Album Liner Notes - November 2003
As the album title suggests Roadhouse have been a mainstay on the capital’s rock blues circuit for a dozen or so years. Formed ostensibly to play a friend’s wedding in Wandsworth, the original core of the band featured Gary Boner on guitar/vocals, Roger Hunt on drums, Bill Hobley on bass and Finn Parker on sax.
Originally part of an aspiring Pop Rock band who signed with a label that was interested in his songs, Gary went on to develop his ideas with Roadhouse.
“I suppose it was the usual thing of meeting fellow musicians who have the same musical interests. When we started the band in earnest it was very uncool to be either a song led guitar band, or a blues outfit, and we were both. But it was just a case of sticking with what you believe
“I suppose the name is an obvious clue as to what we are about, as a lot of the songs are the stuff of road movies ,and places I’ve been, and people Ive met”, says Gary. “Our last album “Blues Highway” was inspired by a musical travelogue, which traces the history of the blues from New Orleans and The Delta up what was to become Highway 61 through to Chicago, via Nashville. I’ve never considered writing in the blues idiom in any other way than to say something about a personal experience. But the subject matter of songs could come from movies just as much as real life.
I wrote “Voodoo Queen” when I was in the French quarter of New Orleans. It’s the same subject matter as Redbone’s “Witch Queen of New Orleans”. The song is about the grave of Marie Laveau (the witch queen of New Orleans), but I was using that as a metaphor for a destructive relationship. But there are also lyrical images in the song derived from the Micky Rourke film, “Angel Heart.”
“Preacher Man” is a song about loss of faith, and was based on Robert Mitchum’s 1950’s movie “Night of The Hunter”, and I suppose it is ironic that we have had all this interest now from the States.”
12 years down the road, and with 6 albums in the can, Gary Boner can justifiably be proud of his band’s achievements. Roadhouse have after all achieved their longevity and popularity completely independently. Gary also broadened the band’s appeal by running the Roadhouse Music Club – a professionally run music night that often includes 4 or 5 bands, plus guests on one bill, across a number of venues in town.
The Boom Boom Club is such a club. Set in the South Eastern Surrey corridor, the venue was bigger than Roadhouse usual monthly residency in Barnes. Given its bigger capacity, the fact that it is the perfect room in which to record and its location near the band’s roots, the decision was taken to record a live anniversary version of a Roadhouse Music Club.
What you hear is a warts and all result of a hot magical Sunday night, when 200 or so rock blues fans deserted their barbeques to turn out in force and support a band who have held the scene together for longer than many of them care to remember. Recorded on a mobile and subsequently mixed down, Gary says, “We left all the mistakes in as well as the inspirational moments, but just aimed to make sure the sound quality was up to standard. There really is no point in recording an event such as this and then adding load of overdubs. What you hear is what happened”.
“It was fantastic for us”, says Gary. “Everyone seemed to be there. You can spend an aweful lot of time phoning musicians, and sending out info to fans to cajole them to come to gigs, but for this one, everyone phoned me. There were obviously a few musicians we have worked with down the years who couldn’t be there, but in the event we had a nice balance of old friends and up and coming talent.”
It may seem a long way from South London to the West Coast of the US, but it’s a measure of the band’s development that they can now boast radio airplay on over 10 FM radio stations in the US, and even the occasional featured track on a Bosnian blues station.
Roadhouse’s anthemic Americana style, roots rock and blues does lend itself to the American FM radio station format, and as Gary explains it was through a combination of music tourism and the internet, that the band found themselves with an unexpected outlet for their music.
“The whole thing started with a couple of people who caught one of our shows a few years ago. They bought a few albums, and before I knew it we were receiving orders from the States. We ended up on KJFM Missouri and via Pete Sargeant of Blues Matters the Mick Martin show in California, and courtesy of some internet blues societies we were able to generate some interest in a number of other States.
Gary has also himself managed to pick up gigs with a backing band in Denver, Colorado, who although 3000 miles away are familiar with his material.
The band’s last album “Blues Highway” received some fine reviews and spawned both the title track and the very funky New Orleans groove of “Voodoo Queen”. The opening “Tellin’ Lies” was the title track of the previous album, while both “Back Streets” and “Preacher Man” are Roadhouse anthems from down the years.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, it is the strength of the songs that sets the standard. The rock solid rhythm section of Bill Hobley on bass and Roger Hunt, underpins some searing guitar lines from Boner, and the highly individual, angular feel of up and coming guitarist Jules Fothergill
Roadhouse also brought back original vocalist Lorna Reilly to sing alongside current member Anne Campbell, adding the occasional gospel feel to offset the guitars.
Gary Boner’s song writing influences range from the rootsy feel of say Tom Petty, John Hiatt and even Neil Young to the more rocky blues feel of Walter Trout (as on “Voodoo Queen”) through to the more basic Chicago blues roots. But on this album, it’s the band’s own material that impresses with its riff driven anthems, and fine soloing.
The guests on the album represent both friends old and new. Young Kingston guitarist Joe Hollywood for example delivers some clean guitar lines full of light and shade that suggests huge potential for the future. Guitarist Dr Noel Brown (Rory Gallagher/Davis Bowie) who was with Roadhouse for years and remains an honorary member teams up with hugely accomplished Canadian guitarist Drew Barron(Buddy Miles/April Wine) for a rockabilly outing “Please Don’t Leave Me”.
The whole set sits nicely together and then explodes into 10 minute plus, of pure blues shouting with Irish blues man Damien McCabe and former Savoy Brown harp player John O’Leary. It’s a brilliant pairing as Damien’s heavy-duty blues lines are topped by a blues vibrato that even James Brown would have been proud of. John O’Leary adds a beautifully toned harp. If anyone ever told you blues was a tired old idiom, then think again, as the guitar/harp duo blow any cobwebs out of the front door of the club. The crowd’s reaction said it all, another highlight on a wonderful celebratory evening.
Guitarist Robin Bibi is another member of South London’s blues jam fraternity. His pedigree of having worked with everyone from Jimmy Page/Robert Plant and BB King through to Helen Shapiro, shines through loud and clear on a funky blues workout , where his understated guitar lines are full of authority . Pete Sargeant adds earthy harp, and Frank Dymore underpins the number with a crisp percussive pattern.
The closing trio of Roadhouse songs, see the band joined on stage one final
time by various guests, and the whole evening winds up with the ultimate Roadhouse
anthem, “Preacher Man” The lyrics are Gary’s own, but the
climactic guitar led outro steals its thunder from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Freebird”.
What better way to close a 12th anniversay.
Pete Feenstra - RealMusicLive