The Hound Dog: Derby's new jazz and blues bar is opening soon - and the cocktails sound amazing

A new jazz and blues bar is gearing up for a Derby launch in the coming weeks as it puts finishing touches to its Friar Gate venue.

The Hound Dog, which has taken over the old premises of former cocktail bar Gossip, is situated next door to The Distillery.

The new jazz venue aims to ‘redefine Derby nightlife’ with its exciting roster of artists.

It will also serve Italian cuisine and cocktails to those who want to enjoy good music and good food.

The Hound Dog is businessman Paul Keenan’s latest venture whose stable of companies includes The Hairy Dog on Becket Street and Carnivore on Sadler Gate.

Speaking about motivations behind the bar’s opening, owner Paul Keenan said: “We have a big passion for jazz and blues.

“Derby was lacking in that area, we saw an opportunity to provide the city with a premier jazz and blues offering, so here we are.

“The Hairy Dog excels in rock, metal, punk and reggae music and is booked up for over a year, so we wanted to branch out with a focus on jazz and blues as this is music I love.”

People can expect performances from internationally renowned bands and artists from all around the world with support from up-and-coming local acts too.

Musical cocktails

Music fans can get in the mood by enjoying a pre-performance meal, sipping artisan cocktails then spending the night listening to live music in a cosy and welcoming jazz club atmosphere.

In keeping with the jazzy theme, cocktails will have fun, music-related names.

From the cocktail menu, people can enjoy Jazz Mule, Rockstar Martini , Bluesy Mary, Piano Colada, Saxophone Sunrise and more.

Behind the scenes, the mood is buoyant as excitement builds ahead of the launch.

Hannah Whittaker is the manager of The Hound Dog and is extremely positive about Derby’s nightlife.

Speaking about what The Hound Dog can bring to Derby, Hannah said: “Now that Derby is on the rise again, as various developments progress, The Hound Dog will be a great addition and an incredible venue in the city.”

Hannah, a self-confessed music fan, is keen to welcome fellow music lovers to The Hound Dog.

She said: “My three biggest passions in life are music, people and social events, so this was a natural fit for me and I know it will take off.

“We already have an incredible team of staff too, behind the bar we have our master mixologist Mitch, as well as Ben, Zoe and Jacob.

“Front of house, we have Maddy, Elke and myself, and we are all equally excited and can’t wait to welcome our guests through the doors!”

Doors have yet to open, however, the owner has ambitious plans for the jazz and blues venue. They are currently exploring wedding licensing for the venue, so couples can host weddings there in future.

The venue name is definitely a talking point and has nothing to do with Elvis Presley’s cover. It is a famous 12-bar blues song sung by Big Mama Thornton and is seen as fitting in with one of the genres the venue will be focussing on. The name of The Hound Dog is also immediately associated with its sister venue The Hairy Dog.

There is a growing list of events on The Hound Dog’s website that people can book tickets for.

If you like being organised, you can even pre-order food ahead of the performance, then visit the venue from 6pm which is when doors open.

Food will be served from 6pm till approximately 8.30pm which is when performances will start.

The official launch date of the venue is Friday, November 17, and there is a comedy night scheduled the day before the launch.

Scott Bennett who has appeared on Live At The Apollo and Radio 4 will be performing a stand-up comedy routine on Thursday, November 16.

For more information about The Hound Dog Derby visit their website by clicking here.