Tell us about your band, where are you from?
We’re a London band, though Jayson (bass) is a Southend lad and still lives there. He’s a proper rockabilly bass slapper who loves hillbilly music and hammers the s*@t out of his bass. Jonny is one of the best drummers out there, and one of the few that make you want to dance! I’m from Oxford originally, but moved to London many moons ago.
How and when did you start?
I put the band together just over a year ago to capture the wild side of the 50’s beat with raw, raunchy rockabilly that’ll get your feet and hips moving. I wanted this to be a band you can dance to. I had become frustrated with always being the sideman, and although I’ve really enjoyed playing guitar and writing songs with some great, and well respected people over the years it was time to pluck up the courage to sing myself and be the front man. I’d been listening to a lot of Wild Records artists as well as the original 50’s stuff, and that inspired me to do what I like best which is straight down the middle rockabilly. There’s some great more hillbilly/country artists, or big band swing type stuff, or r’n’b etc around, all of which I love, but rockabilly for me is where it all comes together.
How did your love for rockabilly music start?
I first picked up a guitar when I was 10 or 11 after hearing AC/DC. I liked the loud raw guitar and the driving beat. They said they liked Chuck Berry and I found I liked him too, so after that I started listening to old blues and r’n’b records including Kings both Albert and B.B, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins (who has remained my favorite), Little Richard, guitar pickers like James Burton, and anyone else who did things their own way such as Les Paul, Lemmy or Bo Diddley, then learned how to play by listening, copying and playing along.
Do you write your own songs?
Yes, I love writing. If I’m not doing something creative I tend to go a little nuts.
If so, where do you get your inspiration? Real life, or total fantasy. Do you write together?
A bit of real life, some total fantasy. Inspiration or motivation to write tends to come from hearing good music as it makes me realize it’s all worth it!
I write all the songs.
Tell us about your latest cd
The CD we’ve just released is a live album recorded at Ace Cafe London. We were booked to play at Ace Cafe London last year and I thought why not record it? Not many bands put out a live album as their debut, but we thought why not? We’re all about playing live, and where better to capture the band in full flight than at a birthplace of British rock ‘n’ roll such as the Ace. No slick studio sound, no overdubs, just us rockin’ the joint warts an all.
What are your do’s and don’ts on stage?
When you stand on stage you are performing, everyone is watching the show so both clothes and performance are important whether we like it or not. It shouldn’t be contrived though – it’s not cabaret!
Do you like other styles than rockandroll?
I’ve given it a fair try I think but in the end no, nothing else really grabs me.
Is there an artist you would like to work with in future?
I would love to put a record out with Wild Records. Everything that comes out of that studio just flat out rocks.
Where would you like to play?
Viva Las Vegas!
Tell us a fun story about your band or gig.
The first gig we played with Jayson he got so hammered before the show he had to lean on his bass to stand up. He played just fine, but at the end of the night we had to untangle him from the burlesque dancer and drag him out of the dressing room so we could go home. I knew then he was the right man for the job!
Do you regret anything? Missed chance, big mistake, …
I spent a lot of time in Nashville with a band some years ago and saw some great rockabilly bands there. I had commitments so carried on with what I was doing, but should have formed this band right then and there.
What are your future plans?
A studio album would be nice if the right deal/studio comes along
Finish this sentence: we will never ever….
Stop rockin’
