Formed four years after the turn of the new century, The Snakeoil Rattlers continue to break barriers with their own self-described 'whiskey driven renegade country', fusing country with blues, bluegrass and the outlaw sounds of the South.
Hailing from the eastern swamps of London Town and the long roads of southern England, Kevin 'Swamp Dawg' O'Neill, Colin 'Rain' Rainey, Ryan 'Slim' Carr and Barry 'The Snake Oil Man' Warren spin tales of lost love, social indifference and the quiet desperation of the road.
Often compared to Steve Earle and Townes Van Zandt, and influenced by the stories and music of the American South, this ensemble of guitar, dobro, bass and mandolin produce a rich full-bodied sound topped with bourbon tainted vocals and the sure path of a well-crafted song.
Song writer Barry Warren says "I sincerely believe that literal realism is what we're trying to achieve. It's been remarked that some of the songs have death rates higher than a disaster movie or that they're like mini soap operas, but I don't think it's just the lyrics but the music also. The Rattlers are lucky enough to be endowed with musicians that can both portray not only the dark urgency that some songs require but also delicate phrasing in the lighter moments. There's some love stories in there too. They just don't all have a happy endings."
Sharing the bill with acts including ex-Rockingbird Alan Tyler, Ours' Jimmy Gnecco, and Grammy nominee James Hunter, and containing members from The Redlands Palomino Company and Foghorn Leghorn ('London's top bluegrass band' – The Times), The Snakeoil Rattlers have managed to build a reputation for unrefined, unburnished accomplishment.
Performing at numerous venues and festivals across Southern England including London's 12 Bar Club and the Windmill in Brixton, their fan-base consists of not only the followers of the alternative and insurgent country movements, but also bikers and hard rockers.
Unlike the snake oil salesmen of the past The Snakeoil Rattlers will never sell the ladies and gentleman of the audience short, but still share the cure-all-ills remedy of raw entertainment.
Where the swamp meets the road you will always find the Snakeoil Rattlers.
And for the listening pleasure of the converted The Snakeoil Rattlers debut CD entitled 'Road Tales' is available at all shows.
"The Snakeoil Rattlers have a unique playful styling of porch picking bluegrass, smooth rural southern lyrics and native hymning. It is easy to imagine hot chicory, grits and eggs a muggy morning passing through some lonesome diner in Louisiana. Bluesy highlights tints every happy moment on the music. I got a nice good time from their music. Easy in the ears and not to complicated, like some bluegrass can get."
Bubba, Outlaw Punk Cowboy Show (www. outlawpunk. com)
"Definitely our brand of Snake Oil"
Rob Ellen, The Medicine Show Nevis Radio and loch Broom FM
"Rich, raw and real songs of lost love and the road."
Richard Cobbing, Clekenville West
"The meanest men in Country music this side of the Atlantic."
The Ram Jam Club, Kingston
"Rattlesnakes warn you before they bite, The Snakeoil Rattlers don't"
Barry Marshall-Everitt, House of Mercy Radio
"Your tunes have put this lot in a weird mood...now they want to go to a whiskey bar!"
London Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust
"These boys are mighty fine pickers and lovely people, be sure to check out one of their shows, you won't be disappointed!"
Hippy Karen, The Sin City Cosmic Country Club
"Poetic bourbon flavoured songs in the tradition of Messrs Earle, Van Zandt and Prine. Dynamic country-southern rawk that'll get the toes tapping"
The Windmill, Brixton
"It's fantastic to hear the bluegrass and roots influences the Snakeoil rattlers encompass in their songs. Makes me feel like I'm back in the South and not the UK"
The Rebel Rocker Geno D, The Southern Fried Rock Show
Whats this I hear about you bringing some Brothers down to the Load tomorrow? Can you tell them to put some clothes on though or Uncle Fester won't let them in!
Oh hell yeah, we're coming on Sunday - I'll try and round the boys up. Be warned though, there may be some long faces as some of us won't be drinking that night, so don't expect any dancing on tables. See you there. K x
Hello again ... thanks for kind words, I really enjoyed it! Please do come back and play. I put a photo of you chaps on my page if you havnt seen it. David
Alright Barry, I bet you had a sore head on Sunday after Sin City, haha! Cheers for coming down, it was good to see you. So what time are the Rattlers playing tomorrow night? I want to come but have to try to get out of a boring works do first. HK x
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hi guys!!
