Concorde Club

The Concorde is an award-winning hotel and entertainment spot with international acclaim. Its beginnings, however, are a world away from the leading venue it is today; The Concorde's rich and colourful history starts in the backroom of a Southampton pub.

In 1957, Cole Mathieson, a keen drummer from Newtown, Southampton with an unrivalled knowledge and passion for jazz, launched a new members club in the annexe of the Basset. Named the Concorde Club, it attracted over 1,000 members in just six months and quickly became the place to be, with queues stretching around the corner to get a glimpse of the first-class musicians that Cole had booked.

The club flourished throughout the 1960s, featuring bands and musicians who would soon become household names, such as Manfred Mann, The Cream (featuring Eric Clapton), Rod Stewart and Elton John.