Situated at the top of Walton Road (No.23), Maybury, Woking this was the venue for The Jam’s humble beginnings and rehearsals during the 70s. As well as The Jam’s first appearance at the club on 7 April 1974, it has also hosted many club bands.
It’s also rumored that The Jam got banned for dancing on the piano. Rick Parfitt was a member; after a solo performance there aged 12 or 13 he was invited to join his 1st band: The Bandits. He also got engaged to Patty at the club.
The Jam appeared at the venue six times in 1974, on 7 April, 6 July, 13 July, 3 August, 21 November, and 21 December; and Rick Buckler recalls that “They used to let us rehearse on Sunday afternoons when the place was shut.” The band returned in ’75, playing on 5 January and then on 10 January they auditioned for EMI in the club and were rejected. They would return three more times in ’75, on 2 February, 6 April, and 3 May. In the late 70’s Buster and later Donegal Joe also played the venue around that time. On 25 March ’89, Flashback performed at the Working Men’s Club and in ’96, Orphic Soop appeared at the venue, supported by Mindwire, on 11 October.
Recently an image of The Jam outside the Liberal Club, Woking has been circulating. This photo-shopped image uses a picture from a Janette Beckman photo session with The Jam in London, a gig poster for a 1979 gig in Aylesbury on the Setting Sons tour, a picture of John Weller and a cleaned-up image of Woking Liberal Club just before demolition.
The club, which was later renamed the Woking Liberal & Radical Club around ’96, then Woking Liberal Club, fell into disrepair and was demolished in November 2014. In 2015 another trio got into a jam, having swindled almost £170,000 out of the club, at Guildford Crown Court. In late 2016 it was announced that ten flats were to be built on the site.
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