Archive for the ‘dance’ Category

Rockabilly is taking over the Rotterdam (again)

Posted by Rocky On June - 21 - 2014
Photo by Terral Bouman

Photo by Terral Bouman

All of my 22 years here on earth I’ve lived in Rotterdam. I grew up with wild rockin’ stories about jivin’ in Jailhouse Place, and late nights at The Flaming Star. But those places are no more 🙁 So I traveled all over the country for party’s, thinking that rockabilly in Rotterdam is gone. Until the last few months!

It started with a event called “De Rotte Tiet”. In english, translates to ” the rotten titty”. But let me explain! The name came from a parody of The Titty Twister, from From Dusk Till Dawn! Born from the brains of Jesse van der Heijden and Dennis Klootwijk, the plan is to organize a party, where you can just be yourself. Guys can be just classy lads, girls can be pretty ladies! Not like the disco,hipster and hiphopin’ folk on the regular places. The evening is filled with dirty Rock’n’Roll and Rockabilly, boppin’ tracks! Hans Worst is there to still you’re hunger with sauce, right from the grill. You can have you’re picture taken! And it goes on till late! I know, because I spinned the wax there! I danced like crazy when I didn’t spin. But the best part, I saw the older generation rockers and the newer generation in one place! So I highly recommend to go there! And I Look forward to the next edition!

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Crazy Times Album Review – Swing your shoes off!

Posted by Rocky On July - 29 - 2013

Part 3: Nico Duportal and his Rhythm Dudes – Real Rockin’ Papa

The Album Cover

The Album Cover

Before I started this review, I heard about this guys because they started appearing at some festivals I read about. I also read they were a rhythm and swingband.

Crazy Times Album Reviews nico durvall bijlage2

Shot of the band

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Hoorn Rock ‘n’ Roll Sunday Danceday

Posted by Rocky On May - 27 - 2013

Hoorn Rock ‘n’ Roll, a famed rock and roll party in the centre of the city of Hoorn, The Netherlands. I heard a lot of great things about this party, but i never went, though i had planned to go last year. To my disappointment i missed the party, and with that the Teddy Boy singer Yann the CorrupTED! So when I was asked to go, and one of the organizers  who also writes here one this site, asked me too, I didn’t have a choice 😉 So i got a ride and went there.

poster2013

Poster from the event

I went with some friends, and we first went to the Spunyboys, of course.  The first set was as energetic and powerful as every time i see them! He had a great arsenal of songs, including songs from Gene Vincent and Eddie Cochran. He even played the great Sandy Ford’s song Oh What A Shame. ‘Especially for Rocky’, Remi(the singer) said, Sandy Ford being from the Teddy Boy band The Flying Saucers. Near the end of the first set we went for a stroll to see which band to go next. On the way I came by a lot of friends from all over the country 😀 We just walked from bar to bar and saw Gotta Go, The Rechords (good band!) and the 2-tones, before walking into El Rio Trio. Always good, the quartet from Amsterdam! Bopper had his new pinstriped bass and wasn’t scared to show it off.  And although the bar was small (all bars were), they played the roof from the joint again!

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Rockabilly on the Route interview 3: Tina Bartolucci

Posted by bunny On May - 14 - 2013

Our next interviewee should be one already familar to our readers. As part of the all-female Austin powerhouse “Danger*Cakes” Tina Marie Bartolucci combines 50’s pin-up curves with the ethereal energy of a 60’s flower child. The girls are third billed on the festival, so I took some time to play catch-up with her.

Tina, you’ve been playing sax with Danger*Cakes since the bands first year. How would you describe the experience of playing with such a fast rising band?

tina20

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The Royal Hounds – I’m In Love with a Zombie

Posted by Rocky On April - 23 - 2013

When I came home I found two packages on my doormat. One contained a CD from The Royal Hounds, which I will review here. The package didn’t contain only the cd, but also a nice letter was in there. I will tell something about the band. The Royal Hounds are from Knoxville, Tennessee, state of the king and base for the roots of rockabilly. Scotty Hinds is the leadsinger and standupbass, accompanied with Scott “Bramble” Billingsley(drums) and Brian Lee(guitar).

The Band

The Band

The Royal Hounds bijlage 2

The Albumcover

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Lipstick on your Vinyl?

Posted by Rocky On February - 26 - 2013

It was the last weekend of my vacation, and I just had my last dance lesson on Friday. And i thought that there was nothing to do, nowhere to go for a rockabilly party. But i heard through the grapevine that there was a boppin’ party going on in dB’s in Utrecht. So I looked it up. On the website I read that it was called “Boppin’ The Rock”, which is organized once in a few weeks. 3 Bands were playing that night. This time it was The Buckshots from Belgium, The Slapback Johnny’s from The Netherlands and The Whiskey Daredevils from the USA. And I found out some of my friends were going also, so I decided it was best to go too 😉

The flyer

The flyer

It was pretty much next to the station, but the door was on the other side. When i walked in I didn’t know where to go, I’ve never been here before. So i walked straight to the bar 😛 After waiting 20 minutes or so, the doors opened to see the band. The Buckshots were first up.  They looked like a country/Rockabillyband, with a lovely female vocalist. After one song, my friends cam dripping in, one by one. They’ve been to dB’s before to see JD Mcpherson.

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Showgirl Adventure: Viva Las Vegas 15

Posted by RubyJoule On December - 24 - 2012

I had heard that the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend was the mecca of rockabilly culture in the world.  This wasn’t much of an exaggeration, as I found out.  There was a massive car show, live music on several stages almost around the clock, a vibrant marketplace, pin-up contests, swing and jive dancing, a fashion show, and of course, burlesque.  The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada became the center of the rockabilly universe for a long, 4-day weekend in April with attendees coming from all over the world.

Official VLV Poster, art by Vince Ray

Official VLV Poster, art by Vince Ray

I arrived Thursday morning after an insanely early flight from Texas and dearly wished I could go back to sleep! More pressing, however, was that afternoon’s rehearsal and fitting for the Secrets in Lace fashion show.  I hadn’t seen what I’d be wearing yet, but I’m a huge fan of the high-quality, retro-chic brand, so I was very excited.  Off to the showroom I went, back to the dressing rooms where other gorgeous burly-Q girls were already trying on their glamorous underpinnings.  LouLou D’Vil ofFinland looked fierce in violet and leopard print from the Bettie Page collection, and Medianoche of Spain was divine in pink.  The ever-charming Dan Whitsett, CEO and mastermind behind Secrets in Lace presented me with the ensemble I was to wear, and I fell in love instantly.  It was the dreamiest, most delicious shade of mint green, and included silky undies, garter belt, a delicate brassiere and robe.  The shoes and stockings would be fit separately.  “! thought this would go nicely with your hair,” Dan said.  How wonderful of him to consider a redhead’s particular color scheme! But then, he is in the business of making ladies look even more luscious.  Several pairs of stockings were tried until I found just the right fit. The all-nylon fabric of these coveted silkies has no give, so a perfect fit is essential.

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30 Years Cruise Inn: Rock ‘n’ Roll is here to stay!

Posted by Rocky On December - 12 - 2012

“How much emotions can you have in one weekend”. Quote from a friend.

It has been 30 years since a well known group of friends called The Bopcats from Amsterdam decided they needed a Rock’n’Roll bar of their own. Since then the Cruise Inn grew out to be one of the greatest Rock’n’Roll bars of The Netherlands. Rockers from all over the world come here to listen to rockabilly, drink, dance, bop and just have a good rockin’ time. Although i’ve been going to the cruise all my life and a lot of people saw me growing up there, its just the last few years that I have been visiting the Cruise on a regular basis. But even in those few years I made a lot of friends, and every night I have a blast! Most of the nights I stay till they kick me out 😉

The Cruise Inn

So when I heard they would celebrate their 30 year existence big time, I said I be there. I even wanted to film it for 2 days! And when I heard the Foggy Mountain Rockers would play, I went mad! They are one of the best modern day Teddy Boy bands. They started in Germany in 1992, my birth year. With a lot of singles, LP’s and cds on their name, they grew out to be a standard on Teddy Boy concerts!

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Glad To Be A Ted!

Posted by Rocky On September - 30 - 2012

Hello Rockabillies/bella’s and Teds,

Lou Cifer

Me and my family went of to Riethoven to see Lou Cifer And The Hellions play along with the Jets, CC Jerome and the Downbeat Meastros. We never thought they would be this good!!!

Bill Zebop and Hal Hellion

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Showgirl Adventure: Rockabilly Queens!

Posted by RubyJoule On March - 23 - 2012

Readers of this column will remember that at last post, yours truly was in the running to perform at the Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekender coming up in April.  Well, thanks to you and a score of supportive friends and fans, I was voted into one of the few performance spots!  Endless thanks go out to all of you who voted– the race was so close, and every single vote mattered.

One time in Vegas... Ruby Joule, by Don Spiro

The pressure isn’t off yet though; the real competition hasn’t even begun!  You see, this burlesque show will feature the eight finalists competing for the big ol’ title of “Miss Viva Las Vegas 2012.”  I wanted to get the real low-down on what it takes to land this award, so I met up for cyber-cocktails with some of the previous winners.

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Showgirl Adventure: Making the Best of it!

Posted by RubyJoule On February - 2 - 2012

My second grade teacher told us, “If you don’t have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have.”  Some may find this a tired cliché, but this idea took hold in my 7 year old mind and has been with me ever since.  As a burlesque showgirl, I am in the business of making the best, and presenting the best of myself on stage, in photos, and in general.

photo by Chris Gomez

You’re probably familiar with the trappings of showgirl glamour; fishnet stockings, fake lashes, big hair, red lips… but what about the inner workings of a showgirl that carry her through the craziest of situations?  Burlesque performers often find themselves facing a variety of stages, crowds, and venues– from big beautiful theatres to dimly lit dive bars, and everything in between.  For the sake of sanity and beauty, it is of utmost importance to make the best of things. Always.  This skill is perhaps the most important accessory a showgirl can possess.

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Showgirl Adventure: Montreal Burlesque Fest 2011, pt. 2

Posted by RubyJoule On December - 25 - 2011

We must have had more fun Friday night than we knew, because no one could be roused until 1:00pm on Saturday!  I popped a flower in my hair and walked with Michelle L’Amour and David around the corner to Roberto’s for lasagna and cappuccino; the breakfast of burlesque champions.  They had an awfully tempting selection of gelato too – perhaps we would come back later for that.  The front of the café was open to the sidewalk, so we sat in the delicious early afternoon breeze and watched passersby.

Later that day, some mutual friends of the festival from Las Vegas, Heather and Rolando, drove me into Old Port, the historic district of Old Montreal.  Eroded cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, art galleries, and umbrella festooned sidewalk eateries marked this wonderful part of the city.  The solid old stone buildings towered on either side of the streets, at once gracious and imposing.

Since Heather and Rolando had not joined us for the “breakfast of burlesque champions” earlier, we stopped at a little sidewalk bistro, Le Sauvagine, with tables nestled beneath giant orange umbrellas.  I ordered a rosé and gazed at the people passing by from behind my big dark sunglasses.  Then… a familiar figure emerged from the crowd.  Rolando exclaimed, ‘look who it is!’ The lovely Roxi D’Lite (BHOF Reigning Queen of Burlesque 2010) was headed our way.

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Showgirl Adventure: Montreal Burlesque Fest 2011, pt. 1

Posted by RubyJoule On December - 24 - 2011

I got off the plane in Montreal and breezed through customs and immigration with ease, but I was already late for the press conference that started at 5:30.  I found my fair cohort, MissCoco Lectric, at the luggage carousel and we headed to the ladies’ room for a quick change, Wonder Woman style.

Scarlett James’ darling husband, David, was waiting outside to whisk us to the venue.  As we waltzed out with our glittery cocktail dresses and suitcases, a couple of bystanders snapped photos.  I guess no one wears cocktail dresses to the airport anymore!

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Showgirl Adventure: 10 Summer Glamour Tips

Posted by RubyJoule On July - 30 - 2011

Once upon a time, I found myself on tour with the blazin’ hot band, Johnny Hootrock, barrelling through the even hotter Death Valley (117 degrees during the day!) in a darling RV, with a less than darling broken air conditioner.  When we pulled up to the honky-tonk in Arizona, my cohort Coco Lectric and I had to quickly get into glamour mode and put on a top-notch show for those fine folks.  That was some challenge, let me tell you!  Just a couple of hours earlier, we’d decided bikinis were the only acceptable outfits to wear on this trip, and had taken to spraying ourselves down with water bottles to keep from spontaneously combusting!

Coco and Ruby in the desert...

Now that was a rather extreme situation, but since we seem to be having a global heat wave, I wanted to share some tricks I’ve learned for maintaining that glamorous demeanor, from growing up in Texas…

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Showgirl Adventure: Wigs and Fashion!

Posted by RubyJoule On March - 22 - 2011

Coco Coquette set up shop in my hometown of Austin, Texas recently, opening up a little boutique of masterpiece wigs, vintage clothing, and a salon.  She also produces hybrid dance + fashion extravaganzas, and has even been featured on National Public Radio (NPR).  In celebration of Valentine’s Day, she presented her latest vision, “Cherchez la Femme.”  Twelve designers paired with twelve dancers or duets, and twelve songs representing every stage of love from New Crush to Heartbreak, to Marriage.  I was ecstatic when I was asked to create a burlesque striptease routine representing Marriage for the show’s finale.  My assigned song was Billy Idol‘s “White Wedding,” and I was paired with designer Chia Guillory.

Ruby Joule and Chia Guillory (photo: John Leach)

I met with Chia for several fittings, and swooned each time as the gown began to take shape with its strapless fitted bodice, petite shrug, and flared mermaid skirt.

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Showgirl Adventure: Dallas Burlesque Festival!

Posted by RubyJoule On March - 15 - 2011

Hello my Dumplings!  After a brief hiatus of non-stop performing, I am back to dish the skinny about all those adventures.  Starting with… The Dallas Burlesque Festival, produced by Black Mariah, Elisa, and Ginger Valentine; three amazing performers in their own right!

Ruby Joule

The third annual Dallas Burlesque Festival was one of the most anticipated burlesque events in Texas, taking place over two nights, and attracting performers from New York City to New Orleans.  My fellow Jigglewatts, Jolie Ampere Goodnight, Coco Lectric and I headed up to “The Big D” for the Saturday night showcase at the House of Blues.

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Showgirl Adventure: Miss La Diva

Posted by RubyJoule On February - 8 - 2011

I don’t normally do interviews in my column, but when this raven-haired rockabilly dame from Hollywood dropped me a note, I couldn’t resist.  Especially since I’m headed out to the West Coast soon and need all the pointers I can get!  Please allow me to introduce: Miss La Diva!

Miss La Diva

RJ: For those not in the know, who is “Miss La Diva”?

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Showgirl Adventure: Viva Gypsy!

Posted by RubyJoule On January - 25 - 2011

I recently had the honour of headlining the Viva Dallas Burlesque show called Dirty Sexy Funny, along with some of the most outrageous burlesque comediennes of north Texas.  It was also the 100th birthday of the iconic burlesque legend, Gypsy Rose Lee, known for her elegance, wit, and  humour on stage. I couldn’t wait to perform my newly crafted Gypsy tribute act!

There was a brutal cold front blowing in, and the historic Lakewood Theatre was drafty and cold! Not to mention three of the other showgirls were fighting off the plague.  We were all shivering as we paced through our tech rehearsals, but once we got to shakin’ the goods on stage, the place heated up quickly!

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Showgirl Adventure: Pasties Poppin’ at House of Blues!

Posted by RubyJoule On January - 4 - 2011

Hello everyone, and happy 2011!  I hope your holidays were fabulous.  As for me, I finished out the year with a bang at the House of Blues in Houston, Texas in a show called “Stripping Through the Ages,” presented by Ruby Revue.  Before I tell you about that though, it’s a new year and I’ve got a new plan. I won’t call it a resolution, because I don’t want to jinx it.  But every Tuesday, I will bring a new tale for your amusement.  We’ll call it, “Ruby Tuesdays”, eh?

Ruby Joule

Mid go-go move (I call it "the stewardess")

Now for the “history lesson.”  In this epic show, played to a sold out house, each decade from the 1930s to the present was represented with maximum glamour and aplomb!  I chose the 1960s, a costume of candy pink fringe, and a swingin’ Tom Jones tune.  I threw lollies into the audience, I ponied, I shimmied… I nearly hyperventilated.   I was sandwiched between Black Mariah’s sizzling 1950s tribute to Bettie Page, and Coco Lectric’s 1970s homage to Teena Marie and the flashy glam of disco days.

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Red Hot and Blue Festival

Posted by Miriam On December - 3 - 2010

For six years now there’s been the Red Hot & Blue Rockabilly festival in Montreal (Canada).
It all started on a trip to France in 1992, when Nathalie attended a concert featuring Rock and Roll pionners such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bo Diddley, and other related events that she decided to organize an annual all-Rockabilly night. A happening featuring local acts. Since 1993, the Montreal public has seen, not only Canadian but also international acts. The Montreal Rockabilly Jam was born.

Having friends that shared the same passion for the 1950s, Nathalie and her buddies founded, in 1999, the Montreal Hep Cat Movement. In 2002, the Montreal Hep Cat Movement has put together their first Hot-Rod and antique car meet. The same year a new year’s eve party also took place.
The idea grew and became a four day music festival as important as its american and european counterparts. The Montreal Hep Cat Movement, in collaboration with Double Concept Productions, are proud to present, since 2005, the first Rockabilly festival in Canada; The Red Hot and Blue Rockabilly Weekend (http://www.rockabillyjam.com/71/red_hot_and_blue_rockabilly_weekend_2010.rockabilly)

The weekend is: 4 days of music, 4 top DJ from Canada, the United Sates and Europe, 12 bands from all around the world, jive classes, a visual art exhibition, saturday night jive contest, a car show and the closing night (dinner and concert).
I chose a movie of the winning couple at the last contest in 2010. Watch especially the guy, he’s very lively. Nice to practice this again at home!!
If you are interested in going to Canada, the next edition of this Rockabilly festival will take place September 1-4 2011!

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