About this user
Who would have believed that a chance meeting between school friends in the music practice room of their local high school during the summer of 1980 would have resulted some 29 years later, in the creation of one of South Wales best and widely acclaimed original rock bands?
Make no mistake; Roosvelt have travelled a long, hard road since their humble beginnings; and just like any other band, they have experienced many highs and lows along the way. Even though the line up has changed several times over the years, certain crucial factors have remained consistent which has enabled the present line up to emerge today as one of the best original rock bands to have graced the South Wales scene for many years.
Firstly, the long lasting friendship between founding band members Paul, and Pete; and their steely determination to survive as a playing unit has been a major influence; their friendship ensured the band would continue to flourish even during the more difficult times; secondly; the band has always remained true to the principal of playing original material at gigs, with just a few chosen covers of songs they love.
Drawing inspiration from a wide variety of great American and British bands, such as Neil Young and Crazy Horse, Dylan, The Kinks, Springsteen, Bowie, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Johnny Hiatt and the Rolling Stones, to name but a few Roosvelt plied their trade in the sweaty smoke filled pubs and clubs in and around the South Wales area under the name of One Plus One. The name was derived from a John Luke Goddard film, featuring the Rolling Stones.
For many original bands on the local scene, it was a challenging environment in which to play, and very difficult to develop in. More often than not, bands were subjected to demanding audiences who craved only the songs they new, and at the end of the night they would be judged by the till receipts and the Rolling Stones song they left out, rather than there creative musical ability. Because of this, a lot of mainstream venues became inaccessible for many talented bands simply because, they didnt play covers.
Despite the many set backs, One Plus One persevered and stuck hard to their bed-rock principal of playing original material at every given opportunity; as a result of this stubborn determination, their popularity and reputation started to grow. You really do learn how to write songs, entertain and play, in such hostile environments and slowly but surely the band and Pauls reputation as a talented songwriter / guitarist started attracting people to gigs; particularly fellow musicians, most of who were already seasoned and experienced players such as the late great Micky Gee.
In 1998, with a growing reputation, particularly amongst Cardiffs musical community, the band decided to change its name to Roosvelt and in 1999 they released their debut album Generous. This collection of uncomplicated songs recorded live in the studio soon received tremendous reviews and not only was it album of the week on BBC Radio Wales, more impressively; it featured prominently on Bob Harris Radio 2 show for many weeks including his Best of British Rock showcase.
After firmly establishing themselves on the South Wales scene, Roosvelt continued to progress from strength to strength; they were eventually rewarded for their hard work with some high profile gigs, supporting the likes of the Climax Blues Band, the Mutton Birds, and the legendary Nashville singer songwriter Rodney Crowell (with Will Kimbrough).
In 2003, their second album All in good time was released. Again; the band experienced major success as the simplistic yet effective track Body Parts was used alongside David Greys main score in the Bafta award-winning film, A Way of Life.
Today, Roosvelt have metamorphosed into a musicians band and are now widely acclaimed as one of the most experienced and talented rock bands on the Cardiff scene. Their current line up boasts an awesome rhythm section consisting of the ageless Simon Groves (Drums), and the brilliant Olly Holland (Bass); described as the heartbeat of the band, they are the very cornerstone around which Roosvelt pulsates; playing in and out of the rhythm section lie the guitar playing talents of Paul Biggs (Lead Guitar / Piano) and Pete Davey (rhythm guitar / harmonicas); described as the backbone of the band, these are two very different players in terms of style and approach. Paul is the main architect behind the bands original material; his technical prowess; flair; and creativity are an inspiration to many aspiring young guitarists on the scene today; while Pete Daveys solid rhythm playing provides the band with a distinctive yet discreet sound.
roosveltband
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