ROADHOUSE (3)
''GODS & HIGHWAS & OLD GUITARS''
2013
53:32
1 - Hell On Wheels/5:31
2 - I Can't Say No/3:46
3 - Skinwalker/7:24
4 - Gods & Highwas & Old Guitars/4:23
5 - Katrina/5:24
6 - The Big Easy/5:27
7 - Slow Down/4:01
8 - Spirits Across The Water/5:01
9 - Blues Motel/6:40
10 - Sinner/5:51
REVIEW
By Clive Rawlings
What initially strikes me about the CD is the stunning photography on the cover. Just like an old Camel CD from the nineties, Dust and Dreams, it portrays John Steinback -era America when everything was bust and broken. For any first time listeners the symbolism of the guitar case in the boot of the clapped out car on the cover soon becomes evident. Roadhouse are pure guitar-driven blues rock with a tinge of Southern boogie. Opener Hell on Wheels shows that founder member, chief bottle washer, singer, co-guitarist and main song-writer, Gary Boner is in sparkling form, along with fellow guitarist Danny Gwilym, boosted by the ever dependable rhythm section of Bill Hobley (bass) and Roger Hunt (drums). Then there is the band within the band that is the wonderful Mandie G, Sarah Harvey-Smart, and Suzie D on vocals. Skin Walker clocking in at seven and a half minutes is a native American tale accentuated by Gary’s narrative, accompanied by an electro-acoustic guitar pattern. The title track has Mandie G handling pitch perfect vocals before the guitars slip into jam-band mode. Katrina takes the listener to the devastation of New Orleans post hurricane. Suzie D does a remake of The Big Easy again with superb guitar work. With a hint of boogie, co-writer Sarah Harvey-Smart does a brilliant job on Slow Down. Country rocker, Spirits Across the Water has beautiful backing vocals. Blues Motel has a riff which could have been plucked from early ZZ Top, showcasing the great vibe Mandie G has with Danny’s guitar work. Like Spirit before it, closer Sinner has an eighties feel to it. This album certainly gets my vote for one of the outstanding British releases of this year. Mr Boner works tremendously hard on his own musical vision and, in my humble opinion, he and his wonderful band have pulled it off.
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.
''GODS & HIGHWAS & OLD GUITARS''
2013
53:32
1 - Hell On Wheels/5:31
2 - I Can't Say No/3:46
3 - Skinwalker/7:24
4 - Gods & Highwas & Old Guitars/4:23
5 - Katrina/5:24
6 - The Big Easy/5:27
7 - Slow Down/4:01
8 - Spirits Across The Water/5:01
9 - Blues Motel/6:40
10 - Sinner/5:51
REVIEW
By Clive Rawlings
What initially strikes me about the CD is the stunning photography on the cover. Just like an old Camel CD from the nineties, Dust and Dreams, it portrays John Steinback -era America when everything was bust and broken. For any first time listeners the symbolism of the guitar case in the boot of the clapped out car on the cover soon becomes evident. Roadhouse are pure guitar-driven blues rock with a tinge of Southern boogie. Opener Hell on Wheels shows that founder member, chief bottle washer, singer, co-guitarist and main song-writer, Gary Boner is in sparkling form, along with fellow guitarist Danny Gwilym, boosted by the ever dependable rhythm section of Bill Hobley (bass) and Roger Hunt (drums). Then there is the band within the band that is the wonderful Mandie G, Sarah Harvey-Smart, and Suzie D on vocals. Skin Walker clocking in at seven and a half minutes is a native American tale accentuated by Gary’s narrative, accompanied by an electro-acoustic guitar pattern. The title track has Mandie G handling pitch perfect vocals before the guitars slip into jam-band mode. Katrina takes the listener to the devastation of New Orleans post hurricane. Suzie D does a remake of The Big Easy again with superb guitar work. With a hint of boogie, co-writer Sarah Harvey-Smart does a brilliant job on Slow Down. Country rocker, Spirits Across the Water has beautiful backing vocals. Blues Motel has a riff which could have been plucked from early ZZ Top, showcasing the great vibe Mandie G has with Danny’s guitar work. Like Spirit before it, closer Sinner has an eighties feel to it. This album certainly gets my vote for one of the outstanding British releases of this year. Mr Boner works tremendously hard on his own musical vision and, in my humble opinion, he and his wonderful band have pulled it off.
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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