The Cornermen

Friday 30th Aug – The Cornermen were formed in late October 2022 by John Houston. John has run the South Moreton Boxing Club for the last 18 years and in 2022 started (with partner Steve James) The Cornermen Support Service, based at the Club, employing a full time Support Worker and aimed at Men’s Mental Health and Suicide prevention in the local Community.

During the Crowdfunding Stage of the project, after playing a slot at a local Music Festival, John thought The Cornermen also sounded like a great name for a band and so recruited friends and fellow Club Members Tom Dalby (Guitar), Nick Bentley (Drums) and Dave Oglesby (Bass) to form the group. They are also often joined by Fiddle player Ben Heaney.

The songs often address issues encountered in the Service, such as grief, addiction, loneliness and the need for meaning and comradeship. John’s lyrics are woven in with Tom’s guitar riffs and Nick’s powerful drums to create songs that veer from Hard Rock to melodic Pop. John’s Irish roots also infuse a number of songs with their themes and style, hence the inclusion of Fiddle and Uillieann Pipes on some tracks.