ARE you ready to rawk! I said are you ready to rawk!

Forgive the poor impression of some cliched hairy Yankee rocker getting wired up in front of his mic stand but sometimes the Pub Column gets so excited about a discovery on the alehouse scene that he feels that he has to share it with y’all, brothers and sisters.

This is especially so when it relates to a boozer that not only serves fine ale and liquor but some cracking kick-ass music on a finely stocked juke box. Previous contenders which have taken a bow in this column include the Swan in Wood Street, John Bull’s Chop House in Wigan and The Swinging Arm in Birkenhead.

All three have earned their reputations primarily as bikers’ pubs – but that doesn’t preclude us ordinary mortals from joining in the fun. Now there’s a fourth to add to the list – Mr Davidson’s Bar. A mere Pete Townsend guitar leap away from the aforementioned Arm, its sister pub, in a former incarnation it was the magnificent Victorian pile the Royal Castle Hotel. Standing opposite the Cammel Laird shipyard on Chester New Road. Legend has it that in the old days thirsty rivetters working on the likes of the Ark Royal would descend on the place at dinner time to find their pints lined up on the bar.

Nowadays, its new monicker and identity is self-explanatory in the pub’s brilliantly evocative sign outside, a picture of a biker complete with shades, German helmet and ZZ Top beard, sitting arrogantly astride a mighty Harley Davidson chopper bike.

Inside, the pub’s grand old architecture has been retained, complete with traditional saloon bar, a lovely reception hall with staircase, fireplace and mosaic floor and lounge bar complete with leather sofas, a small stage and pool table.

To be honest, the place had been recommended to Yours Truly some time ago by faithful Pub Column good pub sniffer dog Lady Penelope of Pensby. She’s something of a classic little rocker with an appetite that covers everything from the Flying Burrito Brothers to John Lee Hooker.

It’s an eclectic taste and one that matches the Mr Davidson’s superb juke box, whose myriad selections of classics spanning all pop genres set off a veritable brainbomb of delight in the Pub Column’s mind. I’ll Keep On Holding On by legendary 60s psychedelic modsters The Action, anyone? Or John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers version of You Gotta Help Me. Both were there along with hundreds, nay thousands of other tracks, and the Lady and I spent an almost ecstatic hour or so greedily feasting on its goodies much to the detriment of my wallet.

But it was worth it – as was the whole experience. The place is stocked with a good selection of continental lagers and, naturally, a heady rock ‘n’ roll mixture of American bourbons with both Jim Beam and Jack Daniels on the doubles bar. The new leaseholder Liam Hodge, a veteran mine host despite his tender 26 years, is also determined to bring up the real ale supply from one pump to three – the current favourite being Cheshire Gold from the Coachhouse brewery of Ellesmere Port.

Liam is suitably a rock music fan and the bar is festooned with memorabilia, including tour poster from old warhorses such as AC/DC plus other whole walls plastered with images of American comic book heroes. It also doubles as a music club, Revolver, named not after the Beatles album but a track by one of Liam’s favourite bands Rage Against The Machine. An intimate room with stage attached to the back of the pub, it’s becoming a sell-out especially on Friday and Saturday nights.

So are you ready to rawk?

You betcha.