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Rob - Guitars / Lead Vocals

 

Rob is a self-taught guitarist and pianist. He is also a man of few words. On hearing Rob's vocals for the first time one punter was heard to remark, 'I bet he had to gargle with glass to get that voice!'

"I'm really a keyboard player who plays guitar", he says modestly. Although Rob is indeed a talented pianist, his ability as a guitarist is understated. Rob's sense of rhythm and his free-flowing solo style are central to the Doghouse sound.

"I went to Music College in Liverpool to learn to read and write music, but I've always stayed mainly on the rock side of things." - a typical understatement from a man who has written for orchestras. Rob later decided to go to Leeds to study piano tuning, and became a qualified piano tuner. However… "I got fed up in Leeds and decided to come back to the Wirral!"

On his return Rob played countless live gigs and did some session work, but in 1997 Rob decided it was time to form his own band playing the type of music that he wanted to play - ROCK - so DOGHOUSE was born.

"I heard that 'Engine' (a Merseyside band who had been on the rock club circuit for many years) had decided to call it a day and split up and were after a support band for their farewell gig at The Limelight in Crewe. I said my band would do it - but I didn't have a band, so I made a few calls, went to some local gigs and 'borrowed' a few musicians and generally made myself unpopular. It was alright you know!"

This 'Mk1' version of DOGHOUSE was initially a five piece, but two years later - in 1999 - and after several previous personnel changes, the band lost their vocalist, and Rob decided to take over. The band therefore became a four-piece - as it remains today.