About the band

Paul Madison - guitar & vocals

Formed his own band in the early eighties called Empty Pocket. Playing sixties style R&B, this band flourished for a couple of years, followed by long-running success with The Madison Blues Band. Paul's influences include Peter Green, Chuck Berry, Django Reinhardt. Favourite guitar, a Les Paul Custom, currently plays Gibson 335 played through a Tech 21 Amp.

Richard Parrott - drums

Often mistaken for Keith Moon or Animal from the Muppets, Richard has half a century of experience watching the backs of musicians' heads whilst maintaining a rocksteady beat. He is a huge fan of the Beatles and rates Jon Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and Ian Paice (Deep Purple) as his favourite drummers. He has played on and off with Paul Madison since the early 1970's and is proud to say the line up of Beatroute has remained the same since 2006.

Al Hall - harp & vocals

Roger Shiel - bass

Born in Leeds and raised in the North East, Al took up harp seriously when he left university in 1996 to work in London. The buzzing music scene offered previously unrealised opportunities to hear other harmonica players live, and he was greatly inspired by local players like Giles King, Tim Haigh and Lee Sankey at several blues jams in and around London. Here Al learnt much of his trade, and owes a lot to Pete Boulter and the late Pete Smith, who provided a rich learning ground at their jams. Influenced by the West-Coast swing of Rod Piazza and Paul Lamb, and the contemporary Chicago blues of William Clarke and Kim Wilson, Al also has great respect for the tasteful phrasing of such innovators of harmonica as George Smith, Little Walter, Rice Miller and James Cotton.

Roger joined the band full time in 2020 having successfully depped on on a number of occasions, and was promoted from number one fan to number one bass player.