Pool Of Sound - The Hokum Clones

Robbie and Danny

Robbie Stevenson (Ex 'Blue Seed' and 'Lodgers'), on guitar and vocals, and former Alsop High pupil Danny Roberts, on vocals, guitar and harmonica, formed 'The Hokum Clones' in the summer of 1999 following a chance meeting in a Liverpool book shop. They gained surprising popularity in the early 2000s despite never releasing an album and were perceived by many as the spiritual fathers of the Liverpool movement. Appearing on the Liverpool student radio station, supporting 'The Coral' on their 2002 UK tour, they performed regularly at the Acoustic Engine night in Liverpool, which became a vital showcase for local talent, and also at the LA'Go bar's Sunday jams and Bandwagon nights at the Zanzibar hosted by 'The Bandits'.
They were an acoustic guitar duo who prided themselves on a stripped-down no-nonsense approach to music that made the 'White Stripes' sound like 'Genesis'. Two Scousers playing deep-south acoustic blues circa 1929 sounds like a recipe for disaster but although on paper it didn't look like the most appealing of partnerships, on vinyl it worked very well indeed. One of these acoustic nights was established at the Masque in Seel Street, Liverpool set up by Robby and Danny. As Robby recalls, "Liverpool was tied up by these formulaic bands and formulaic nights. We thought that we just did not belong there, so we’ll do it ourselves, and that way we can have a DJ play Robert Johnson or whatever we liked. It was all about us and whatever was going on between us."

Despite being together for over two years, the only release to have seen the light of day is a limited edition 7" single on Rough Trade's For Us imprint. 'Breakin' From A Jailhouse Blues' and 'You Ain’t Foolin'' were infectious footstompers, filled with tickling banjo-like guitars, combining bluegrass and the spirit of rock 'n' roll. This double A-side release was a true breath of fresh air but they were cautious about signing a deal, refusing to add drums or bass to their sound merely to please A&R men. "It’s no good being signed for the sake of it," said Robby at the time.
Although they have spent some time in the studio with John Leckie, who rendered his services for free, the duo even question whether a recording studio is the best place to capture their full-on acoustic sound. "We record in bedrooms and kitchens and all that, and it suits us just as much. I don't know whether we need to go into a studio or go into a barn. We might end up doing all of our recordings on a boat or something in the middle of the Irish Sea! The best thing is to catch us live. That is where people will see up in our real element."

Having supported 'The Coral' and Richard Ashcroft, and also opened for 'The Polyphonic Spree',  this drew attention to their individual style, showing other blues-obsessed bands not only how it's done, but more interestingly, how it used to be done.
Many who saw them in the early 2000s have said they were always really impressive, it's a shame they never got to release a full length LP because it most probably would of been a classic.  

Danny Roberts would go on to play with 'Sixteen Tonnes', initially with bassist Anthony Foley of Hoylake, and drummer Danny Rogers of Aigburth, and played at the invitation of Noel Gallagher at the 10,600-seater Echo Arena in 2008 to support 'Oasis'. Danny had got to know Noel when he was with 'The Hokum Clones' who Noel had named at the time one of his favourite bands. Later, with occasional member and mandolin connoisseur John Daglish, they brought out an EP 'Keep You Satisfied Part One'. Tours with 'The Zutons' and 'Cast' added two more feathers to an already reputable cap.

see also :- http://www.thefootballvoice.com/2020/04/pool-of-sound-millenium-renaissance.html