Golden Eagle, Birmingham

The Golden Eagle was a 1930s public house in Birmingham, England, which became known as a venue for live music.

The Golden Eagle
General information
StatusDemolished
TypePublic house
AddressHill Street
Town or cityBirmingham
CountryEngland
Coordinates52.47860°N 1.90247°W / 52.47860; -1.90247
Opening1930s
Demolished1980s
ClientHolt Brewery Company

The pub stood on Hill Street, in Birmingham City Centre, between Victoria Square and the western end of New Street Station.

It closed in January 1984 and was demolished soon afterwards.

Architecture

The building, commissioned by the Holt Brewery Company (and later operated by their successors, Ansells Brewery), in art deco style[1] was clad in black stone, with a bas relief carving of a stylised golden eagle, by sculptor William Bloye, over the main entrance.

It was erected in the 1930s on the site of an earlier pub of the same name.[2]

Music

It was at the Golden Eagle, in 1963, that Spencer Davis met brothers Steve (then aged 14 and still at school[3]) and Muff Winwood, performing there as the Muffy Wood Jazz Band, resulting in them forming the Spencer Davis Group.[4] The Spencer Davis Group made their debut at the Eagle, and subsequently had a Monday-night residency here.[5]

Other bands who played there before going on to bigger things include Iron Maiden[6] and U2.[6][7]

For a year from June 1973, the pub was home to a folk club,[8] run by resident Birmingham folk/rock band Scotch Mist.

In 1974 another folk club ran by Alan MacEvoy and his resident folk group, Prima Donna hosted famous artists like Tommy Makem, Tim Harding, The JSB band and Dick Gaughan.

From 1976 to 1979, a club night, "Shoop Shoop", held on Thursdays.[9][10] Shoop Shoop was run by Mike Horseman and Pete King, the latter of whom went on to manage Steel Pulse.[11]

Legacy

In August 2018, Birmingham-based Two Towers brewery launched a "Golden Eagle" ruby ale, in their "Gone but Not Forgotten" range, to commemorate the pub.[12]

The site of the pub subsequently became a car park.[6]

References
  1. Mourby, Adrian (15 February 2009). "The headbanger's guide to Brum". The Independent. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  2. "Golden Eagle, Hill street, Birmingham". PubHistory. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  3. "It's 'About Time' for Steve Winwood". BBC. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  4. Lockley, Mike (17 July 2016). "Will legendary Spencer Davis Group reunite for one last gig in Birmingham?". birminghammail. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  5. "Spencer Davis Group / 1965 / Smallbrook Queensway". Havill & Travis. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  6. V., Robin (10 April 2015). "Seven Birmingham venues where music history was made". Time Out Birmingham. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  7. Bentley, David (30 June 2017). "These are the latest pubs to close in Birmingham". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  8. Cross, Phil. "Golden Eagle Folk Club". History of Folk Clubs in Birmingham. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  9. "Chris Rhythm Doctor Interview + DJ Mix". Grapevine Birmingham. 22 March 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  10. Henriques, Julian; Morley, David; Goblot, Vana (2017). Stuart Hall: Conversations, Projects and Legacies. MIT Press. p. 225. ISBN 978-1-906897-47-5.
  11. Brouwer, Andy. "Pete King - Steel Pulse's former Manager in his own words". Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  12. "Gone But Not Forgotten, Golden Eagle". Two Towers Ale. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
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