Rob is a well known face to many in country music, having played for Greta & The Stray Shots for over 10 years, leaving to join The Coal Porters, the internationally renowned country rock band led by American Sid Griffin. At the same time Rob was appearing with Nadine Somers and Glen Mitchell in a top London hotel, and eventually formed the Nadine Somers Band, to great success; Bob joining after about a year into the project. Nadine eventually left to become a mum, and 17 year old Hayley Mack took over, the band being renamed as Rodeo Radio, and eventually disbanding at the end of 2001. Rob still gets onstage to guest with Sid and the Coal Porters on special occasions, such as the Chris Hillman (Byrds/Gram Parsons/Desert Rose Band) birthday tribute shows that Sid arranges every year. Rob also plays for American comedian Rich Hall as part of the Otis Lee Crenshaw comedy show on theatre tours, TV , CD, video and on events such as the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, playing Steel under his alter-ego name of Myron T. Buttram.

Rob also plays (other musical commitments permitting) at the Essex Arms in Brentwood, Essex as part of the resident band every Thursday night, playing a mixture of country, rock and blues covers and originals, and backing guest artists.

On the British Country scene, Rob has been seen playing as a session guitarist for The Thrillbillies, No Regrets, The Famous Potatoes,Highway Connection, Switchback, Preacher, Blackjack, the Heroes, City Limits and Tudor Rose,as well as comedians Phill Jupitus and Boothby Graffoe, cult rock singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and US artists Greg Trooper, Russ Tolman and Tom Leach among others. He has appeared in shows alongside BR5-49, Johnny Cash, Jim Lauderdale, Billie Jo Spears, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Jools Holland and on the same bill as rock bands such as Black Sabbath, The Verve, Embrace and Eagle-eye Cherry.

Rob has appeared on TV and Radio, and has written songs performed and recorded by several British artists, as well as being in demand as a live and recording session musician, as a guitarist vocalist and Pedal Steel Player. Away from music, Rob has three cats: Emmylou, Hank and Dolly and will bore you to death if you get him talking about his classic MGB Sports car.
Andy has had a strange connection to Vegas for many years... When Bob Keeley, (Rob's original partner in both the Nadine Somers Band and subsequently Rodeo Radio and Vegas) formed Blackjack after the demise of Glen Mitchell and the Troubleshooters, Andy was the guitarist drafted in for the job. Some years later, when Andy was involved in a near-fatal road accident (the band were changing a flat tyre on the way home from a gig when Andy was hit by a passing car), Rob filled in as guitarist until Andy was well enough to continue, actually going to see Rob play as Blackjack guitarist for the night, while still on crutches and his leg in a very painful steel cage bolted to his broken bones. Blackjack split in early 1998, and Andy went on to join The Long Riders, the UK based country band completely unconnected with the Long Ryders, the US based country rock band whose lead singer, Sid Griffin, Rob joined as a member of the Coal Porters!. After the Long Riders disbanded, Andy was snapped up by Sidewinder, where, alongside Stubby and Stewart, Sidewinder became one of the mot popular trios on the country circuit. Financial reasons forced Sidewinder to revert to a duo, and Andy reluctantly .

offered to leave his good friends to join Jacksonville, until they too decided to become a duo, about the same time as Bob Keeley left Vegas to spend more time with his family. Rob immediately asked Andy to join as Bob's replacement, and so Andy became only the third person to be a member of Vegas!

Andy is, like Rob, a guitar fanatic, and is recognised as one of the leading country guitarists in the UK. When not playing for Vegas, Andy is a guitar teacher and lecturer, not only in his home area of Bedfordshire, but also at the internationally renowned Guitar Insitute in London. He is a big fan of all country music, but is particularly fond of guitar based artistes such as Brad Paisley, Albert Lee, Chet Atkins, Vince Gill and Jerry Reed, not forgetting of course the man who has played lead guitar on virtually every hit Nashville has produced in the last 15 years, Brent Mason.


Tel: 01933 461622 or E-mail: blackcat@ukzone.com

Home | Biography | News | Gig Guide | Gallery | Hear the Music | Merchandise | Links

Press Packs

Website Design for, and on behalf of Vegas by Odyssey International Co., Ltd