“This is Opus Rock like I’ve never heard before. Power, passion and tunes that stay in your head long after the music has stopped. Live they are a revelation.”
Steve Blacknell (Old Grey Whistle Test / Live Aid)
“Without doubt one of the best live bands I have seen on the circuit over the years I have been doing this job. They should be on more major festival circuits!”
FireBrand Roxx Magazine
The Room are a melodic rock band from the Southeast of the UK. The six band members bring together a broad range of musical influences which has helped form The Room’s distinctive style. Smart songs with great melodies are the essence of the band’s sound. Formed in 2010 with Martin Wilson from neo-prog rock band GLD and bassist Andy Rowe were joined by former GLD guitarist Steve Anderson, drummer Andrew Rae and Steve Checkley on Keys. The band started writing their first album over the winter 2011, recording it at Platform Studios in the summer of 2012. Melodic Revolution Records signed The Room on an album deal and Open Fire was released in Dec 2012.
March 2014 saw the arrival of new drummer Chris York. The band signed a deal for album two with UK label Bad Elephant Music in 2015 and the album, Beyond The Gates of Bedlam was released in November 2015 to further critical acclaim..
Nominated in the Best New Band category at the 2016 Classic Rock Society awards The Room always deliver an outstanding show.
Following a series of highly successful supports for Inglorious, Lifesigns and Soft Machine, a busy festival season and some headline shows, The Room filmed their final show of 2016 at The Robin 2 for release on DVD in 2017.
2017 was all about writing for the new album although the band did play a number of festivals and shows trying out some of the new material. In February 2018 The Room announced album 3 was to be released in November 18 and it would be recorded with legendary producer John Mitchell at the controls. 2018 also saw the departure of keyboard player Steve Checkley to be replaced by Mark Dixon. The line up was strengthened with the introduction of guitarist Eric Bouillette with both new members appearing on the 3rd album.
“I enjoyed the whole album it, really has a classic feel with some modern elements that make it a truly enjoyable listen! Awesome!”
Rob Moratti (Saga)
Martin began treading boards at very young age, his mother was an avid Am Dram enthusiast and ran the Little theatre group in Scunthorpe, North Lincs. Martin played many parts and also appeared on the local radio with a production of ‘An Inspector Calls’, acting not being to his taste he looked for an alternative outlet. It was when he was 19 that he bumped into Andrew Rae and his brother Stuart and with the help of a few friends Legacy was born.
Legacy quickly became a favourite in their home town, a rise fuelled by the progressive rock revival of the early 80’s with bands such as Marillion and IQ. The band moved to Sheffield to concentrate on ‘getting a deal’ and the unreleased album ‘A million to One’ was recorded, however with no deal on the horizon the band Split after two years.
In 1990 Martin through ex-Legacy guitarist Sam Smith met the keyboard wizard Louis David in Oxford. Sam left soon after and Julian Hunt was drafted in on guitar, Martin Invited ex-Legacy stalwarts, Andrew Rae (drums) and Stuart Ellerington (bass) to join and Shadowland was formed. After two years of writing and gigging Andrew and Stuart left due to logistical and personal reasons. Mark Robotham (drums) and Sean Spear (bass) where drafted in, and Grey Lady Down was born.
GLD went on to bigger and better things and with four studio albums, a live album and European and US tours under their belts the band went on until 1998 when they split only to reform two years later with new drummer Phil Millichamp. The album ‘Star-Crossed’ was recorded a tour completed, but the band was finally laid to rest in 2002.
It was around this time that Martin was forced away from the music scene due to his son developing Retinoblastoma (Retinal Cancer). The fight to save Joshua’s sight would last for 8 years; unfortunately, even with pioneering treatment in the USA, Joshua lost his sight in 2009.
During Joshua’s illness Martin kept his hand in after being invited by ex-Camberwick Green and Mud keyboard player Andy Ball to join a 14 piece soul band The Inevitables, with Ex 80’s band Breathe guitarist Marcus Lillington. They went on play a 10 sell out shows, mainly raising cash and awareness for Eye cancer charities.
(Photo: John Price)
Andy Rowe started playing bass guitar whilst at school in the 1970’s. Joining forces with two local mates they formed a ‘Punk’ style outfit and performed at the school and local parties. After leaving full time education, Andy joined Reading NWOBHM band Firebird who became hugely popular in the area and with their single release in 1979, (produced by Ian Gillan from Deep Purple) they climbed the Rock Charts to number 8.
Firebird split as the guitarists left for university and Andy joined ex The Nice drummer Brian (Blinky) Davison in London based band Prime Cut. The band was a massive success in the London club scene and started touring further afield encouraging record company interest. However, ‘musical differences’ saw Andy leave the band and join Reading based rock band ‘One Way Street’. This project was short lived and Andy retired from the business for some 25 years.
Andy got the bug for playing again in 2008 and joined Rock covers band TheScam. This rekindled Andy’s passion for playing live and in the studio and he joined forces with ex Grey Lady Down vocalist Martin Wilson in the BigFish project. The rest is history.
Andy Plays Overwater Bass Guitars with Strings from Elite. Amplification is Genz Benz.
(Photo: Chris Walkden)
Steve’s initial interest in guitar started whilst still at school with a TV programme featuring a performance of ‘Cavatina’ by John Williams. His first paycheck from a Saturday temp job was spent on a black Yamaha electric, and the musical journey began in earnest.
After a couple of years at sixth form, starting to write and play with a number of friends, an advert placed in the newspaper ‘Loot’ yielded a meeting with keyboard-playing scientist Neil Durant, and the seeds of all things Sphere³ical started to take shape.
More about GLD can be found here.
Steve plays Parker, Ovation and Patrick Eggle guitars, Roland V-Guitar systems, Crate and Atomic Amps.
(Photo: Sam Holt)
Chris started playing the drums back in the summer of 1983, age 18 in Penn, near High Wycombe. Firstly in a Goth/Punk band Pelennor Fields which morphed into New Romantic band Avenir Son. After experimenting with various hair styles and colours he moved on into Glam Rock outfit Runaway Stray. Here the hair got bigger and so did the band. Coming runners up in the Royal Standard Battle of the Bands in Walthamstow and 4th in the British Music Fair battle of the Bands at Olympia.
After leaving Runaway Stray, Chris took a break to concentrate on Tae Kwon Do training.
A short while later, Chris came back to drumming and spent the next 12 years playing in various bands such as Noise Criteria, Afterglow, Park Lane and psychedelic rockers Open Mind who he toured Holland with in 1993.
After 6 months in New Zealand and 2 years in South East London, Chris returned to Middlesex, had shoulder surgery and eventually found his way into the very busy party covers band Punchmonkey. Here he spent the next 6 years playing close to 100 gigs a year throughout the Home Counties.
While taking another short break, to recover from tennis elbow in both elbows. Chris took up singing and joined Prog covers band SecondSight (which later became INdisciplineD) Just as a hobby but they do a few gigs every now and again.
But always a drummer and having seen away the tennis elbow he joined rock covers band Nemesis. Once again for the next couple of years he gigged relentlessly around the home counties.
But now he finds himself wanting to rediscover his creative side again in an originals band and has joined The Room…
Chris Plays Tama Starclassic Drums, Tama Speed Cobra double pedals, Ricochet Octobans, Sabian cymbals and Gibralter hardware…and Shure WH30 headset mic.
Chris began learning classical piano at the age of eight and went on to discover the wonders of rock music in his late teens. Soon after he started gigging with many local rock and function bands and was later introduced to the renowned guitarist Phil Hilborne, joining his band as a regular member for over fifteen years. He still works with them now on occasions.
During his time with Phil he has been privileged to appear with many well known artists including John Entwistle, Gary Moore, Dave Gilmour, Ted McKenna, Frank Gambale and Geoff Whitehorn to name a few.
In 1991 he was recruited as keyboard player for ex-Searcher Tony Jackson’s band The Vibrations and toured the UK with them for over four years often appearing with many other well known 60’s acts. When Tony retired from live performing the rest of the band stayed together to form the Soul Detectives.
More recently Chris has worked in the UK and abroad with various bands and acts including a live appearance at the “BBC Proms in the Park” in Hyde Park with the Chicago Blues Brothers in 2012. He was also part of a band headed by Nicko McBrain (Iron Maiden) and Phil Hilborne whose live performances sometimes included guest appearances of artists such as Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake) and Uli Jon Roth (Scorpions).
Chris is also a current member of the British 80’s AOR/melodic rock band Moritz, which he joined in 2017.
Influences:
Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, Don Airey, Jan Hammer, Eddie Jobson, Rod Argent, Pink Floyd, Yes, Focus, Asia, Colloseum II, Rainbow, Deep Purple…
Equipment:
Kurzweil PC3x, PC361, K2000, Roland VK7 with Hughes & Kettner Tube Rotosphere MkII Leslie Emulator, Ensoniq VFX-SD, Behringer Model ‘D’ & Moog Prodigy 3368x analogue synthesizers played through various Boss, Ibanez & Alexis effects units, Mackie 1202-VLZ3 Mixer, 2x HK Audio Dart Monitor Cabinets.
Simon started classical guitar lessons at the age of 9, his parents having refused to buy him a drum kit. Graduating to his first cheap Japanese Strat clone at the tender age of 12. Simon played with lounge jazz acts and several rock and metal cover bands through his teenage years. Trying his hand at pop, Simon joined the Belouis-Some-inspired Impact, performing original pop and funk, and collaborated in several electronica projects.
In his twenties, Simon performed with synth rock act Below The Ice, releasing a single four track EP and entertaining lively pub goers in the West Midlands. Over the last 20 years, Simon has played with a number of Buckinghamshire based bands, including the blues tribute act Joe Blobbs, pop and MOR rock covers act Panic Lounge, Genesis tribute act Just Genesis as well as standing in as “dep” guitarist for several local bands.
Drawing on wide ranging musical influences and passion for technology, Simon relies on a wide range of kit, playing Variax, Schecter, Gretsch, Yamaha and Ibanez guitars through a Line 6 effects and amp chain.