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Roymackonkey

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Roymackonkey

Genre: Rock, Metal
Region: Melbourne, VIC
Members: Darryl Barba-guitar, John Coulehan-vocals, Fletcher Bowman-drums, Brian Mcleod-bass

Sounds Like: roymackonkey

Influences: Skunk Anansie, Faith No More, Alice in Chains

Artist Website: www.myspace.com/roymackonkey

Unearthed Artists We Like: cooperblack , Take The Helm , eMDee , blastcorp , Terracotta Pigeons , Leah Flanagan , Max!

Roy Mackonkey came together in Darwin in 1997, at first purely as a heavy act. The quartet - then comprising John, Darryl, Brian, and drummer Steve Smith - swiftly made their mark on the local circuit with their mixture of alternative & progressive rock, in their first 12 months of existence they headlined the Australian Music Day concert, and gained national radio airplay on Triple J for their debut EP "The Quality Of Meat", recorded with legendary JJJ producer Chris Thompson.

Roy Mackonkey soon became the support band of choice for interstate acts coming through Darwin. Some of the rockin' bands they've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with include You Am I, the Living End, Bodyjar, Dallas Crane, the Dissociatives, Grinspoon, Painters & Dockers, the Superjesus, Magic Dirt and the late great Slim Dusty.

In July 2000 after an amazing show supporting the international heavy weights of rock “The Rollins Band” Roy Mackonkey set off on an extensive tour of the Northern Territory with independent recording artist Shellie Morris. The "Beaten Track Tour" saw them unplugging the amps and reinventing their songs acoustically sparking a new fire for the band.

(2001) After winning the Darwin round Roy Mackonkey come 4th in the Jim Beam National Campus Bands competition finals , the Corner Hotel Richmond Melbourne.

(2004) Writing and performing as a duo the previous 4 years, Darryl and John decide to move to Melbourne and immediately lock in a residency at “The Lounge” Docklands where they met with Melbourne based multi-instrumentalist Rob Longstaff who invited them to perform at the opening of his Acoustica shows Bridge Hotel Richmond leading to more shows doing at speakeasy bars and café’s across Melbourne.

(2005) Homesick! The boys decide to head back to Darwin. With new songs and a hunger to hit the stage as a full band again , they enlist drummer Fletcher Bowman (Plonker, Burrfoot) and bassist Attilla Goddolley (Ownkind) and wasted no time showcasing the new tunes headlining local festivals, benefit shows and supporting the Screaming Jets , 28 days as the rock outfit they are best known for.

(2006) Switching back to acoustic guitars, Roy Mackonkey play the Darwin Entertainment Centre for the local “Monsoon Session’s” concert mid September, reworking older songs and presenting new songs with the inclusion of a string section, piano and slide guitar giving the band a totally new sound which lead to a series of “unplugged & re-strung” shows at local bars gaining a new audience and stronger confidence of the acoustic sound.

(2007) Marking their 10th anniversary and after the success of the “unplugged & re-strung” shows Roy Mackonkey played to a sell out crowd after inviting the Darwin Youth Orchestra to play on stage with them at the Darwin Festival Star Shell with acoustic songs and rock songs being scored to incorporate the 40 piece monster of strings & brass and “kids“.

(2008) In between shows at the Sydney venue “Cat & Fiddle” mid January , Roy Mackonkey head into Damien Gerard Studios Sydney to record Demo E.P. “Cassandra Never Lies” with the single “The Fear” being picked up by Foghorn Records for their “Grow Your Own Upload Volume 12” compilation CD.

July 5th the band are back in Darwin supporting the Screaming Jets at Discovery nightclub and Wolfmother at the V8 Supercars Hidden Valley Raceway.

(2009) with a steady stream of support acts and a march tour in support of the brand new E.P. “Cassandra Never Lies” tucked firmly under their belts, Roy share their time between the Music capital of Australia (Melbourne) and their home town of Darwin.

Indeed, the acoustic alter ego of Roy Mackonkey is still an important part of the band's psyche to this day, with John and Darryl often doing "unplugged" shows at cafes, bars and grills, stripping the songs down and reconstructing them with a rich aural flavour that reaches out to a wider audience. Which has opened new doors and opportunities for the band leading to Most recently performing in Federation Square for the Tenth anniversary of East Timor’s Independence.

For an Immersive dose of hard uncompromising rock ‘n’ roll or emotive melodic acoustica look no further than Australia’s own Roymackonkey.

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