The Rockerati – Having Fun With…
In 2025 FabricationsHQ, in review of the Black Book EP by The Rockerati (the British pub rocking, fun rock 'n' roll band formed around singer-songwriter-guitarist David McCarthy), hoped that said EP would be the forerunner to a long-awaited second full-length album from the band in the not too distant.
Good news then that some ten months after Black Book comes a bigger volume in the shape of the eleven track (thirteen on the CD) Having Fun With…
The album title points to what you will find within, where lyrical joie de vivre (don’t expect any heavy-duty lyricism on personal issues, loss, or state of the world discussions) intertwines with a huge slab of rock and roll fun.
Indeed David McCarthy, who writes, sings, produces and plays (other than drum work from Billy Terrison, Seamus Murphy and Justin Welch) will proudly point to The Rockerati being a pick N mix of the Beatles, Sex Pistols, Status Quo, Rod & the Faces, and Chuck Berry, with a tasty topping of Dave Edmunds & Nick Lowe's Rockpile (The Rockerati sound is unashamedly weighted towards the latter, which is no bad thing).
Underlining that Rockpile’d point is opening track, the rollicking pub rocker 'Analogue Again,' the first of two standalone singles from 2025 to find a home on the album.
Similarly Rockpile and rolled is 'Long Lost Hooklines,' which carries a fittingly earworm chorus that borrows directly from the verses of The Everly Brothers 'When Will I Be Loved' (including a cleverly paraphrased last line).
The harmonised pop-rocking jangle of EP track 'Little Black Book' (a Rockerati gem), is also worthy of its place here, as is a second EP inclusion, 'One-Way Ticket to Funtown,' which rattles its way down the rock and roll tracks at full speed.
The late 50s American rock and roll styling of 'I Can’t Lose Your Love' (written by Seamus Murphy) keeps up the fun quotient before '(The Wrong End Of) The Right Stick,' with David McCarthy giving it the full Edmunds (Dave, not Noel, thankfully) brings a little stomp 'n' roll blues to proceedings.
The self-harmonising vocal trait that permeates many of The Rockerati’s songs is a strength of the Nashville picking rock and country roll of 'Lonesome Side Of Town;' the same vocal dovetailing adds a little Everly’s to the otherwise Chuck B 'n' roll of 'Come What May,' which sports some nifty little guitar licks.
'That Elusive Sound' is pub rock meeting early 70s Quo, while the faster 'Big Dog' (the second of two singles from 2025) is Chuck Berry-esque boogie of the simplest, and highest, order.
Offering a change of acoustic pace is the wonderfully titled 'The Brightest Light (Comes From a Burning Bridge),' which closes out the album in glass-half-full optimism ("you can remember all the good times, with a fond and happy glow").
If you want even more Rockerati roll, the CD version of the album comes with two bonus tracks – a rockin’ take of Nick Lowe’s 'Crying Inside' and R&B swinger 'Leave My Kitten Alone,' which owes more to the rare Beatles version than the Little Willie John original.
Eight years on from debut album Waterloo Sunrise (which can be purchased as a 10 track Special Digital Edition on Bandcamp) David McCarthy, in his Rockerati guise, is back delivering fun filled, retro pub rock(pile) and roll.
And for that we should all be grateful, because we need an injection of good time, forget your troubles fun now more than ever.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase the Digital Download and/ or CD on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/HavingFunWith_The_Rockerati
Limited Edition Vinyl will also be available.
Please note the album will NOT be available on Spotify/ Apple/ YouTube.
Good news then that some ten months after Black Book comes a bigger volume in the shape of the eleven track (thirteen on the CD) Having Fun With…
The album title points to what you will find within, where lyrical joie de vivre (don’t expect any heavy-duty lyricism on personal issues, loss, or state of the world discussions) intertwines with a huge slab of rock and roll fun.
Indeed David McCarthy, who writes, sings, produces and plays (other than drum work from Billy Terrison, Seamus Murphy and Justin Welch) will proudly point to The Rockerati being a pick N mix of the Beatles, Sex Pistols, Status Quo, Rod & the Faces, and Chuck Berry, with a tasty topping of Dave Edmunds & Nick Lowe's Rockpile (The Rockerati sound is unashamedly weighted towards the latter, which is no bad thing).
Underlining that Rockpile’d point is opening track, the rollicking pub rocker 'Analogue Again,' the first of two standalone singles from 2025 to find a home on the album.
Similarly Rockpile and rolled is 'Long Lost Hooklines,' which carries a fittingly earworm chorus that borrows directly from the verses of The Everly Brothers 'When Will I Be Loved' (including a cleverly paraphrased last line).
The harmonised pop-rocking jangle of EP track 'Little Black Book' (a Rockerati gem), is also worthy of its place here, as is a second EP inclusion, 'One-Way Ticket to Funtown,' which rattles its way down the rock and roll tracks at full speed.
The late 50s American rock and roll styling of 'I Can’t Lose Your Love' (written by Seamus Murphy) keeps up the fun quotient before '(The Wrong End Of) The Right Stick,' with David McCarthy giving it the full Edmunds (Dave, not Noel, thankfully) brings a little stomp 'n' roll blues to proceedings.
The self-harmonising vocal trait that permeates many of The Rockerati’s songs is a strength of the Nashville picking rock and country roll of 'Lonesome Side Of Town;' the same vocal dovetailing adds a little Everly’s to the otherwise Chuck B 'n' roll of 'Come What May,' which sports some nifty little guitar licks.
'That Elusive Sound' is pub rock meeting early 70s Quo, while the faster 'Big Dog' (the second of two singles from 2025) is Chuck Berry-esque boogie of the simplest, and highest, order.
Offering a change of acoustic pace is the wonderfully titled 'The Brightest Light (Comes From a Burning Bridge),' which closes out the album in glass-half-full optimism ("you can remember all the good times, with a fond and happy glow").
If you want even more Rockerati roll, the CD version of the album comes with two bonus tracks – a rockin’ take of Nick Lowe’s 'Crying Inside' and R&B swinger 'Leave My Kitten Alone,' which owes more to the rare Beatles version than the Little Willie John original.
Eight years on from debut album Waterloo Sunrise (which can be purchased as a 10 track Special Digital Edition on Bandcamp) David McCarthy, in his Rockerati guise, is back delivering fun filled, retro pub rock(pile) and roll.
And for that we should all be grateful, because we need an injection of good time, forget your troubles fun now more than ever.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Purchase the Digital Download and/ or CD on Bandcamp: https://bit.ly/HavingFunWith_The_Rockerati
Limited Edition Vinyl will also be available.
Please note the album will NOT be available on Spotify/ Apple/ YouTube.