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PRESENTS: |
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THE RUSKIN ARMS
Lots of new stories, photos and stuff soon to be added!
Last updated 02 May 2023
The RUSKIN ARMS; a legend for over three decades of local Rock and Heavy Metal music, and, as most around the word will know it; the 'Home' of IRON MAIDEN. Having been a local resident in East Ham, and a frequent boozer of this East London pub, I have talked with long time regulars, bands and bikers that have been part of the Ruskin Arms saga. When the original Ruskin Arms pub closed down, all these stories where the only thing that remained but never got documented. As such, I started this website collecting stories, facts, and photos of those glorious days, and with the Ruskin Arms memories to be documented in book format at some point. I decided to share sneak peeks of
some of those stories that just speak Metal by all means....
Also, anyone that has any snippets of information, whether a cool story, photo(s), flyers, and would like to submit this to the website and magazine can do so by contacting / sending stuff through at:
manicmosh@yahoo.com
For a complete Metal fix, check out the Manic Mosh Metal website, featuring hundreds of reviews, interviews, soundclips and stuff, as-well as 80's rarities and interviews right here:
https://www.manicmoshmagazine.com/metal.html
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Here's some RUSKIN ARMS related FB groups where you can find or share stories, photos and memories of the good old Ruskin Arms days
RUSKIN ARMS – Home Of HardRock / Heavy Metal – private group 1000+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/214982038521039/
RUSKIN ARMS Eastham – London Home Of Metal – public group 200+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/59656832068/
Everyone Who Went To The Ruskin Arms – private group 600+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/133096833449401/
RUSKIN ARMS – Home Of HardRock / Heavy Metal – private group 1000+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/214982038521039/
RUSKIN ARMS Eastham – London Home Of Metal – public group 200+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/59656832068/
Everyone Who Went To The Ruskin Arms – private group 600+ members
https://www.facebook.com/groups/133096833449401/
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Above: SomeHeadbanging action at the Ruskin Arms back in the 80's. Photos provided by Keith Boltwood
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Above is a picture of the Desolation Angels 'Tour bus' in front of the Ruskin Arms; This was an old scout bus the band turned into a 9 seater with 8 bunks and backline storage and it could be driven on a car license with only 9 seats in it. The bus has seen many happy days on the road in the 80's.
Above right: an old Desolation Angels' gig poster.
Photos provided by Paul Michael Chatfield.
Above right: an old Desolation Angels' gig poster.
Photos provided by Paul Michael Chatfield.
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Above left and rIght; DESOLATION ANGELS at the Ruskin Arms
“... We played the Ruskin Arms from late 1981 to 1986, had some great gigs there... I remember we always tried to put on a decent show. We would hire out a large P.A. and lighting rig with smoke bombs and dry ice, then at the strike of 9.25 P.M proceeded to bash our brains out. Yes, I have a constant reminder of those days, its called tinnitus Ruskin Arms was also our local Rock club so we would be up there with our motorbikes checking out the other bands...”
Keith Sharp, guitarist Desolation Angels
“The RUSKIN ARMS...we loved it there... of course we were all in the shadow of the mighty IRON MAIDEN. It was their home turf. That place in those days was a fantastic venue. A great stage in a matt black room and, as I recall, one light bulb hanging from the ceiling on a flex, so if you had no light show you were stuffed. We even played as a stand-in to Maiden on one occasion. I'm not sure what the audience made of it but hey! We did OK. The most lasting impression of the RUSKIN ARMS was at Christmas one year we played to an audience of all sorts. People all out for a bevvie, staggering around in various states of intoxication. As we were packing up after the gig some poor sod fell backwards into Marc's bass drum case and got stuck. He looked like an upturned tortoise. People were wetting themselves watching him try to get out. Naturally no-one tried to help..GLEE! The last drum to be packed away was the bass drum (no shit) only then did the roadies offer to up-end the case and shake him out”.
Steve Crainger – guitarist of classic NWOBHM act Apocalypse
“...The motorbike that comes crashing through the fence above the main bar, is a Suzuki GX250, which I rode in the car park in the back. Before I knew it, the thing was cut in half and stuck up the bar. That leather jacket on the skeleton is mine as well...”
Pete, regular at the Ruskin Arms
When we played at the Ruskin Arms, halfway through a show I was feeling hungry and had some pies in my bag. I started throwing them at the band and people in the pub, 'The Great Pie Show'... I was mad in those days!
Paul J Armfield – singer Renegade / White Heat
“....I arrived at ‘The Ruskin Arms’ around 9.30 one evening. There were a large number of bikes parked around it and a large number of bikers in the venue. Joe Lucy, who ran the venue then, had been ‘cuts man’ for Henry ‘splash it on all over’ Cooper, the famous boxer, and there was a Lonsdale Belt mounted over the back of the bar. I can’t recall the band now but I do recall wondering how we would go down here. Two weeks later I found out. I have never been one to hold back, after all, if you are up on a stage there is no reason to stand there and worry about it, just get on and do it. We went down pretty well, I thought, and they invited us back a couple of weeks later. When we went back, the audience had doubled and the next time it got more again. The Ruskin became my favourite gig. It was grubby and dark and the toilets were appalling but the audience were the best I ever played to. There were some wonderful people there”.
Roy Weard – singer of Dogwatch and That Legendary Wooden Lion
Keith Sharp, guitarist Desolation Angels
“The RUSKIN ARMS...we loved it there... of course we were all in the shadow of the mighty IRON MAIDEN. It was their home turf. That place in those days was a fantastic venue. A great stage in a matt black room and, as I recall, one light bulb hanging from the ceiling on a flex, so if you had no light show you were stuffed. We even played as a stand-in to Maiden on one occasion. I'm not sure what the audience made of it but hey! We did OK. The most lasting impression of the RUSKIN ARMS was at Christmas one year we played to an audience of all sorts. People all out for a bevvie, staggering around in various states of intoxication. As we were packing up after the gig some poor sod fell backwards into Marc's bass drum case and got stuck. He looked like an upturned tortoise. People were wetting themselves watching him try to get out. Naturally no-one tried to help..GLEE! The last drum to be packed away was the bass drum (no shit) only then did the roadies offer to up-end the case and shake him out”.
Steve Crainger – guitarist of classic NWOBHM act Apocalypse
“...The motorbike that comes crashing through the fence above the main bar, is a Suzuki GX250, which I rode in the car park in the back. Before I knew it, the thing was cut in half and stuck up the bar. That leather jacket on the skeleton is mine as well...”
Pete, regular at the Ruskin Arms
When we played at the Ruskin Arms, halfway through a show I was feeling hungry and had some pies in my bag. I started throwing them at the band and people in the pub, 'The Great Pie Show'... I was mad in those days!
Paul J Armfield – singer Renegade / White Heat
“....I arrived at ‘The Ruskin Arms’ around 9.30 one evening. There were a large number of bikes parked around it and a large number of bikers in the venue. Joe Lucy, who ran the venue then, had been ‘cuts man’ for Henry ‘splash it on all over’ Cooper, the famous boxer, and there was a Lonsdale Belt mounted over the back of the bar. I can’t recall the band now but I do recall wondering how we would go down here. Two weeks later I found out. I have never been one to hold back, after all, if you are up on a stage there is no reason to stand there and worry about it, just get on and do it. We went down pretty well, I thought, and they invited us back a couple of weeks later. When we went back, the audience had doubled and the next time it got more again. The Ruskin became my favourite gig. It was grubby and dark and the toilets were appalling but the audience were the best I ever played to. There were some wonderful people there”.
Roy Weard – singer of Dogwatch and That Legendary Wooden Lion
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NITRO BLUES BAND
Above: The Nitro Blues Band @ The Ruskin Arms around late 1989, featuring guitarist Bob Sawyer (left)
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.“I remember one particular gig, around 1990, where John Foster (bassist and singer with NITRO) arrived at the gig so pissed, that he did the gig LYING DOWN ON HIS BACK with the mic angled near his face, and the bass on his chest Amazingly, he played and sang even better than normal...!!!! NOTE PERFECT! I'm sure the Boltwood Brothers will back me up, as they were there.... as they always were. there was another time (about 1989) where some bloke was right at the front of the stage, getting REALLY STROPPY with me (can't remember why....) and I totally LOST IT and kicked him! All the chaps roared in approval, and this bloke just slunk off into the crowd...never to be seen again....!!!
Bob Sawyer (early guitarist Iron Maiden, The Nitro Blues Band, Weapon, Praying Mantis) |
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Above left and right Destroya at the Ruskin Arms back in the day
Wristband from the final concert at The Ruskin Arms, charity fundraiser "Clive Aid - Last Weekend"; a fantastic 2-day event for a good cause
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Left: Polystyrene tombstone off the walls from the Ruskin Arms, somewhere mid 90's. Below: Ruskin Arms flyer photos provided by Brian Harris 
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This is the Basildon, Essex based Prowler that were included on the 1980 'Brute Force' compilation alongside Fist, Raven and Diamond Head. The band was close to releasing a single - “Riding High” - which never materialized and played all over the East End and beyond, including the Ruskin Arms as early as 1979 and into the 80's. Here's shots of guitarist John Pattenden and Trev Pattenden at The Ruskin Arms
The band has reformed and has material out and a full album planned, all of which can be read about here: https://www.facebook.com/prowler.nwobhm.5
The band has reformed and has material out and a full album planned, all of which can be read about here: https://www.facebook.com/prowler.nwobhm.5
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photo above left: Trev Pattenden at the Ruskin Arms, photo above right: John Pattenden at the Ruskin Arms
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Above left and right; a selection of EL34 photos @ The Ruskin Arms. Photos provided by Tony Hatton
“It was always a great time at 'The Ruskin' back then. I know that the first ever EL-34 show at 'The Ruskin' was on a Monday night; the owner at that time, Joe Lucy, used Monday nights as an audition for 'The Ruskin'. We obviously did O.K as we moved on to play either Friday or Saturday nights later on.” - Tony Hatton – EL-34 / Airforce
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EL34, whose name was derived from the EL-34 valves used in Marshall Valve Amplifier Heads, used to play the Ruskin Arms regularly. The band consisted of Tony Hatton (bass), Chop Pitman (guitar), Mick Dietz (drums) and several different vocalists.
EL34 played original material, inspired by bands such as Sabbath, Maiden and Priest. Core members of EL34 would later merge as AIRFORCE; a similar styled band featuring original Iron Maiden drummer Doug Sampson. One of the old EL34 songs, “Don't Look In Her Eyes” has re-appeared in a re-worked version on the band's new album “Strike Hard”. More info on AIRFORCE here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/226831128553468/ |
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Some of the classic Ruskin Arms T-shirts that were framed and hung above the bar
MANIC MOSH METAL MAGAZINE I & II featuring Ruskin Arms specials and a whole lot of Metal with over 100 reviews per issue. Plus: interviews, Metal website and mailorder listings, Hot Rockin Models and More.
All packed within 28 full colour A4 pages printed on luxury, satin finish paper.
Available for a special combination price.
Simply select destination in the dropdown menu. PRICE INCLUDES FREE 1st class POSTAGE WORLDWIDE!
£7.00 (UK / £9.00 (Europe) / £10 (Worldwide)
All packed within 28 full colour A4 pages printed on luxury, satin finish paper.
Available for a special combination price.
Simply select destination in the dropdown menu. PRICE INCLUDES FREE 1st class POSTAGE WORLDWIDE!
£7.00 (UK / £9.00 (Europe) / £10 (Worldwide)
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ONLY £7.00 (UK) £9.00 (Europe) £10.00 (World) |