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, Jim ‘Mr Sweet’ Dog, Kevin ‘Swamp Dawg’ O’Neill, Andy ‘Spandex’ Poole and Barry ‘The Snake Oil Man’ Warren spin tales of lost love, social indifference and the quiet desperation of the road.
Influenced by Steinbeck, Kerouac, Lynyrd Skynryd, and Jerry Douglas, and often compared to Steve Earle, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, this assemble 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.
Sharing the bill with acts including Ex Rockingbird Alan Tyler, and Grammy nominee James Hunter, and containing members from Some Dogs, Foghorn Leghorn (‘London’s top bluegrass band’ – The Times) and the Renegade Playboys, the Snakeoil Rattlers have managed to build a reputation for unrefined unburnished accomplishment while performing at numerous venues and festivals across Southern England including London’s 12 Bar Club and the Windmill in Brixton.
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.
And for the listening pleasure of the converted there is soon to be a release of the long-awaited Snakeoil Rattlers debut CD entitled ‘Road Tales’.
Where the swamp meets the road you will always find the Snakeoil Rattlers.
