OLD DAYS & NEW
We get asked a lot of questions, about where The Bear Club came from and how it functions. Here’s some history and some answers to the most common Qs.
What was this place before?
It was a photography studio for about 25 years until 2014, a big white box for shooting cars, products and people. Before then, it was a garage of sorts. Before that, we’re not sure… but go back some more to the dawn of the building around 1900 and it was part of The Great North Steam Company and then the whole yard was a large milliners for many decades, with the old rail line running out the back going to the (now gone) Bute Street Station.
Why is it called The Bear Club?
Some things are just serendipitous, and whilst building the club over 9 months, amid the sawdust and the varnish, ‘The Bear Club’ emerged. I wanted a name that would feel like a classic club name of old, a name people could adopt… who doesn’t like a bear? The solitary days of building it sometimes felt very ‘cabin in the woods’ and a friendly bear would have been very welcome. And finally, it came to mind about and a much-loved book I’d been given by 33 Records owner Paul Jolly called ‘The Bear Comes Home’ about a jazz-playing bear trying to live the dream.
Why is it in Luton?
This is the Bear’s hometown, and in his humble opinion, there’s no place better for it. Not only have we a rich, though oft-overlooked history of supporting emerging artists, Luton has been home to one of the few surviving independent jazz record labels for 40 years. And let’s not forget, Jazz and Blues were born and thrived in industrial working towns and cities in the USA, where hard working people came to play, listen and drink. Sounds pretty familiar to these furry ears.
"It's like London..."
Sure. If that’s what you see. I see Luton, through and through, and Luton and its people have made it what it is.
Do you serve food?
Crisps only. Sorry. We don’t have the space for a kitchen, otherwise we would have happily cooked up a storm for you. Don't mind you bringing some in, if you don't mess up the place.
Can I shoot a music video here?
You can. It’s not free though, sorry. When the room is not The Bear Club, it still operates commercially in its old guise as a photography and film studio. Get in touch.
Do you hire it out for private parties?
Sometimes. But we never private hire it out on the nights we are normally open, as we want the club to be open and accessible all the time. There are exceptions, in January when we are hibernating…. and there are a few golden Sundays in the year before Bank Holidays when it is a great time to have a private party. There is a scramble for these dates... but we are always open to talk. We generally only hire it out to people we know well… either as members or Bear regulars. This is just because we’ve been bitten in the past, and if the nights are not friendly and fun, we are not interested. So get to know us.
"Where’s Justin?"
As much as he’d like to, he can’t be there every night. There’s are baby bears to take care of, and there’s the matter of the other full-time job he has to occasionally see to.
And as proven time and again by his amazing staff, things don’t fall apart without him. A life lesson for his ego.
What’s on this weekend? What time?
You are literally on the website which tells you this! We get several emails a week asking this. Please save us all time and have a click and a read. We’ll love you for it.
Can I bring under 18s?
On most nights, yeah. Drop us an email to let us know. We love young people to have exposure to live music. But please… ’Know Your Kid’! if they can’t sit through it, maybe it’s not time yet.
You should open one of these clubs in [Insert town name here]
It’s a very flattering thing that people get so into The Bear, they want one in their own town… Harpenden, London, Hitchin, Rome… it’s not really my plan to expand the thing, extend the room (impossible) and increase bear population. Might open something else, but it will be a beast of its own.
Do you have a leaflet?
We don’t. It’s all online I’m afraid. A mixture of time and costs, and the extremely tight margin we work to in order to stay alive and pay musicians the best we can. You can get on our weekly email listings here.
Why do you shut at midnight?
Cinderella rules apply here, and by midnight, you’ve all had enough vino to move on nicely, allowing us to tidy up and get home and rested ready for the next one. Remember, we have to do it again the next night! Leave them wanting more!
Why do you close at Christmas?
Because we should all probably be somewhere else at Christmas.
Can you remember what I had last time?
Ok… sometimes, it’s true, we can… but if you were that memorable, you have to ask yourself why? We’ll always endeavour to find you your perfect drink if your usual is not here.
