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Promoting Creative Self-Expression Since 1966
The UFO Club was a famous but shortlived UK underground club in London during the 1960s, venue for many of the top bands during that time.
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Remembering the Original UFO Club - 1966 to 67 - London
The UFO Club was founded by John Hopkins (usually known as "Hoppy") and Joe Boyd.. in 1966. Pink Floyd were the house band for a time. There were liquid light shows and fantasy films from dusk till dawn.
Unfortunately the club was short-lived.. and its free spirit was never welcomed by the establishment.. who wanted it closed down.. because it was corrupting youth.. into living peacefully..
UFO will always remain in our memories as being legendary... and it only cost 10 shillings to get in..
If you were a member
-AcceleratorPlus
Hapshash Takes A Trip: Nigel Waymouth on his sixties work
THE CITY WAKES 2008
Photo by: John 'Hoppy' Hopkins
Squeaky Gate is launching the SHINE ON campaign with the aim of raising enough money to continue reaching out to community members and being able to offer them low-cost or free accredited courses aimed at people who need encouragement with their music/art and find the traditional college environment daunting. What they offer is special: you can make friends, get a qualification and everyone can record / perform their original work and do it alongside professionals.
BUT
They can’t keep up with the demand without raising some money – so with the SHINE ON campaign they aim to raise enough money to continue offering their courses to everyone who will benefit from them. Many of their projects have taken inspiration from the late, great Syd Barrett, and the campaign is named after a song written for him by his fellow Pink Floyd members reflecting the difficult time he was going through.
If anyone would like to raise money for the campaign through their own gigs or fundraising activities please let the Squeaky Gate office know and they'll do what they can to help.
info@squeakygate.org.uk
The UFO Club History
The UFO Club was a famous but shortlived UK underground club in London during the 1960s, venue of performances by many of the top bands of the day. The UFO Club (pronounced U-fo) was founded by John "Hoppy" Hopkins and Joe Boyd in an Irish dancehall called the "Blarney Club" in the basement of 31 Tottenham Court Road, under Berkeley Cinema and opposite the Dominion Theatre.
The club opened on December 23 1966. Initially the club was advertised as "UFO Presents Night Tripper". This had been because Boyd and Hopkins could not decide on "UFO" or "Night Tripper" as a name for their club. Eventually they settled on "UFO."
Opening night, the UFO "house band" Pink Floyd were booked for the first two Fridays, and then re-engaged as the club carried on into 1967 after its initial success. Initial events combined live music with light shows, avant garde films and slide shows and dance troupes.
As Pink Floyd's fame grew they were able to play bigger venues for higher fees. Boyd protested that their increasing fame was largely due to the success of UFO, but the band's management wanted to move on and an agreement was made for just three more Floyd performances at UFO, at an increased fee.
Hopkins and Boyd had to cast around for a new "house band" for UFO. They settled on Soft Machine but also started booking other acts who were attracted by the club's reputation. Amongst them were The Incredible String Band, Arthur Brown, Tomorrow, and Procol Harum, who played there when "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was No 1 in the charts.
Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, consisting of Michael English and Nigel Waymouth, designed psychedelic posters to advertise events.
The UFO Club’s success was its downfall — being too small to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. The crunch came in June 1967, when the club moved into The Roundhouse for a few months but, despite the building being almost derelict, the rent was exorbitant. If a big name such as Jeff Beck was playing, UFO broke even, but the club usually lost money. In October 1967 the UFO Club at the Roundhouse folded.
The club opened on December 23 1966. Initially the club was advertised as "UFO Presents Night Tripper". This had been because Boyd and Hopkins could not decide on "UFO" or "Night Tripper" as a name for their club. Eventually they settled on "UFO."
Opening night, the UFO "house band" Pink Floyd were booked for the first two Fridays, and then re-engaged as the club carried on into 1967 after its initial success. Initial events combined live music with light shows, avant garde films and slide shows and dance troupes.
As Pink Floyd's fame grew they were able to play bigger venues for higher fees. Boyd protested that their increasing fame was largely due to the success of UFO, but the band's management wanted to move on and an agreement was made for just three more Floyd performances at UFO, at an increased fee.
Hopkins and Boyd had to cast around for a new "house band" for UFO. They settled on Soft Machine but also started booking other acts who were attracted by the club's reputation. Amongst them were The Incredible String Band, Arthur Brown, Tomorrow, and Procol Harum, who played there when "A Whiter Shade of Pale" was No 1 in the charts.
Hapshash and the Coloured Coat, consisting of Michael English and Nigel Waymouth, designed psychedelic posters to advertise events.
The UFO Club’s success was its downfall — being too small to accommodate the increasing number of visitors. The crunch came in June 1967, when the club moved into The Roundhouse for a few months but, despite the building being almost derelict, the rent was exorbitant. If a big name such as Jeff Beck was playing, UFO broke even, but the club usually lost money. In October 1967 the UFO Club at the Roundhouse folded.
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Memoirs of a Ufologist
by John ‘Hoppy’ Hopkins
UFO was the first psychedelic night club in England. We had the new talent to die for & then scored a truly great location. For a few months in 1967 it was the main social meeting place of the 'underground' counter culture, a basement Irish dance hall with a sprung floor in London's Tottenham Court Road otherwise known as the Blarney Club. For us it performed the function… Continue
Posted by UFO on October 29, 2009 at 7:38pm
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