:'s
227:BBC
132:in
1166::
1091:}}
1087:{{
1075:.
972:.
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60:W1
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329:(
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