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From a review of The Racket music night, March 12th 2009.
....Shoreditch based rock band James Robot warmed up the crowds in a packed-out Old Queens Head with a tight set of memorable songs. The agressive choppy guitar licks of 'London is a Prison' opened their set and frontman Adam Ashley was quick to engage the crowd with this catchy call to arms.
With a powerful ryhthm section echoing The Ramones and guitars more technivally influenced by Incubus or Tom Morello, the band's laid a platform for Ashley to sing, shout or occasionally scream his lyrics.
James Robot are familiar to Racket audiences from playing several times in the last year. This was reflected in the popularity of their well rehearsed set, which linked the Jeff Buckley-esque 'Memory of Youth' to the the brutally straight 4/4 rock of 'Armageddon.'
The band's honest enthusiasm was refreshing in this age of slacker egos and singer Ashley is a frontman in the Jim Morrison mould - very watchable in a 'not sure quite how crazy he is' kind of way. Flashes of vitruoso guitar and impressive falsetto harmonies from the drummer gave Robot's songs an interesting dimension untypical of 4-piece rock bands.
Their most popular song 'Ghost Train' was a real crowd-pleaser and had everyone on their feet singing, combining the train-like country rhythm of Johnny Cash with The Strokes-esque scratchy guitars and vocals. With anthems like this, James Robot will be playing venues bigger venues than The Old Queens Head before too long.
JB 15.3.09
- Giuliano Bucci, Director, The Racket Promotions Group.
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
The James Robot story started in 2006 with the song 'Ghost Train,' an upbeat alternative country/rock song inspired by the likes of Old Crow Medicine Show and The Strokes. Other early songs included 'London is a Prison,' which reflected a heavy guitar sound influenced by The Ramones and The Smiths.
Playing gigs throughout 2008 with drummer Andy cemented the James Robot London following and their unique sound was completed when Frank joined on lead guitar and synths. James Robot's early alternative country/rock has blended with the harder electronic rock of James Robot today to create a band with huge variety in their songs. From the fragile melodic beauty of 'Memory of Youth' to the threatening 'Armegeddon,' the James Robot sound refuses to be pinned down.
2009 was a landmark year for James Robot; playing 15+ live shows at famous London venues such as ULU, The Old Queens Head and 333 Club reflected the buzz generated by the band during the year across London.
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