{"id":71,"date":"2011-01-23T20:51:50","date_gmt":"2011-01-23T20:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/"},"modified":"2014-05-19T13:48:21","modified_gmt":"2014-05-19T13:48:21","slug":"dark-angel-gary-boner-talks-about-the-new-album","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/dark-angel-gary-boner-talks-about-the-new-album\/","title":{"rendered":"Gary Boner talks about Dark Angel"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gary Boner has led Roadhouse for 20 years\u2026 this year at last they appeared at Glastonbury and slowly things are looking up, it\u2019s a story of struggling against the odds, no big record company advances, no-one to pull the strings, and coping with severe illness and family struggles. \u2026Gary\u2019s answers are spiced with typically dry \u2018Sarf London\u2019 irony, and if you like this you may enjoy the website Podcast version <\/strong>[display_podcast]
\nwhere Gary entertains us with anecdotes about the true meaning of the name \u2018Boner\u2019 and other hair raising tales!<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Gary<\/a><\/p>\n

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So we\u2019re in the 20th<\/sup> year of Roadhouse; that\u2019s a surprising statistic in this day and age of constant change\u2026almost a major achievement. Maybe you could hazard a figure as to how many gigs Roadhouse have done?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think it\u2019s somewhere over 2,300<\/p>\n

And the first ever Roadhouse gig was?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Would you believe it was a wedding; I met a slide guitarist\/harp playing singer songwriter called Bob Roberts. He asked me to help him form a Band to play his mate\u2019s wedding. They were a real bunch of rock and rollers, the groom had much longer hair than the bride.<\/strong><\/p>\n

And the line-up was?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bill Hobley was on bass and Roger Hunt was the drummer; that was our legendary rhythm section; and they were there in that first line up. At that time we also had a Scottish sax player called Finn.<\/p>\n

I saw you way back as support on a young Pete Feenstra gig at the Torrington. Obviously it\u2019s come a long way since then. Did you have a vision for the band at that stage? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Roadhouse has gone through many phases. At the Torrington alone we went through a phase with Bob Roberts as the front man singing with Mandie G. Then there was the iconic line-up of Jules and Lorna Fothergill plus Annie Campbell. We then moved onto Canadian guitar whiz (and he was fast<\/em>!) Drew Barron (ex Buddy Miles) and Irish Siren Fiona McElroy, who now leads her own Band; the vision was to survive as a Band when others were going under.<\/p>\n

I reckon it was easier then there were loads more gigs \u2013 the Torrington was agreat venue and there\u2019s been nothing remotely as good in North London. How do you think the gig situation has changed in that time?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are fewer bands and even less venues, live music in the traditional blues rock format is losing ground. The fans are ageing as a demographic and younger people can outplay us all on \u2018Guitar Hero\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2026and what about the attitudes of venue owners and promoters\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

A few flick your head sideways and use your ear as an ash tray\u2026no, I\u2019m joking really, there are a lot of good people running venues. It\u2019s often at a loss and driven purely by their love for real music and the connection it can bring. We are, however, treated better in Holland, Belgium and France, where accommodation, food and drink is provided and you are actually treated as artists and human beings. Pete Feenstra is doing a great deal to keep live music alive around London.<\/p>\n

Well enough of the past; we\u2019ll return to it later and draw on your experience as a band leader, this seems to have been a good year for you so far\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes, it started well with our appearance on Centre Stage at the Skegness festival. The band has reached a whole new level and the crowd saw that. In many ways we are unrecognisable from what we used to be. The reaction was unbelievable; we received over 100 emails from punters who loved that show. I suddenly started getting calls from venues around the Country asking us to come and play for them for the first time. The new songs have been well received and the lovely Rachel Clark joining has been a good thing. Our squad of stunning, young female vocalists is now up to 4 in total. It\u2019s a shame that the Blues Matters stage at Colne was cancelled this year, as we\u2019ve been the biggest crowd draw on the Sunday for about the last 6 years\u2026.you win some, and you lose some\u2026.hopefully we\u2019ll all be back there next year\u2026<\/p>\n

\"In<\/a>
In the studio listening to playbacks of Dark Angel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2026and then there was Glastonbury?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes<\/p>\n

So how did Glastonbury come about? <\/strong><\/p>\n

We were asked to be on standby in case any bands dropped out on the new Bourbon Street Blues stage.<\/p>\n

I recall you ringing me to say that you were very close to it \u2013I\u2019ll bet it was a bit of a cliff-hanger then before it was confirmed<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t think it would happen, then with 5 days to go we were on<\/p>\n

And how did it go?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It went very well; we probably had the best slot in the whole day. Stevie Wonder was just finishing up on the adjacent Pyramid Stage; we definitely had the biggest crowd on that stage. I thought everyone would be rocked out, but they loved it. It was a great experience\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a been a good trip from the ice and snow of Skegness in January to high summer at Glastonbury,<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a strange year<\/p>\n

Well it\u2019s a been pretty good launch pad for the new album that we are hearing about \u2013 so please tell us about that<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes that\u2019s right, we\u2019ll be recording the new CD, Dark Angel, in September and it should be out by mid October. I\u2019m delighted with the new songs. We\u2019ve been playing 4 of them for some time and the feedback is excellent. This is also my favourite Roadhouse line up, there\u2019s little in-band politics, and it\u2019s more like a family then a Band. Also the music is stylistically heavier in many different ways.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve heard some of the songs in live performance and I\u2019m intrigued, some of the lyrics are quite dark; death, the devil, voodoo, illness, etc. Yet your show is very \u2018up\u2019 and cheerful. Can you tell us about that contrast?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got a very painful disease of my muscles, tendons and central nervous system. Two months ago the hospital said I was the only person with my type of disease and in my age group (ancient that is) on their books, who was not bed ridden. I asked the Doctor concerned if he\u2019d ever considered a career as a motivational speaker. Some nights I have restricted movement in my wrists and fingers, so I have to approach the guitar differently. This stops me from getting bored. Also I\u2019ve been divorced a few times and struggled to keep up quality contact with my Daughter\u2026<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve all got our stories, but I think I\u2019m blessed; there are so many people worse off than me. Every time I get up and play, it\u2019s a result. The fact that we attract good crowds and sell decent quantities of CD\u2019s is amazing to me. Playing live is the greatest feeling in the world\u2026 long may it continue.<\/p>\n

Two years ago on stage in Colne I publicly announced that I\u2019d have to throw the towel in. The pain at that stage was relentless; I couldn\u2019t see any light at all. But I\u2019m still here and in less pain, so I would like to apologise to all who were there for my feeble sense of melodrama. I did mean it at the time, but somebody came up to me this year at Skegness and said \u201cAren\u2019t you meant to be dead\u2019 and that brought it home.<\/p>\n

I note that voodoo comes into several songs, have you got a special interest in that subject?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A bit, I love the psychology of cursing someone and then they believe themselves to death. I visited the large Graveyards in New Orleans, the so called \u2018Cities of the Dead\u2019. The swampy ground literally vomits up corpses, so people have to be buried above ground in large marble tombs that often resemble gothic wedding cakes. Whole generations of families are stored in sculptured filing cabinets. I visited the Grave of Marie LeVaux the so called Witch Queen of New Orleans. Every morning her grave is found to be covered in blood and the corpses of dead animals. These offerings are meant to grant power to the giver. I bought loads of voodoo dolls when I was there\u2026results have been mixed.<\/p>\n

Oh dear, shudder, shudder, and tell us about a successful voodoo result\u2026 <\/strong>(Readers, you\u2019ll have to go the web-site to hear the sensational unexpurgated truth about Gary\u2019s voodoo skills!)<\/p>\n

\"Derek<\/a>
Derek and Gary on the art of songwriting<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The title track of the album \u2018Dark Angel\u2019 paints a dark picture of hopelessness and vulnerability to outside forces-tell us about the genesis of that song?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well you are born, you live and then you die. I think it\u2019s the middle bit that\u2019s important, but one thing is certain, it won\u2019t end well.<\/p>\n

What makes you so sure of that? I mean, say, Roadhouse breaks big, GB makes a few million, has ten years of success and dies peacefully surrounded by friends, family and assorted ex-Roadhouse musicians? <\/strong>(Hear Gary\u2019s startling response on the web-site)<\/p>\n

The other song that caught my attention is \u2018Too Tired to Pray\u2019 what\u2019s the story behind that?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s about loss of hope, death of dreams, inertia, exhaustion of the soul, meltdown.<\/p>\n

Oh yeah, like trying to get a gig out of\u2026oops, best not say that, maybe it sounds more like the aftermath of a bad pub gig?<\/strong><\/p>\n

(laughs) yes but Danny\u2019s slide playing gives it a great blues feel<\/p>\n

Is there a song of yours that expresses your lighter side?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Don\u2019t You Point that Thing at Me\u2019, on the album \u2018No Place to Hide\u2019 is a black comedy, double entendre and all. \u2018Mexican Nights\u2019 on our album \u2018Broken Land\u2019 is a piss [satirical]<\/em> take on all those great Robert Rodriguez movies. Some reviewers called that song \u2018Bizarre\u2019, but I found it hysterical. Drew Barron\u2019s flamenco guitar playing on that song is a revelation.<\/p>\n

Looking back through your albums \u2013 there is a theme that emerges \u2013 religion or anti-religion, and the supernatural themes that run alongside. Is there a growing anger and sense of loss expressed in the songs \u2013 it seems to be there in the songs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not really, I just don\u2019t think many Blues Rock fans relate to \u2018I woke up this morning and I feel great\u2019<\/p>\n

It seems to be there in the artwork for \u2018Sea of Souls\u2019, the cover picture is like a burning diary \u2013 like a life being burned away and there is a religious symbolism in the sleeve artwork \u2013 taken with the lyrics of the song \u2018Sea of Souls\u2019 \u2018Don\u2019t know how I turned into a poor relation, just slipped into a world of desperation, Oh Lord I\u2019m drowning\u2019. <\/em>Not exactly cheerful is it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

More people have died in the name of religion than any other cause. To me it\u2019s a form of social control, an opiate for the masses, right up there with public execution, gladiatorial combat and football. That doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not important.<\/p>\n

\"Gary<\/a>
Gary Boner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s a whole other debate and interview there, so what about the cover art?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well Vaughan Oliver is a legend in the field of graphic design and is one of the UK\u2019s most acclaimed rock sleeve artists. His work with The Pixies, The Cocteau Twins among others is legendary. It\u2019s been a dream that he has designed our last 2 covers and he\u2019s on for the new one. I wonder what he\u2019ll do with \u2018Dark Angel\u2019.<\/p>\n

What sort of song you might sing on ice-cold morning on the beach at Skeggy?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2018Donald where\u2019s my trousers\u2019<\/p>\n

You must let me have the chords for that; Ok so anything that you\u2019d like to add about your songs?<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are mood pieces, stores, vignettes, often cinematic in nature. Modern film noir is a big influence, alongside a decent splash of Southern Gothic. A taxi driver in Amsterdam had 2 of my CD\u2019s and he said that \u2018I must have the most miserable existence on the planet\u2019. Well mate, they are only songs!!<\/p>\n

Ok, so as a bandleader of twenty years and more experience what\u2019s the main thing that you\u2019ve learned?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019m a lot more laid back. If it\u2019s going to go wrong, it\u2019s going to go wrong. You can\u2019t control everybody all the time and it\u2019s wrong to try to do so. We are a Band, if there\u2019s a compelling belief in the music, that\u2019s all you need to get people working together in the right way.<\/p>\n

What advice would you pass to a band just starting out, they can be any age, or let\u2019s sharpen that a bit \u2013 what\u2019s the first piece of advice that you\u2019d offer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t bother, it\u2019s a dying planet! (That\u2019s helped get rid of any future competition)<\/p>\n

\"Gary<\/a>
Gary Boner<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And the second\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

More seriously, it\u2019s the kids and the new musicians that will dictate whether the genre continues to exist. Their development is essential. Wherever we play on the circuit we let young Bands support us or actively feature them in jam\/open mic nights that we run. We\u2019ve met some fantastic young musicians. I hate people going on about Joe Bonamassa selling out; if he takes us to a whole new audience, then God bless him. I\u2019ve had the privilege of opening for him and we\u2019ve exchanged CD\u2019s, he\u2019s a great player.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to turn to the band now \u2013how did the concept of having three girl singers develop and does that cause financial problems?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Well if anybody had any intention of trying to make money out of playing live music, I\u2019m sure the last thing they would do is form a Band with 6 or 7 people in it and the play largely original material. For me, it\u2019s all about managing the size of he debt in order to keep the musical vision alive. We only use 3 girls at festivals and big stage shows, mostly we just use two. They are all great singers and could easily front their own bands. It\u2019s a bonus that they are all drop dead sexy and get no shortage of admirers. Big thanks to Mandie G, Kelly Marie Hobbs, Suzie D and Rachel Clark. In my view it\u2019s another conduit to turning people onto the music, though some may say it\u2019s just a conduit for turning people on. The girls all move well, it\u2019s not cheesy and co-ordinated; they connect with the music and rock out on stage.<\/p>\n

Do you run it as a democracy or are you the boss?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ll ask the Band if I\u2019m allowed to say that I\u2019m the Boss<\/p>\n

With 7 or 8 members do you get any dissent, how do you deal with it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In many different ways, it happens all the time. No group of people will ever see everything the same way<\/p>\n

So how about some specific advice for bandleaders<\/strong><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t ever expect to be thanked, especially with sincerity<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s turn to your own song writing, we\u2019ve touched on it a bit when we talked about the albums. First of all, out of all your songs, have you got a favourite?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, faves come and go. A song that embarrasses me one month, I start to re-consider the next (sometimes, mostly I stay embarrassed).<\/p>\n

Any particular way of working when you write?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Write the music first, if that doesn\u2019t give you the chills then it\u2019s not a decent platform for a narrative and melody.<\/p>\n

Got a philosophy of life?<\/strong><\/p>\n

If I had an \u2018osophy\u2019 I\u2019d be a scientist<\/p>\n

Any regrets band-wise?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Too many to mention<\/p>\n

If it all ended tomorrow how would you like to be remembered?<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a good songwriter, someone who did a lot for live music, someone who was there for his friends and family<\/p>\n

OK, well congratulations on a really good year and here\u2019s to it being onward and upward<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gary Boner has led Roadhouse for 20 years\u2026 this year at last they appeared at Glastonbury and slowly things are looking up, it\u2019s a story of struggling against the odds, no big record company advances, no-one to pull the strings, and coping with severe illness and family struggles. \u2026Gary\u2019s answers are spiced with typically dry […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-71","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=71"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1612,"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/71\/revisions\/1612"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.roadhousegb.liveblues.info\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}