Bilston's rocking Robin 2 nears 25th anniversary
One of the Black Country's top live music venues celebrates its quarter century in a few months.
The original Robin R'n'B Club opened on April 9, 1992, at its original home at the old Robin Hood Inn at Merry Hill, Brierley Hill.
The club is now the Robin 2 in Mount Pleasant, Bilston, and continues to be run by founder Mike Hamblett.
The former Sub Zero drummer created the club, specialising in blues, soul and rock in the former Citizen's Theatre at the pub.
He opened the second 700-capacity club in the former drill hall in Bilston in 1998 and the two sites ran together until the original club had to close in 2003.
The 25th anniversary of the first Robin show will see The Muffin Men, a group made up of former Frank Zappa musicians, performing in the Robin 2 on April 9.
Mr Hamblett has continued to improve the Robin 2 and it now includes its own hotel as well as Noddy's Bar, named after original Slade singer and guitarist Noddy Holder, who helped launch the original Robin. The club's opening night in 1992 saw 200 turned away because it was a sell-out.
The first band to perform was The Journey Men, featuring former Move guitarist Trevor Burton and singer Jim Hickman, who was a member of Black Country favourites Little Acre for many years.
Since then many big names have performed at both Merry Hill and Bilston.
Slade, a regular visitor over the years, returned in December for a Christmas concert that also marked the 50th anniversary of the group which still includes original members Dave Hill and Don Powell.
The original Robin's theatre was run for more than 20 years by Ray Hingley before Mr Hamblett took it over and it was home to the original Black Country Night Out shows.
Singer-songwriter Steve Harley, best known for his work with Cockney Rebel, has described the venue as 'probably the best all-standing rock venue in the country'.
He said: "Everything works, and a touring musician really only asks for that from a venue and promoter. Mike Hamblett is a man who loves music as much as he respects the players, and that is a considerable amount.
"With the stage completely crowded, the energy of the packed room is special. "I have many great memories of special nights there," added Mr Harley
