Ragamuffins, Camberley

Ragamuffins was opened in Sept 1975 by owners Dennis Dixon and Ian Carley. The club was predominantly a discotheque, but did feature live bands on a reasonably regular basis.

In ’79, on 17 March, the eight piece British soul group Sweet Sensation made an appearance and four days later on 21 March, American born northern soul performer Tommy Hunt, who later won Club Mirror’s Male Vocalist of the Year, performed. A month after that, on 21 April ’79, renowned covers band The Realistics – you may recall the mid-70s ‘The Year in Music’s Greatest Hits’ compilation series on the Columbia House label. Fire Brigade, a local group who had appeared on ITV’s Search for a Star, were booked to appear at the club on 12 January ’80. The venue also hosted Shakatak and 2nd Image (c’81) and UK Players on 24 May ’82.

Jumping to the early ’90s, Ragamuffins hosted student nights and The Cube alternative nights. This allowed numerous local bands to perform, including Who Moved the Ground? on 15 May ’91, followed by Backlash on 4 June that year. August ’91 saw Big Wednesday at the club on 3 August, while Big Sun‘s last gig we have records for at this time was a headliner at the Camberley venue on 6 August ’91. The very next night, 10 August ’91, Phobia took to the club’s stage. Backlash returned on 13 August ’91, followed by Slug‘s appearance at The Cube night on 20 August. Blue Velvet were booked and showed up on 17 September ’91; while the next month, on 29 October ’91, Flowers of Sacrifice performed a special Halloween bash at Ragamuffins. The Cube’s Xmas Do, held on 23 December ’91, featured Trousershock B.C. along with Backlash.

On 28 January ’92, Peachrazor appeared at the club, the first of a couple of reportedly “disastrous” gigs at Ragamuffins. Almost three months later Giant Arc played a student party at the venue on 7 April ’92 and three weeks later Peachrazor returned on 28 April ’92. Backlash were back on 7 July ’92 as were Slug the next month, on 11 August, for The Cube. September 8 and December 8 caught Backlash at the club once again, with Blad inbetween on 22 September ’92. It was around this time the The Cube at Ragamuffins became one of the venues where The Gossville Arsonist fanzine was readily available.

To the best of our knowledge live music slowed at the venue across ’93 and ’94 with scant record of band appearances. We do know that Backlash put on a show on 17 August ’93 and at some point, that year, Flowers of Sacrifice played their final performance at Ragamuffins. Then on 29 March ’94 Who Moved the Ground? showed up once again.

The club eventually closed in 1995.

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