Mike tells of life at the Robin 2 after 26 years in Bilston
The boss of a rock club in the Black Country has put pen to paper to reflect on a remarkable 26 years at the helm of a venue dubbed The Marquee Of The Midlands.
Mike Hamblett, boss of the Robin 2 in Bilston, has written his autobiography which doubles as a history of one of the most famous rock clubs in Britain.
It reflects on Mr Hamblett’s upbringing in Cradley Heath and also provides memories of such stars as Bill Wyman, from The Rolling Stones; Dudley comic-turned-singer Lenny Henry; the four members of Black Country glam stars Slade, Hollywood actor Steven Seagal and other big names like Go West, Ben E King, Roy Wood, Billy Ocean, Martha Reeves, 10CC and more.
Mr Hamblett said: “The idea to do a book came about when we reached our 25th anniversary.
“We started out over at the Robin Hood, next to Merry Hill, but had to move out of there when they wanted to knock it down and build a car park.
"So we found The Robin 2 in Bilston and created a bigger venue with a hotel and restaurant.”
Mr Hamblett added that the club had survived tough times and during the recession it almost went bump.
However, he’d stuck with it and supported by plenty of locals, great bands, loyal supporters and others it had pulled through.
Mr Hamblett’s book, Keepin’ Music Live, also features contributions from Slade’s Noddy Holder, Jim Lea, Dave Hill and Jim Lea as well as Toyah, Carol Decker’s T’Pau and comic Tom Stade, who used to live nearby and was a regular there.
It features a list of every concert that ever featured at The Robin 1 and The Robin 2 and also has rare ticket stubs, photographs and memories from fans.
Mr Hamblett said: “It was a real labour of love to create the book and I’m thrilled things have come to fruition.
"We’re planning to launch it next month with a special event with a few friends and I hope people enjoy reading it as much as I liked writing it.”
