The CAT Club

"Well, I got a woman sleeps on a cot, she yells and hollers and squeals a lot, licks my face and tickles my ear, bends me over and buys me beer." Bob Dylan ('I Shall Be Free,' from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan).

COMING UP – THE CAT CLUB (CLASSIC ALBUM THURSDAYS). Select event to buy tickets.

COMING UP – Live in concert (Henry Smith Brewery in association with The CAT Club). Select event to buy tickets

The CAT Club story:

On a dark Tuesday night in January 2011, eight souls gathered together in a converted garage (affectionately as ‘The Shed’) in Pontefract to listen to a long playing vinyl record album by The Beatles. The record was ‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ and we played the original mono version on a 1960s Hacker Gondolier GP42 record player. We sat in silence to listen to it in full, sipped on our beer, and then had a bit of a row about it afterwards. Some would argue that ‘Sgt Pepper’ is the best record ever made – many would argue that it’s not even the best record The Beatles made – but few would dispute that it is possibly the most influential album ever made. It’s the record that elevated 12 inches of plastic stuffed in a cardboard sleeve into an art form. It was a fitting choice to begin our trip.

A trip that has featured some of the leading names in popular music coming along to present and talk about an album of their choice. (The CAT Club now continues in the cultural centre at Queen’s Mill, Castleford).

Let us continue the story and tell you about it in a little more detail below.

The CAT Club story (continued from above)

Before the second gathering we adopted the name, ‘Classic Album Tuesdays,’ which soon became known as ‘The CAT Club’.
It was a BYOB affair. We would take it turns to choose an album, and the selector would prepare an introduction, giving context for the record itself and the reasons they chose it. Often, these were very personal reasons, music is inextricably linked to our emotions. The vinyl would then be listened to in silence – always – and afterwards we would discuss the relative merits of the record. Given the multitude of tastes and life experiences in the room, we seldom agreed but with a few exceptions – Iggy and the Stoogers’ ‘Raw Power’ and Sex Pistols’ ‘Never Mind The Bollocks’ split the room – conversation would be convivial. It became that the evening was an event in itself and it didn’t really matter too much if we enjoyed the record or not.
After we’d been round the block a few times with our own choices, we opened up the club to guest presenters. This introduced a theatrical element to the proceedings. Howard Marks came and presented Frank Zappa’s ‘Cruising with Ruben & The Jets’ and afterwards regaled us with tales that were deemed too risqué to make it into his autobiography, ‘Mr Nice’. Former Inspiral Carpets’ vocalist, Tom Hingley presented a battered old copy of Dr Feelgood’s ‘Down By The Jetty,’ told us how pivotal a moment it was when he bought that very record in Woolworths, and then sang us some songs. Graham Oliver of Saxon introduced a couple of Hendrix albums, then got out his guitar and showed us how Jimi did it.
We didn’t even play an album for the legendary double bass player, Danny Thompson, just a selection of songs from records he’d played on, interspersed
with Danny’s anecdotes about working with John Martyn, Nick Drake, Marc Bolan,
Roy Orbison, Rod Stewart et al, including playing on the soundtrack for the
film ‘Kes’.
Eventually, after four years in ‘the shed’, we moved to a more public gathering and met up on a Thursday evening every month in Pontefract’s Tap & Barrel. With our number extending to 40 souls for each album, we stuck with the more theatrical formula and made guest presenters the standard format.
On occasions, the post-record show has turned into a full-blown gig. What did stay the same though was listening to the album in silence and absolutely no use of phones during  the record. To some this may sound a little draconian – and we know from experience that not all record clubs adhere to this principal – but we think it’s worth preserving. It’s a good opportunity in our busy lives to sit still,
disconnect from the hubbub and be quiet for a moment. Many people see it as a bit of a trip and hear things in a record that they’ve never heard before. We’ve moved to the rather wonderful cultural centre at Queen’s Mill in Castleford on a temporary basis until our new home back in Pontefract is ready later in the year.
Come and join us and find out for yourselves.
Happy Trails, The CAT Club

 

Some of our recent guest presenters have included:

Nick Banks (Pulp drummer) – ‘Different Class’ by Pulp.
Clinton Heylin (Journalist and leading authority on Bob Dylan) – ‘Bob Dylan Live 1966, The “Royal Albert Hall” Concert’ & ‘Slow Train Coming’ by Bob Dylan.
Nick Gold (Producer and head honcho of World Circuit Records) – ‘Buena Vista Social Club’.
Owen Morris (Producer) – “Definitely Maybe,’ & ‘(What’s The Story)’ by Oasis.
Andy Kershaw (DJ, journalist and broadcaster) – ‘Highway 61 Revisited’ by Bob Dylan.
Iain Matthews (Musician, member of Fairport Convention, Matthews Southern Comfort, Plainsong) – ‘No Other’ by Gene Clark.
Graham Oliver (Former Saxon lead guitarist) – ‘Are You Experienced’  & ‘Axis, Bold as Love,’ by Jimi Hendrix.
John Wood (Music producer of John Martyn, Nick Drake, Fairport Convention, Pink Floyd and many others) – ‘Solid Air’ by John Martyn.
Woody Woodmansey (Drummer from ‘The Spiders from Mars’) – ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’ by David Bowie.
Chris McClure (the face on the cover) – “Whatever They Say I Am That’s What I’m Not’ by Arctic Monkeys.
John Robb (journalist, broadcaster, singer with The Membranes) – ‘The Stone Roses.’
Melissa Chemam (author and journalist) – ‘Blue Lines’ by Massive Attack.
Mark Lewisohn (author and foremost Beatles authority) – ‘With the Beatles.’
Dom Morley (engineer and producer) – ‘Back to Black’ by Amy Winehouse.
Dave Lewis (leading Led Zeppelin authority and author) – ‘Led Zeppelin Iv.’
Jon Astley (producer and engineer) – ‘The Who Live at Leeds.’
Steve Hanley (former Fall drummer and author) – ‘Unknown Pleasures’ by Joy Division.
John Helliwell (Supertramp sax player).

 

*The CAT Club and The CAT Club logos © K Reynolds 2011-2020

A FEW OF OUR BACK PAGES (mobile phone users click on first image to view the rest)

FEATURED ALBUMS

CLASSIC ALBUM THURSDAYS AT THE TAP & BARREL & QUEEN’S MILL (2016-present). Guest presenters in brackets

CLASSIC ALBUM TUESDAYS IN ‘THE SHED’ (2011-2016) Guest presenters in brackets

  • AFTERMATH – THE ROLLING STONES
  • ALL THINGS MUST PASS – GEORGE HARRISON
  • ARC  OF A DIVER – STEVE WINWOOD
  • ARE YOU EXPERIENCED – THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE (Graham Oliver)
  • ASTRAL WEEKS – VAN MORRISON
  • AXIS: BOLD AS LOVE – THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE (Graham Oliver)
  • BACK IN DENIM – DENIM
  • BACK TO BLACK – AMY WINEHOUSE
  • THE BAND – THE BAND
  • BERT JANSCH – BURT JANSCH
  • BLACK MONK TIME – THE MONKS
  • BLONDE ON BLONDE – BOB DYLAN
  • BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS – BLOOD, SWEAT & TEARS
  • BLUE – JONI MITCHELL
  • BLUES FROM THE GUTTER – CHAMPION JACK DUPREE
  • BO DIDDLEY – BO DIDDLEY
  • BO DIDDLEY’S BEACH PARTY – BO DIDDLEY
  • BOOGIE WITH CANNED HEAT – CANNED HEAT
  • BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME – BOB DYLAN
  • BRYTER LAYTER – NICK DRAKE (Danny Thompson)
  • BUDDY HOLLY STORY – BUDDY HOLLY
  • CITY TO CITY – GERRY RAFFERTY
  • CLANDESTINO – MANU CHAO
  • CRUISING WITH REUBEN & THE JETS – THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION (Howard Marks)
  • DAMN THE TORPEDOS – TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
  • DIFFERENT CLASS – PULP
  • DISRAELI GEARS – CREAM
  • DON’T STAND ME DOWN – DEXY’S MIDNIGHT RUNNERS
  • DOWN BY THE JETTY – DR FEELGOOD (Tom Hingley)
  • DUSTY IN MEMPHIS – DUSTY SPRINGFIELD
  • ELECTRIC WARRIOR – T REX
  • EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY – ROD STEWART
  • EXODUS – BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS
  • FEAR OF MUSIC – TALKING HEADS
  • FELICIANO! – JOSE FELICIANO
  • FIFTH DIMENSION – THE BYRDS
  • FOREVER CHANGES – LOVE
  • THE FREEWHEELIN’ BOB DYLAN – BOB DYLAN
  • FRESH CREAM – CREAM
  • FLEETWOOD MAC – PETER GREEN’S FLEETWOOD MAC
  • FUN HOUSE – THE STOOGES
  • GONNA TAKE A MIRACLE – LAURA NYRO
  • GORILLA – THE BONZO DOG DOO DAH BAND
  • HATFUL OF HOLLOW – THE SMITHS
  • HEX ENDUCTION HOUR – THE FALL
  • HIGHWAY 61 REVISITED – BOB DYLAN
  • HUNKY DORY – DAVID BOWIE
  • I CAN STAND A LITTLE RAIN – JOE COCKER
  • I’M YOUR MAN – LEONARD COHEN
  • IN MY OWN TIME – KAREN DALTO
  • THE INDESTRUCTIBLE BEAT OF SOWETO – VARIOUS ARTISTS
  • IS THIS WHAT YOU WANT? – JACKIE LOMAX
  • INSPIRATION INFORMATION – SHUGGIE OTIS
  • JOAN ARMATRADING – JOAN ARMATRADING
  • JOHN BARLEYCORN MUST DIE – TRAFFIC
  • JOHN LENNON/PLASTIC ONO BAND
  • JOHN WESLEY HARDING – BOB DYLAN
  • THE LA’S – THE LA’S (with a personal message from Lee Mavers)
  • LED ZEPPELIN IV – LED ZEPPELIN
  • LET IT BE – THE REPLACEMENTS
  • LET IT BLEED – THE ROLLING STONES
  • LIVE AT LEEDS – THE WHO
  • LIVE AT THE APOLLO – JAMES BROWN
  • LIVE AT THE STAR CLUB, HAMBURG – JERRY LEE LEWIS
  • LIVE IN EUROPE – RORY GALLAGHER
  • MR TAMBOURINE MAN – THE BYRDS
  • MUD SLIDE SLIM – JAMES TAYLOR
  • NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS – THE SEX PISTOLS
  • NEW BOOTS & PANTIES – IAN DURY
  • OTIS BLUE – OTIS REDDING
  • PET SOUNDS – THE BEACH BOYS
  • PIECES OF A MAN – GIL SCOTT-HERON
  • PILLS ‘N’ THRILLS AND BELLYACHES – HAPPY MONDAYS
  • PSYCOCANDY – THE JESUS & MARY CHAIN
  • RATTUS NORVEGICUS – THE STRANGLERS
  • REVOLVER – THE BEATLES
  • RUBBER SOUL – THE BEATLES
  • RUNNING ON EMPTY – JACKSON BROWNE
  • RUM, SODOMY & THE LASH – THE POGUES
  • SAFE AS MILK – CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND
  • SCREAMADELICA – PRIMAL SCREAM
  • SF SORROW – THE PRETTY THINGS
  • SGT PEPPER’S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND – THE BEATLES
  • SMILE – THE BEACH BOYS
  • SOLID AIR – JOHN MARTYN
  • SONGS FOR DISTINGUÉ LOVERS – BILLIE HOLIDAY
  • STATION TO STATION – DAVID BOWIE
  • STICKY FINGERS – THE ROLLING STONES
  • SUICIDE – SUICIDE
  • SWORDFISHTROMBONES – TOM WAITS
  • TEMPEST – BOB DYLAN
  • TIME OUT – THE DAVE BRUBECK QUARTET
  • TONS OF SOBS – FREE
  • TRANSFORMER – LOU REED
  • TROUT MASK REPLICA – CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & HIS MAGIC BAND
  • THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO
  • WHAT COLOUR IS LOVE – TERRY CALLIER
  • WHAT WE DID ON OUR HOLIDAYS – FAIRPORT CONVENTION (Clinton Heylin)
  • WHAT’S GOING ON – MARVIN GAYE (Steve Ely with Ian Clayton)

THE CAT CLUB ON THE ROAD
Glossop Labour Club

Edward’s, Sheffield

COMING UP – THE CAT CLUB (CLASSIC ALBUM THURSDAYS). Select event to buy tickets.

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