Photo: Madeleine Marx-Bentley

Walking into a room full of men in muscle tee’s with side burns and impeccably dressed women can only mean one thing, you’ve walked into a Rockabilly gig. But this one had a difference. There were Mods walking around, the natural enemy of the Rocker. The crowd seems far more interested in the Rocker side of things but that just adds to the entertainment.

Due to Brisbane’s amazing ability to do road works on a Saturday night I miss first act Brandi & The Bad Cats. So my first musical taste for the evening comes from Screamin’ Stevie & the Atomic Boogie Band. These guys are on some serious psychedelic Mod tip. Screamin’ Stevie was in full regalia, Purple cape and the coolest cowboy boots I’d ever seen. The music was tight and Stevie’s vocals had a raucous quality. But this all seems lost on the Rockabilly crowd who are clearly here to see the next two bands.

Drawing the crowd back to the dance floor was Mick Hadley and the Atomic Boogie Band. Their set is full of grunt with a low-down blues feel that is sadly missing in many new Rockabilly-style acts. Hadley and his band keep that dancefloor packed with old-timers and newcomers alike. Great songs and great moves from the crowd make for a perfect starting point for West Texas Crude.

After some delay West Texas Crude grace the stage. To their credit they have maintained a traditional rockabilly sound in a world being swallowed up by Psychobilly. The crowd are happily dancing, drinking and loving the vibe. West Texas Crude never fail to bring the style of the 1950s right on back to whichever venue they play. Managing to hold the crowd’s attention until the very end, it’s clear they haven’t lost any of their magic.

JONESY WHITE

Comments (2)

Write Comment
Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Poster's IP addresses are logged.
Name:
Comment:
Code:*