In their own words

The Roadbreakers

THE 'ROADBREAKERS' WAS PART OF A HUGE LOCAL PROJECT PUT TOGETHER IN THE EARLY 90'S BY A GROUP OF FRIGHTENED TENANTS WHO'S HOMES WERE DUE TO BE DEMOLISHED TO MAKE WAY FOR THE M11 LINK-ROAD IN LEYTONSTONE. THESE GOOD PEOPLE WERE TOLD THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIND ELSEWHERE TO LIVE DESPITE MANY OF THEM BEING BORN AND BRED THERE - INCLUDING ONE 90 YEAR OLD TENANT WHO WAS CARRIED OUT OF HER FAMILY HOME BY BAILIFFS - . IT WAS A PRESSURE GROUP - IF YOU WILL EXCUSE THE PUN - CREATED TO RAISE AWARENESS AND FUNDS TO FIGHT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. THE BAND WAS A SMALL PART OF THAT EFFORT.

I BECAME INVOLVED AFTER BEING APPROACHED BY JOHN ELLIS TO SING FOR THEM. MY REASON FOR SAYING YES WAS BORNE OUT OF MY FAMILIES OWN EXPERIENCE IN OUR HOMETOWN OF CHISWICK.FOR THE FIRST 12 YEARS OF MY LIFE WE FACED THIS VERY SAME THREAT. MY PARENTS AND NEIGHBOURS HAD ALSO LIVED WITH IT FOR SOME YEARS BEFORE THIS. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IT WAS HARD ENOUGH ON US KIDS LET ALONE OUR PARENTS FEARS. THE CAMPAIGN BECAME WIDELY KNOWN ABOUT IN LONDON AND WAS HIGHLIGHTED REGULARLY IN THE PRESS AND OCCASIONALLY ON TELEVISION BUT ALAS COULD NOT HALT THE DECISION TO BUILD THE ROAD. SOME LONDONERS MAY REMEMBER FOR A SHORT TIME THAT THE CAMPAIGN FOCUSSED ON AN ELDERLY OAK TREE GROWING ON WANSTEAD COMMON WHICH SOME OF OUR FRIENDS DECIDED TO LIVE IN FOR A WHILE - EXCELLENT.

WE PLAYED THREE TIMES I BELIEVE,MAYBE TWICE - TO FULL HOUSES IN A LOCAL COMMUNITY HALL. IT WAS A HELL OF A LAUGH AND ALTHOUGH WE ONLY REHEARSED ONCE - IN ONE OF THE HOUSES IN JOHNS ROAD -THE BAND REALLY KICKED OFF.... ALSO I HAVE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF THE BLUES !!! BUT THE TUNES THAT WERE PICKED AS WELL AS BEARING THE SUBJECT OF ROADS WERE ALSO FABULOUS VERSIONS - ALL ORIGINALS - AND SOUNDED FROM THE HEART AND GUT... SOME WERE REALLY OLD AND WITH ODD STRUCTURES AND 'WONKY BARS' (not wonka bars) WHICH WAS VERY EXCITING.. I LOVE BEING TURNED ON TO NEW THINGS!!??!! AND GENRES I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER WARM TO...I REALLY LOVED PERFORMING THEM.

WE ORIGINALLY DUMPED THE RELEASE BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH SOUND AND TIME AND MONEY ISSUES.....THEN ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO A CHAP CALLED JOHN PRIDIGE WHO WAS A BIG PART OF THE ORGANISATION - AS WELL AS DOING OUR SOUND - DECIDED TO SEE IF IT WAS POSSIBLE TO PUT A C.D. TOGETHER. THE DELAY THEREAFTER WAS DOWN TO FINDING ALL THE PLAYERS AND ASKING THEIR PERMISSION TO GO AHEAD. IN FACT I REMEMBER BEING ASKED SEVERAL TIMES ON MY EARLY WEB-SITE IF THE RECORDINGS WOULD EVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. THE TITLE OF THE C.D. IS 'BIG ROAD BLUES LIVE'.

The CD can now be orderer through John Pridige.
The total cost (including P&P) for the CD is £11.49.
You can pay via Paypal (the preferred method) by sending the money to: jpridige@hotmail.com

Otherwise you can send a cheque or postal order in GBP to:

J. Pridige
c/o
63 Burwell Road
LONDON
E10 7QG
UK

If you’re paying by cheque it may take several weeks before you get your CD.

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