John - Vocals
Darryl - Guitar
Brian - Bass
Fletcher - Drums
Roymackonkey would like to acknowledge and pay respect to the following musicians ever to play with this band.
John Coulehan, Darryl Barba, Brian Mcleod, Fletcher Bowman, Steve Smith, James Mangohig, Atilla Goddolley, Skye Mead, Netanela Mizrahi, Toby Robinson, Mat Mornane, Dan Nicholson, Evan Saunders, Lukas Bendel, Tim Parish, Kris Keogh, Leon Hewer, Michael Stuart, David Smith, Merrillee Mills, Darwin Youth Orchestra, Doug Mather, Damien Wicks, Jimi Bonne, John Kendell, Jacki Izod, and Leah Flanagan.
Thank you so much for your time and patience.... We love you all!
Influences
Alternative / Progressive / Classic Rock / Metal / Folk / Pop / World Music.
Various bands and artists the world over inspire us to play and create the music we do! Everything we listen to has some affect on how we write and the result is unique to this band due to the diverse backgrounds and influences of each musician involved with this band past, present and future.
Faith No More , Sarah Maclachlan, QOTSA, The Doves, Kyuss, Fugazi, David Gray, The Beatles, Elvis, Mastodon, The Sheiks, Cold Chisel, AC/DC, Sound Garden, RATM, Skunk Anansie, Joni Mitchell, Aerosmith, Fleetwood Mac, Incubus, Eskimo Joe, Motley Crue, Keith Urban, Rose Tattoo, Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Powder Finger, George, Guns n Roses, Ani DiFranco, Augie March, Rolling Stones, Toni Childs, Tool, Mother Love Bone, Old Crow Medicine Show, Temple Of The Dog, Blind Melon, LiVe, Counting Crows, Michael Jackson, John Mayer, The Roots, Public Enemy, RUN DMC, The Beastie Boys, Death Cab For Cutie, Better Than Ezra, Jimmy Eat World, Regurgitator, Spiderbait, The Tea Party....
All the above bands and artists are only a sample of who is vital to the sound of roymackonkey
Roy Mackonkey are one of the longest-running, original groups in the Darwin scene - . Their music is art, it's heavy, it's hard, it's primal, it's big - it's rock and Roy Mackonkey are incredibly good at it. From the emotionally-charged lyrics and imposing vocals of frontman John Coulehan, to the volcanic power of guitarist Darryl Barba, with the rolling thunder of Fletcher Bowman's dynamic drumming and Brian McLeod's articulate, multi-dimensional bass playing - there is no mistaking their sound.
Roy Mackonkey came together in Darwin in 1997, at first purely as a heavy act. The quartet - then comprising John, Darryl, Brian, and drummer Steve Smith - swiftly made their mark on the local circuit with their mixture of alternative & progressive rock, in their first 12 months of existence they headlined the Australian Music Day concert, and gained national radio airplay on Triple J for their debut EP "The Quality Of Meat", recorded with legendary JJJ producer Chris Thompson.
Roy Mackonkey soon became the support band of choice for interstate acts coming through Darwin. Some of the rockin' bands they've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with include You Am I, the Living End, Bodyjar, Dallas Crane, the Dissociatives, Grinspoon, Painters & Dockers, the Superjesus, Magic Dirt and the late great Slim Dusty.
In July 2000 after an amazing show supporting the international heavy weights of rock “The Rollins Band” Roy Mackonkey set off on an extensive tour of the Northern Territory with independent recording artist Shellie Morris. The "Beaten Track Tour" saw them unplugging the amps and reinventing their songs acoustically sparking a new fire for the band.
(2001) After winning the Darwin round Roy Mackonkey come 4th in the Jim Beam National Campus Bands competition finals , the Corner Hotel Richmond Melbourne.
(2004) Writing and performing as a duo the previous 4 years, Darryl and John decide to move to Melbourne and immediately lock in a residency at “The Lounge” Docklands where they met with Melbourne based multi-instrumentalist Rob Longstaff who invited them to perform at the opening of his Acoustica shows Bridge Hotel Richmond leading to more shows doing at speakeasy bars and café’s across Melbourne.
(2005) Homesick! The boys decide to head back to Darwin. With new songs and a hunger to hit the stage as a full band again , they enlist drummer Fletcher Bowman (Plonker, Burrfoot) and bassist Attilla Goddolley (Ownkind) and wasted no time showcasing the new tunes headlining local festivals, benefit shows and supporting the Screaming Jets , 28 days as the rock outfit they are best known for.
(2006) Switching back to acoustic guitars, Roy Mackonkey play the Darwin Entertainment Centre for the local “Monsoon Session’s” concert mid September, reworking older songs and presenting new songs with the inclusion of a string section, piano and slide guitar giving the band a totally new sound which lead to a series of “unplugged & re-strung” shows at local bars gaining a new audience and stronger confidence of the acoustic sound.
(2007) Marking their 10th anniversary and after the success of the “unplugged & re-strung” shows Roy Mackonkey played to a sell out crowd after inviting the Darwin Youth Orchestra to play on stage with them at the Darwin Festival Star Shell with acoustic songs and rock songs being scored to incorporate the 40 piece monster of strings & brass and “kids“.
(2008) In between shows at the Sydney venue “Cat & Fiddle” mid January , Roy Mackonkey head into Damien Gerard Studios Sydney to record Demo E.P. “Cassandra Never Lies” with the single “The Fear” being picked up by Foghorn Records for their “Grow Your Own Upload Volume 12” compilation CD.
July 5th the band are back in Darwin supporting the Screaming Jets at Discovery nightclub and Wolfmother at the V8 Supercars Hidden Valley Raceway.
(2009) with a steady stream of support acts and a march tour in support of the brand new E.P. “Cassandra Never Lies” tucked firmly under their belts, Roy share their time between the Music capital of Australia (Melbourne) and their home town of Darwin.
Indeed, the acoustic alter ego of Roy Mackonkey is still an important part of the band's psyche to this day, with John and Darryl often doing "unplugged" shows at cafes, bars and grills, stripping the songs down and reconstructing them with a rich aural flavour that reaches out to a wider audience. Which has opened new doors and opportunities for the band leading to Most recently performing in Federation Square for the Tenth anniversary of East Timor’s Independence.
For an Immersive dose of hard uncompromising rock ‘n’ roll or emotive melodic acoustica look no further than Australia’s own Roymackonkey.
in 2012 our world will change positively for the human mankind!
drink clear water. breath deep and slowly. go outside and enjoy the nature. don't trust your ego - trust your fellings. follow your dreams. beware of illusions. if you do this i promise you: your life will change the best way!
kind regards! wolfgang
DREAMSCAPE (progressive metal from germany) new cd february 2010!
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Hi R.. How you guys been? Stopped by to check out your latest, love the funky bass sound in RU.. Maybe you'd like to send a couple to Global Thunda Network for airplay. Keep Darwin rocking.. Cheers Dave & Merry
Thanks for being our myspace friend. We get spammed all the time on myspace and its getting hard to know who's a fan and who isn't. If you are a fan it would be great to see you at our next gig - see www.jimmyyukka.com. In future the best way to find out about what we are up to is to join our mailing list.
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Hi, yes, it was dawn, it was red, I thought the apocalypse was upon us, or at least a really really big fire... that wasn't hot... and didn't smell like smoke... :) xoxK
Just giving ya a heads up that THE SECRET GAME is playing this Thursday Aug 20 at The Vic at midnight with some other great bands amongst other venues showcasing original music on the same night too such as: Lighthouse, Happy Yess, Kitty O'Shays etc.
Cheers for the encouragement :) Not sure about butterfly effect at the moment. Definately want to go but our Rhythm guitarist is having his Farewell from his unit party the same night. Gunna try n see if we can do both!
When are you guys playin next? Havent seen y'all play since Bass n would love 2 see you guys play live again soon.
Hi roymackonkey, How tricks? Glad to have your music on our playlist. More Territorian artists welcome so come on over coz Northern Australia is Rocking! Cheers dave & Merry GTN SANTAZ
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