RoadRunner - News
The ultimate Blues, Rock 'n' Roll and Soul experience
RIDING WITH ROADRUNNER 2012 TOUR
It's been too long! We're back and ready for a rockin' 2012! Looking forward to seeing everyone at our first gig of the year at The Raven Hotel in Hook on Saturday (Jan 21)
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Well the RoadRunner 2011 tour will come to an end tonight after a fantastic 12 months. We've had the best year ever in the band's history (16 years!) and that's down to the fans, the venues and the guys who are a pleasure playing with.
Big thanks must go out also to guitarist Connor McDonald, harp player Dave Raphael and singer Lucy Oliver for joining us on stage.
We're finishing at The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst tonight with a special Christmas party. Music from 9pm with some festive tunes thrown in for good measure.
Exciting times ahead for the band in 2012 with the 'Riding with RoadRunner' tour that will see us play at some great new venues and some old familiar ones.
Also, look out for our new album in early 2012. On our Facebook page our guitarist Matt Oliver has produced a brilliant 'making of' video - be sure to check it out if you haven't already done so.
Have a rockin' Xmas from RoadRunner - Meep, Meep!
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER UPDATE
The band has just returned from a cracking gig at The Raven Hotel in Hook. It was the first time we've been back in about five years as the new management is trying out live music again. The pub was packed and it ws great to see so many friendly faces in the crowd. Fingers crossed we will be back there in 2012.
Ours other gigs at The Royal Oak in Bracknell and Henry VI in Eton were also a big success and we're sorting out dates with Gareth and Tony as we speak for next year.
Well, we're almost there...the RoadRunner 2011 tour is coming to a close. We've got two more gigs in December at the Rowbarge in Guildford (10th) and then at The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst on the 17th before we take a well deserved break!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER UPDATE
Well the summer is almost over and the band has been really busy over the past few weeks with back to back gigs at some fantastic new venues.
First up was The Swan Inn in Farnborough where it was great to see a few familiar faces from previous gigs. Nice to see the man who brought the band back together many years ago - Frank Heritage.
Then we moved just around the corner to Fleet and The Falkners Arms charity day, where we entertained the crowd who had turned up to raise money for local youngster Jacob. Special thanks to Lucy Oliver who joined us on a few numbers. Look out for us back there in April 2012.
Next we headed over to Reading and The Rising Sun pub where the crowd was in good voice. Great music venue - we're already looking forward to returning there on November 4.
RIDING WITH ROADRUNNER
We have finally finished our second album which will be called Riding With RoadRunner. The album can be listened to in our 'Music' section and the full track listing for the album is: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Jumpin Jack Flash, (Sittin') On The Dock Of The Bay, Take Me To The River, Higher And Higher, Since I Met You Baby, Ain't No Sunshine, Good Love Is On The Way, Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Five Long Years and Tore Down.
JUNE/JULY UPDATE
The band has had an exciting and busy couple of months which has included visits to two new venues. We're already looking forward to returning to The Henry VI Pub in Eton and Mr Bumble in Blackwater later this year - fantastic music venues.
REMEMBERING RAY CHEESEMAN
On Saturday July 30, RoadRunner joined friends and family of the late Ray Cheeseman in a celebration of his life. A fun day at Godalming House followed by a BBQ and party in the evening raised more than two thousand pounds for Help For Heroes and Shooting Star Chase. It was a pleasure to have been asked to play by Ray's wife Pauline and her family.
CHARITY FUN DAY AND COCKTAIL EVENING
On Saturday July 30 at Godalming House (The Old Wey Inn), please come along and give your support for this fantastic event in aid of Help for Heroes and Shooting Star Chase. There will be lots of fun for all the family during the day and then in the evening RoadRunner will be entertaining the crowds, along with a raffle and lingerie modelling. Tickets are eight pounds in advance and ten pounds on the night. Anybody who wishes to book a stall slot in the day or donate something to the raffle should contact Mairead Cheeseman on Facebook or email us at roadrunnerblues2000@yahoo.co.uk.
STUDIO UPDATE
The album is almost finished. We just have to mix it and then do a photoshoot for the cover art. There's something for everyone on the album and we know we're going to be extremely happy with the final product. We're looking at a possible September launch date.
MAY UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who came down to support us at The Royal Oak. New landlord Gareth made us feel very welcome - so welcome he's invited us back for another two gigs at the end of the year - Friday September 30 and Fri October 28.
APRIL UPDATE
After a little break we're back at a favourite venue of ours on Saturday - The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst. Looking forward to seeing everyone down there. Then after an early summer holiday we're back at The Royal Oak Bracknell in May. We've added quite a few new gig dates for the rest of the year - many of which are at new venues. To name a few...The Swan Inn at Farnborough, The Falkners Arms in Fleet and the Henry VII in Eton. We are also hoping to return to The Raven in Hook at some point. Looking forward to bringing the Roadrunner blues, soul and rock 'n' roll experience to those places.
MARCH UPDATE
We've been hard at work in the studio on our second album. The final track listing has been confirmed:- Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Sittin on the Dock of the Bay, Ain't No Sunshine, Take Me To The River, Tore Down, Since I Met You Babe, Good Love is on The way, Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Jumpin Jack Flash and High and Higher. As usual, they've all been given the Roadrunner 'treatment'. A busy gig schedule ahead means the album launch will be sometime after the summer. Keep checking back here for the latest news.
STUDIO
The band are taking a little break to go into the studio and record a new album. Once again its been a tough decision trying to choose which numbers we record. However, we hope we have chosen something for everyone....keep checking back here to find out which songs have made it.
FEBRUARY UPDATE
One of the busiest starts to a tour ever continued in late Jan with the band performing at a new live music venue - The Boots in Bracknell. The pub was packed and we had a lot of fun with the locals joining us on a few numbers. Fantastic boozer with bags of atmosphere. Look at for us there again later in the year.
Then it was over to Bagshot and The Three Mariners pub where we headlined a charity night. It was great to play with so many talented musicians. Cheers to Steve Lamb for sorting out the gear and making sure things ran smoothly on the night.
We returned to a favourite stomping ground of ours last week - The Royal Oak in Bracknell. Landlord Neil has really turned the place around and it's a great live music venue.
The crowd was in fine voice all night long and wouldn't let us go home until we had exhausted all our song lists!! We were joined by friend and guest musician Dave Raphael on harmonica who had the crowd going wild. Big shout out to Dave and Di and Blues fan Derek who have been following the band around the area.
JANUARY 2011 UPDATE
Well the RoadRunner 2011 tour is well and truly under way. We kicked off the year in style at London's five-star Landmark Hotel for a party for ABRSM - the UK's leading authority for musical assessment. The movie-themed evening went down a storm and the band had everyone dancing all night long - definitely an A+ performance!!
A week later and we found ourselves in Windsor performing for Astellas Pharma Ltd at their annual UK conference. A great night was had by all with everyone getting in the RoadRunner spirit.
RoadRunner would like to wish all their fans a Happy Christmas and a rockin' New Year. Thanks for all your support in 2010. Meep Meep!
XMAS EVE GIG: THE ROWBARGE, RIVERSIDE, GUILDFORD
Don't forget to come and join us at this great music venue on Christmas Eve. Live Music starts from 8pm with lots of festive fun for everyone.
WEYBRIDGE GIG CANCELLED
Unfortunately, the Weybridge Conservative Club have had to cancel our gig with them this Saturday (18th). However, we are trying to arrange a date for 2011.
CHRISTMAS GIGS Well we're almost at the end of another great year for the band. Our last three gigs are at the Rose and Crown in Sandhurst on Sat Dec 4 followed by the Weybridge Conservative Club on Sat Dec 18. Then we're playing at the Rowbarge Xmas Eve party. We'll be serving up our usual dose of blues, rock 'n' roll and soul along with a few Christmas favourites at all these gigs so don't miss out on the fun!
ROYAL OAK PUB, BRACKNELL
Anyone who was at the charity bash here back in May will remember what a great night it was. Don't forget we're back there on Friday November 12 for a night of blues, rock n roll and soul from 9pm.
WEDDINGS
Congratulations to Cheryl and Andrew and Steven and Becky who both recently got married and had RoadRunner perform at their reception.
OCTOBER UPDATE
Don't forget our Xmas party this year is at the Rowbarge in Guildford. Great little music venue on the canal. Live music from 8pm! Also we are already taking bookings for next year so if you want the Roadrunner experience make sure you get in touch asap as dates are going fast.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
Another great day was had at the Wandsworth Street Party. Cheers for all who turned out to brave the sunny but cold weather! Lots of fun had as always - cheers to Brian for organising the bash. Hopefully see you all again next year!
AUGUST UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who made it to London for our Jazz After Dark gig. We filled the place twice over - just a shame we couldn't fit everyone in. Still, look at for us back there in 2011. We also played at a new venue in Wokingham called the Hope and Anchor - fantastic music venue and crowd. Make sure you come and see us again there in the second part of 2011.
WANDSWORTH STREET PARTY
Don't forget you can catch us at the Old York Road street party in Wandsworth, London, on Saturday September 25th. The fun kicks off at 12.30pm. Visit http://www.oldyorkroad.co.uk/ for more details!
SUE RYDER CARE SPONSORED BIKE RIDE
Prince of Wales regular Tracey is organising a sponsored bike ride around Fleet in aid of Sue Ryder Care. The 8.5 mile ride starts at 2pm from the pub in Fleet on August 22. It's free to take part - you just need a sponsorship form. Get on your bike for a good cause and call Tracey on 07866 733962 for more details.
JUNE/JULY UPDATE
The band returned to doing what they do best last night after a couple of months off due to a summer break. We played at a great pub called the Prince of Wales in Fleet. Fantastic crowd who really got behind the band. Special thanks for making You Can't Always Get What You Want so memorable. We hope to see you all again later in the year or early 2011.
LONDON GIG
RoadRunner are finally bringing their ultimate blues, rock 'n' roll and soul experience to the capital on Wednesday, August 18. We're playing at the intimate Jazz After Dark in Greek Street, Soho. It's a 9pm start and admission is £5. Advanced table bookings are recommended as the venue only has a capacity of 50!
GIG CANCELLATION
Due to a change of management and no music license our gig at the King Of Wessex in Basingstoke on August 7 has been cancelled at short notice. It also means out Xmas bash there in Dec is also off. Cheers to Sue for supporting the band for the past two years and good luck for the future. STOP PRESS. We're told the pub is hoping to renew its license so watch this space we will be back!
INTRODUCING...
We've had a re-shuffle of the current RoadRunner line-up and brought in Kiran Amliwala as our new second guitarist to replace Danny Lean who left the band back in April. For those of you that saw us at The Rowbarge in Guildford you'll know that Kiran rocked the joint on his first gig with us. We'll be getting some words from the man himself soon so watch this space to find out more.
XMAS EVE
RoadRunner will be holding their Xmas Eve party at The Rowbarge in Guildford this year. Great little friendly boozer on the canal so come down and join us for a night of blues, rock 'n' roll all mixed up with a lot of soul.
APRIL/MAY UPDATE
We've been booked again for this year's Wandsworth Street party in Old York Road after our successful gig last year which we're all looking forward to. We're also playing at The Jolly Miller's World Cup party on Friday June 11. Tickets are £6 and include your first drink. Come down and help us kick-off England's hopes in style.
JAN/FEB/MARCH UPDATE
A great start to the year with some fantastic gigs at new venues. Basingstoke's Winton pub and Wellington Social Club were brilliant as was our visit to the Rose and Crown in Sandhurst. Look out for our return dates later in the year on the gig guide. Next up we're back at our old favourite The White Hart in Alton on Saturday April 10.
FACEBOOK
The band is now on Facebook so please feel free to 'befriend' us and give us feedback from gigs.
DECEMBER UPDATE
The band would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and thank you for your support throughout 2009. The 2010 tour kicks off on Jan 23rd at The White Hart in Alton. Happy New Year!
NOVEMBER UPDATE
Well the this year's RoadRunner tour is coming to an end with our two final gigs of the year. First up is The King Of Wessex in Basingstoke on December 5. The boys can't wait to return to the pub to play again. Then it's our Xmas party at The Wolvesdene Club in Andover. So get your Santa hats on and come on down.
OCTOBER UPDATE
It's been a great few weeks for the band coming off the back of Wandsworth and Scratchers. We played a great new venue in Andover - The Queen Charlotte - and had a fantastic evening with Angie and the locals. Next up we return to The Jolly Miller pub in North Warnborough, near Hook, on October 23rd. Always a good night had by all there so looking forward to it. The band has been busy rehearsing up some new material to gig shortly - we've got some more crowd favourites and we've also been giving some more songs the RoadRunner 'treatment', so watch this space!!!
INTRODUCING...
RoadRunner's newest member - Danny Lean who has joined the band after a long search for another guitarist. He's a great addition to the group who has blown us all away with his style of playing and incredible sound in the short time he's been with us. We'll get a mugshot of him up on the site and some words from him soon.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
The band are still on a high from last weekend when we went on the road with our first stop being Old York Road Street Party in Wandsworth. The sun was out as we performed to more than 3,000 people throughout an action packed day - thanks to everyone who turned up to support us. Next stop was Scratchers in Farncombe where we played for the first time. The band had a blast and really appreciated all the support from regulars down there. See you again in 2010.
WANDSWORTH STREET PARTY- Saturday September 26
RoadRunner will be playing several sets throughout the day at Wandsworth's Old York Road Street Party. Entry is free and as well as the band there will be more than 30 stalls including food, beer and crafts. Lots of things to do for all the family, including opera singers, childrens' entertainer Zorchak, belly dancers and much, much more. More than 3,000 people turned up to last year's bash so make sure you don't miss out! The event kicks off at midday.
AUGUST UPDATE
It's been an action packed August for the band with several new venues on the calendar. First stop was The Old Fox in Ickenham. Great venue for live music and a good crowd made sure the evening was a lot of fun. Knaphill Working Men's Club was a fantastic night to. Great response from everyone who saw us and top venue for bands to come. Hopefully we will be back at both venues in 2010.
Off the back of the Knaphill gig we've been invited to play at The Surrey just down the road on Friday November 6 at 9pm. So if you liked us there come and see us again in November.
JULY UPDATE
After a brief break RoadRunner are back again and looking forward to a summer of music.
We returned to British Airways' Wingspan Club last Saturday and welcomed back our dep guitarist Dave Bowles for the evening. Fantastic venue and audience made for a great night.
We make the trip south west on August 1 for our visit to The Wolvesdene Club in Andover - great club with plenty of atmosphere -a favourite of the bands. If you're around then come down and say hello.
Then it's off to West London on August 8 and The Old Fox in Ickenham, near Uxbridge. A new venue for the band - looking forward to playing there.
MARCH UPDATE
RoadRunner's 2009 tour finally kicks off this Saturday (7th) at The Jolly Miller in North Warnborough. We've played there a few times in the past and its got some great potential as a live music venue so come down and see us kick things off in style.
We're also going to be launching our new album "Unfinished Business" - tracks on the album include Valerie, Gimme Some Lovin, I Feel Good, Little Wing and Purple Rain.
FEBRUARY UPDATE
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our gig at The White Hart at the last minute due to the snow and ice. But we're back there on April 4 so if you missed us stick the date in your diary.
Please check the gig listings if you're thinking of coming down to see us as a couple of venues and dates have changed.
NEW DEMO
The band has just returned from two days at Opus Studios in Hindhead recording our second album. Crowd favourites featured on the CD include Valerie and Purple Rain along with Little Wing, I Feel Good, Highgate Shuffle, Gimme Some Lovin and Unchain My Heart. We're putting the finishing touches to it as we speak so look out for the CD at gigs in March.
JANUARY 2009
RoadRunner kick off their 2009 tour on February 7 at The White Hart in Alton. Full details in our "gigs" section.
NEW WEBSITE
We hope you like our new website which has finally gone live after months of hard work. Special thanks to our website developer Carl and to Colin Byers for the great pictures.
NEW ALBUM
After the runaway success of our first mini-album The Blues Is Gonna Get You, RoadRunner are locking themselves away in the studio for another two days in January to record five new tracks. Be sure to check back here in early Feb for a release date.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The band would just like to wish everyone a happy Xmas and thank you all for your continued support. It's been a great year for the band and hopefully 2009 will be even better.
BOOKINGS
We're currently taking bookings for 2009. Already we've been booked for a 2009 Xmas party so if want the RoadRunner Blues, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll experience then do please get in touch.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 08 UPDATE
Xmas is almost upon us and that can only mean one thing - the RoadRunner Xmas party! Unfortunately, even the band is being hit by the credit crunch and The Kestrel in Basingstoke has cancelled their party on Friday December 19th due to lack of funds. But as they say, the show must go on and we'll be down at our old haunt The White Hart in Alton on Saturday December 20. So if you are in the mood to party then make sure you don't miss out.
We're also hoping to relaunch our new website on one of these days with some great new pics thanks to Colin Byers at C2photography.co.uk.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
After a short break the band are gearing up for the final few months of the year. We're playing at The Kestrel in Basingstoke, this Saturday (Sept 27) followed by the Gatwick British Airways Club the following Friday. Be great to see you there. Meep Meep!
AUGUST UPDATE
After the success of Tania's Charity ball the band were booked to play at a 30th birthday party for one of the guests. The party took place at The Cobden Club in Kensal Green, London with RoadRunner performing a mix of Rock 'N' Roll and Soul classics.
JULY UPDATE
The band played for the first time at the Anton Arms in Andover last week. Great pub - fantastic for music - look out for us back there some time in early 2009! The week after the band performed at Tania's Ball at Wotton House. The charity bash was a huge success with more than 9K being raised in aid of Woking Hospice.
ROADRUNNER JAM AND CATCH UP
Many thanks to everyone who came down for the band's first jam night at The White Hart in Tongham on Wednesday. It was a big success and we can't wait to see you all again next month (July 9) along with some new faces!
At the end of May the band made a long overdue return to The White Hart in Alton and showcased lots of new numbers including our favourite 'Purple Rain'.
Once again we were joined by Dave Raphael on harmonica and keys and were even treated to a number he wrote himself.
Cheers to the gang who interupted their garden BBQ after hearing us and coming to the pub - hope we were worth missing your burgers for!
Last weekend we played for the first time at The Ottershaw Club in Surrey and had a great time with the members who were in fine voice - especially Janet!! Great to play a blues dominated set for a change. Meep Meep!
JAM NIGHT
RoadRunner will be hosting a 'jam night' at The White Hart in Tongham, Surrey, on the first Wednesday of every month starting on June 11. If you fancy singing or playing a number or two, then come on down! wwww.whiteharttongham.co.uk
CHARITY GIG JULY 12
RoadRunner will be performing at Tania's Summer Ball at Wotton House, Dorking, Surrey, in aid of Woking Hospice.
Tickets for this fundraising event are 49 pounds each and include a a three course meal, welcome drink, half bottle of wine, coffee and mints and of course great entertainment! For more details please contact Debbie at deborahkemp@talktalk.net
APRIL 08
Well the wait is over and RoadRunner's new demo is finally available! The official launch party will be at The Cricketers Pub in Yateley on Friday April 25th. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. See below for track listings!
Gig wise, our first time at The Buckskin earlier in the year was a success and we have been invited back to play throughout the rest of the year.
The boys played at The Angel in Andover last Saturday (19th) and had a great time showcasing our new suits, hats and shades combo for the first time. Great pub with fantastic sound - hope to be back there at some point. Meep Meep!
FEB 08
It's been a busy start to 2008 at RoadRunner HQ with the band going into the studio to record the first demo with the great new line-up. It was hard to whittle down our track list to just five numbers but eventually we got there.
Hoochie Coochie Man, I Can Tell, Worried About My Baby, Backdoor Man and Rough Justice are five stonking numbers which we feel best show what RoadRunner is all about - Rhythm and Blues with attitude.
We hope to have the CD ready for gigs by the end of March. Thanks to Harmonica whizz Dave Raphael who came along to guest spot on three of the tracks and Tim Benson at Opus studios.
When we haven't been in the studio the band has been hard at work rehearsing in new material to keep things fresh and different. We kick-off our Catch Us If You Can 2008 Tour on Saturday February 9th at The Buckskin Pub, Basingstoke - 9pm start.
DEC 07
It's been a busy past year for RoadRunner with changes in personel. Guitarists John Emslie and John Lawrence joined the group at the end of 2006 and enjoyed 10 months with us before moving on, along with RoadRunner original member Bob Francis who had been with the band since it was formed 13 years ago - some innings!
With gig commitments to fulfill and no band, drummer Terry suggested calling on the expertise of Ken and Dave Bowles from his other group, Evening Sun. Five hours of rehearsals later and the new RoadRunner line-up were performing their first gig together. In September guitarist Matt Oliver was found to complete one of RoadRunner's strongest line-ups to date. And the rest, as they say, is Rock 'N' Roll....
It's been too long! We're back and ready for a rockin' 2012! Looking forward to seeing everyone at our first gig of the year at The Raven Hotel in Hook on Saturday (Jan 21)
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR
Well the RoadRunner 2011 tour will come to an end tonight after a fantastic 12 months. We've had the best year ever in the band's history (16 years!) and that's down to the fans, the venues and the guys who are a pleasure playing with.
Big thanks must go out also to guitarist Connor McDonald, harp player Dave Raphael and singer Lucy Oliver for joining us on stage.
We're finishing at The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst tonight with a special Christmas party. Music from 9pm with some festive tunes thrown in for good measure.
Exciting times ahead for the band in 2012 with the 'Riding with RoadRunner' tour that will see us play at some great new venues and some old familiar ones.
Also, look out for our new album in early 2012. On our Facebook page our guitarist Matt Oliver has produced a brilliant 'making of' video - be sure to check it out if you haven't already done so.
Have a rockin' Xmas from RoadRunner - Meep, Meep!
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER UPDATE
The band has just returned from a cracking gig at The Raven Hotel in Hook. It was the first time we've been back in about five years as the new management is trying out live music again. The pub was packed and it ws great to see so many friendly faces in the crowd. Fingers crossed we will be back there in 2012.
Ours other gigs at The Royal Oak in Bracknell and Henry VI in Eton were also a big success and we're sorting out dates with Gareth and Tony as we speak for next year.
Well, we're almost there...the RoadRunner 2011 tour is coming to a close. We've got two more gigs in December at the Rowbarge in Guildford (10th) and then at The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst on the 17th before we take a well deserved break!
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER UPDATE
Well the summer is almost over and the band has been really busy over the past few weeks with back to back gigs at some fantastic new venues.
First up was The Swan Inn in Farnborough where it was great to see a few familiar faces from previous gigs. Nice to see the man who brought the band back together many years ago - Frank Heritage.
Then we moved just around the corner to Fleet and The Falkners Arms charity day, where we entertained the crowd who had turned up to raise money for local youngster Jacob. Special thanks to Lucy Oliver who joined us on a few numbers. Look out for us back there in April 2012.
Next we headed over to Reading and The Rising Sun pub where the crowd was in good voice. Great music venue - we're already looking forward to returning there on November 4.
RIDING WITH ROADRUNNER
We have finally finished our second album which will be called Riding With RoadRunner. The album can be listened to in our 'Music' section and the full track listing for the album is: Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Jumpin Jack Flash, (Sittin') On The Dock Of The Bay, Take Me To The River, Higher And Higher, Since I Met You Baby, Ain't No Sunshine, Good Love Is On The Way, Keep Your Hands To Yourself, Five Long Years and Tore Down.
JUNE/JULY UPDATE
The band has had an exciting and busy couple of months which has included visits to two new venues. We're already looking forward to returning to The Henry VI Pub in Eton and Mr Bumble in Blackwater later this year - fantastic music venues.
REMEMBERING RAY CHEESEMAN
On Saturday July 30, RoadRunner joined friends and family of the late Ray Cheeseman in a celebration of his life. A fun day at Godalming House followed by a BBQ and party in the evening raised more than two thousand pounds for Help For Heroes and Shooting Star Chase. It was a pleasure to have been asked to play by Ray's wife Pauline and her family.
CHARITY FUN DAY AND COCKTAIL EVENING
On Saturday July 30 at Godalming House (The Old Wey Inn), please come along and give your support for this fantastic event in aid of Help for Heroes and Shooting Star Chase. There will be lots of fun for all the family during the day and then in the evening RoadRunner will be entertaining the crowds, along with a raffle and lingerie modelling. Tickets are eight pounds in advance and ten pounds on the night. Anybody who wishes to book a stall slot in the day or donate something to the raffle should contact Mairead Cheeseman on Facebook or email us at roadrunnerblues2000@yahoo.co.uk.
STUDIO UPDATE
The album is almost finished. We just have to mix it and then do a photoshoot for the cover art. There's something for everyone on the album and we know we're going to be extremely happy with the final product. We're looking at a possible September launch date.
MAY UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who came down to support us at The Royal Oak. New landlord Gareth made us feel very welcome - so welcome he's invited us back for another two gigs at the end of the year - Friday September 30 and Fri October 28.
APRIL UPDATE
After a little break we're back at a favourite venue of ours on Saturday - The Rose and Crown in Sandhurst. Looking forward to seeing everyone down there. Then after an early summer holiday we're back at The Royal Oak Bracknell in May. We've added quite a few new gig dates for the rest of the year - many of which are at new venues. To name a few...The Swan Inn at Farnborough, The Falkners Arms in Fleet and the Henry VII in Eton. We are also hoping to return to The Raven in Hook at some point. Looking forward to bringing the Roadrunner blues, soul and rock 'n' roll experience to those places.
MARCH UPDATE
We've been hard at work in the studio on our second album. The final track listing has been confirmed:- Everybody Needs Somebody To Love, Sittin on the Dock of the Bay, Ain't No Sunshine, Take Me To The River, Tore Down, Since I Met You Babe, Good Love is on The way, Keep Your Hands to Yourself, Jumpin Jack Flash and High and Higher. As usual, they've all been given the Roadrunner 'treatment'. A busy gig schedule ahead means the album launch will be sometime after the summer. Keep checking back here for the latest news.
STUDIO
The band are taking a little break to go into the studio and record a new album. Once again its been a tough decision trying to choose which numbers we record. However, we hope we have chosen something for everyone....keep checking back here to find out which songs have made it.
FEBRUARY UPDATE
One of the busiest starts to a tour ever continued in late Jan with the band performing at a new live music venue - The Boots in Bracknell. The pub was packed and we had a lot of fun with the locals joining us on a few numbers. Fantastic boozer with bags of atmosphere. Look at for us there again later in the year.
Then it was over to Bagshot and The Three Mariners pub where we headlined a charity night. It was great to play with so many talented musicians. Cheers to Steve Lamb for sorting out the gear and making sure things ran smoothly on the night.
We returned to a favourite stomping ground of ours last week - The Royal Oak in Bracknell. Landlord Neil has really turned the place around and it's a great live music venue.
The crowd was in fine voice all night long and wouldn't let us go home until we had exhausted all our song lists!! We were joined by friend and guest musician Dave Raphael on harmonica who had the crowd going wild. Big shout out to Dave and Di and Blues fan Derek who have been following the band around the area.
JANUARY 2011 UPDATE
Well the RoadRunner 2011 tour is well and truly under way. We kicked off the year in style at London's five-star Landmark Hotel for a party for ABRSM - the UK's leading authority for musical assessment. The movie-themed evening went down a storm and the band had everyone dancing all night long - definitely an A+ performance!!
A week later and we found ourselves in Windsor performing for Astellas Pharma Ltd at their annual UK conference. A great night was had by all with everyone getting in the RoadRunner spirit.
RoadRunner would like to wish all their fans a Happy Christmas and a rockin' New Year. Thanks for all your support in 2010. Meep Meep!
XMAS EVE GIG: THE ROWBARGE, RIVERSIDE, GUILDFORD
Don't forget to come and join us at this great music venue on Christmas Eve. Live Music starts from 8pm with lots of festive fun for everyone.
WEYBRIDGE GIG CANCELLED
Unfortunately, the Weybridge Conservative Club have had to cancel our gig with them this Saturday (18th). However, we are trying to arrange a date for 2011.
CHRISTMAS GIGS Well we're almost at the end of another great year for the band. Our last three gigs are at the Rose and Crown in Sandhurst on Sat Dec 4 followed by the Weybridge Conservative Club on Sat Dec 18. Then we're playing at the Rowbarge Xmas Eve party. We'll be serving up our usual dose of blues, rock 'n' roll and soul along with a few Christmas favourites at all these gigs so don't miss out on the fun!
ROYAL OAK PUB, BRACKNELL
Anyone who was at the charity bash here back in May will remember what a great night it was. Don't forget we're back there on Friday November 12 for a night of blues, rock n roll and soul from 9pm.
WEDDINGS
Congratulations to Cheryl and Andrew and Steven and Becky who both recently got married and had RoadRunner perform at their reception.
OCTOBER UPDATE
Don't forget our Xmas party this year is at the Rowbarge in Guildford. Great little music venue on the canal. Live music from 8pm! Also we are already taking bookings for next year so if you want the Roadrunner experience make sure you get in touch asap as dates are going fast.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
Another great day was had at the Wandsworth Street Party. Cheers for all who turned out to brave the sunny but cold weather! Lots of fun had as always - cheers to Brian for organising the bash. Hopefully see you all again next year!
AUGUST UPDATE
Thanks to everyone who made it to London for our Jazz After Dark gig. We filled the place twice over - just a shame we couldn't fit everyone in. Still, look at for us back there in 2011. We also played at a new venue in Wokingham called the Hope and Anchor - fantastic music venue and crowd. Make sure you come and see us again there in the second part of 2011.
WANDSWORTH STREET PARTY
Don't forget you can catch us at the Old York Road street party in Wandsworth, London, on Saturday September 25th. The fun kicks off at 12.30pm. Visit http://www.oldyorkroad.co.uk/ for more details!
SUE RYDER CARE SPONSORED BIKE RIDE
Prince of Wales regular Tracey is organising a sponsored bike ride around Fleet in aid of Sue Ryder Care. The 8.5 mile ride starts at 2pm from the pub in Fleet on August 22. It's free to take part - you just need a sponsorship form. Get on your bike for a good cause and call Tracey on 07866 733962 for more details.
JUNE/JULY UPDATE
The band returned to doing what they do best last night after a couple of months off due to a summer break. We played at a great pub called the Prince of Wales in Fleet. Fantastic crowd who really got behind the band. Special thanks for making You Can't Always Get What You Want so memorable. We hope to see you all again later in the year or early 2011.
LONDON GIG
RoadRunner are finally bringing their ultimate blues, rock 'n' roll and soul experience to the capital on Wednesday, August 18. We're playing at the intimate Jazz After Dark in Greek Street, Soho. It's a 9pm start and admission is £5. Advanced table bookings are recommended as the venue only has a capacity of 50!
GIG CANCELLATION
Due to a change of management and no music license our gig at the King Of Wessex in Basingstoke on August 7 has been cancelled at short notice. It also means out Xmas bash there in Dec is also off. Cheers to Sue for supporting the band for the past two years and good luck for the future. STOP PRESS. We're told the pub is hoping to renew its license so watch this space we will be back!
INTRODUCING...
We've had a re-shuffle of the current RoadRunner line-up and brought in Kiran Amliwala as our new second guitarist to replace Danny Lean who left the band back in April. For those of you that saw us at The Rowbarge in Guildford you'll know that Kiran rocked the joint on his first gig with us. We'll be getting some words from the man himself soon so watch this space to find out more.
XMAS EVE
RoadRunner will be holding their Xmas Eve party at The Rowbarge in Guildford this year. Great little friendly boozer on the canal so come down and join us for a night of blues, rock 'n' roll all mixed up with a lot of soul.
APRIL/MAY UPDATE
We've been booked again for this year's Wandsworth Street party in Old York Road after our successful gig last year which we're all looking forward to. We're also playing at The Jolly Miller's World Cup party on Friday June 11. Tickets are £6 and include your first drink. Come down and help us kick-off England's hopes in style.
JAN/FEB/MARCH UPDATE
A great start to the year with some fantastic gigs at new venues. Basingstoke's Winton pub and Wellington Social Club were brilliant as was our visit to the Rose and Crown in Sandhurst. Look out for our return dates later in the year on the gig guide. Next up we're back at our old favourite The White Hart in Alton on Saturday April 10.
The band is now on Facebook so please feel free to 'befriend' us and give us feedback from gigs.
DECEMBER UPDATE
The band would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and thank you for your support throughout 2009. The 2010 tour kicks off on Jan 23rd at The White Hart in Alton. Happy New Year!
NOVEMBER UPDATE
Well the this year's RoadRunner tour is coming to an end with our two final gigs of the year. First up is The King Of Wessex in Basingstoke on December 5. The boys can't wait to return to the pub to play again. Then it's our Xmas party at The Wolvesdene Club in Andover. So get your Santa hats on and come on down.
OCTOBER UPDATE
It's been a great few weeks for the band coming off the back of Wandsworth and Scratchers. We played a great new venue in Andover - The Queen Charlotte - and had a fantastic evening with Angie and the locals. Next up we return to The Jolly Miller pub in North Warnborough, near Hook, on October 23rd. Always a good night had by all there so looking forward to it. The band has been busy rehearsing up some new material to gig shortly - we've got some more crowd favourites and we've also been giving some more songs the RoadRunner 'treatment', so watch this space!!!
INTRODUCING...
RoadRunner's newest member - Danny Lean who has joined the band after a long search for another guitarist. He's a great addition to the group who has blown us all away with his style of playing and incredible sound in the short time he's been with us. We'll get a mugshot of him up on the site and some words from him soon.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
The band are still on a high from last weekend when we went on the road with our first stop being Old York Road Street Party in Wandsworth. The sun was out as we performed to more than 3,000 people throughout an action packed day - thanks to everyone who turned up to support us. Next stop was Scratchers in Farncombe where we played for the first time. The band had a blast and really appreciated all the support from regulars down there. See you again in 2010.
WANDSWORTH STREET PARTY- Saturday September 26
RoadRunner will be playing several sets throughout the day at Wandsworth's Old York Road Street Party. Entry is free and as well as the band there will be more than 30 stalls including food, beer and crafts. Lots of things to do for all the family, including opera singers, childrens' entertainer Zorchak, belly dancers and much, much more. More than 3,000 people turned up to last year's bash so make sure you don't miss out! The event kicks off at midday.
AUGUST UPDATE
It's been an action packed August for the band with several new venues on the calendar. First stop was The Old Fox in Ickenham. Great venue for live music and a good crowd made sure the evening was a lot of fun. Knaphill Working Men's Club was a fantastic night to. Great response from everyone who saw us and top venue for bands to come. Hopefully we will be back at both venues in 2010.
Off the back of the Knaphill gig we've been invited to play at The Surrey just down the road on Friday November 6 at 9pm. So if you liked us there come and see us again in November.
JULY UPDATE
After a brief break RoadRunner are back again and looking forward to a summer of music.
We returned to British Airways' Wingspan Club last Saturday and welcomed back our dep guitarist Dave Bowles for the evening. Fantastic venue and audience made for a great night.
We make the trip south west on August 1 for our visit to The Wolvesdene Club in Andover - great club with plenty of atmosphere -a favourite of the bands. If you're around then come down and say hello.
Then it's off to West London on August 8 and The Old Fox in Ickenham, near Uxbridge. A new venue for the band - looking forward to playing there.
MARCH UPDATE
RoadRunner's 2009 tour finally kicks off this Saturday (7th) at The Jolly Miller in North Warnborough. We've played there a few times in the past and its got some great potential as a live music venue so come down and see us kick things off in style.
We're also going to be launching our new album "Unfinished Business" - tracks on the album include Valerie, Gimme Some Lovin, I Feel Good, Little Wing and Purple Rain.
FEBRUARY UPDATE
Unfortunately, we had to cancel our gig at The White Hart at the last minute due to the snow and ice. But we're back there on April 4 so if you missed us stick the date in your diary.
Please check the gig listings if you're thinking of coming down to see us as a couple of venues and dates have changed.
NEW DEMO
The band has just returned from two days at Opus Studios in Hindhead recording our second album. Crowd favourites featured on the CD include Valerie and Purple Rain along with Little Wing, I Feel Good, Highgate Shuffle, Gimme Some Lovin and Unchain My Heart. We're putting the finishing touches to it as we speak so look out for the CD at gigs in March.
JANUARY 2009
RoadRunner kick off their 2009 tour on February 7 at The White Hart in Alton. Full details in our "gigs" section.
NEW WEBSITE
We hope you like our new website which has finally gone live after months of hard work. Special thanks to our website developer Carl and to Colin Byers for the great pictures.
NEW ALBUM
After the runaway success of our first mini-album The Blues Is Gonna Get You, RoadRunner are locking themselves away in the studio for another two days in January to record five new tracks. Be sure to check back here in early Feb for a release date.
MERRY CHRISTMAS
The band would just like to wish everyone a happy Xmas and thank you all for your continued support. It's been a great year for the band and hopefully 2009 will be even better.
BOOKINGS
We're currently taking bookings for 2009. Already we've been booked for a 2009 Xmas party so if want the RoadRunner Blues, Soul and Rock 'n' Roll experience then do please get in touch.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 08 UPDATE
Xmas is almost upon us and that can only mean one thing - the RoadRunner Xmas party! Unfortunately, even the band is being hit by the credit crunch and The Kestrel in Basingstoke has cancelled their party on Friday December 19th due to lack of funds. But as they say, the show must go on and we'll be down at our old haunt The White Hart in Alton on Saturday December 20. So if you are in the mood to party then make sure you don't miss out.
We're also hoping to relaunch our new website on one of these days with some great new pics thanks to Colin Byers at C2photography.co.uk.
SEPTEMBER UPDATE
After a short break the band are gearing up for the final few months of the year. We're playing at The Kestrel in Basingstoke, this Saturday (Sept 27) followed by the Gatwick British Airways Club the following Friday. Be great to see you there. Meep Meep!
AUGUST UPDATE
After the success of Tania's Charity ball the band were booked to play at a 30th birthday party for one of the guests. The party took place at The Cobden Club in Kensal Green, London with RoadRunner performing a mix of Rock 'N' Roll and Soul classics.
JULY UPDATE
The band played for the first time at the Anton Arms in Andover last week. Great pub - fantastic for music - look out for us back there some time in early 2009! The week after the band performed at Tania's Ball at Wotton House. The charity bash was a huge success with more than 9K being raised in aid of Woking Hospice.
ROADRUNNER JAM AND CATCH UP
Many thanks to everyone who came down for the band's first jam night at The White Hart in Tongham on Wednesday. It was a big success and we can't wait to see you all again next month (July 9) along with some new faces!
At the end of May the band made a long overdue return to The White Hart in Alton and showcased lots of new numbers including our favourite 'Purple Rain'.
Once again we were joined by Dave Raphael on harmonica and keys and were even treated to a number he wrote himself.
Cheers to the gang who interupted their garden BBQ after hearing us and coming to the pub - hope we were worth missing your burgers for!
Last weekend we played for the first time at The Ottershaw Club in Surrey and had a great time with the members who were in fine voice - especially Janet!! Great to play a blues dominated set for a change. Meep Meep!
JAM NIGHT
RoadRunner will be hosting a 'jam night' at The White Hart in Tongham, Surrey, on the first Wednesday of every month starting on June 11. If you fancy singing or playing a number or two, then come on down! wwww.whiteharttongham.co.uk
CHARITY GIG JULY 12
RoadRunner will be performing at Tania's Summer Ball at Wotton House, Dorking, Surrey, in aid of Woking Hospice.
Tickets for this fundraising event are 49 pounds each and include a a three course meal, welcome drink, half bottle of wine, coffee and mints and of course great entertainment! For more details please contact Debbie at deborahkemp@talktalk.net
APRIL 08
Well the wait is over and RoadRunner's new demo is finally available! The official launch party will be at The Cricketers Pub in Yateley on Friday April 25th. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it. See below for track listings!
Gig wise, our first time at The Buckskin earlier in the year was a success and we have been invited back to play throughout the rest of the year.
The boys played at The Angel in Andover last Saturday (19th) and had a great time showcasing our new suits, hats and shades combo for the first time. Great pub with fantastic sound - hope to be back there at some point. Meep Meep!
FEB 08
It's been a busy start to 2008 at RoadRunner HQ with the band going into the studio to record the first demo with the great new line-up. It was hard to whittle down our track list to just five numbers but eventually we got there.
Hoochie Coochie Man, I Can Tell, Worried About My Baby, Backdoor Man and Rough Justice are five stonking numbers which we feel best show what RoadRunner is all about - Rhythm and Blues with attitude.
We hope to have the CD ready for gigs by the end of March. Thanks to Harmonica whizz Dave Raphael who came along to guest spot on three of the tracks and Tim Benson at Opus studios.
When we haven't been in the studio the band has been hard at work rehearsing in new material to keep things fresh and different. We kick-off our Catch Us If You Can 2008 Tour on Saturday February 9th at The Buckskin Pub, Basingstoke - 9pm start.
DEC 07
It's been a busy past year for RoadRunner with changes in personel. Guitarists John Emslie and John Lawrence joined the group at the end of 2006 and enjoyed 10 months with us before moving on, along with RoadRunner original member Bob Francis who had been with the band since it was formed 13 years ago - some innings!
With gig commitments to fulfill and no band, drummer Terry suggested calling on the expertise of Ken and Dave Bowles from his other group, Evening Sun. Five hours of rehearsals later and the new RoadRunner line-up were performing their first gig together. In September guitarist Matt Oliver was found to complete one of RoadRunner's strongest line-ups to date. And the rest, as they say, is Rock 'N' Roll....