British blues-rockers
Back Door Slam boast a tough, streetwise sound that recalls veteran U.K. blues players such as
Eric Clapton,
Peter Green, and
John Mayall, though these young guitar slingers represent a new generation -- when bassist
Adam Jones joined the group in 2006, guitarist and singer
Davy Knowles and drummer
Ross Doyle were all of 20 years old, while
Jones himself was just 19. The members of
Back Door Slam grew up in the tiny seaside community of the Isle of Man, and
Knowles decided he wanted to be a guitar player at the age of 11, when he heard "Sultans of Swing" by
Dire Straits on the radio while riding in the car with his father. After borrowing his father's acoustic guitar,
Knowles began teaching himself to play and digging into his dad's old records, which led him to discover the sounds of the golden age of British blues, while later he began embracing the music's American roots (the name comes from a song by latter-day blues guitarist
Robert Cray). After mastering the rudiments of live performing with a handful of local bands,
Knowles joined forces with
Ross Doyle, bassist
Jamie Armstrong, and rhythm guitarist
Brian Garvey to form
Back Door Slam in 2003. After
Garvey died in an auto accident in 2004, the band stripped itself down to a power trio and began earning a potent reputation playing clubs and festivals as well as opening for acts ranging from
Don McLean to
the Who. In 2006,
Jamie Armstrong left the band and
Jones arrived to solidify
Back Door Slam's lineup. In 2007,
Back Door Slam recorded their debut album,
Roll Away, and headed to the United States for a concert tour that included appearances at the Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits music festivals. Tour dates with
Kid Rock followed in 2008. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide