Canadian Celtic punk at its finest. The Stoaters blended guitars, mandolins, bodhrans and fiddles into a sound one reviewer called "unlike any other mix of Celtic and rock music… a blend of passion, energy, animation and spirit." Another described it as "traditional Scottish and Irish with a 100% punk attitude."

Rob joined at 17. The band had recently enjoyed chart success in Canada with their album Keep the Head and were looking to conquer Europe. Rob quit his job at Toys R Us and embarked on a 3-month tour across Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark.

"It was a dream for me — we did 3 months across Germany, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. At the tour's end, exhausted, believe me, I returned to England, but really struggled to find the music scene there."

A second Stoaters tour followed a couple of years later, this time landing Rob in Norway — a country that would become his creative home for the next 6 years. The Stoaters remain one of Canada's unsung Celtic-rock exports, and Rob's first real taste of life on the road.