Bullfrog Blues Club, Southsea

04/06/2026

30/05/2026

NEXT THURSDAY - 4th JUNE The Bullfrog Blues Club in Southsea proudly present TEED UP. This fabulous band consist of Steve Roux on guitar and vocals (Brass Knuckle Blues Band, White Knuckle Blues Band), Steve Browning on bass guitar (Pretty Things, David Gilmour), Bernie Fox on drums (Jimmy Witherspoon, Eric Bibb, Sherman Robertson) and Ray Drury on keyboards (The Producers). Teed Up have played and toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and beyond, establishing themselves individually as first-class musicians on the blues scene. This explosive and quality combination have been impressing audiences wherever they play for many years, and if you like your blues funky, rocking, swinging, slow and emotionally charged then you'll love this band. This superb guitar & Hammond driven 4-piece really deliver the goods, playing a mix of reworked classics and originals. Advance tickets are just £12 and are available now on https://barkingspider.abelgratis.com via our secure Paypal link. NO booking fee!!! Subject to availability. tickets will also be on sale on the door (cash only). The Bullfrog Blues Club is The Dockyard Club, Onslow Rd., Southsea, PO52NH.
Doors open at 8 p.m, although you're welcome to come early and have a drink at the club's well stocked bar.
The Bullfrog Blues Club are now in our 26th year, and presenting top class gigs on the first Thursday of every month.

Bullfrog Blues Club, Barkings Spider Music Events, Southsea Folk & Roots Festival and more ...

03/05/2026

With Guy Davis and Kev Lansdake at "Monroe's" in Galway City last night. What a gig! Don't miss Guy at The Bullfrog on Thursday 5th November!

25/04/2026

On Thursday May 7th The Bullfrog Blues Club are proud to present a solo appearance from DAVE KELLY, one of the finest and most experienced British blues guitarists around!
Dave started playing guitar in 1957 during the early days of rock 'n' roll and skiffle, and started fingerpicking during the American folk music boom of the early 60's. Around this time Dave and his sister -the late great Jo Ann Kelly - discovered a specialist south London record shop where they met Bob Hall and Tony "T.S" McPhee. Tony showed Dave how to tune to an open chord to play slide/bottleneck, which he claims changed his life!
Dave went to New York in 1966, where he managed to get a gig playing slide/bottleneck guitar at the legendary Gerde's Folk City. Dave had such a great response he decided - at 19 years of age - to become a professional musician. He came home, and concentrating initially on the U.K folk club scene he soon managed to get gigs and started developing his career.
Dave joined the John Dummer Blues Band around 1968, in time to appear on their eponymous second album. The line up also included Bob Hall and Jo Ann Kelly. Tony McPhee joined shortly after - appearing on the "Cabal" album - but left shortly after to re-form The Groundhogs.
During the late sixties and early seventies, Dave, Jo Ann and Bob Hall were also in Tramp, who also included Mick Fleetwood and Danny Kirwan. The band played intermittently whilst involved in other projects, and released two albums, "Tramp" in 1969 and "Put A Record On" in 1974.
In 1979 ex Manfred Mann front man Paul Jones formed The Blues Band, together with Dave Kelly, Tom McGuiness, Gary Fletcher and Hughie Flint. Dave's still a lynchpin of the band forty seven years later.
During a long and illustrious career Dave has played and toured with many of the great legendary blues men- Son House, Howlin' Wolf, John Lee Ho**er, Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Lowell Fulson, Junior Wells to name but a few. He was also the opening act for two months on Dire Straits last European tour.
Dave Kelly has an impeccable pedigree and has been playing guitar for nearly 70 years! This will be a night to remember.
Advance tickets are just £12 online and available NOW via Paypal https://barkingspider.abelgratis.com/tickets/Tickets also available at the same price (cash only) from Street Level Music, Albert Rd., Southsea.subject to availability. tickets on sale (cash only) at the venue - The Dockyard Club, Onslow Rd., Southsea PO52NH. Doors open at 8 p.m, although you're welcome to come early and have a drink at the club's well stocked bar.
The Bullfrog Blues Club are now in our 26th year, and presenting top class gigs on the first Thursday of every month. https://youtu.be/q6g6bETjTlM?list=RDq6g6bETjTlM

2 likes, 1 comment. "Dave Kelly plays My Old Friend The Blues"

25/03/2026

On Thursday April 2nd The Bullfrog Blues Club proudly present the TREVOR "BABAJACK" STEGER DUO
In the seventies Trevor "Babajack" Steger was a bass player in a punk band, but in 1981, after seeing Nine Below Zero live, he bought Sonny Boy Williamson's album "Portrait In Blues" , a blues harmonica compilation featuring Dr Ross and Sonny Terry - and a blues harp. Soon Trevor was mixing early classic blues stylings with his other love, African roots music from the likes of Ali Farka Toure thus creating his own genre of original music.
Prior to going solo, Trevor and the percussionist Becky Tate had formed the band Babajack. They released three albums, played many venues and festivals including Skegness Rock & Blues Festival and Upton Blues Festival before disbanding. Some of you may recall them appearing at The Bullfrog Blues Club over 15 years ago.
To date Trevor's released four solo albums, and one live album ("Bootleg Blues - Live At Temperance" -with Jesse Benns on percussion) He's been nominated for numerous British Blues Awards, winning 'Best Acoustic Act' in 2023. His first solo album "Sawdust Man" received international radio play and was playlisted by BBC Radio 2. The follow up "The Solemn Truth And Barefaced Lies" was nominated for the Blues and Roots Radio 'Best Album' award.
In 2022, Trevor's third album, "Not Far To Go" was released,with Jesse Benns on percussion and Jo Chambers on violin - The Trevor Babajack Trio. It was Independent Blues Broadcasters Association's 'Album of the Month' in December of that year and reached number 2 in the British Blues Chart.[
In early 2024 Trevor and Jesse embarked on a European tour playing critically acclaimed shows in the UK, Belgium and Italy, and Trevor was also once again nominated for the UK Blues Acoustic Act of the Year, and also Traditional Blues Artist of the Year. Last year Trevor released the album "Six Foot Ten" which topped the UK Blues charts. It was recorded entirely at his home - a narrow boat on the River Avon. That same year Trevor and Jesse once again toured Europe; Belgium, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Their travels have taken them far and wide, headlining blues and roots festivals and playing in venues ranging from French cafés, The Royal Albert Hall....and now The Bullfrog Blues Club!
(So why "Babajack"? Well...in the '90's Trevor was working in Zimbabwe with the Shona people when his son Jack was born. Shona custom is that the father takes his son's name, so Trevor Steger became known as 'Babajack' - which means the father of Jack. So now you know....)
Advance tickets are just £12 online and available NOW via Paypal https://barkingspider.abelgratis.com/tickets/
Tickets also available at the same price (cash only) from Street Level Music, Albert Rd., Southsea.
Subject to availability tickets will also be on sale (cash only) at the venue - The Dockyard Club, Onslow Rd., Southsea PO52NH. Doors open at 8 p.m, although you're welcome to come early and have a drink at the club's well stocked bar.
The Bullfrog Blues Club are now in our 26th year, and presenting top class gigs on the first Thursday of every month. https://youtu.be/qhigbqlhacU

A live Video from a great venue , Honey Bee Club @ Dorothy Pax in Sheffield . Trevor Babajack Steger is joined By Jesse Benns On Cajon . Performing their own...

05/03/2026

Tom Davies & The Bluebirds with special guest Ray Drury on keys...

02/03/2026

Tom Davies & The Bluebirds play at The Bullfrog this Thursday 5th March at 8pm.

Tickets available on the door from 8pm, or online here : http://barkingspider.abelgratis.com/tickets/

Here's a review of their latest album "Angel On The Mississippi" :

“There's a confident swagger running through Angel on the Mississippi, the latest release from Tom Davies and the Bluebirds, that marks it out as a band utterly at ease with its influences yet keen to bend them to its own ends. Opening salvo You're Gonna Wreck My Life wastes no time. Built around a riff that nods firmly in the direction of Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker", it beefs up the attack with a growling Hammond organ that thickens the groove and gives the track a churchy, Southern hue. It's punchy, strutting and immediate.

Blues for Greeny kicks into life with the insistent propulsion of Pink Floyd's 'Money’ before sliding into a sinuous Blues figure reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac in their Black Magic Woman pomp. A subtle hint of Cuban-inflected drumming adds an extra layer of rhythmic spice, preventing it from ever feeling derivative.

Devils Highwater takes a more angular route. There's a touch of Franz Ferdinand's clipped urgency in the opening gambit, but ‘Davies’ and co quickly descend into a muscular Blues riff before unleashing more Page-like guitar flourishes. It's a track that shifts gears with relish, balancing Indie tautness and classic Blues-Rock heft.

Throughout the record Davies proves himself a commanding frontman. He mixes the impassioned, chest-thumping delivery of Andrew Strong with an ability to rein in the power,dropping into a sotto voce for the more maudlin moments. That dynamic control gives the album emotional breadth.

The Hammond organ brings beautifully soulful touches across the set, but it's the guitar work that demands you simply stand back and admire. Nowhere is this clearer than on the near nine-minute title track, 'Angel on the Mississippi’, where layered textures and soaring lines build to a thrilling crescendo without ever losing clarity.

Closing number ‘Mainland Evil' arrives like a sombre hymn, its coda unfurling with a stately, almost liturgical gravity. It's a fitting benediction to an album that marries firepower with feel, and reverence with rawness.”

Ivan De Mello - www.wrinklyrockersclub.com

29/12/2025

RIP Andy Billups, who has passed away after a long illness, best known as the bassist of The Hamsters who played at South Parade Pier as part of the Southsea Folk & Roots Festival in 2005.

Andy also played bass and lap steel in Gary Fletcher's band at the Bullfrog Blues Club only a couple of months ago back in October 2025.

It was a pleasure to host and chat to such a gentleman of music.

Condolences to his family, friends and musical colleagues...