ROADHOUSE (3)
''DARK ANGEL''
2010
61:22
1 - Too Tired To Pray/6:12
2 - Rainmaker/7:06
3 - Dark Angel/8:23
4 - Swamp Girl/6:44
5 - Tornado/4:32
6 - Stormy Monday/6:57
7 - So Over You/5:03
8 - Play With Fire/7:06
9 - Working Class Gospel Drinking Blues/4:16
10 - Telling Lies/4:59
REVIEW
By Maverick Magazine
Roadhouse’s music has always been different, country-rock, heading into roots and blues, with a dark, cinematic world view, the still back routes of America laced with the dirtier back streets of London. This is the band’s 11th album and is the pinnacle of their achievements, rumbling, roaring and screaming in pain while never losing track of the country undertones.
Under the leadership of guitarist/singer/songwriter Gary Boner, the band have been constantly pushing back the boundaries, and from the opening ringing tones of Too Tired To Pray you’re in the roadhouse world. There are few such bands who can get away with expansive pieces, but such is Roadhouse’s mastery that the eight minutes of the majestic title track seem normal.
The album’s success is in part due to Boner’s growing maturity as a writer, part of it is the band’s latest in a long line of lead guitarists, Danny Gwilym, whose playing takes things to a new level. There’s an inventive, rich, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll warmth, but there’s also the air of an early Clapton; imagine Cream playing in a roadhouse. Boner’s chugging, jangling rhythm is incessant and the solid rhythm section
of Roger Hunt (drums) and Bill Hobley (bass) is still there from the very beginning is still there. The band’s unusual vocal approach is still there, too, a trio of female singers (Mandie G, Kellie Marie Hobbs, Suzi D) who at one moment appear to be adding backing to Boner, then switch to a lead harmony, then solo lead. The constant changes create an ensemble feel, rather like the Band where the boundaries of lead vocals were forever blurred.
Of the tracks, Boner’s Working Class Gospel Drinking Blues is a favourite (with Gwilym’s gut-wrenching lead guitar), but there are lighter numbers such as So Over You, co-written with Gwilym and Hobbs. A classic.
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Roadhouse was formed in 1991 by Gary Boner, ably assisted throughout by the driving bass of Bill Hobley and the the powerful drumming of Roger Hunt. Seizing on an eclectic mix of influences from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Creedence Clearwater Revival, the band has developed a sound all of its own. In the words of a recent Blues Matters review: “They veer towards the rocky side of the Blues, but are clearly Blues based and play in a punchy style with musicianship of the highest quality”.
Having played over 1,500 gigs in the years since (more than 800 of which have been on the London circuit) the band have kept their sets consistently thrilling, mainly thanks to prolific songwriting from Boner and a carefully tailored mix of original and cover material. The band’s gig diary is peppered with dates at many prestigious venues, such as The Marquee, The Cartoon, The Borderline, The Worcester Park Club – and the band recently enjoyed lengthy residencies at The Bulls Head in Barnes, a renowned Blues and Jazz Club currently celebrating it’s 50th year of live music, and The Torrington in North Finchley. Over the last 24 months, Roadhouse have also played at many major Blues festivals, including The Guiness Blues Festival, Castlebar, Ireland; The Merton Abbey Mills Blues Festival, London; The Boogaloo Blues Festival, Bognor; The Isle Of Wight Blues Festival, Norton Grange; The Colne Blues Festival, Lancashire; The Festival of Blues and Rock, Skegness. 2004 has seen reappearances by the band at Colne and the MRA Hickling Blues Festival, amongst others.
The band has also built up a successful routine of album releases, having recorded and released six albums independently since 1995. Since signing to the Blues Matters! record label in 2003, a live album Roadhouse & Friends was released in January 2004, followed by the band’s latest studio album No Place To Hide in May 2004 – to an overwhelmingly positive reaction. “The whole CD is a wonderful and varied collection of songs played to the highest standard by a group of fine musicians. It deserves to take the band on to a higher level. I strongly recommend it” – Blues Matters! Magazine review.
The previously released albums have all been featured favourably on both National and International radio stations, including Paul Jones’ JazzMeBlues show on JazzFM, BBC Radio Lancashire, ResonanceFM, KJLU Missouri, KXJZ California, KEGR San Francisco, and others in many countries including Australia, Denmark, Italy, Croatia and Macedonia.
Over the years, the band has toured and supported with several renowned Blues “names” including Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy), Paul Jones (Manfredd Mann/The Blues Band), Otis Grand, 9 Below Zero, The Pirates, Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack, Walter Trout, and The Yardbirds. Having received such good reaction at these and their own gigs, the band now has a computerised mailing list, sending newsletters to over 1,100 recipients spanning 7 different countries.
In October 2005, 4 new musicians joined the Roadhouse family, the latest additions being Canadian guitarist Drew Barron, and vocalists Mandie G, Fiona McElroy, and Suzie Dingle. This band recorded the album “Broken Land” in early 2006 to critical acclaim.
''DARK ANGEL''
2010
61:22
1 - Too Tired To Pray/6:12
2 - Rainmaker/7:06
3 - Dark Angel/8:23
4 - Swamp Girl/6:44
5 - Tornado/4:32
6 - Stormy Monday/6:57
7 - So Over You/5:03
8 - Play With Fire/7:06
9 - Working Class Gospel Drinking Blues/4:16
10 - Telling Lies/4:59
REVIEW
By Maverick Magazine
Roadhouse’s music has always been different, country-rock, heading into roots and blues, with a dark, cinematic world view, the still back routes of America laced with the dirtier back streets of London. This is the band’s 11th album and is the pinnacle of their achievements, rumbling, roaring and screaming in pain while never losing track of the country undertones.
Under the leadership of guitarist/singer/songwriter Gary Boner, the band have been constantly pushing back the boundaries, and from the opening ringing tones of Too Tired To Pray you’re in the roadhouse world. There are few such bands who can get away with expansive pieces, but such is Roadhouse’s mastery that the eight minutes of the majestic title track seem normal.
The album’s success is in part due to Boner’s growing maturity as a writer, part of it is the band’s latest in a long line of lead guitarists, Danny Gwilym, whose playing takes things to a new level. There’s an inventive, rich, bluesy rock ‘n’ roll warmth, but there’s also the air of an early Clapton; imagine Cream playing in a roadhouse. Boner’s chugging, jangling rhythm is incessant and the solid rhythm section
of Roger Hunt (drums) and Bill Hobley (bass) is still there from the very beginning is still there. The band’s unusual vocal approach is still there, too, a trio of female singers (Mandie G, Kellie Marie Hobbs, Suzi D) who at one moment appear to be adding backing to Boner, then switch to a lead harmony, then solo lead. The constant changes create an ensemble feel, rather like the Band where the boundaries of lead vocals were forever blurred.
Of the tracks, Boner’s Working Class Gospel Drinking Blues is a favourite (with Gwilym’s gut-wrenching lead guitar), but there are lighter numbers such as So Over You, co-written with Gwilym and Hobbs. A classic.
OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY
Roadhouse was formed in 1991 by Gary Boner, ably assisted throughout by the driving bass of Bill Hobley and the the powerful drumming of Roger Hunt. Seizing on an eclectic mix of influences from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Creedence Clearwater Revival, the band has developed a sound all of its own. In the words of a recent Blues Matters review: “They veer towards the rocky side of the Blues, but are clearly Blues based and play in a punchy style with musicianship of the highest quality”.
Having played over 1,500 gigs in the years since (more than 800 of which have been on the London circuit) the band have kept their sets consistently thrilling, mainly thanks to prolific songwriting from Boner and a carefully tailored mix of original and cover material. The band’s gig diary is peppered with dates at many prestigious venues, such as The Marquee, The Cartoon, The Borderline, The Worcester Park Club – and the band recently enjoyed lengthy residencies at The Bulls Head in Barnes, a renowned Blues and Jazz Club currently celebrating it’s 50th year of live music, and The Torrington in North Finchley. Over the last 24 months, Roadhouse have also played at many major Blues festivals, including The Guiness Blues Festival, Castlebar, Ireland; The Merton Abbey Mills Blues Festival, London; The Boogaloo Blues Festival, Bognor; The Isle Of Wight Blues Festival, Norton Grange; The Colne Blues Festival, Lancashire; The Festival of Blues and Rock, Skegness. 2004 has seen reappearances by the band at Colne and the MRA Hickling Blues Festival, amongst others.
The band has also built up a successful routine of album releases, having recorded and released six albums independently since 1995. Since signing to the Blues Matters! record label in 2003, a live album Roadhouse & Friends was released in January 2004, followed by the band’s latest studio album No Place To Hide in May 2004 – to an overwhelmingly positive reaction. “The whole CD is a wonderful and varied collection of songs played to the highest standard by a group of fine musicians. It deserves to take the band on to a higher level. I strongly recommend it” – Blues Matters! Magazine review.
The previously released albums have all been featured favourably on both National and International radio stations, including Paul Jones’ JazzMeBlues show on JazzFM, BBC Radio Lancashire, ResonanceFM, KJLU Missouri, KXJZ California, KEGR San Francisco, and others in many countries including Australia, Denmark, Italy, Croatia and Macedonia.
Over the years, the band has toured and supported with several renowned Blues “names” including Mick Taylor (Rolling Stones), Eric Bell (Thin Lizzy), Paul Jones (Manfredd Mann/The Blues Band), Otis Grand, 9 Below Zero, The Pirates, Stan Webb’s Chicken Shack, Walter Trout, and The Yardbirds. Having received such good reaction at these and their own gigs, the band now has a computerised mailing list, sending newsletters to over 1,100 recipients spanning 7 different countries.
In October 2005, 4 new musicians joined the Roadhouse family, the latest additions being Canadian guitarist Drew Barron, and vocalists Mandie G, Fiona McElroy, and Suzie Dingle. This band recorded the album “Broken Land” in early 2006 to critical acclaim.
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