Rob Thomson (musician)

Rob Thomson (musician)

Hard Rock Miners are a Canadian rockabilly/hillbilly/country/folk band based in Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1987, the Hard Rock Miners could be found busking on the streets of Vancouver, particularly on the very trendy Robson Street. Their music could be best described as eclectic. As they moved to gigs at Vancouver venues, their instrumentation included acoustic and electric guitars, and washboard amongst others. Their musical stylings with this essentially electrified bluegrass lineup included 'Pistol Packin' Mama', the Brothers Johnson's 'Get The Funk Out of My Face', Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Were Made For Walkin' and speedy punked up versions of other country and western, funk, punk, and pop classics. They were a band with a sense of humour par excellence. At the time, a definite must see for those who enjoy a party atmosphere.

The band was formed in 1987 by Michael Phillips, Scooter Johnson, Oliver Metson, Ingrid Mary Percy, and Michael Turner. Turner later became an author, penning the books Hard Core Logo, American Whiskey Bar and The Pornographer's Poem.

Turner and Percy left the band in 1993, but the band has soldiered on with a mildly fluxuating membership ever since. Plying their talents in the Miners over the years have been long time stalwarts Rob Thomson (guitar / vocals), Ike Eidsness (drums) and Paul Gould (mandolin The band also features the string wizardry on guitar and fiddle of Sexy Pierre Lumoncel who joined the band in 1990 and toured and recorded with the band throughout. / banjo), as well as Keith Rose (Roots Roundup), Ford Pier (SNFU, D.O.A.) and Linda McRae (Spirit of the West).

Currently, the Hard Rock Miners can be found the first Monday of every month at Vancouver's Railway Club. The Hard Rock Miners play what could be called a rock and roll reverse karaoke, with the band playing the tunes while the entire bar sings the lyrics.

If you want to dig a bit deeper, members of The Hard Rock Miners can also be found playing in several other guises, including the obnoxious Speedway-Punk, Royal Grand Prix (pronounced Royal Grand Pricks)... Faux-Mexican Mariachi Garage banders, The High Balls... and their Pogues tribute band, Shane's Teeth, including Nettie Boulanger ( I, mudder accordion, Molestics) on Accordion.