We caught up THE GOAT ROPER RODEO BAND ahead of their CHAGSTOCK performance....
I was handed a CD a couple of years ago by a PR Manager in London, I played the CD on the way home to sunny Devon and was hooked, the style of music, that awesome sounding vocal, it all just wrapped around me and took me away to a warm and fluffy place!
A couple of years down the line, I heard that The Goat Roper Rodeo Band were appearing at this year's Chagstock Festival. I sent an email introducing myself and included a bunch of questions, a few days later, I received an email from the band.
Read on to find out all about how the name originated, Eggs Benedict and how they managed to coerce the singer from The Magic Numbers to produce their album....
Firstly, may I congratulate you on a great band name, how did you come to choose it?
We came across the term "goat roper" in a Gram Parsons book, someone was referring to him as a goat roper meaning he has all the clothes of a cowboy but doesn't know a thing about the work a cowboy does.
You describe your sound as “Cosmic Country Blues”, who would you say had the biggest influence on you as a band?
It's a melting pot of Country, Blues, Rock n Roll and Roots music. It's hard to say one in particular but Dylan, Gram, Waylon at the start we're certainly up there!
When we chatted recently at Glas-Denbury Festival, you mentioned that you had been in the studio, is this material leading towards a new album?
Yes
I know you said that Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers) produced Cosmic Country Blue, tell me how you got to work with him in the first place?
We met them through winning a competition to support The Magic Numbers down in the Isle of Wight, a few years ago now a friend of ours had entered us in, and hadn't even mentioned it until she was told we'd won! So that was an amazing surprise!
Is Romeo producing your new material too?
Yes he is!
In your opinion, what do you think is the best album in the world ever?
Mine personally is Highway 61 - Dylan
You’ve got some great comments on your website from celebrity fans such as Whispering Bob Harris and Ian Dunlop (Gram Parsons / Flying Burrito Bros), how does it make you feel when you know that people of this stature are ‘digging’ your music?
It's awesome and feels groovy!
You play many festivals, please share with us your top three tips to surviving one.
Water, Loo roll and socks!
Festivals offer some pretty varied food, what has been the oddest thing to ever pass your lips at one?
We had eggs Benedict at Glas denbury which I thought was kinda cool!
I see you have a handful of dates in The Netherlands later on in the year, assuming you’ve played overseas before, do you find the audience reacts any differently to your music?
No we've never been before so really excited! I hope they dig us :)
What about around the UK?
Audiences here are ace on the whole, we've had some amazing nights over the years
What’s been the strangest thing that ever happened to you at a festival (other than getting lost on your way to Glas-Denbury recently!)
A few years ago the compare at Bromyard Folk Festival got the audience to make goat noises before we came on, that was pretty cosmic!
If you could create your very own ‘supergroup’ using anyone (dead/alive) who would be in it and why?
Levon Helm on the kit.. why?? I mean who else?? Haha actually I'd just have the band and Bob Dylan, you can't beat those boys!!
You play at Chagstock in the deepest darkest depths of the Devon countryside on July 22nd, will you be sticking around after your set? and who else are you looking forward to seeing?
We are staying over and I'm going to check out everything!!
Lastly, tell us 3 bands/artists that we should be checking out right now.
C.W Stoneking, Pokey La Farge, Willie Watson
We'd like to thank Jim for taking the time to answer our questions and we look forward to catching their set at Chagstock Festival on July 22nd. You can keep up to date with the bands whereabouts by visiting the following sites.