Rupert Hobday - Guitar
Lead. Rhythm.
JAMES ON ROO
"Whatever Roo wears, he exudes psychedelia. I always imagine him in tie dye, though I've never actually seen him wear it. A rockabilly-hippy-Goth, Roo is an original thinker, a dreamer, unblinkered and unfettered by constructs of "the man". He and I share a great interest in the idea of delivering something that transcends the typical gig experience by combining and cross-pollinating lots of different art forms to express ideas as holistically as possible. Roo's versatility as a guitarist is also important in a band like The Vaulted Skies, where the arrangements are quite busy; switching from ambient soundscapes and simple melody lines to complex chords and Johnny Marr-alike hybrids."BEN ON ROO
"Constantly in search of the new sound Roo can usually be seen standing next to gigantic 60's throw back instruments (often towering over him) that look like they have been caught in a time warp with a tortoiseshell medieval lute, holding in all event the guitar he will actually use! At his feet lies a pedal board that reads a little bit like the menu at a rural beer festival, including as it does, the “titter ye not” ‘Big Muff’. Roo brings the chorused 80’s-esque arpegiation and melodic smatterings that excite the ear in the Vaulted Skies music, not to mention the haunting sustained E-bow that often leads me to wonder if we need a keyboard player at all!"JOHN ON ROO
"When Roo and I were introduced to each other, all I remember was the line “Roo plays Bass too”. This struck fear into me as I immediately felt a fraud and that I wouldn’t be able to blag my bass skills in front of a seasoned Pro. My fears were unfounded. Roo is such a top bloke, he’s supportive, has the ability to offer advice without sounding patronising or pedantic. He’s a great person to bounce ideas off, and although I usually have no idea what he’s doing with his own guitars, he’s always positive with feedback and ideas. I love the fact he would, given half a chance, quite happily Skype his family WHILST we are doing a sound check at a gig."SCOTT ON ROO
"With a V6 roar and subwoofer thumping, a small hatchback with blacked out windows pulls up outside the rehearsal studios. Roo has arrived…late.Roo is the missing link in TVS. On a never-ending quest to perfect his sound, he can often be heard (in his own words) ‘noodling’ at rehearsals between tracks. In his absence, however, it becomes clear that Roos’ interval-founded, flour-based food stuffs form the staple basis of the killer riffs which haunt TVS music."
Choon!
