A young musician from Watford is reflecting on his last few years of success, including playing at a sold-out Camden Assembly.
Robbie Russo, 26, has always had a knack for music. Speaking to WATFORDnews, the Watford Grammar School for Boys alumnus recalled performing in talent shows as a young boy, dressed up like Elvis.
He said: “When I got to university, the first thing I did was find people to start a band with. I turned up to rehearsals and we had eight different musicians; it was very overwhelming!”
The frontman explained that getting off the ground was tricky, but soon the band, called The Monkey Butlers after an episode of The Simpsons, were performing across Birmingham and London.
He said: “Our first gig was at an open mic. It was just me and the two guitarists, and it was pretty poor, but you can’t let things like that get you down.
“You watch shows like The X Factor and they say corny things like ‘you have to believe in yourself’, but it’s true!”
The band’s self-belief paid off, as soon enough The Monkey Butlers were playing at the O2 Academy Birmingham and sold out the Camden Assembly, experiences that Robbie says were a “big highlight”.
He continued: “We did a lot of gigs last year, but it’s hard now getting into the later stages of being in your 20s. We all have jobs, but I want to keep pushing it.”
Now, Robbie is focusing on his solo work, which includes playing at open mics at The One Crown on Watford High Street.
But he assured readers to “watch this space” for the band’s upcoming projects, including their performance at the Rickmansworth Festival in May.
To find out more, visit www.instagram.com/the_russo98
Photo credit: Charlie West
Robbie is a star! Definitely check out his gig nights in Watford at The One Crown, Red Lion & Johnny’s Bar – he brings the house down