Rockabilly-Online

Photo by Marielle Swingtime

Brian Setzer at Paradiso Amsterdam..

Didn’t know what to think, didn’t know what to expect in a certain way.. I knew for that Brian’s was gonna’ rip, that’s for sure. Having seen so many great artists in the recent past i thought i’d be less impressed as i was when i first saw him live with the Stray cats and BSO after that. More about the Riot later!

The way i see it, the opening band was musically speaking a much stronger one than the band he’d selected at his last BSO show in Holland. Miss Mary Ann and the Ragtime Wranglers warmed things up and knowing that this top notch band was opening pleased me even more. Now here is a band that sounds different. The band has worked together for a great number of years and they’ve gotta’ be the best export product Holland has to offer in the roots and rockabilly department. They play a lot of originals in their own distinctive style. Guitarplayer Joe Sixpack has a great vintage gear collection and sound, he plays rhythm that seem to belong where he puts them, different style player. Huey Moor and drummer Sietse are the rhythm section to be jealous of. And Miss Mary Ann…? Well, she’s something else. A true lady on stage and a great singer who gives a lot of herself, she even screams and shouts when she’s far away from her mike. I love that enthusiasm, especially when her bandmates really dig in deep. I could have done with them playing more songs because i really enjoyed them but what can you do, the opening acts usually never get to do a full gig..

Photo by Marielle Swingtime

About that riot now…..:
In my opinion, Johnny Hatton as a bassplayer is definitely a good thing, i loved the way he blasted through the set. Brian’s drummer Noah Levy -who sort of looked like a certain Buddy H (or was that the bad Paradiso Beer that influenced my judgement…)- made for a good rhythm section together with Hatton. Chris D’Rozario, who i’d first seen on youtube a couple of years ago was added as a 2nd doublebass player and a very good one too! Musically speaking, a 2nd bassplayer doesn’t do a hell of a lot for me but i can sure tell you it adds to Brian’s vision on how to start a riot! Him and Hatton went for a good old bass-battle, where even Brian joined that great part of the show, he hauled a third doublebass on to the stage and went at it. Too cool! Kevin McKendree as a fine boogie woogie piano player to bring something extra to the already full sound was nice also. To complete the riot, one cannot do without Stray Cats madman Slim Jim Phantom. Like Phantom says himself, he knows to play about four drumlicks and that’s it. And that he does, needless to say that he is a fine showman bringing a lot of the Stray Cats vibe back. At one moment he even broke a cymbal with his stick. Even though he’s still slim as hell, he totally attacks his drumkit with every, every beat. Good show!
And Brian? Well, let’s put it in the words the late, great Chet Atkins said about him playing Gretsch guitars; ‘This guy Brian Seltzer, he plays the heck outta’ one of these….’
And right you were Chet! Brian already played great when he was my age (early twenty-ish…) and still manages to come up with a great number of chords that always sound fantastic, in his playing he keeps honouring the players from the past that made that difference so many years ago. And does it kneeling on the stage or on Slim Jim’s bassdrum. He may want to take care of the way he jumps of it, considering the fact that he passed the age of 50 now. A lot of the paradiso visitors are the regulars at Brian’s gigs and speaking of visitors, it’s very obvious that Brian still makes it to a much broader fanbase than just the hardcore rockabella and billies, all kinds of people turned up last night.

I had a slight booze contamination issue for which i think my brother is responsible (the gift that kept on giving for the bigger part of the day after the gig), therefore i failed to mention some of the great moments of the gig. Thanks to the ladies for giving me back my memory!
Great, great night!

Since the regular RBO lady photographers chose fun over work RBO is glad to depend on Marielle Swingtime for the pictures, looking great, thank you!