Sound of the Suburb band members

Dad rockers create the sound of Hampstead Garden Suburb

Josh Pettitt Sunday, February 10, 2013
12:00 PM

Like Wisteria Lane in hit TV show Desperate Housewives, the immaculate streets of Hampstead Garden Suburb give little clue as to what lurks behind closed doors.

Russian oligarchs settle down in their home cinemas, Arab princes sip champagne in their lake-like jacuzzis and wrinkled rockers gather to jam to the sounds of the Swinging 60s.

Respectable jobs

The five members of local band Sound of the Suburb leave their high-paid jobs as lawyers, chiropractors and psychologists at the door so they can enjoy some good old-fashioned rock ‘n’ roll.

The dads first met while dropping off their children at Brookland Junior School in the Suburb and were encouraged to pick up their instruments by the school’s then music teacher.

Since their first performance at primary school in 2005, the group has been touted as the “best band in north west London”. Now, after eight years of gigging in north London’s pubs and clubs, they have now released a debut album.

Guitarist Dr Chris Berlingieri, a chiropractor from East Finchley, said: “When we did gigs at pubs, we always put a few of our original tracks in the set and they went over well. Before we knew it, we had enough for an album.”

He added: “There are no pubs in the Suburb, it’s a very genteel kind of place, so it was very much a tongue- in-cheek band name.”

The band also features bassist Steve Phillips, drummer Mike Solomon, a psychologist at the Tavistock Centre in Hampstead, vocalist Rafael Landicho and family lawyer Martin Ross on rhythm guitar and backing vocals.

n To hear the band play, head down to The Dublin Castle in Camden Town on February 27.